This episode packed one hell of a punch … LITERALLY! And gave us a scene I was really looking forward to seeing.
We get reacquainted with Titan who we briefly met in episode one. Voiced by the fantastic Mahershala Ali, this family man has found himself doing the dirty work for boss, Machine Head (Jeffrey Donovan). I absolutely loved the synthesiser tone of his voice. Titan needs Mark’s help escaping Machine Head’s grip and we see the two team up, leading to the most brutal showdown the series has had so far.
We find Mark living his best superhero life. He’s slaying with ease but still struggling to find equilibrium with his personal life. Amber’s frustrations are growing and Mark’s gifts of cake aren’t making up for his constant lateness and absence. He’s also caught the attention of Principle Winslow due to his increasing bad attendance at school. Things are starting to unravel at home too as Debbie’s suspicions surrounding Nolan’s involvement in the demise of the Guardians of the Globe increase, resulting in a big discovery after some clever investigating on her part.
Every superhero story needs good villains to keep you engaged and this is something Invincible does so well. There are even large amounts of shade to characters who we believe to be good which keeps you on your toes. Robot continues his own side mission which brings him to the freshly cloned Mauler Twins’ door. Can we trust him??? Mark’s team up with Titan eventually creates a stand off between the pair and a team of evils put together by Machine Head. Fronted by Battle Beast, these guys aren’t going to be easy to defeat and Mark finds this out quickly. Pummelled is the word that springs to mind.
Battle Beast is easily one of the comics’ most loved characters so his first appearance on the show was a huge highlight. This fight scene is epic and brings in the new Guardians of the Globe who are struggling to work together as a team. The scenes here are so brutal but so bloody brilliant and by the end of the battle Mark, Monster Girl and Black Samson are just completely battered. I love that the show doesn’t hide away from portraying absolute bloody destruction and I just applaud the creators for keeping to the quality of the comics.
As the episode ends there are twists. We are led to believe that Titan is using his abilities in hope of making a better life for his wife and daughter (both voiced by the loveable Nicole Byer). Instead, it looks like he’s fallen into the trap of wanting power and that’s sure to get interesting. Another thing I enjoyed this week was seeing more of Eve. We watch interactions between her and her parents which indicate their complicated relationship.
Verdict
That Actually Hurt is a stellar episode, reminding viewers just how brutal this gets. With such an apt title, it’s also a little nudge for Mark, telling him not to get carried away in the fun and glory of superhero life. This shit is real!
