INVINCIBLE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
Starring: Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Walton Goggins, Chris Diamantopoulos, Zazie Beetz, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Sterling K. Brown
Creators: Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cory Walker
KATIE
PART ONE
Invincible feels like the perfect antidote to the recent prevalence of superhero fatigue. It’s compelling and bold, with sensationally gory violence, nuanced characters, and genuine emotion driven by a voice cast that brings deeply expressive performances to underscore the provoking themes of trauma and grief. However, it unfortunately suffers as a result of the season being split, losing some momentum and rushing through several subplots that kept getting forgotten, particularly Atom Eve’s (Gillian Jacobs) familial drama and Mark’s (Steven Yeun) relationship. Despite lacking some focus, I’m excited to delve deeper into Mark’s journey in the next half of the season.
PART TWO
Part Two of Invincible’s second season hits just as hard as the first, delving deeper into Mark’s journey and his internal struggle with identity and purpose, while featuring plenty of action, witty humour, and dramatic twists. Similarly to the first half of the season, some side characters and their subplots are a little underdeveloped simply because there are so many of them and not very many episodes. Nonetheless, Yeun’s performance as Mark is phenomenal, and the dynamic between Mark’s “normal” life and his responsibilities as a superhero is the beating heart of the show.
QUENTIN
PART ONE
I don’t know what Invincible is doing. Season One was mostly made up of filler episodes, with only the premiere and finale being truly necessary to the core narrative. In Season Two: Part One, the series has leaned into that approach even more. There are just four episodes, and you only need Episode Four for Mark’s (Steven Yeun) story. Between the voice cast, vibrant Saturday Morning Cartoon animation, and interesting storyline of Mark coming to terms with his heritage, there is so much potential here, but the writers seem content focusing on poorly developed subplots. Guys, the show is called Invincible. Let’s focus on his story…
PART TWO
To its credit, Part Two of Invincible’s second season does focus a bit more on Mark’s story; however, not so much that it has retained me as a viewer. I’m officially done with this series. The only storyline I care about revolves around Mark and the Viltrumites, but the writers keep tripping over themselves to give me side stories about the Guardians, Mark’s girlfriend, and other frustratingly wheel-spinning dalliances. Interestingly, this is a Robert Kirkman series. The Walking Dead – a show I hate-watched for several seasons before giving up – also was a Kirkman series. They have the same “sprawl” issues. I’m not falling for it again.
AMARÚ
PART ONE
Invincible continues to be one of the best comic book adaptations out today because it takes both its comic and grounded aspects seriously. There is fun and action and gore and tropes, but that never gets in the way of telling authentic stories to which people can connect. Season Two: Part One tackles themes of grief, guilt, and responsibility through multiple storylines, but still keeps its sights on Mark Grayson’s (Steven Yeun) main journey. This is all uplifted by a tremendous voice cast who brings every emotion to life in this true comic series.
PART TWO
Part Two of Invincible’s second season gives Part One’s disparate-yet-entertaining aspects a focused and intriguing finish. Yes, you might be here for the title character, but I greatly appreciate how much purpose the writers give to every side character. Only having eight episodes does make the parallel plots feel slightly thin, but this second half does an amazing job of pointing themes of grief, trauma, and personal choice all towards Mark’s direction. As brutal, funny, and self-aware as ever, the totality of Invincible: Season Two continues to buck whatever superhero fatigue y’all are talking about.
PAIGE
PART ONE
Although the first four episodes of Invincible‘s second season are packed with action, drama, and violence, not to mention being a solid continuation of the stellar first season, the overall structure of these episodes doesn’t pack a big enough punch storywise. Following a rocky start, it eventually finds its footing with a shocking reveal in the mid-season finale, but it takes too long to get what we were all longing for. With that said, this series is still as bold as they come, and it remains one of the better superhero shows on TV.
PART TWO
While the last few episodes feel a little rushed, there is no denying that the second half of Invincible‘s second season is far more engaging than the first. The latest batch of episodes contain some of the most compelling character development of the entire series, and they do a fantastic job of balancing action with subdued, heartfelt exchanges between the show's numerous characters. For me, though, the most intriguing aspect of this season is Mark’s (Steven Yeun), aka Invincible’s, internal struggle throughout this coming-of-age comic book tale.
