Invasion Season 1 Episode 4 review: A compelling episode that solidifies the overarching themes

The fourth episode titled ‘The King Is Dead’ is a significant upgrade from the first three episodes that were released at the same time on Apple TV+,

Story:

The three stories set in the US, Afghanistan, UK, and Japan further explore the individual stories of its main characters whilst providing further information into the mysterious attacks occurring across the globe.

Review:

The creators of the Invasion have attempted something truly unique and audacious with how they have structured the narrative of the series. The viewers of the show haven’t taken too kindly to the fact that the series has yet to depict a full-fledged alien invasion. Even in the fourth episode, the presence of aliens is carefully hidden in the background of the narrative. It would be unfair to use that argument to be critical of the show, as there is clear evidence of the considerable effort put in to make this narrative style work. It is by design a slow burner, unlike an alien invasion story that has been adapted in film and television.

Of course, if the slow build-up does not amount to anything moving forward it could be detrimental to the story’s quality, but as of episode four, there seems to be a clear direction where the narrative is heading towards. The four grounded character-driven stories scattered from east to west across the globe is a reflection of the human struggles in the face of unknown adversity. Each of the primary characters has their own inner demons to overcome in the midst of a much larger threat to humanity itself - something which these characters are yet to fully comprehend.

The core theme appears to head in a direction where their current predicaments could be put into perspective when the very existence of civilisation. In fact, it is their lack of awareness regarding what they are about to come up against that makes the narrative gripping. Towards the end of the episode, each of the characters appears to be edging closer to understanding what the ‘threat’ is.

Young Casper is the only one who appears to start accepting that something out of this world is causing these unexplainable phenomena. Whereas, Mitsuki Yamato and Trevante Cole also discover something irregular but are unwilling to accept that it might be an alien invasion. Aneesha on the other hand, despite being completely in the dark about what is happening around her, has a sense that it is an unprecedented global threat and that she should be willing to do anything to keep her children safe.

Verdict:

The episode is well written with attention to detail given to the individual stories and the various social issues that people face on a daily basis. Writer Simon Kinberg appears to be building up suspense for a full-blown invasion in the upcoming storylines. Episode four is a definite step up in quality.

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