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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Following its mid-season finale last November, Robert Kirkman’s Prime Video television adaptation of Invincible returns from a near-three-and-a-half-month hiatus. I got the opportunity to pre-screen all four episodes of Invincible Season 2 Part 2 one week ahead of its premiere, and the wait for the major (and the minor, yet subtly substantial) story beats to come has been well worth the watch. Whatever fans and viewers may say about Part 1, the second half of the season amplifies the severity of the overarching narrative by continuing to pull as many storylines and subplots as possible from its source material.
The second season’s mid-season premiere is titled, “This Must Come As A Shock”. It is written by co-executive producer Helen Leigh and directed by storyboard artist Haylee Herrick.
In this review, I will discuss Invincible Season 2 Episode 5. As this article’s title suggests, no spoilers will be present here. References to previous series episodes and the graphic novel source material may be made!
Invincible Season 2 Episode 5 Logline
According to Amazon Studios Press, here is the logline for Invincible Season 2 Episode 5—“This Must Come As A Shock”.
The Grayson household is upended when Mark returns to Earth with surprising new responsibilities. The Guardians of the Globe face dangers both at home and away.
Amazon Studios Press
Discussion
“This Must Come As A Shock” leaves no breathing room following Mark Grayson’s (voiced by Steven Yeun) hectic time on Thraxa with his father and his newfound family. Leigh and the writers’ room adapt elements of Invincible Issues 30 and 38 to 41 with utmost brilliance. Watching the episode progress to parallel moments from the source material feels as if witnessing a film transpire with its certain changes in necessary areas. The pacing of the whole forty-eight minutes works like the story is building up an intense sprint to the next major event(s)… and yet to satisfactory results.
Small changes—such as the superheroes’ fight with Omnipotus (voiced by Ross Marquand) taking place in the desert as opposed to the urban intersection in the comics, the friendly dorm room exchange versus the somewhat homoerotic exchange in the comics, the more realistic depth of Amber Justine Bennett (voiced by Zazie Beetz) as a human character within a world of superheroes and villains, the Shapesmith’s (voiced by Ben Schwartz) further involvement with Cecil Stedman (voiced by Walton Goggins) and the Guardians of the Globe, the Thraxan-Viltumite infant’s reaction to baby food, the Lizard League’s actions and movements, the Star Trek reference, King Lizard’s (voiced by Scoot McNairy) little monologue about bravery in the series versus intelligence in the comics, and some others—don’t profoundly alter or affect what had already been set into stone in the source material.
Conversely, the heroes’ fight against Omnipotus could have played out longer to demonstrate what role he serves in the overall narrative. Then again, that would have overwhelmed the already vehement events of the episode.
Something Somewhat Cinematic
The animators prove why there needed to be time before the latter half of the season could hit Prime Video. The Invincible title card, which teases a physical change for the titular protagonist, starts to exhibit cracks in its bloody red-on-black facet. There is an evolution coming for our character, and it may come sooner than fans may expect.
Additionally, the action sequences towards the end of the episode are reminders of why the series has been so good in the first place. On the one hand, I adore the storyboard artists’ work playing out from page to screen. Rus Livingston’s (voiced by Schwartz) movements and actions with the Guardians of the Globe are eye candy, for sure. Then, there is all the blood and gore that come with the Lizard League’s mutant mayhem. The episode showcases Prime Video’s second-ever “Ant-Man and Thanos”-type scenario that will not go unseen and with good reason. It’s a thrilling sight that does not end here and keeps viewers asking for more. As the cherry on top, the character designs of certain superheroes make it enjoyable twofold. With that said, the animation will be a neat highlight for the series in the episodes to come.
Everything Happens for a Reason
With everything that has happened in the premiere season, Invincible Season 2 often circles back to crucial themes of loss and grief. Its mid-season premiere particularly focuses on how mistakes and screw-ups are just part and parcel of the human experience. Andressa (voiced by Rhea Seehorn) offers Mark words of comfort about the outcome of his stay on her planet. This brief moment is new to the lore of Invincible, allowing the Thraxan queen to temporarily serve as something of a mother figure to Mark. The protagonist has his father figure substitutes, too, but that becomes more evident with time.
Rex Splode (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas) has more to do in the season rather than be cast off to the wings of the show. He isn’t necessarily the heart or the voice of reason of the series. Instead, he almost serves as a harbinger of what could go wrong. Funnily enough, the character carries with him a layer of irony, but it cannot exist without a sense of atonement via a wake-up call. Mantzoukas’s voice role does numbers, which is to be appreciated considering he had also performed in J.G. Quintel’s Close Enough, an HBO Max adult animated series that had been axed by David Zaslav.
The Crew Behind Invincible
Invincible is based on the comic book of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, & Ryan Ottley. Kirkman also serves as a co-showrunner alongside executive producer Simon Racioppa (Mr. Meaty). Walker serves as a co-executive producer.
Producer Dan Duncan serves as the supervising director of the series. Ben Choi is the assistant director.
Luke Asa Guidici is the supervising editor. Lea Carosella and Liam Johnson are the assistant editors.
John Paesano scores the music. Gabe Hilfer (Venom, Birds of Prey, Ozark, Halloween Ends, The White Lotus, Renfield, White Men Can’t Jump) and Henry Van Roden (The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live) serve as the music supervisors.
Brad Meyer is the supervising sound editor. Katie Jackson, Natalia Saavedra Brychcy (Knock at the Cabin), and Mia Perfetti are the sound FX editors.
Meredith Layne (Castlevania, A Tale Dark & Grimm) is the voice director. Linda Lamontagne (BoJack Horseman, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Close Enough) is the voice casting director.
Animation Team
Shaun O’Neil serves as the art director. Kofi Fiagome serves as the animation/ storyboard supervisor. Invincible comic book artist Ryan Ottley serves as the creative consultant.
Luke Ashworth, Nate Bellegarde, Nick Lombardo, Tim Nicklas, Johnathan N. Reyes, Charles Tan, and Alex Wilson are the character designers.
Tsu-Wei Chen, Jon Finch, Kelly Mai, James T. Robb, and Yoshi Vu are the background designers.
Ben Choi, Jesse Cuffe, Jalin Harden, Haylee Herrick, Jon Lam, Sung Shin, and Ae Ri Yoon serve as the storyboard artists. Karon Clerk, Yujin Lee, Chris Pimentel, Kaitrin Snodgrass (Ben 10, Little Demon), Suzi Whifler, and Chole W. are the storyboard revisionists.
Matt Michael serves as the episode’s animatic editor and associate editor. Samantha Schnauder is the visual effects editor.
The Voice Cast Behind Invincible
Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead, Sorry to Bother You, Minari, Nope) voices the series’ protagonist and titular character, Markus Sebastian “Mark” Grayson, also known as Invincible. Sandra Oh (Big Fat Liar, The Chair, Umma, Quiz Lady) voices Deborah “Debbie” Grayson, Mark’s mother.
J.K. Simmons (the Spider-Man film franchise, Whiplash, Palm Springs) is credited as the voice of Nolan Grayson—Mark’s father and Debbie’s husband—, also known as Omni-Man.
Supporting Voice Actors
Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2, Atlanta) voices Amber, Mark’s girlfriend. Gillian Jacobs (Community, Minx, The Bear) voices Samantha Eve Wilkins, also known as Atom Eve. Andrew Rannells (Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake) voices William Clockwell, Mark’s best friend.
Grey DeLisle (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai) voices Monster Girl and Shrinking Rae. Melise (Unfabulous) voices Dupli-Kate and Iguana, a member of the Lizard League. Jason Mantzoukas (John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Big Mouth, Close Enough) voices Rex Splode.
Khary Payton (Teen Titans, Young Justice, The Walking Dead) voices Black Samson and a Martian. Jay Pharoah voices Bulletproof, a military sergeant, and Komodo Dragon, a member of the Lizard League.
Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Made for Love Season 2) voices Donald Ferguson and a military soldier named Jerry. Walton Goggins voices Cecil Stedman.
Ross Marquand (Avengers: Infinity War, Robot Chicken, The Walking Dead) voices The Immortal, Rudolph “Rudy” Connors, and a villain named Omnipotus. Zachary Quinto (Heroes, Big Mouth, American Horror Story) voices Robot.
Nyima Funk voices Bridget, a college friend of Amber’s.
Kevin Michael Richardson (Family Guy, Young Justice, M.O.D.O.K.) voices a monster and a male Thraxan.
Additional voice performances come from Nyima Funk, Robert Kesselman, Dan Navarro (The Cleveland Show, The Boys Presents: Diabolical), and Ami Shukla.
Guest Voice Actors
Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2, Birdgirl, The Man Who Fell to Earth) voices Thraxan messenger Nuolzot. Rhea Seehorn voices Andressa, Nolan’s wife on Thraxa and the mother to Mark Grayson’s half-brother.
Ben Schwartz voices Shapesmith, Rus Livingston, and Corey, a college friend of Amber’s.
Scoot McNairy (Argo, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, True Detective, Pantheon) voices King Lizard.
Cliff Curtis voices Paul, Debbie’s colleague in the real estate business.
Seth Rogen (Sausage Party) guest stars as the voice of Allen the Alien, a champion evaluation officer for the Coalition of Planets. Peter Cullen (Transformers film franchise) voices Thaedus, a member of the Coalition of Planets.
Kari Wahlgren (Rick and Morty) voices a female Thraxan, a GDA agent, and an announcer.
Voice Performances and Character Developments
Debbie Grayson’s predicament with alcoholism as a result of her household environment, as depicted in the series, is a less melodramatic stage of her life in comparison to the comics. In the episode, viewers once again see her in possession of a wine bottle, but it’s the choice that she makes that matters most. This time around, there is an uncanny presentation of the character as the delightful single mother. Her interactions with the new changes in her personal life are the loveliest that fans will ever come to see play out on screen. There isn’t exactly a self-destructive nature to it, however, it does look as if there is still lingering pain to be felt.
Donald Ferguson’s backstory since being blown up in Season 1 has knocked down the dominoes that lead to the larger and more meaningful purpose it serves. Whereas the character was not often in the foreground of the source material, the series version of him is a pivotal piece that harmoniously fits a more palatable puzzle. Diamantopoulos has good voice work here, especially when sharing scenes with Goggins’s Cecil Stedman, and provides a shift in the subplot happening behind the scenes of things.
Final Thoughts on Season 2 Episode 5
Invincible Season 2 Part 2 is off to a promising start—or continuation—with “This Must Come As A Shock”. While Part 1 was the transition period for the series’ focal characters, Part 2 puts forward an intriguing change of pace. The callbacks to the source material are a satisfying inclusion, and more so knowing that the writers strategically make use of this material. If there is ever a time to jumpstart interest in this Prime Video series, then the time is now.
Invincible Season 2 Part 2 streams via Prime Video starting next Thursday, March 14th!
Have you seen the series yet? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more action, adaptation, adventure, animation, comic book, drama, fantasy, science-fiction, and thriller-related news and reviews, do not forget to follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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