Summary
- Invincible season 2 will go on hiatus after its fourth episode to give viewers time to process the shocking events that take place.
- The mid-season break is a narrative decision that adds impact and allows for a pause to digest the story.
- The hiatus will coincide with the busy holiday season, ensuring that the show doesn't get lost in the shuffle and making the subsequent episodes hit harder.
Following the Invincible season 2 season announcement, creator Robert Kirkman explained why season 2 will go on hiatus after its fourth episode airs: The episode will act like a mid-season finale.
Kirkman said that because of what happens in the fourth episode of the Amazon Prime Video hit, fans will need time to process what happened when it's all said and done. This was done for the live-action television adaptation of Kirkman's other popular graphic novel, AMC's The Walking Dead.
Kirkman explained the Invincible season 2 process while talking with Collider. "It's a little bit of the production process just because ramping things up has taken a lot longer than we thought. But also, this is something that we've done with every season of The Walking Dead, and I think narratively, it's kind of cool to have that pause to digest what you've just experienced. And when you see Episode 4 of Season 2, you may need a break. It's a big episode. It's definitely a mid-season finale kind of episode." Kirkman then explained why the hiatus will be timed well. "With everything going on in that time of year with Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and a lot of family time, I think a lot of shows get lost in the shuffle there, and so I think it's good to take a pause. And narratively, it's gonna make things hit a little bit harder. And people will know what I'm talking about when the season launches."
After its first season, which was only seven episodes long, The Walking Dead would usually go on a mid-season hiatus so that viewers would digest all that happened in its mid-season finale's most shocking moments. Invincible's first season was the surprise hit of 2021, so it didn't have much fanfare going in, but its twist ending in its first episode made the show catch on quickly. Now that the show will enter season 2 with a lot of anticipation, hopefully, the execution of it will warrant Invincible season 2 being split into two parts.
It's all well and good that Kirkman believes going on hiatus mid-season is the right way to go. But that's also why The Walking Dead declined during its run. In its later seasons, it felt like the show would not have many consequential things going on until it finally reached the mid-season finale. A lot of the time, it felt like the show was using filler to buy their time before it reached its destination. Invincible is a different genre from The Walking Dead because of the subject material, but hopefully, the former isn't buying time as the latter did.
Luckily, because of how Invincible season 1 was executed, fans should be optimistic that things will only escalate as time goes on in season 2. There will be a lot going on, including that Mark Grayson will start winning fights, which could have massive ripple effects on the series. After all this time, those behind the show know they must strike while the iron is hot.
Invincible season 2 premieres on Amazon Prime Video on November 3, 2023.
Source: Collider