by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
What do you call it when your favorite show creates a comfortable pattern of releasing seasons where there is character development and strong action? Top tier television. Invincible has returned for its fourth season, and the quality has not dropped off in the slightest. Fights that thrill, threats that chill, and actors giving 110%, the show refuses to compromise quality while also expanding out this fictional world. Introducing more threats and fleshing out our allies, season four goes further out into the vast expanse of this universe. In a world where superhero shows and movies are a dime a dozen and the quality is all over the place, Invincible has been a breath of fresh air.
Titular hero Invincible/Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) can never catch a break. His girlfriend and fellow hero Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) is getting distant and having issues with her powers. Little brother Oliver (Christian Convery) needs guidance, and his mom Debbie (Sandra Oh) needs support. Global defense, still led by Cecil (Walton Goggins), are constantly recruiting Mark into defending the planet against various threats. Most dangerous of these threats are the Viltrum empire, spearheaded by vicious fighters like Kregg (Clancy Brown) and Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). But their grand regent Thragg (Lee Pace) might be even more dangerous than all other Viltrumites combined. It will take all of Invincible’s allies including his estranged father Omniman/Nolan (JK Simmons), fun-loving one-eyed alien Allen (Seth Rogen), and another viltrumite turncoat Thaedus (Peter Cullen), to best this intergalactic threat.
Did you read all of those names? Every year Invincible seems to grow its depth chart with incredible talent. We have Oscar-winning actors on the payroll, and I did not even get to mention newcomers to the show like Bruce Campbell as well as Zoey Deutch from Vampire Academy (which I love). Every voice you hear is someone who could be the star in their own project.
Yeun reaches another level this season. With everything Mark is going through, there are many opportunities to show off his chops; and Yeun delivers. He has the right kind of edge for the young, but battle-tested hero. Fear is an emotion he does well too, as facing the likes of Thragg or Conquest shakes our hero’s boots. He still has that swaggering and goofy side too but by now he has shown off his many dimensions as an actor.
Another excellent performance comes from Sandra Oh. It comes as no surprise that she is a standout again in this season given how good she was in the first two. Sidelined a little bit in season three, she is on her A-game with the increased screentime she gets this season. Without question the reunion scene between Debbie and Nolan will go on her reel whenever her CV is being reviewed. The anger and hurt she portrays in that scene are so raw and powerful.
I could go on forever about his cast but wanted to make sure I gave some time to newcomer Pace as Thragg. Ostensibly, Thragg is the central antagonist of this series, so casting was absolutely critical for this role. Pace brings a calm tone yet threatening presence to this role. There were some questions about his place in this show, but he passes the test with flying colors. Having Thragg return for more battles will keep my anticipation high.
Speaking of battles, there has been a lot of critiques of this show for the quality of the animation as a whole. While there are still some re-used shots here and there, the show shines during the fight scenes. The punches feel swift and brutal, and the impact frames really sell the power of our combatants. Amazon did not shrink away from paying the bill on this one. I love how quickly the show has turned around the last few seasons, getting a new batch of episodes every year. But if we need to give the animators more time to make an even better product, I can wait an extra few months or more. South Park shouldn’t be the standard for how quickly you animate your episodes (although they are doing the Lord’s work over there in SP, so no hate).
One of the more underappreciated aspects of this show is the pace of the world building. Of course, we knew about other worlds and civilizations existing here as early season one. But it has been a gradual drip of information and adventures to the stars for our heroes. I have to give Invincible credit because this season feels the most interplanetary; and because we have been off world a few times already it does not feel overwhelming. As the story becomes less earth-centric over time, I trust it will be done well.
For those of you who haven’t watched the full season quite yet, I will try not to spoil this, but I’m very curious to see where the show can go from here? The comics lay out a good story, but creator Robert Kirkman has shown he’s not afraid to deviate from his past work. They have a tall task, balancing the events yet to come while keeping the audience on edge. But I think that the teams at Skybound Animation and Wind Sun Sky Entertainment are up for the task.
Rating: Love It
Invincible season 4 is currently streaming on Amazon Prime
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