Summary
Invinciblehas just completed its third season and has taken fans on an epic journey, filled with brutal fights, emotional moments, and plenty of superhero action. The series has garnered critical acclaim since the release of its first season,with a stellar voice cast fronted by Steven Yeun taking the plaudits, along with an exceptional writing team featuring comic book legend, Robert Kirkman. Fans have been both amazed and shocked by the third season in equal measure, with some jaw-dropping moments and great character development. The team behind the show worked diligently to ensure that season threepushed the boundaries of what could be expected from a superhero animated show.
Some fans have been disappointed by the animation in the show’s third season, whilst every other aspect of the show has been almost universally praised, with each episode garnering exceptional amounts of praise from both the audience and critics alike. But when it comes to the third season ofInvincible,how does each episode rank?
8This Was Supposed To Be Easy
Mark’s Work At The Prison Becomes Anything But Simple
The fifth episode ofInvicible’sthird season is a great episode of the show, but unfortunately, it doesn’t quite reach the highs of the rest of the season. Within the episode, Atom Eve helps Mark start his own business preventing jailbreaks, but this proves to be more challenging than first thought.
The return of Titan, asking for Mark’s help, with a conflicted Mark declining to help him, staying set in his ways that he won’t help villains even if their intentions are honorable. This leads to Mr. Liu starting a jailbreak with his alternate form of a dragon, with Mark and Atom Eve aiming to stop him. The fight is superb and contains some great moments, with the underlying plot of Machine Head’s return being great. Unfortunately, this episode isn’t filled with the same number of big moments as the rest of the season, placing it bottom of this list.
7You’re Not Laughing Now
The Opening Episode Sets A Great Foundation For Season Three
Invincibleseason three came out swinging from the get-go, beginning with a training montage detailing how Mark’s power has grown, and the pace doesn’t let up. The episode is packed full of action with Mark and Rex Splode fighting against Multi-Paul, before every hero on Earth is captured by Doc Seismic.
The returning villain also shows an increase in his abilities, now controlling monsters from the Earth’s core and getting dangerously close to killing all of them. This is where Cecil plays his hand, sending in ReAnimen and a rehabilitated Dark Wing to save the day, beginning the major conflict of the season between Mark and Cecil, the idea that “you can either be a good guy, or be the guy that saves the world”.Mark’s refusal of Cecil’s methods drives the season’s major conflictand makes a stellar first episode, only placing lower due to the quality of the rest of the season.
6You Want A Real Costume, Right?
The Season’s Third Episode Features A Brutal End For The Mauler Twins
WhenInvincibledropped its first three episodes at once, the third episode had to finish strongly to get fans ready for the weekly release schedule. The episode featured Mark getting his new suit as well as Oliver taking on his superhero identity, Kid Omni-Man. It continues to showthe relationship dynamic between the two brothers, as well as Mark and Eve, who begin their relationship.
The episode also builds to a crescendo with the Mauler Twins returning, where they take out the Guardians of the Globe and Mark. However, Oliver brutally murders the twins, with one begging for his life before Oliver bursts through his chest. A brutal ending to the Mauler Twins' appearances, and leads to Mark and Oliver’s relationship being strained due to his lack of appreciation for others' lives. A superb episode ofInvinciblethat delivers more of the moral questions that make this season so special.
5All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry
Aaron Paul Steals The Show In This Episode
“All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry” is an episode completely reliant on the work of Aaron Paul as Powerplex,who delivers one of the best voice-acting performances thatInvinciblehas seen. The episode centers on Scott Duvall, AKA Powerplex, who holds Invincible responsible for his family’s deaths in Chicago, during his fight with Omni-Man.
After stealing tech from the GDA, Duvall’s limited powers are increased, making him a more powerful foe for Mark to face. This episode deals with the trauma caused by the battle between Mark and his father, whilst Mark is forced to reflect on the impact the battle had on both himself and those around him. A phenomenal episode, with a great display of emotion from Aaron Paul.
4A Deal With The Devil
Cecil’s Backstory Is Revealed And Mirror’s Mark’s Outlook
Episode two of the third season set a very high benchmark for the third season ofInvincible. Beginning with a flashback to how Cecil became the leader of the GDA, showing how he became such a morally ambiguous character. The episodeshows how he saved thousands from a chemical attack, how the GDA put him back together, and how he didn’t believe villains could be reformed, murdering the perpetrators of the attack after they saved both him and the GDA director from an attack on the Pentagon.
The rest of the episode sees a divide in the Guardians of the Globe due to Cecil’s methods, Mark destroying an army of ReAnimen, and an epic face-off with Cecil.
3You Were My Hero
Time Travel And A Prison Break Combine For A Stellar Episode
“You Were My Hero” contains one of the most epic sequences of season three, with the episode being split into two distinct halves. The first half takes Mark to a dystopian future in which he encounters a dictatorship led by the Immortal. The ensuing fight pushes Mark to the limit, not wanting to hurt his friend but ultimately being left with no choice.
The second half of the episodeunfolds inside the Viltrumite prison containing Omni-Man and Allen, with the former ready for his execution. This forces Allen into action looking to save his new friend, in the hopes of getting him to join him in taking on Viltrum. The ensuing fight is brutal, with Allen breaking prisoners out of their cells to aid his cause, including Battle Beast looking for a Viltrumite to fight. The battle is bloody and brutal, with the episode ending with the revelation that the Viltrumite empire is weaker than Allen and the alliance knows. A great episode ofInvinciblethat firmly takes third place.
2What Have I Done?
The Invincible War And The Return Of Angstrom Levy
The Invincible War is a moment fans have been waiting for since the start of the season, and it delivered one of the best episodes the show has ever had. The episode sees different variants of the titular hero attacking the planet on behalf of Angstrom Levy, returning from his presumed death in season two’s finale. The fights between the heroes and the variants are brutal, with mass casualties caused, dismantling the Guardians of the Globe and many other heroes along the way.
The biggest gut punch of the episode comes with Rex Splode sacrificing himselfto save the teen team, followed by a needle drop of Billie Eilish’s, “when the party’s over”, creating a haunting scene highlighting the devastation caused. The episode ends with Mark defeating Angstrom Levy and looking to help the victims of the conflict, when Conquest arrives with the line, “stand ready for my arrival, worm.” An incredible episode, and one of the best the show has ever produced.
1I Thought You’d Never Shut Up
The Biggest Finale To Date
Invincibleknows how to craft a perfect season finale, and season three is no exception, firmly cementing the show as one of the best on TV at the moment. The episode focuses on the fight between Mark and Conquest,with the battle taking up most of the episode. The episode is full of action with the animation taking a massive step in the right direction.
The episode starts at breakneck speed and barely lets up, with Conquest’s dialogue throughout being menacing and brutal. The battle gets gruesome in all the right ways, with him dispatching Oliver, and, for a limited time, Atom Eve. Mark eventually defeats the Viltrumite and the episode cuts to the funeral of Rex, an undoubtedly heartbreaking goodbye to a character fans have seen undergo the biggest change in the series. Before concluding with a tease of Damien Darkblood’s return, who hasn’t been seen since season one. The best episode of the season and possibly the show so far.
