Ryan Shoots First: Invincible (Season 3 Premiere)

I guess we can’t say that Amazon doesn’t listen to feedback as Invincible is back for Season 3 and it is a step in the right direction.

Season 2 was always going to have a hard time following the spectacular end of Season 1. The twists, the reveals, and the finale were all top-notch. So inevitable the excitement for Season 2 was peak. Then, after a long wait, they decided to not only release a slow, lackluster follow-up but also split the season into two halves months apart. While the back half was an improvement it really was a letdown for the mediocre first 4 to come out then nothing for another six months. So when Amazon announced not only would season 3 all be at the same time but we got the first three episodes all at once.

The issue was never the slow start to Season 2, after such a high-octane finale I get the slow start but when you then put everything on hold and really nothing happens it leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, and by the time the back half of Season 2 came out the hype had died down. But Season 3 does not have that problem. With the shadow of Omni man no longer looming over the show Mark and crew are free to move on to their next chapter and we start off with some huge moments in these first three episodes. The brutal, no-holds-barred, Bruce Tim vibes are back right at the start and Mark has leveled up to new power and new enemies.

At its core, Invincible, while a mature look at heroes, they do still in fact want to be heroes. Most “hardcore” superhero stories focus on the heroes not really being heroes. They take a cynical approach to the thought of being a hero but not Invincible. The heroes want to help people, they want to do good and the challenges and inner turmoil they face is all the ramifications of how that plays out when you have superpowers. Mark’s journey is one of constant growth through inner strife and self-discovery and this season he faces one of the toughest every hero needs to face “Should I kill?” We’re only 3 episodes in but that seems to be a key factor of his journey. I have compared him to Spider-Man in the past that struggle and loss are key factors in his development and now he has to struggle with seeing villains he has put away in the past continue to hurt others and the ones he loves. And the inevitable thought that if he just finished them for good that wouldn’t happen. It’s an interesting conundrum all heroes must face and I enjoy watching the tug-of-war between his need to protect but his need to do it as a hero. 

Invincible let me down in Season 2, but Season 3 is off to a hell of a start and I am back in for the next few weeks to see where it goes!