Mark Grayson is back to save the world in Invincible season 3. Prime Video has dropped the first three episodes all at once, and they certainly set the tone for the rest of the season.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Invincible season 3, episodes 1, 2, and 3.
Let me start by saying that this show has not lost its edge. I worried when there was such a long break between the first two seasons and then the second season was split in two. It just goes to show that a high-quality series can survive a break, and Invincible is one of those high-quality series.
It’s time to train the baby in Invincible season 3
During the second season, Debbie took in Mark’s baby half-brother Oliver. I have to give props to Debbie for doing this. Not only is she raising the child her husband fathered with another woman, but she is raising an alien. There is no human half to this kid, he’s bright purple, and he could turn into anything.
We get an opportunity to see nurture vs. nature in action. We have sort of seen that with Mark over the first two seasons, but Oliver is just a kid when he gets his powers, and we get to see how Debbie and Mark’s influences can help an alien lifeform have some humanity. After all, we have no idea what his mother’s people were actually like, except that they were insect-like and aged extremely quickly.
While Oliver ages slower than his mother’s people, he still ages faster than humans. We open Invincible season 3 with him now looking like he’s around 8 or 9, rather than less than a year old. Seeing how different alien races behave makes the Invincible universe feel more believable and coherent. There is a lot going on around the solar system.
I also adore seeing Mark step up as an older brother. He remembers what it was like being that age and excited about being a superhero. All he wanted was his powers, and now he sees that it was probably a good thing that he didn’t get them until later. There are also some beautiful moments that connect to the good times Mark had with his father. Omni-Man was the bad guy, but that didn’t stop him from being a father to Mark, and before we found out what Omni-Man was doing, he was a good dad when it came to training him. Seeing Mark have some fun with that warmed my heart.
While Oliver is part Thraxen, he is also part Viltrumite, and it’s this side that could take over everything. Mark questions Oliver having no empathy for lives that he has taken, but is that because he’s predisposed to be evil, or is he just a kid who is learning about right and wrong? Can Mark and Debbie’s influence help change who Oliver becomes? Can they explain the importance of human life? These are fraught questions for Mark, who's still dealing with the guilt of killing Angstrom Levy.
Mark and Eve finally accept their feelings for each other
Look, I liked Mark and Amber together. There was nothing wrong with their relationship, but Amber couldn’t deal with the way Mark was always off saving the world. There was nothing wrong with Amber feeling like she was always second place and not being happy about that. Them breaking up was right for both of them. They each need someone who will understand them and meet their needs.
So it wasn’t surprising to find out that Mark is interested in Atom Eve, and vice versa. And this wasn’t just because of Mark getting a visit from Eve’s older self from another world. While that did set the ball rolling, Mark realized that he loved Eve for who she is, in this world. There’s always been something there.
My favorite part of Eve and Mark figuring things out was Eve being mad at her older self in the other universe. How could she spend decades being bitter that Mark didn’t say anything to her? I think we would all look at our future selves and judge them in some way. Eve’s thoughts are so incredibly human, and for once, she isn’t putting off a relationship because of Mark realizing he liked her. Yes, there’s the initial question, but Mark isn’t the one she’s mad at.
Then there’s Eve telling Amber about her and Mark. This needed to happen. I hate drama for the sake of drama, which a lot of TV shows bring us. We would usually have this long drawn-out storyline of Mark and Eve trying to hide the relationship from Amber, but it wouldn’t make sense. It’s not like Mark left Amber for Eve. He didn’t cheat on her. Mark and Amber just weren’t suited for each other, and they both mutually agreed on that. Having Eve tell Amber about her and Mark and then Amber accept that and share she’s dating someone is mature and grown up. Thank you, Invincible, for avoiding the trope!
There’s always been something about Cecil
Have we ever really trusted Cecil? When he found out that Omni-Man was a villain, he didn’t say a thing to Debbie and Mark. He could have warned them, but Debbie had to figure it all out for herself. Cecil has treated people to keep them alive without their consent, slowly taking pieces away from them. Invincible season 3 finally explains some of his backstory.
We learn so much within the space of an episode. We learn about what happened to Cecil's face and how he took over the GDA. I don’t think there was anything unique or special about the storyline, but that’s okay. We don’t need something big and flashy for every single backstory. Although I will say thank you to the sweet backstory we got for the two bank robbers at the start of Episode 3. That reminds us that villains are sometimes made from their circumstances, as well as by their own actions.
Back to Cecil. He is not the good guy. While he’s not fully the villain, he isn’t a hero, and I don’t think he ever has been. This is a guy who is doing what he believes is right for planet Earth. He wants to protect against any sort of villainous threat, and if that means getting rid of Mark, then so be it. At least in his eyes.
There are some who stand by him. The Immortal and Dupli-Kate are perfectly fine following Cecil. Shapesmith decides that he owes so much to Cecil that he can’t betray him, reminding us that some people gain power because they make people feel like they owe good. Shapesmith can be grateful but admit that Cecil isn’t the one to follow if he wants.
I will defend Black Samson for staying with the Guardians of the Globe after they learn about Mark and Cecil's fight, but only if he goes through with what he wants. He says that he will stay because he can’t change things from the outside. Maybe if the rest of the Guardians wanted to change things from the inside, it could work. It’s hard when he’s on his own, but he has a good heart.
Mark and Eve can’t stand by Cecil after he tries to control Mark. Rudy, Monster Girl, Rex, and others join them as they walk away from the Guardians of the Globe. There’s already been a showdown between Kate’s brother, Multi-Paul, and Rex (with Mark helping Rex). We’re sure to see more of these kinds of clashes, leading to a lot of questions about who the good guys and the bad guys are.
Invincible has done an excellent job of making us question what we know and how we feel about superheroes. Everyone seems to want the same thing, but they all want to go about it in different ways. We’re predisposed to viewing Mark and Eve’s side as being the good one, but what if they’re not? I’m here for the ambiguity and the greyness.
One thing I’m not convinced about just yet is Mark's costume change. I guess I didn’t see the reason. Poor Oliver needs to figure out a new name, though: Omni-Boy is not going to work. He doesn’t view his dad as the villain — and maybe he isn’t, with the humanity that is seeping into him — but so many others do.
Invincible season 3 continues the heartfelt storylines and character growth the show is known for. We don't just see these superheroes as superheroes. They are human first, and this third season follows them as several mature from teens into adults. They want lives while they're saving the world.
Debbie also grows a lot. She has learned what secrets do to relationships, and she doesn't want that with her new boyfriend. Can he be trusted? I'm on the fence, but I adore that Debbie said "screw it" and shared her family secret. I do wish she had a conversation with Mark and Oliver about it first considering it affects them as well!
Episode 1 grade: B+
Episode 2 grade: B-
Episode 3 grade: A-
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