The pace has definitely picked up compared to season 1. Luke is definitely turned into a useless teenager. The one that gets you killed in an apocalypse. He has a truly punchable face and I hate the character he's playing. I know where he comes from and what he went through in S1 but he's doing literally everything to jeopardize his sister and his mom. He's incredibly selfish and deserves everything that's coming to him. His sister is the only one that actually makes sense and does as she's told, follows the rules and seems to have a grasp of what she needs to do to stay alive. Luke is the exact reason humanity will go down the toilet.
15 Reviews
Much better pacing this time
Xamalion24 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
After actually forcing myself through the last episodes of season 1 I wasn't sure if I wanted to see season 2 altogether. After seeing episode 1 I'm glad I decided so. The pacing is much better, reducing the storylines to Aneesha and Mitsuki makes everything more cohesive.
The writing, well it could be a hit or miss. For example, I find it hard to believe that no one but Mitsuki had the idea of playing Hinatas music to the entity, especially after music was already used before. But hey, here we are in need of some things that obviously only the main cast can do. The part with the hidden resistance gave me too much Walking Dead vibes, I don't know if we need another subplot like this, so I hope this won't overstay it's welcome.
But I'm glad that Caspar will likely get out of his coma soon. The acting of Billy Barrat was one of the highlights in season 1, so I hope there's more to come for him.
I'm at least intrigued how the story will unfold further, but I fear that without a good reason for the alien invasion and proper explanation why some people have special powers over them, this could also get very boring quickly, especially after their bloated first season, but maybe they learned from the viewers feedback about that.
The writing, well it could be a hit or miss. For example, I find it hard to believe that no one but Mitsuki had the idea of playing Hinatas music to the entity, especially after music was already used before. But hey, here we are in need of some things that obviously only the main cast can do. The part with the hidden resistance gave me too much Walking Dead vibes, I don't know if we need another subplot like this, so I hope this won't overstay it's welcome.
But I'm glad that Caspar will likely get out of his coma soon. The acting of Billy Barrat was one of the highlights in season 1, so I hope there's more to come for him.
I'm at least intrigued how the story will unfold further, but I fear that without a good reason for the alien invasion and proper explanation why some people have special powers over them, this could also get very boring quickly, especially after their bloated first season, but maybe they learned from the viewers feedback about that.
A nice return to tv
grlym-4684923 September 2023
This show has had such a long time off aire, it took a bit to remember the season 1
The beginning felt like a 1979's Godzilla show. Very cheesy by todays standards.
But as the show warmed up it became quite good.
I also think this episode was a great restart to the show because the more interesting characters were showcased.
I really like the Asian girls plot, character, etc. It is always interesting and full of the cutting age suspense.
The Pharise mom with the kids is another good grouping. The son was a little over annoying. But that is on par for the age. And I really really loved the sequence introducing the rebel group.
The beginning felt like a 1979's Godzilla show. Very cheesy by todays standards.
But as the show warmed up it became quite good.
I also think this episode was a great restart to the show because the more interesting characters were showcased.
I really like the Asian girls plot, character, etc. It is always interesting and full of the cutting age suspense.
The Pharise mom with the kids is another good grouping. The son was a little over annoying. But that is on par for the age. And I really really loved the sequence introducing the rebel group.
[6.2] Nothing's changed
cjonesas30 November 2023
On season 2_episode1: same as season 1, though, my wish was granted and I got to see the bright, daring, tenacious and lovely Mitsuki, the only one out there with a scientific and academic background that I like and respect.
Other than that, a little subpar season in comparison with season 1, with the same nonsense with Aneesha and her family and acquaintance, some lengthy dragging scenes and episodes with the British kids and an ending that is worse than the whole season.
Time to cancel the show. This time and this series, really.
Other than that, a little subpar season in comparison with season 1, with the same nonsense with Aneesha and her family and acquaintance, some lengthy dragging scenes and episodes with the British kids and an ending that is worse than the whole season.
Time to cancel the show. This time and this series, really.
- Screenplay/storyline/plots: 5.5
- Development: 7.5
- Realism: 6.5
- Entertainment: 6
- Acting: 6.5
- Filming/photography/cinematography: 7.5
- VFX: 8
- Music/score/sound: 7
- Depth: 7
- Logic: 2.5
- Flow: 6
- Drama/fantasy/sci-fi: 6.5
- Ending: 4.
Like a different show
jacklivi-1287023 August 2023
Don't get me wrong I feel like season one got abit too much hate, but I do agree that it kinda didn't know what it was doing. The thing I loved was the character building, there isn't a character I don't like.
Now season 2 starts and I'm expecting similar but wow !!
The progression in just this first episode is more than we had all last season. Characters are even better and the action is so much better. I just hope they can keep this momentum going cause if they do this could be a great sci-fi show.
Here's hoping people give it a second chance and go into this season with no expectations .
Now season 2 starts and I'm expecting similar but wow !!
The progression in just this first episode is more than we had all last season. Characters are even better and the action is so much better. I just hope they can keep this momentum going cause if they do this could be a great sci-fi show.
Here's hoping people give it a second chance and go into this season with no expectations .
Refreshing after an awful first season
apiwat-9118223 August 2023
After an extremely awful first season this first episode of the second season is very good, a breath of fresh air, with logical plot, actions and acting. I hope the rest of the episodes will be as good as this one and I would like to see more of the same. Would love it if they can add combat scenes between the armed forces and the aliens.
I'm surprised that it was aired in the first place as I thought the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had a put a stop to all production so apple must have found a loop hole or shot it early before the strike? Maybe it was filmed abroad?
I'm surprised that it was aired in the first place as I thought the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists had a put a stop to all production so apple must have found a loop hole or shot it early before the strike? Maybe it was filmed abroad?
What about fire?
tnosugar17 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
There is one considerably significant inconsistency when it comes to the entire series, and which is most visible here.
Namely, at the beginning of this episode, there is mayhem in Osaka, with people running for their life from the aliens. Tumbling, stomping over each other. Cars and building are wrecked all around.
There are thousands upon thousands of people and, say, hundreds of aliens coming after them and slaughtering left, right, and centre.
However, in comes Mitsuki and starts lighting the aliens up and killing them with - fire. Molotov cocktails, cars and buses drenched in gasoline all explode into flames and take scores of aliens out of the chase.
Now, a sensible person would ask: 1. Why aren't all those people, outnumbering the aliens 10 or 100 to 1, armed with molotov cocktails and throwing them at the threat?
2. Why isn't the army fighting with flame throwers and heat bombs instead of guns?
3. Why aren't planes throwing napalm on the mothership that landed on Earth?
This simple inconsistency renders the whole series a circus.
Namely, at the beginning of this episode, there is mayhem in Osaka, with people running for their life from the aliens. Tumbling, stomping over each other. Cars and building are wrecked all around.
There are thousands upon thousands of people and, say, hundreds of aliens coming after them and slaughtering left, right, and centre.
However, in comes Mitsuki and starts lighting the aliens up and killing them with - fire. Molotov cocktails, cars and buses drenched in gasoline all explode into flames and take scores of aliens out of the chase.
Now, a sensible person would ask: 1. Why aren't all those people, outnumbering the aliens 10 or 100 to 1, armed with molotov cocktails and throwing them at the threat?
2. Why isn't the army fighting with flame throwers and heat bombs instead of guns?
3. Why aren't planes throwing napalm on the mothership that landed on Earth?
This simple inconsistency renders the whole series a circus.
Like father like son
caseyladner-859755 December 2023
Luke is one of the worst characters I've come across in a TV show in a long time. I'm actively hoping he is killed just like his cheating father. He single handily made me hate this episode. Really hope he is not like this the whole season bc it will ruin the show for me. If he would just listen to his mother who is trying so hard to keep her family safe and alive everything would be okay and their story ark could evolve past the selfish teenager stage that ruins everything. I get what the writers are trying to do but they made him so awful it actually hampers the show instead of pushing it forward. Really hope the aliens get him bc of his selfish actions.
It's back - and everyone's annoying
stephenmsaunders23 August 2023
Amazingly, given that it didn't get very good reviews or audience response for its first season, Invasion is back! The most impressive thing about it are the special effects, which are excellent. Unfortunately, they are not matched by acting or dialogue, both of which are absolutely dire.
The biggest problem here is the lack of any charisma in any of the main characters. Everyone is grumpy, sarcastic, entitled, sad, argumentative, and thoroughly dislikable.
About halfway through the first episode in season two, I started rooting for the aliens to win. Or at least to take out the Elon Musk wanna be entrepreneur super-jerk in the Amazon forest, or his equally jerky, psychoanalyst assistant.
Everything in this show is just slightly out of kilter. It keeps on wanting to be a rich and imaginative thing, but then it just sort of drifts off into complete mediocrity.
Given that it must've cost an absolute fortune to make a second season of this, the producers really should've done better.
The biggest problem here is the lack of any charisma in any of the main characters. Everyone is grumpy, sarcastic, entitled, sad, argumentative, and thoroughly dislikable.
About halfway through the first episode in season two, I started rooting for the aliens to win. Or at least to take out the Elon Musk wanna be entrepreneur super-jerk in the Amazon forest, or his equally jerky, psychoanalyst assistant.
Everything in this show is just slightly out of kilter. It keeps on wanting to be a rich and imaginative thing, but then it just sort of drifts off into complete mediocrity.
Given that it must've cost an absolute fortune to make a second season of this, the producers really should've done better.
Opportunity to build on last season lost.
maxx_23 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What was actually a very good opportunity to build on last season was entirely lost within an episode. The decisions made by some characters in this series continues to be absolutely mind boggling, if not utterly dumb. Half of the events that occurred, simply did not need to occur. The existence of the 'movement' in itself, is almost absurd. Why would organisations like this exist in the event of an alien invasion? And to think that they could just take out convoys of *TRAINED MILITARY PERSONNEL* with sheer ease and simplicity is borderline absurd.
For a film called 'Invasion', there again seems to be little evidence of said Invasion and any military attempts to counter it, despite the formation of the 'World Defence Coalition'... Needs to improve.
For a film called 'Invasion', there again seems to be little evidence of said Invasion and any military attempts to counter it, despite the formation of the 'World Defence Coalition'... Needs to improve.
Disposable, forgettable garbage
dennisforbes25 August 2023
The first season started interesting but then rapidly went downhill. By the end I, like so many others, was rooting for the aliens.
The beginning of the second season has plumbed all new lows. This is incredible, and the thought that so many millions went towards such a busted, turgid product is just such a waste. Burning the money in a bonfire would have been a better use.
Characters that you just *hate*. Portrayals that are so D-grade they boggle (the portrayal of purported Canadian military members -- who strangely had Southern US accents, though this was in the "deserts of British Columbia", so expectations weren't high -- was cartoonish). Situations that...there is no way serious professionals are involved with this, right?
The Mitsuki scene that starts the episode is so laughable that I was sure that she would wake up in a cold sweat. But it was actually sincere. Amazing.
Occasionally you see shows on IMDB where there are loads of suspicious reviews that look like cast and crew and their families, and this one easily takes the crown for that. Seeing the desperate high rating that quickly starts nosediving as actual normal, unbiased observers weigh in is fascinating.
Keep on telling your mom to call it a slow burn and give it a 10, cast and crew. You'll hold on for a while.
The beginning of the second season has plumbed all new lows. This is incredible, and the thought that so many millions went towards such a busted, turgid product is just such a waste. Burning the money in a bonfire would have been a better use.
Characters that you just *hate*. Portrayals that are so D-grade they boggle (the portrayal of purported Canadian military members -- who strangely had Southern US accents, though this was in the "deserts of British Columbia", so expectations weren't high -- was cartoonish). Situations that...there is no way serious professionals are involved with this, right?
The Mitsuki scene that starts the episode is so laughable that I was sure that she would wake up in a cold sweat. But it was actually sincere. Amazing.
Occasionally you see shows on IMDB where there are loads of suspicious reviews that look like cast and crew and their families, and this one easily takes the crown for that. Seeing the desperate high rating that quickly starts nosediving as actual normal, unbiased observers weigh in is fascinating.
Keep on telling your mom to call it a slow burn and give it a 10, cast and crew. You'll hold on for a while.
Not much has changed, but it's an improvement.
PlutoZoo26 August 2023
Much of the criticism of the first series was the drawn out drip-feeding of 10 episodes where nothing much happened except script errors and plot holes. And so, the last episode of the first series was actually the beginning of the story, "A New Dawn" they called it and left us hanging yet again.
Now that the second series is here, have we gotten the new dawn, not quite. It is better, with more action and special effects, set-pieces etc. But, they had established a rythym and tenor of story-type in the first series that is hard to escape to be frank. And so, we're faced with some more boring time fillers as our hapless little family scrape around to survive and get arrested etc. All very boring and pointless padding.
And, as a first episode of a new season you'd expect it to be full of captivation and hook people into the rest of the series, so it's annoying that they couldn't get away from their established pattern of rationed writing and direction for even the first episode. Annoying but hardly surprising given what went before.
The good parts were the slight pushing ahead with the story, but we're yet again seeing this unfold at a micro level, through disparate stories, rather than the macro view they left us with at the end of the first series ... Remember the huge spacecraft luring through the atmosphere? ... hardly mentioned at all.
We're instead led on a trip to the Amazon where the first mothership was downed by the power of a boy's mind alone(eye roll) and are introduced to megalomaniac billionaire, Kapoor (modelled on, take your pick of well known rich egoists) played by a British actor who for some reason seems to talk to everyone as if they're a newborn puppy and he seems to suffer from a kind of inflection-tourettes as his delivery places inflection and emphasis in all the wrong places, while he cajoles in an insipid, chidish way. This character doesn't work and is irritating beyond the patience of anyone reasonable or sane.
At the end of the first episode, we're left with not much more knowledge than we had at the end of the first series so their title "Something's Changed" seems oddly innacurate when precious little has actually changed.
It's a bit better, but as an introduction to the second season, this first episode doesn't hold much promise that the second season will correct the huge amount of negativity which the drip-feeding, padded first series evoked. [Update: It seems that Episode 2 has confirmed that suspicion and is a big nosedive compared to Episode 1.]
Let's hope we won't see people tearing their hair out after 5 episodes again, wondering why nothing much has happened.
Now that the second series is here, have we gotten the new dawn, not quite. It is better, with more action and special effects, set-pieces etc. But, they had established a rythym and tenor of story-type in the first series that is hard to escape to be frank. And so, we're faced with some more boring time fillers as our hapless little family scrape around to survive and get arrested etc. All very boring and pointless padding.
And, as a first episode of a new season you'd expect it to be full of captivation and hook people into the rest of the series, so it's annoying that they couldn't get away from their established pattern of rationed writing and direction for even the first episode. Annoying but hardly surprising given what went before.
The good parts were the slight pushing ahead with the story, but we're yet again seeing this unfold at a micro level, through disparate stories, rather than the macro view they left us with at the end of the first series ... Remember the huge spacecraft luring through the atmosphere? ... hardly mentioned at all.
We're instead led on a trip to the Amazon where the first mothership was downed by the power of a boy's mind alone(eye roll) and are introduced to megalomaniac billionaire, Kapoor (modelled on, take your pick of well known rich egoists) played by a British actor who for some reason seems to talk to everyone as if they're a newborn puppy and he seems to suffer from a kind of inflection-tourettes as his delivery places inflection and emphasis in all the wrong places, while he cajoles in an insipid, chidish way. This character doesn't work and is irritating beyond the patience of anyone reasonable or sane.
At the end of the first episode, we're left with not much more knowledge than we had at the end of the first series so their title "Something's Changed" seems oddly innacurate when precious little has actually changed.
It's a bit better, but as an introduction to the second season, this first episode doesn't hold much promise that the second season will correct the huge amount of negativity which the drip-feeding, padded first series evoked. [Update: It seems that Episode 2 has confirmed that suspicion and is a big nosedive compared to Episode 1.]
Let's hope we won't see people tearing their hair out after 5 episodes again, wondering why nothing much has happened.
Second verse, same as the first
Steve Fenwick1 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Sadly, season 2 had the same plodding pacing, unsympathetic and uninteresting characters, and plot that is just as silly as the first season.
Episode one of the new season totally failed to keep my household's attention past the kidnap/rescue of one of the main characters. After that it was another case of: 1) one main character interacts/communicates with the aliens when no one else can (same as season one); 2) one main character and their family are captured, put into a convoy, and then "rescued" by vigilantes; 3) the aliens are found to have a grave weakness that should have been obvious from that start, but almost no one noticed it (susceptible to fire damage).
Have fun, we're going to watch reruns. Losing faith in Apple TV's ability to produce interesting programming.
Episode one of the new season totally failed to keep my household's attention past the kidnap/rescue of one of the main characters. After that it was another case of: 1) one main character interacts/communicates with the aliens when no one else can (same as season one); 2) one main character and their family are captured, put into a convoy, and then "rescued" by vigilantes; 3) the aliens are found to have a grave weakness that should have been obvious from that start, but almost no one noticed it (susceptible to fire damage).
Have fun, we're going to watch reruns. Losing faith in Apple TV's ability to produce interesting programming.
Interstellar travel is incredibly challenging
vykwvp4 October 2023
I love sci-fi films and TV programs. My understanding as a someone who has no science background other than what I read or see on YoutTube, is that any species that is capable of traveling x numbers of light years to reach our beloved Earth is they would be so technologically advanced that they may likely see us the way we view ants. I am not even convinced interstellar travel is possible by living beings due to the great distances between star systems. Even so I watched this program for its entertainment value. If aliens arrive, and that's unlikely, it will be unfortunately a disaster for humanity and perhaps many other species as well if they decide to strip mine the planet for resources. Lucky for us intelligent life may be exceptionally rare even in a cosmos of billions of planetary systems. Thank you Fermi Paradox! Let's hope we don't encounter the Great Filter of self destruction or natural disaster.
What a shame...SPOILERS
scottvirden17 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It's a shame that a show with such a high production value and an intriguing premise can continually be so dull. Apart from the fact that a good portion of the characters are insufferably annoying (I'm looking at you Aneesha and your family) it's also becoming nonsensical.
Warning: There are spoilers for this episode in the review. My issue with this particular episode is how implausible much of it is. The opening scene sees Mitsuki fighting aliens in the street amid mass panic and then a helicopter lands and picks her up with the occupants explaining they were looking for her, just missing her here and there. How exactly did they track her down or identify her amid the throngs of people running for their lives? Does she have a tracker in her arm?
As we check in with Aneesha and her family, they are traveling through Canada and they stop at a store where (American?) soldiers are resting. Luke, by far the most annoying character in the show and a reminder that Hollywood still can't write a believable teenager, attempts to steal some petrol from the back of a military truck. Of course, he gets caught. Aneesha attempts to smooth things over and one of DNR soldiers asks "are you with The Movement?" Ostensibly, people affiliated with The Movement are being arrested and sought out by the military. Cut to Aneesha and her family being transported in the back of an army transport by the military with a ruggedly good looking guy in handcuffs who is obviously up to something, played by Enver Gjokaj.
The military personnel sees an injured girl laying in the road and stops. Since they are highly trained military personnel they stop and every single one of the soldiers gets out where they are immediately ambushed by The Movement hiding in the ditch! Gjokaj's character is named Clark and he is the leader of The Movement, the injured girl in the road? His daughter, who was wearing ketchup as fake blood. So was this all a ruse by Clark to steal vehicles? Did he get caught on purpose or was it a rescue mission? After commanding the vehicles other members of the The Movement pulls up in vehicles with brightly colored "M"s painted on them (and these people are supposedly alluding the military?). It's never explained why they did this since in the next episode they are not using them.
And these examples are just some of the stupidity and absurdity in this script.
Warning: There are spoilers for this episode in the review. My issue with this particular episode is how implausible much of it is. The opening scene sees Mitsuki fighting aliens in the street amid mass panic and then a helicopter lands and picks her up with the occupants explaining they were looking for her, just missing her here and there. How exactly did they track her down or identify her amid the throngs of people running for their lives? Does she have a tracker in her arm?
As we check in with Aneesha and her family, they are traveling through Canada and they stop at a store where (American?) soldiers are resting. Luke, by far the most annoying character in the show and a reminder that Hollywood still can't write a believable teenager, attempts to steal some petrol from the back of a military truck. Of course, he gets caught. Aneesha attempts to smooth things over and one of DNR soldiers asks "are you with The Movement?" Ostensibly, people affiliated with The Movement are being arrested and sought out by the military. Cut to Aneesha and her family being transported in the back of an army transport by the military with a ruggedly good looking guy in handcuffs who is obviously up to something, played by Enver Gjokaj.
The military personnel sees an injured girl laying in the road and stops. Since they are highly trained military personnel they stop and every single one of the soldiers gets out where they are immediately ambushed by The Movement hiding in the ditch! Gjokaj's character is named Clark and he is the leader of The Movement, the injured girl in the road? His daughter, who was wearing ketchup as fake blood. So was this all a ruse by Clark to steal vehicles? Did he get caught on purpose or was it a rescue mission? After commanding the vehicles other members of the The Movement pulls up in vehicles with brightly colored "M"s painted on them (and these people are supposedly alluding the military?). It's never explained why they did this since in the next episode they are not using them.
And these examples are just some of the stupidity and absurdity in this script.
See also
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