Invincible season 2 episode 7 review - I totally ate my own words

Well, I totally ate my own words on this one, didn't I?

Invincible season 2 episode 7, "I'm Not Going Anywhere", kind of was a rollercoaster of emotions, and though it left a somewhat bitter aftertaste, I have to say that it was a pretty solid entry in the franchise.

Friendly neighborhood SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT WATCHED SEASON 2 EPISODE 7 YET. Read at your own risk!

We kick things off at a comic book convention with Mark and Amber, bringing back my own fond memories of all the fun my partner and I had in NYCC 2023. Imagine a sea of colorful cosplayers, with one looking suspiciously like a certain Mad Titan. Amber and Mark are there for autographs, but the real action begins when Mark gets a superhero call to arms - because being a hero is a 24/7 gig, as we've all witnessed. He zips off to save Rex Splode from some his own unsanctironed solo mission against octopus-themed baddies, with the fight ending in a fiery flourish thanks to Rex's new flamethrower arm. Friendship level: Superhero Bros. Maybe.

At this point, Amber is so used to be left alone in the middle of dates and things that it's not even a surprise to her. We can all still see that it does hurt, though.

Back at the Guardians HQ, Monster Girl is not vibing with her new exoskeleton, and Immortal is having a major case of "I can't even" with the team. Cecil, God bless him because I would not want to be in his shows - ever - plays therapist to Donald, who's having an existential crisis about being an android. After a series of silent questions slowly being answered by Donald watching himself die about 37 times on CCTV, Donald understands his true calling and he decides he's cool with it, making peace with it. This is an insane amount of character growth - especially since I was 100% sure there'd be a robot uprising on his behalf. I mean, there's always season 3 for that, right? And no, I have yet to read the comics.

We go back to our lovely college couple and see that Mark's trying to balance college life and superhero duties. It's not easy. The strain it places on his relationship with Amber starts to make cracks on the surface and, byt that time, I had to come to terms that it just wouldn't go the way I wanted it to. The superhero vs. human relationship drama continues with Mark and Amber sitting on a relationship time bomb. But hey, at least his mom, Debbie, finally gets asked on a date and it brings her a sense of normalcy. Normalcy is great, regardless of how much or how little you get when you live her life, right?

Things take a dark turn with Rick contemplating suicide. Donald shows that he understands his true purpose and sees himself in Rick. The fact he's chosen to not erase his memories anymore so he can remember he's died so many times doing his duty and protecting others speaks volumes to his personal growth. The difference in where he was mentally in the last episode compared to where he is in this scene is beautiful. He not only helps Rick get off the ledge, he embodies his true purpose - to help others.

Mark and Amber go on a much-needed date and it made my heart so happy... Until the show decided to make Cam sad. Just when Mark and Amber's date seems to smooth things over, the Viltrumite Anissa crashes the party, threatening to turn it into a disaster. She threatens to snap Amber's head clean off her body if Mark doesn't do as she says, and you can just see that this is where Amber really realizes what her life would be like if their relationship were to continue. Mark, being the hero, flies off to negotiate with her, leading to an epic showdown that proves humans might need a little Viltrumite intervention - though Mark begs to differ. We'll see just how much he's going to come to regret that.

Mark and Amber breakup, and I suddenly felt like a cheap way out of a relationship that could highlight how people find a way to make it all work through any given difference. I feel like this is a huge mistake and I really am hoping Eve and Mark don't actually get together in the end, because I'm very butthurt about this split. I may feel differently in the future, but as of right now, I am very much not happy with the breakup. I mean, I get it, I'd be scared too if I were Amber. But maybe that's just me hoping the cliche "Mark and Eve are both superheroes and therefore have to be together" trope isn't the reason for the breakup season over here.

The episode closes with Cecil grounding Mark from his "flexible" superhero duties, and a cliffhanger with Angstrom Levy threatening Debbie and Oliver on a conversation with Mark over the phone. Plus, a mid-credits scene teasing Allen's undercover mission in a Viltrumite ship. The stakes? Sky-high. The excitement for the next episode? Through the roof.

I swear, though - Levy better not touch a single goddamn hair on either Debbie's or Oliver's heads.

So, that's the scoop on Invincible season 2 episode 7, "I'm Not Going Anywhere". Superhero drama, existential android crises, and relationship woes - this episode had it all. This second part of season 2 has been truly unmissable, with these episodes being a gutpunch followed by a hug after gutpunch follwed by a hug. There is literally not a single bad episode in this show.

Can't wait to see how our heroes tackle the next set of challenges. Tune into Prime Video next Thursday, April 4th for the 8th and final episode in this incredible second season.