If you have read the Invincible comics by Robert Kirkman, everything that happened in the penultimate episode of Prime Video’s Invincible season 4 was shocking. Three Viltrumites (Thaedus, Omni-Man, and Invincible) destroyed a planet; one Viltrumite (Thragg) then easily beat them (and killed Thaedus), and then the remaining villains disappeared and left their enemies alive.
At the end of the episode, Allen is promoted to head of the Coalition of Planets, but he doesn't know where the Viltrumites have gone. Mark (a.k.a. Invincible) realizes that Thragg and the rest went to Earth. What happens next isn’t something many may have expected.
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR INVINCIBLE, SEASON 4, EPISODE 8
After a lot of emotional moments from this episode, titled "Don't Leave Me Hanging Here," which include Mark having PTSD and Eve telling him she was pregnant, Thragg shows up. He tells Mark that all remaining 37 Viltrumites are on Earth and will continue to be there. They won’t interact with any major events or kill anyone, but the goal is to re-establish the Viltrumites. Mark wants to fight him but understands that Thragg meant it when he said refusal would be disastrous. So he agrees to his terms and has to live with the decision that affects the entire planet.
The interaction between Thragg and Mark was vastly different than the comics. I won’t say that it’s better or worse, but it was good. Not having Omni-Man with him meant that Invincible had to make a world-shattering decision on his own and face his fear alone. This was a moment that showed maturity for the young hero in a time when he was still dealing with his trauma. It took the strength that many didn't know he had. What happens next will have to wait until Invincible season 5. And trust me when I tell you, if you haven’t read the comics, what occurs isn’t what you expect.
Right from the top, I love how the creative team dealt with Mark’s PTSD. Even though everything seemed okay, that doesn’t mean the fear of what could have happened just disappears. He went through war, destroyed a planet, thought he and his family were going to die, and assumed his actions caused the destruction of Earth. So seeing dead people everywhere made sense. It was pulled off in a brilliant way, and something else Prime Video's version of Invincible did even better than the comic book.
Speaking of things brilliantly done, the conversation of Eve not keeping the child was handled well. Gillian Jacobs did an amazing job showing the pain in Eve’s voice as she talked about her decision. This was a topic that warranted time, and it was given tastefully. I hope some of the people watching understood its importance.
There are many other things to praise about the season 4 finale of Invincible, but the serious tone is the most notable thing. For example, Omni-Man’s interaction with Cecil was handled with a better tone than in the comics. In the source material, Cecil immediately shoots Nolan out of fear. Instead, the episode acknowledged that Cecil will always be scared of him and that forgiveness isn’t something that seems likely.
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