Invincible (4×06) You Look Horrible Review

*For our review of the last episode of Invincible, click here.

The war against the Viltrumites is on, and it will certainly get worse before it gets better. However as dwindling as their forces may be, they can still certainly put up a fight. That being said, there is still the matter of our missing heroes. Regardless, it is safe to assume that they will find their way back at some point. This latest episode of Invincible has a lot of ground to cover in that regard, but it does so in an inventive way, especially following the events of last week’s episode, one that left Mark in quite the compromising position. For better or worse, the war presented itself as an opportunity for Nolan to repair the fractured family dynamic with his children, and Mark’s current state would create an opening to facilitate that. Giving viewers some strong character moments and development, it did not forget what else was going on as they were soon going to find themselves intimately involved with the war. Along with this, they are also given what they have been waiting so patiently for as the characters found themselves thrust into action, as the war showed up right on their doorstep, leaving plenty of bloodshed and destruction in its wake.

As Thadeus and Grand Regent Thragg (Lee Pace) rallied their respective forces, it was time for the war to officially begin. But, in the meantime, Nolan and Oliver had to bide their time until Mark recovered from his extensive injuries. A recovery which could take months, the two would have to find somewhat to get along and hash out their own issues. Nolan, of course, thought this time would be a great opportunity for Oliver to train for what was to come. However, being a teen, Oliver would have to talk to his father eventually and need to learn to trust him so they can survive for Mark’s sake. To Nolan’s credit, he was trying to make things right, but the whole emotional and empathetic thing was harder for him. After a while, he and Oliver made quite the team, as they took care of one another and tended to Mark while he recovered. The more time the two spent together, the more the latter opened up after essentially never gotten the chance to spend some quality time with his father. Holding on to countless questions he wanted to ask him but never got the chance to, Oliver focused on his upbringing and the people and planet he still missed. Unlike Mark and Debbie, Nolan could better understand what he was going through. Meanwhile, Nolan appeared more comfortable as well, relishing the second chance he had with his youngest son.

Outside of the planet they found refuge on, the battles between the Coalition and the Viltrumites continued, as the former looked to make some real headway in taking back territory and liberating planets from their control. However, the Coalition planets grew restless at their growing losses they suffered as a result of these small victories. Desperate, the Viltrumites took the fight to the Coalition’s base of operations with an absolute assault causing destruction and a catastrophic loss of life that rivaled some of the most devastating sequences of the series so far. Ultimately fending off this first attack, thanks to an offensive that included Zoe and Allen the Alien (who escaped the Viltrum ship where they were stowaways), the Viltrumites would retreat and regroup. Once the dust settled, the question of how they were able to evade the Coalition’s defenses in the first place, however, would only put the power of that coalition to the test. In the end, we all know what that means, it’s time to strike them at their heart, their leader and planet Viltrum. That is going to be a barnburner for sure.

J.K. Simmons and Christian Convery carry the episode easily as Nolan and Oliver, as their scenes together are the highlight and something the series should tap into more moving forward, one could only hope. But now, it’s time to get down and dirty.

still courtesy of Prime Video

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.