Invincible Season One Finale changes everything!

After the end of Invincible Episode 7 we knew nothing would ever be the same again. Mark would never go back to being that innocent kid who just had to worry about school while his dad saved the planet and taught him how to be a better hero.

We knew full well that everything going forward would carry a weight to it. That was one of the best hours of television I have ever had the pleasure of watching. It began right where Episode 7 left off and never slowed down. It had a relentless pace as Omni-Man tried to show his son that they are far superior to the human race by creating death and mass destruction. This show never stepped away from showing the violence in each episode and the season finale even added to that reputation. The chaos,confusion, destruction and dominance was the point. We are not supposed to see how they saved the world. In this case without seeing it would be impossible to see just how ruthless Omni-Man and the Viltrumites truly are.

It's expected to see the heroes have a struggle but each week it builds towards this. Mark had struggles against villains he likely was expected to meet and humanity had to place their hope he could somehow beat the man who could not be destroyed. He did that through being willing to always stand for what's right. Through love and courage.

Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons and Sandra Oh turned on some fine performances throughout the season. None more riveting and emotional then the three here. Watching Mark's visceral reaction to learning the truth was on full display through the way in which Yeun portrayed that heartbreak and anger. On top of that you have Simmons who easily convinces us that Omni-Man has a superiority complex and will stop at nothing to do what his people have tasked him with. The scene that caught me by surprise was the flashback to Mark playing baseball, Nolan obviously thinking these trivial human games are not worthy of his time. This was Ohs moment to shine, to show how a mothers love defines humanity and the innocence of childhood defines what it means to be alive. These are men who will go onto live for 1000s of years but no moment will ever be as tender as seeing your child experience bewilderment and learn new things.

It was a beautiful season of great character development for all the characters. Not just the Grayson family. Two characters who got a much better treatment in season one were Amber and William. It's easy to get up in the Superhero action and forget there are always people that don't understand what it's like to be called upon but they still have feelings about it all too. William was the comedic relief most of the time as a loyal friend to Mark who eventually figured out his secret. Amber had her own feelings, she was given more of a personality and we saw that when she helped out in the shelter and felt hurt by Mark always being late and missing out. It added layers to the complexity of his being a superhero and how it affected his grades and his social status. While his friends all know he still has to be cautious to protect that identity moving forward.

Before going into the season finale fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief when the show was renewed for not only a second season but a third as well meaning there are likely at least 16 more episodes coming down the road for this series. It was great news pre finale because this finale changed everything and set up the storyline that will likely loom over most of the series. We also caught glimpses into most of Invincibles rogues gallery throughout the season and it seems expected that new threats will arise and old foes will come back for another round.

While it obviously is going to remain centered around Mark and his Invincible persona it will be interesting to see where this show goes next with all the characters. What's in store for Atom Eve? The new Guardians? Will Debbie ever learn to trust again? How will Mark's secret being revealed affect his social life? When will Omni-Man return? All that and many many more questions will be answered and I'm sure season two will get us the audience thinking of so many more after it's done.

No doubt about it. Invincible is a great show. It's a show that does all the things right and then happens to be about superheroes. That's when it becomes more than just another show. It becomes something special. Something that redefines the genre. It's the best and most refreshing superhero show in years because it has so many heavy themes that it explores. This was only just the beginning. I cannot wait to find out what seasons 2 and 3 have in store.