REVIEW: Invincible, Season 1 Episode 8 'Where I Really Come From'
REVIEW: Invincible, Season 1 Episode 8 'Where I Really Come From'
From Darth Vader in Star Wars to Ego The Living Planet in Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2, there's something that popular culture seems to like about making their lead characters' fathers evil. It's a common trope within populist entertainment, most likely because of the dramatic dilemma it poses for the protagonist in question. Do they follow their Dad and join the dark side, or fight for what they believe is right?
In Invincible's case, it's fairly obvious which one Mark (Steven Yeun) will choose. When faced with the truth of his Dad (JK Simmons), the man is in complete denial. The episode really plays to the emotional torment he's experiencing, as he tries to think of a rational explanation for why this figure who has been such a big part of his life has turned out not to be the man Mark believed him to be. This image of the parent who he has looked up to and admired has been completely destroyed in front of his every eyes, and so it's a very human reaction to see him try to search for a way to justify Nolan's actions. Especially as the reason he comes up with, the idea that Nolan is being controlled, is the very idea that many of us watching had wondered about as soon as we discovered the truth. As Nolan clarifies however, he's not being controlled. It is all him.
The reveal of why Nolan has committed these dreadful actions is just as sick and twisted as to be expected from a show like this. Before watching Invincible, I thought Amazon Prime's other cynical superhero drama The Boys had some real edge, but this show makes the latter look tame. Nolan's species the Viltrumites, it turns out, were sent to eliminate the weak from both their own planet and others, in a bid to seek universal domination. He even sees his own wife Debbie (Sandra Oh) as nothing more than a 'pet', rather than a like-minded being. He comes from a harsh, cold and inhuman society, which offers an immediate contrast to his son Mark, who has developed a sense of humanity from living among the people of this planet. Nolan's efforts to remove that loyalty to the human race which Mark possesses are equal parts sick and disturbing, especially when Nolan proceeds to shove Mark in front of a fast-moving train, the impact of which inadvertently causes the deaths of many of the passengers. This was the closest I have come to feeling sick when watching the television, as the graphic nature of the scene makes it extremely hard to watch. It's also extremely effective from a storytelling perspective though, as it highlights the extremes Nolan is prepared to go to in order to win his son over to his side.
The show, as a whole, has been leading up to this fight between father and son, and it doesn't disappoint. It's every bit as epic as you would expect from the level of build-up and anticipation, and there's a great deal of both personal and emotional stakes here, due to the father-son connection and the fact that Mark is quite clearly nowhere near the level of Nolan's skills and experience. In fact, he takes quite a beating, sustaining injuries during the fight which later land him in hospital. Like the previous episodes of Invincible, it's very much a realistic take on how these fights would actually end up. The hero wouldn't necessarily win with barely a scratch on their face, there's a very real chance there would be a serious cost to their health and well-being.
Indeed, Mark's one distinct advantage is that he remembers the times where his Dad showed a glimmer of humanity. Those little moments, like the time his Dad was proud during a successful baseball game at his school, are what make the difference in the end. The conclusion plays to the central characters' emotional relationship, that familial bond that can never die regardless of how horrible the person in question may turn out to be. Nolan may have beaten his son to a pulp, but he still cares about Mark deep down, and ultimately that's his ultimate weakness. That's what gets him to stop, and speed away from Earth. As stated by Cecil (Walton Goggins) in the previous episode, there's only one person who can stop Nolan, and that's Mark.
What's great about this episode is how it doesn't just end with the evil gone and normality resuming, it takes the time to deal with the emotional ramifications of all that has taken place. Debbie has lost a husband who she thought she mattered to. Mark has lost a father he thought he knew. The world of Invincible has lost a man they thought was a hero. We get to see all this play out, and how it affects the universe that Invincible inhabits. There's a great deal of sadness and grief in these closing moments, almost as though the man who was Omni-Man has died. It's this idea of a tarnished legacy that has also been seen in real life, with people such as Jimmy Saville and most recently Noel Clarke; people who society had assumed were good, when it turned out they were monsters all along.
Overall, 'Where I Really Come From' is a fantastic conclusion to Invincible's first season. Providing a satisfying end to the arc regarding Nolan and Mark's father/son relationship and some real emotional weight to proceedings, it's an end that allows the central ideas and theming of the first season to feel resolved, whilst still keeping the door open for future seasons down the line. Just remember to have a sick bucket on stand-by ready for the blood and gore, because the extremity of those scenes cannot be understated.
What are your thoughts on Invincible's eighth episode? Let me know in the comments section.
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