Ryan Shoots First: Invincible (S3 Ep4) “You Were My Hero”
Invincible is back in some brand-new threads as we continue the rollout of Season 3. Episode 4 serves as a benchmark in the season as Mark embarks on a new adventure across time!
Invincible continues to do a good job of presenting Mark with some scenarios and dilemmas we have seen many heroes go through and he manages to come out of them with fresh takes but not cynical ones. In this episode, we see him and Eve finally get a chance at their first date and of course, it gets broken up by people needing a hero. We’ve seen this play out many times with other heroes and Mark takes a unique stance but not one we really can blame him for. Another common trope this episode plays off is the idea of living forever and how generations of seeing your loved ones die can break someone.
Invincible does well as a format where Mark goes through some trials but all with an overarching story going on in the background through the season. While season 2 didn’t quite nail this formula season 3 is doing a great job. There are the “monster of the week” stories going in but all against not just one larger narrative but a few, Mark’s brother coming into his power, his relationship with Eve, and of course his feud with Cecil and the government. Cecil is in the rare air of ridiculous powerful humans politically and strategically that have no power but are a worthy adversary. In the realm of Amanda Wallers, or Nick Fury’s he strikes a unique balance of still being driven by noble efforts but by any means necessary. Going even further than Fury would but not as evil as Waller or the characters in The Boys. His line of the season resonates “We can be the good guys or we can save people. We can’t do both”.
I can’t quite figure out how this show feels about happy endings. So many other properties delight in ripping our hearts out and never letting a moment of peace last. Invincible for sure likes to put its characters through the wringer but in the end I feel like it does LIKE its characters and wants them to be happy. I guess we’ll see how that plays out.
