REVIEW: ‘Invincible,’ Episode 7 – “We Need To Talk”

Invincible Episode 7, titled “We Need To Talk,” is the literal definition of “edge of your seat” television-and I don’t say that lightly. Following the events of “You Look Kinda Dead,” Mark (Steven Yeun) is ready to hang up his Invincible mask and seeks a heart-to-heart with Eve (Gillian Jacobs). Meanwhile, after an emotional confrontation with Debbie (Sandra Oh), Nolan (J.K. Simmons) attempts to have a heart-to-heart with his son but Cecil (Walton Goggins) throws multiple obstacles in his way to stop him. Robot (Zachary Quinto) also reveals the extent of his dealings with the Mauler Twins to the Guardians of the Globe, with less than enthusiastic responses.

The Invincible comic book series never shied away from the emotional toll it took on its title character in addition to the physical, and “We Need To Talk” is a key example of that. Yeun plays Mark as down in the dumps; his relationship with Amber (Zazie Beetz) has taken a turn for the worse and he’s not even sure he wants to be a superhero anymore. This is a far cry from the pilot, where he was chomping at the bit to follow in his father’s footsteps. It serves as a testament to Mark’s character growth that he’s considering the ups and downs of superheroism and that it may not be the path for him; this was one of the reasons I loved the original comic series.

The Robot subplot also comes to a head, and fans will learn the surprisingly human motives behind his deal with the Mauler Twins. The “machine who wants to be human” is a tried but true trope, and like most superhero/sci-fi tropes Invincible subverts it with Robot’s real origin. His actions obviously don’t sit well with his teammates-you try telling your fellow superheroes that you broke twin super-strong geniuses out of prison to make a human body for you and see how it goes. In true dramatic fashion, this throws a wrench into the Guardians’ interactions as they were learning how to be a better team.

Another trope the series flips on its head is the classic “Beware The Superman,” which has been used in Amazon Prime’s previous superhero series The Boys and even Zack Snyder’s Justice League. However, Omni-Man remains the best version of the trope and Simmons brings a building sense of menace to his performance as Nolan. “We Need To Talk” is a chilling reminder that although Nolan looks human, he could crack the planet in half if he wanted to. Everything is thrown at him, from invisible soldiers to a massive satellite cannon, and it barely leaves a scratch.

Director Vinton Heuck excels at the episode’s action sequences, which isn’t a surprise given his previous work on Young Justice. Sonic booms shake the sky whenever Omni-Man takes off. The satellite cannon’s laser shatters the Earth and leaves destruction in its wake. And the highlight of the episode features Invincible and Omni-Man tackling a Kaiju-which goes south when a third combatant enters the fray. Once again Invincible’s moniker is put to the test and this feels like the biggest test yet as he’s fighting a creature the size of a city.

Invincible Episode 7 delivers hits on the emotional and physical level and promises to deliver an earth-shaking season finale. Given how well the series has adapted the comics, and the events yet to come, I don’t think viewers will be ready for what comes next-but I look forward to how this first season ends. I would also love for the series to be renewed, as the Invincible comic has multiple stories ripe for adapation.

The Season 1 finale of Invincible will air next Friday on Amazon Prime Video.