Invincible Season 2 Part 2, just like Season 1 and Season 2 Part 1, conquers every expectation and delivers intense moments surrounded by memorable action scenes.
Picking right up where Season 2 Part 1 left viewers, it gets right into the action. These episodes don’t allow any scene to feel slow-paced or dragged on. There’s always something happening, whether it’s the repercussions from a fight or previous episode, a new fight or threat, or big changes in Mark Grayson’s (Steven Yeun) personal life. This is one of the main reasons Part 2 is so strong: it jumps into a situation without hesitation. However, this can only be done because the first half of the season sets everything up by getting the start of each event out of the way. Everyone going into the latest four episodes could have guessed the general events that played out because of Part 1, yet that doesn’t make some of the situations any less surprising or less entertaining.
Even the side plot of Donald (Chris Diamantopoulos) trying to come to terms with his body being mostly robotic is an entertaining storyline — just without any of the action. Including this allows for the return of Rick (Luke Macfarlane) into “normal” college life to feel connected to the overall show instead of just bringing back a character to bring back.
But with that being said, it does feel like Shrinking Rae (Grey DeLisle) is being kept alive just to have her still around, as it’s unlikely she’ll add anything to the rest of the show besides trying to heal. While it’s nice to have characters not die, it gets unrealistic and repetitive — in a world that already consists of superpowers and technology nowhere close to our reality — when characters die and come back constantly. This could be said because she isn’t a main character, yet, when Rex Splode (Jason Mantzoukas) had a near-death experience, the show benefitted from keeping him.
A highlight from this second half of the season is Episode 7, “I’m Not Going Anywhere.” This is the episode when Mark goes to Comic Con and converses with one of his favorite creators. During their chat, the creator answers Mark’s question, explaining how animators use tricks like zoomed-out or still shots and scenes where characters face away or have their mouths covered while speaking, allowing animators to reduce the complexity of the animation without sacrificing quality.
What makes this moment particularly interesting is that as the creator discusses these techniques with Mark, the show simultaneously employs these exact methods in the episode — giving the viewer visuals for the example. This creates a unique, meta experience where Invincible becomes self-aware, playfully acknowledging its status as an animated series. It adds an extra layer of enjoyable depth to the viewing experience in a light way.
The only aspect of the second part of this season that doesn’t add anything to the show is the Egyptian desert scene with Ka-Hor. It ties back to a forgettable scene in Season 1 that didn’t do anything for the show then and doesn’t do anything now. It could be setting up the next villain or a new plot for a future season, but currently, it feels like it’s there just to confuse viewers. Throwing the desert scene in only drew attention away from the emotional reck Mark is in the Season 2 finale.
However, an aspect equally small for its screen time, like Ka-Hor, is the future Guardians of the Globe on an Earth without Mark, yet this part feels dire to have. Seeing how much they aged and what they might have gone through only brings more curiosity to how the show will be played out and if viewers will have a chance to revisit that alternate timeline. If Invincible ever wanted a spin-off show, this should be what it follows.
And what would Invincible be without the ups and downs of Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons)? Nolan’s journey from being a proud Viltrumite to turning his humanity on as a now ashamed human version of himself sets up what will happen in Season 3. His internal struggle leads to so much tension within the Grayson family dynamic, setting Nolan up to hopefully be reunited with both Mark and Debbie Grayson (Sandra Oh) to cause even more drama.
Invincible Season 2 Part 2 is an action-packed, emotionally charged ride that exceeds expectations and keeps audiences on the edge. While a few moments feel out of place or unnecessary, they do not detract from the overall quality of the series because, with strong character development and intricate plotlines, the show remains a standout in the superhero genre.
