SPOILER: This column contains potential spoilers for all seasons of “Invincible."
Amazon wrapped up Season 4 of its animated superhero show “Invincible” on April 22. While this latest installment of the series delivers on its main storyline, it often stumbles with unnecessary side plots that felt more like a chore than entertainment.
To start with the positives, I thought this season did a good job at further developing the central plot surrounding main character Mark (Steven Yeun), his family and the alien Viltrum Empire trying to conquer the universe.
Mark’s conflict with his father, Nolan (J.K. Simmons), was what made Season 1 so compelling, and the characters are still dealing with the aftermath of Nolan’s actions in a way that feels realistic.
Nolan is an alien from the planet Viltrum who was sent to Earth to have children for the empire. While on Earth, he married Debbie (Sandra Oh) and had Mark. After Nolan revealed his true motivations and thoughts about humanity to Mark, even referring to his wife Debbie as a pet, the two fought a bloody battle, which killed thousands of civilians and resulted in Nolan leaving Earth.
The seasons leading up to this did a great job showing Nolan’s gradual rehabilitation. By isolating him from his family on Earth, the writers were able to display the impact that Mark and Debbie had on his life and well-being. The epiphany that 20 years on Earth made Nolan feel more human than Viltrumite was powerful.
This new season does a surprisingly great job of helping the audience understand Nolan, while still not excusing him for his actions. Nolan’s backstory and his conversations with the members of his broken family on Earth were powerful and emotional, and the voice cast did a great job making the emotional turmoil of the situation feel real.
The conflicts that the main characters have with the Viltrumites were engaging, as well, with the new villain Thragg (Lee Pace) stealing the show with how intimidating he is. It was interesting to see each of the characters' different views of how the Viltrumites should be dealt with. While characters like Thaedus (Peter Cullen) are dead set on eradicating the Viltrumites for the safety of the universe, characters like Nolan and Mark think that some can be rehabilitated.
I’m interested in how these views will create tension in Season 5, which has been confirmed by Amazon.
However, great moments like these are undercut by hours of side plots that felt unimportant. Although Season 1 made secondary plotlines feel integral to the overall narrative, the episodes not focused on Viltrum this season feel inconsequential in comparison. This left the pacing seeming extra sluggish, as I felt like I had to wait hours before I got to see the characters I actually cared about, like Nolan and Thragg.
Another issue I noticed this season was the animation, which felt low quality and left many important moments feeling underwhelming. This was especially prevalent in the battles that take place in outer space, where character models felt static and lifeless. Since Season 1, the animation has gradually become lazier each season, and I think the animation has hit its lowest point here.
I understand that good animation takes time, but Amazon is a multibillion-dollar company with a ton of resources at their disposal. I feel like a show as popular as "Invincible" should get more care.
It’s hard to enjoy this season of “Invincible" without noticing its flaws. The series delivers on bloody superhero action and gripping interpersonal conflicts, but this installment feels messy and oddly paced. If you enjoyed the previous seasons, this one is still worth watching. However, I feel the season didn’t reach the high bar set by Season 1.
