It was a fallout episode on Invincible and it shows how well the show tackles human emotions.

“It’s Not That Simple” follows up immediately after the events of the previous episode and shows how all the heroes cope with the different challenges that ensued. It was definitely a slowdown in the narrative but not one that hurt the flow of the show, adding an emotional gut punch.

Before we breakdown the episode, be sure to check out our past season 2 reviews of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth episodes. You can also check out our recap of season 1 for further context.

Spoiler Warning: We will discuss what happened in “It’s Not That Simple” and some of the events prior to the episode.

Synopsis: The Complexities of Being a Superhero

Rex Splode and Shrinking Rae survive the Lizard League attack though DupliKate does not. Mark, Eve, and the Guardians of the Globe successfully defeat the sequids on Mars and rescue the lost astronaut before returning home to learn of what happened to the others.

Debbie continues to bond with Nolan’s son, who she names Oliver. Cecil continues pressuring her to allow the GDA to care for the child only for her to refuse and pursue hiring a nanny. She finds one that Cecil sent, but the nanny says she works for Debbie and not Cecil.

After Kate’s funeral, Mark tries to reconnect with Amber only to reveal struggles. William’s boyfriend Rick returns to college but struggles to adjust after his torture in season 1.

Mark and Amber confide in costume designer Art Rosenbaum and Eve, respectively, about their relationship struggles.

Allen finds Mark and tries to get his help in tackling the Viltrumites. Mark declines but provides Allen with clues he learned from reading Nolan’s sci-fi novels about how to defeat the Viltrumites.

Nolan is in a Viltrumite space prison and not cooperating with his captors, causing Gen. Kregg to lose his temper. Kregg leaves and says Earth must be dealt with if it caused Nolan to turn into a traitor to the empire.

The episode ends with the lost astronaut Rus cleaning the mess in his apartment that Shapesmith left. Rus vomits and a sequid comes out, attaching to the astronaut and possessing him.

The final scene sees Angstrom Levy trying on suits and walks through various portals of alternate versions of Earth. He arrives in Mark’s home dimension, saying, “it’s good to be home.”

Analysis: A Lull in the Action

Invincible is limited in its episode count as it only has eight a season so it may seem weird to do a slower, emotional episode. A lull in the action, however, is exactly what the show needed.

One of the amazing parts of Invincible is how it offers a refreshing look at the superhero genre, tackling the human complexities that follow. This episode came at the perfect time as it not only reinforced this point, but it also helped the pacing.

We see the very real, emotional struggles of Eve, Mark, Rex, and The Immortal as they struggle with human emotions. It’s always refreshing to see this because superheroes are placed on a pedestal with few checking in on their wellbeing.

The show continued its shift in Rex’s persona as he seems to be a lot more likable. Last episode did a great job at making me feel for Rex and this episode is part of the payoff for that.

The big point is going to be the strain in Mark and Amber’s relationship. The seeds are taking root of a potential Mark and Eve relationship. Keep in mind, I haven’t read the comics yet and don’t know what happens next so this shift may seem obvious for readers.

The biggest reason for the dissonance is Mark being in the superhero life while Amber is adjacent to it. The reason why Eve and Mark may work better is they both understand the life and won’t runoff on the other because they’ll likely both go.

That said, Mark and Amber have been great because you can tell they do care for each other. Mark, in particular, seems to love not being surrounded by superhero business but he doesn’t get to enjoy it as much because of all his missions.

The impending breakup doesn’t seem to be one-sided. At one point, Amber is at a college party and wants to text Mark, but she ends up not doing it. She feels like she can’t complain about him superheroing because he’s off doing the greater good.

This emotion is real and relatable on many levels. Those in a relationship with a fireman or a first responder may feel similarly. How do you reconcile that? There will never be an easy answer to this and that’s the impossible situation for Amber.

This part, for me, is the most fascinating thread. Once again, it’s what makes Invincible so good because it adds depth to each of these characters.

Speaking of complex situations, Debbie is also in an impossible one. It’s so nice to see, however, that she finally seems to have found a purpose, a guiding star that she was missing in the first half of the season.

Lastly, Levy is finally back and it seems he may take a bigger role in the final two episodes. Sure, there was a tease of the sequids, but we just did that and Angstrom Levy has been a long time coming.

Final Score (4.5 out of 5 Stars)

This is Invincible at its absolute best as it explores the humanity embodied in these god-like heroes. This episode is as close to perfect as it can be, but I’m stingy when it comes to a perfect score.

Some may say this episode was too slow or not enough superhero aspects and they’d be completely justified in those assessments. I absolutely loved this approach and thought it was storytelling at its finest.

I don’t want to see an episode like this regularly, but its strategic placement added to its overall appeal. We needed a minute to decompress and process all that has happened including the mid-season finale with Nolan and the Thraxans. This episode did that in an emotional way.

There’s only two episodes left in the season and not only did this episode provide a reprieve from past events, but it also set up an exciting future.

Featured Image: Prime Video (via Comic Book)

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