While Cecil has become a major threat to Mark and his family in Invincible season 3, the newest episode reminds us of another threat. The series also gives Mark's little brother Oliver time to grow.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS from Invincible season 3, episode 5
It’s easy to forget all the players in the game in Invincible. There’s just so much going on, and there isn’t quite enough time to cover everything in each episode. So, after focusing on Allen the Alien helping Omni-Man escape in the previous episode and Cecil in episodes before that, we now move focus on another threat: the Order.
Review: Invincible season 3, Episode 5, "This Was Supposed to Be Easy"
Titan is a character who's easy to forget. He was a part of the first season, when he betrayed Invincible as part of his plot to supplant Machine Head as the leader of a local mob territory. Now, Machine Head's old bosses at the Order are haranguing him to do something about getting Kate's brother Multi-Paul, a valuable assassin for the Order, out of prison.
Meanwhile, Eve figures out a way to make money by offering herself and Mark as private security guards, available on call, for the very prison where Multi-Paul is being held. Titan, who wants to protect his family from the Order, seeks out Mark's help with his dilemma. Mark is hesitant at first, but does end up in a fracas at the prison at the end of the episode, where the head of the Orde, Mister Liu, turns into a giant dragon in an attempt to break out Multi-Paul himself. Meanwhile, Titan works with Machine Head to take down Liu. When the dust is settled, Machine Head takes the leader's place and Titan holds onto his local territory, running it the way he wants.
Right now, Titan is the lesser of all evils for Mark. With only one Invincible, he needs to pick his battles, and he'll have a much bigger one to come! Mister Liu isn’t gone just yet. At the end of the episode, we see his minion put a new dragon into his body. This man will want his position of authority within the Order restored, so Machine Head will need to watch his back.
Mark and Eve realize they are moving way too fast
Invincible also gives us a look at how young love can seem all-important. Mark and Eve are ready to take the next step in their relationship. They want to move in with each other. It’s easy to forget that they are only 19 right now. They are fresh out of high school. Their hormones are fueling a lot of what they feel, and as much as I love them being together, it’s important to remember to pace oneself.
Mark and Eve don’t initially see that. They are focused on finding a way to make money so that they can afford an apartment. Eve is pragmatic, capitalizing on their superpowers as a way to generate funds. Isn’t that what we see happen in a lot of superheroes dramas? There’s always someone out there to make a profit. The difference here is that Eve and Mark still want to do good for society and they will still act for free if needed.
They eventually admit that they are moving too fast. They are open and honest with each other. Even though they know that what they have to say could hurt, they have to do what is right for them individually as well as a couple. Deciding that it’s not the right time to get an apartment is the most mature thing that they could do.
Eve has lived alone for a while, and she had to make the mature decision to move back in with her parents during Invincible season 2. As for Mark, he realizes that his family needs him. Oliver is growing up fast, learning how to be a superhero while also learning how to be a kid. During the first set of episodes of Invincible season 3, we saw how nature was starting to overpower nurture. When he sneaks out at night, it's easy for Mark and Debbie to fear the worst. What Mark realized, though, was that Oliver was a kid with friends. The only way to give him a chance to just be a kid is if Debbie feels like she has support.
Is it fair that Mark is being turned into a kind of parent for Oliver? Under normal circumstances, I’d say no, but when it comes to the unique problems presented by raising a superpowered child, Mark needs to be a father figure as well as a big brother to Oliver.
It can seem like we’re taking a step back with Mark and Eve choosing not to move in together, but we’re not. We’re seeing two teenagers figure out the world. They’re figuring out how to find a balance in their personal lives and how to be human when they’ve been forced to grow up fast.
There are plenty of threats still to come in Invincible season 3. The series continues to do an excellent job in making us question who the biggest threat is against Mark and those we consider the protagonists. Cecil seemed like the biggest threat at first, but Machine Head taking over the Order is definitely not a good thing.
Episode grade: B+
New episodes of Invincible airs Thursdays on Prime Video.
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