We’re only a few days removed from the finale of Invincible‘s second season and I’m still reeling from the episode.

The season finale not only capped off a largely successful season, but it also set a new status quo for the series moving forward. That means it’s time to speculate wildly about what comes next.

Before we get to that point, however, it’s important to take a look at the past season and what worked, what didn’t, and why. So buckle up, let’s revisit the second season of Invincible.

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

Spoiler Warning: We will discuss the events of the second season, touching on aspects from the entire season. I haven’t read the comics yet so this review is based solely on the show.

Invincible’s Season Finale Sets a Darker Tone

Up until the finale, Invincible straddled the line of a lighter tone with darker implications. There were plenty of dark elements throughout the show such as Omni-Man’s killing spree to end the first season, but we always seemed to return to optimism.

I’m not sure it’ll be that simple moving forward.

Mark crossed a line in the season finale that not many superheroes do. He killed a foe and he did so in a brutal manner. This tone of guilt permeated the rest of the episode so much so that attempts at comedic relief felt out of place.

Mark can never take back killing. He has to live with it for the rest of his life and the finale indicates it’ll be a while before he comes at peace with it. Even so, once you’ve killed, it gets easier.

Take Walter White from Breaking Bad. The first time he killed, White was remorseful. By the end of the series, White had no problem killing.

Mark is at a similar turning point that begs for a darker tone. I’m sure the series will find a way to maintain is dark comedy elements, but if the finale is any indication, we’re in for a darker shift moving forward.

A Viltrumite Conflict is Coming

Again, I’m writing this as someone who hasn’t read the comics so I am unsure of what originally happens next. That said, there seems to be a Viltrumite conflict brewing.

The B-story of the second half of the season focused on the Viltrumites holding Nolan captive in preparation for his execution. A tension also brewed between Mark and the Viltrumites as Gen. Kregg tasked Mark with fulfilling his father’s old job of preparing Earth for the empire’s occupation.

This came to a head when Anissa showed up and threatened Mark, beating him into submission though he was defiant until the end. This also manifested as Allen was prepping for an offensive against the Empire at the direction of Thaedus, leader of the Coalition of Planets and an undercover Viltrumite that betrayed the Empire.

Much of what was soon seemed to be planting seeds for what is to come next season. This season was all about Mark finding himself as a superhero and how he fits in with his Viltrumite heritage.

This seemed to be so important that a mid-credit scene after the finale showed where the focus likely will be moving forward. If so, Mark may need his new edge to combat an attempted Viltrumite occupation of Earth.

We saw the conflict on display when Mark and Nolan were fighting off three Viltrumites on Thraxa. Nolan kept telling Mark he needed to kill and he should stop holding back though Mark refused.

He’s crossed that line now and that could be what he needs to stop the invading Viltrumites.

With this focus comes more Allen, which is always welcome. Seth Rogen does a fantastic job at voicing the character so hearing his performance will be fun next season.

Mark and Eve’s Relationship Will Take Centerstage

One of the underlying storylines this season was the tension between Mark’s superhero and personal lives. The big indicator of this was his relationship with Amber.

The two eventually broke up because they couldn’t be in each other’s worlds. This became abundantly obvious once Anissa threatened Amber.

Although it felt a bit rushed in the finale, the first seeds of Mark and Eve getting together began to take root. A future Eve told Mark how she felt and told him to tell present-day Eve how he felt, regardless of what it was. There was a brief tease but nothing definitive but that is on the horizon.

This the better pairing for Mark because the two are both superheroes. That said, it’ll create an interesting dynamic as enemies can try to exploit that relationship.

Eve has had her fair share of struggles throughout the season and has been hesitant at being part of the superhero gang. We got our first glimpse of her fighting alongside Mark as they went to space to stop the invading sequids.

I’ve always been a big fan of Eve and find her fascinating. I’m excited to see where the story goes with the two of them as we begin a will-they-won’t-they dynamic through the Invincible lens.

Oliver May Play A Bigger Role

When Mark went to Thraxa, he found his father had taken a new wife and had a child. Mark brought the child back to Earth and Debbie took a big liking to him despite him being Nolan’s son.

The important thing to remember here is Thraxans don’t age the same as humans, they mature much quicker. Oliver isn’t full Thraxan so he won’t age as fast as his home planet, but he is growing quickly.

This means, he could follow Mark into the superhero business soon. There are plenty of examples of younger heroes working alongside big-name heroes. Robin being a prime example of that.

Heck, Mark became Invincible while he was still in high school and despite their actual ages, Robot and Monster Girl do appear as children. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Oliver would follow suit given his Viltrumite heritage.

We saw him adore Mark throughout the season and, as far as he’s concerned, Mark is the only fatherly role model in his life. Mark and company are going to need all the help they can get to stop a Viltrumite occupation and Oliver could factor into that.

The Second Season Ended Where It Started: Mark’s Identity

When the second season began, Mark was struggling with his identity. He was trying to shake the image of his father in the wake of his killing rampage.

While Mark tried to move past it, others couldn’t. The Immortal made a point to confront Mark and tell him he didn’t trust him because of his father.

The season seemed to show that Mark was the opposite of his father and the peak of that was whenever he faced off against a Viltrumite. Angstrom Levy, however, sent Mark into a rage and the latter ultimately killed the villain.

This led Mark to revert back to that struggle of being just like his father. Many tried to reassure him that wasn’t the case, but Mark wouldn’t hear it. Thus, that brings us back to where we started as Mark struggles with his identity of being Nolan’s son.

I think, however, this is an easier pill for Mark to swallow given how the interaction with his father went on Thraxa. I’m not suggesting Nolan has been redeemed because he hasn’t.

Nolan still has a lot to atone for, but the trajectory seems to be heading toward redemption. As Mark sees this, it might impact him on how he handles this identity crisis.

It will definitely be interesting to see how this dynamic unfolds next season, but it was cool to see the storytelling go full circle over the course of the season.

Seasons Need to Be Longer

It’s hard to believe that there have only been 17 episodes of Invincible. Eight in each season and the prequel Atom Eve special is all its taken to encompass the story we’ve had so far.

That’s been a lot of story in a short amount of time. While there seems to be some discrepancy in how the show has adapted the comics, it seem what we have so far covers 47 of the 144 issues.

My issue is the seasons feel short. I don’t think it’s felt overbooked, but it does feel like the show gets going only to stop shortly thereafter.

This season felt that way particularly because there were two four-episode halves. Maybe it would feel different if it ran through all eight episodes at once instead of having a delay, but if Amazon opts to keep doing that, they should add to the episode count.

I’m not suggesting drastically adding to the count. Even adding two more episodes a season could help it breath a bit more. That would also allow five episodes for each half of the season and that’s a big more than a month at a time.

The story here is rich and this season tried to juggle a lot. Furthermore, Invincible thrives with its characters and some episodes this season focused on them. Having two more a season would help bolster the narrative while giving characters more time to shine.

The other factor to keep in mind is the wait between seasons. The show already broke the fourth wall, joking about how long it takes to animate. The animation has been phenomenal and I would hate to see quality decline in order to deliver results quicker.

That said, adding episodes to seasons would help give some more breathing room as we wait between seasons.

Show creator Robert Kirkman has said he’d like to see seven or eight seasons to flesh out the story, meaning we still have a ways to go.

What did you think about the second season of Invincible? How well has the show adapted the comics? What are you looking forward to most in season 3? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Prime Video (via Multiverse of Color)

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