The Coalition of Planets is officially at war with Thadeus in the first episode of Season 4 of Invincible. The Viltrumites respond with their own rallying cry, which is fueled by their unmatched strength and willpower. Thragg is very sure they will win, and they privately say they can’t believe the Coalition would even think about going up against them.
In another part of the story, Nolan pays his respects to the dead Conquest, but Oliver has a hard time with this moment. He tells Nolan about the destruction Conquest caused on Earth and admits that a lot of people hate him almost as much as they hate Nolan.
As the war gets worse, Oliver worries more and more about Mark, who is still recovering from serious injuries. Mark is getting better, but it might be months before he is ready to fight again.
Nolan starts training Oliver when he has some free time. The dynamic is similar to earlier seasons, which shows how much Oliver still has to learn before he can be as good as his father. But Oliver’s anger goes deeper than just being frustrated with training. He heard Nolan say bad things about Andressa back on Earth, and now that he knows Nolan never really loved her, Oliver is also wondering how his father feels about him.
Nolan says he is trying to be a better man and father, but he knows how hard that is. Oliver, who is not convinced, tells him it might already be too late and flies away.
Nolan and Oliver start to get back in touch with each other over time. Their bond grows stronger as they go through things together, like fighting off dangerous creatures to get food for Mark. Nolan also learns an important lesson about mercy in these moments.
Nolan openly admits to Oliver during a quiet dinner that he has failed him as a father in every way possible. He says he’s sorry for calling Andressa a mistake and says he was desperate to get Debbie back. Nolan finally agrees with Oliver after admitting that Andressa saved him. They start to fix their relationship and train together more seriously.
The Viltrumites, on the other hand, become suspicious when they can’t get in touch with Conquest and others. They change their minds and decide to crush the Coalition on Glacia Prime. Allen thinks this is a chance to go back to the Coalition in the middle of the journey. Space Racer steps in when two Viltrumites, Lucan and Kradd, chase them. With one shot, Space Racer destroys their ship and makes Lucan leave.
Battle Beast also joins the fight, eager to fight, but the Coalition forces are getting close to their limits. They still win important battles on the battlefield even though Nolan, Mark, and Oliver aren’t there.
The Viltrumites, who are desperate for a big win, launch a bold attack on Talescria with the goal of killing “The Betrayer” and bringing down the Coalition. Their plan is cruel: to destroy the planet completely.
Mark wakes up again and is happy to find out that Nolan and Oliver are still alive. The three of them get to Talescria just in time to change the tide and win a hard-fought battle, but the losses are terrible.
At the same time, Telia finds a traitor among their own. When she looks into a hacked console, she finds that the Data Twin is the mole. He says at gunpoint that the Viltrumites will regroup and attack again when they get home.
Thadeus suggests a bold counterattack: hitting Viltrum directly with the same tactics their enemies just used. He knows how important it is to act quickly. The Coalition gets ready for a full-on attack.
Review of the Episode
This episode focuses a lot on how Nolan and Oliver’s relationship is changing. Their emotional arc is the most important part, showing real progress as Nolan tries to fix the damage he’s done.
But some characters don’t get enough screen time. Zoe, who has been called one of the Coalition’s best assets, still doesn’t have much of an effect. Tech Jacket also seems surprisingly weak compared to other games, especially Space Racer, which has so much power that it makes you wonder why it isn’t used more strategically.
The fact that Telia is not the mole is a nice twist, and the action scenes are well done. The animation, especially during the Viltrumite attack, does a great job of showing how brutal the war is.
Now that the battle is moving toward Viltrum itself, the stage is set for a violent and dramatic end to the season.