REVIEW: ‘Invincible,’ Episode 6 – ”You Look Kinda Dead”

Invincible Episode 6 continues to test its hero, both in the amounts of physical damage he can withstand and his emotional state. “You Look Kinda Dead” picks up shortly after the events of “That Actually Hurt” as Mark (Steven Yeun) recovers from his brutal beating at the hands of Battle Beast. Wanting to reconnect with both Amber (Zazie Beetz) and his friend William (Andrew Rannells), Mark joins the two on a college tour that turns deadly when mad genius DA Sinclair (Ezra Miller) abducts William’s boyfriend Rick (Jonathan Groff) for his experiments. Meanwhile, Robot (Zachary Quinto) struggles to save Monster Girl’s (Grey Griffin) life and keep the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson) on a leash; Debbie (Sandra Oh) confides in superhero tailor Art Rosenbaum (Mark Hamill) about her fears that Nolan (J.K. Simmons) killed the Guardians of the Globe, and Eve (Gillian Jacobs) decides to put her superpowers to use in Africa.

If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. Writer Curtis Gwinn and director Paul Furminger attempt to juggle a lot of balls plotwise, but out of all the subplots only Robot’s feels like it ties thematically to the main plot. Both Invincible and Robot have someone they care for romantically in their lives. And both go to different lengths to keep that someone in their life, whether it’s a spontaneous college trip or a mission to the Arctic. These relationships are yet another way that Invincible stands out in the pack of superhero adaptations.

Debbie’s subplot feels more like it’s treading water as it comes to a conclusion everyone already knew. And while Eve’s subplot is an honest look at what a superhero could use their powers for other than preventing catastrophe, it feels somewhat tacked on. This is where the comic and show differ: the comic handled juggling multiple plot points with ease while the show is still somewhat struggling to juggle multiple plotlines. If Invincible is renewed for future seasons, I hope it can learn to pace itself.

The main storyline, however, manages to perfectly balance emotion with action. Yeun continues to be a standout among the cast; he plays Mark as hopeful for the future and doubtful about his future as Invincible. Rannells has the comic timing down to a pat, especially when William finds out Mark’s secret identity, and Miller tiptoes the fine line between arrogance and insanity as Sinclair. Another standout is Quinto as Robot, who infuses his metallic hero’s role with a quiet longing. There is more than Robot than meets the eye, and that thread looks to continue in future episodes. 

Action wise, “You Look Kinda Dead” introduces a new foe for Invincible in the form of Sinclair’s Reanimen. Created from the corpses of college students, these beings are superhumanly durable and even make Invincible bleed with their punches. The cyclopean helmets covering their heads also adds to the level of inhumanity, along with the steel limbs fused to their greying, undead flesh. This was one of the more unsettling scenes in the comic, and it translates rather well to the screen. Speaking of violence, Sinclair is on the receiving end of one of Invincible’s punches and it’s a grim reminder of what happens when a mortal man incurs the wrath of a superhero.

Invincible Episode 6 features a strong emotional core with its main storyline, despite the many subplots it has to juggle. WIth only two episodes left in the first season, the series is slowly pushing Nolan down a dark path and Mark on a turbulent one. Whether those paths cross over with each other is anyone’s guess.

New episodes of Invincible are available to stream Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.