Invincible’s season finale is hard-hitting and brutal, packing both a physical and emotional punch. It’s all been building to this, and the epic showdown we get here doesn’t disappoint.
Mark is forced to take on a foe the likes of which he’s never faced before. As he fights to stay alive and tries to save innocents from being caught in the crossfire, he reflects on the parts of his history that he never knew about and contemplates what being a hero really calls for.
Super vague in order to avoid plot spoilers. Just know that this is a devastating but satisfying conclusion to all that led up to it. The violence is visceral and the emotional content is well-earned. Mark is put through the wringer in more ways than one, and despite efforts on the part of his friends or allies to help, in the end, it has to come down to him.
The fight at the center of the episode is as thematically- and personally-interesting as it is action-packed. In addition to the emotional resonance of it, the players involved also grapple with the implications of power and what it means to save people. I like these sorts of ideas. They’re sort of the converse of showing superheroes using their powers to do mundane things (like Kara Danvers casually lifting up the end of her couch to clean under it,) which I also love. In this case, it’s seeing powered people contemplate ethical or philosophical questions that no one besides them really has to deal with, and it’s neat to see those themes juxtaposed against the scenes of heroes going about their lives as part of everyday society.
Even though William is in this episode, for a while, I wasn’t sure whether or not Andrew Rannells would be. The big fight is such a focal point of the episode that, for much of the story, characters outside the immediate action are only shown wordlessly reacting as they watch it play out on the news or from afar. As such, we get multiple animated scenes that feature William but in which he doesn’t say anything.
After the climax, though, we’re treated to a handful of “life resumes” scenes, with everyone physically- and/or emotionally-battered by what they’ve experienced or witnessed, and it’s there that we get some voice-acting from Rannells. Like many characters, William is at a loss but trying to do the best he can, trying to be there for Mark when he’s not sure how. I especially like a scene between William and Eve outside Mark’s house – William trying to help in these tiny ways because it’s all he can do is sweet, and his interactions with Eve offer up a little sliver of humor in a heavy finale.
Invincible has already been renewed for two more seasons, so there’s no need to be giving my ending wrap-up thoughts just yet. Looks like we’ll be seeing (and hearing) more of William in the future!
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