How Invincible Season 2 Ending Sets Up A Much Better Season 3
Have problems with Invincible Season 2? Well, at least it did the work of setting up a thrilling Season 3 story!
Invincible Season 2 will likely be remembered as a divisive (if not disappointing) followup to Season 1, but it did all the necessary heavy lifting to set the show up for an exciting Season 3.
NOTE: The author of this article has NOT read the Invincible comics.
Season 1 of Invincible captured viewers (especially those who never read the comic book source material) with the story of Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) maturing into his own superpowers, and trying to live up to the legacy of his Superman dad, Nolan (J.K. Simmons), AKA the world's most powerful hero, Omni-Man. The twist that Nolan was actually a malevolent deep-cover agent for an empire of super people created massive stakes for Mark, his mother Debbie (Sandrah Oh), and the entire system of superheroes and global defense agencies built around Omni-Man. And the Season 1 finale drove those stakes home deeper and brutally than just about any superhero origin story could.
Invincible Season 2 had the much more daunting task of having its characters and world ruminate on the violence and pain of Nolan's betrayal. Deep adult themes about legacy and identity were explored across the series; it wasn't the same kind of propulsive thrill as Season 1, for sure, but it was necessary 'chesspiece' storytelling, designed to bring the characters around to the new places they need to be in.
(WARNING: Invincible Season 2 SPOILERS Follow!)
In Invincible Season 2's finale episode "I Thought You Were Stronger" we saw a culmination of so many of the key seasonal storylines. The most prevalent is Mark's identity struggle following the revelations about his dad; by the time Mark is beating new foe Angstrom Levy to death in an unhinged rage, he's forced to confront the fact that his entire "I'm not my dad!" stance all season has been nothing but denial.
The final episodes of Season 2 cut away the extraneous distractions that were dragging Invincible (the character and the series) down, in the eyes of many fans. Amber and Mark are done; Mark is over any illusions about a "normal" life and civilian identity, with his eyes squarely focused on becoming the best hero and protector he possibly can be. That's already taking us into a Season 3 story arc that will be much more focused on Mark as Invincible, with far less of the angsty existential moping we saw in Season 2. Who won't love that?
The other side of Invincible's initial appeal was of course Nolan and the entire threat of the Viltrumite Empire. The Season 2 ending reveals that while Mark is getting harder and more militant, Nolan is actually going the other way: softening and becoming more empathetic, due to his time on Earth. Given where Mark is headed, and even the works done to bring Debbie (Sandra Oh) into a new place of agency and confidence, Invincible Season 3 will once again capture that core family drama dynamic that made the show emotionally resonate with so many fans. Add in Nolan's new son Oliver aging-up rapidly, and this mess is only going to get more messy.
There are also the small story beats of Nolan and Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen) escaping a Vilturmite prison; the Viltrumites coming back to conquer Earth in force, and the Season 2 finale twist that saw Mark meet a future timeline version of his friends in the Guardians of the Globe, which foreshadows a major cataclysmic event or battle coming in Mark's imminent future, which he needs to be prepared for. That kind of button scene makes it clear that Invincible Season 3's stakes will go far beyond just one battle, with just one villain.
If all that wasn't a sell on Invincible Season 3, there's also a new romantic subplot between Mark and Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) the Season 2 Finale kicked into motion; fans have been begging for that 'ship since the show began. Well, Season 3 looks like where we'll get into it!
As for production: Hopefully, previous statements were true and Invincible Season 3 will be out much quicker than the span between Seasons 1 &. 2. And will be released in one batch.
Finally: Bring back the Mauler Twins.
Invincible Season 2 is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.