Apple TV+ has become one of the most diverse streaming platforms with popular shows like Severance, Ted Lasso, Shrinking, and many more. Its sci-fi lineup is also strong, with hits like Foundation, Silo, and For All Mankind earning praise from critics and audiences alike.
However, not all titles have been major hits, and Invasion is one example. The underrated series premiered in 2021 to a lukewarm response. Now, Invasion is back with Season 3, which holds a modest 67% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Season 3 premiered on Apple TV+ on August 22, but it took a few days to gather enough reviews for a critics’ consensus, and the result still isn’t great. The 67% score counts as positive but comes from four good reviews and two bad ones. This score could change as more reviews arrive.
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The rating matches Season 2, which also scored 67% from 12 reviews, and it’s higher than Season 1’s 48%. Season 3 does not yet have an audience score. So far, both previous seasons got poor audience ratings, with Season 1 at 47% and Season 2 slightly better at 54%. Season 3 could become the first season to earn a positive audience badge once more reviews are in.
Invasion at its best yet, bringing in a host of factors to meet new challenges, and it pays off as this group of heroes pivots from defense to offense. The review praises the performances, especially Shamier Anderson, and notes the ensemble’s newfound unity allows for a much faster pace in key moments. This is a rare case that, while this is part of a continuing story with lots of characters that are familiar to fans of the show, it’s in a way an entirely new story and adventure. The third season of Invasion is less disjointed than Seasons 1 and 2 now that the three main plotlines start to converge, calling the time jump, a fresh start for the show.
Collider‘s Jeff Ewing called Season 3, and then Decider’s Joel Keller notes, Also Among the negative reviews, CBR‘s own Katie Doll admits
However, the review mentions that “the constant turns a 10-episode season takes to make character-centric episodes can get exhausting. The momentum of other characters’ storylines takes a massive stall in these moments, and the pacing doesn’t entirely work for a series that releases on a weekly basis,” adding that the writing hasn’t improved much. It also says the series is filled with “plot conveniences,” and that it “keeps repeating the same mistakes that make the story such a slug, even if there are small refinements here and there.”
The slow-burn sci-fi show has spent the last two seasons following the stories of seemingly unconnected humans, which is one of the main criticisms in negative reviews. Season 3 finally unites them in the fight of their lives to save humanity, taking place two years after the Season 2 finale.
Invasion follows an alien invasion through different perspectives around the world. In season three, those perspectives collide for the first time, as the series’ main characters are brought together to work as a team on a critical mission to infiltrate the alien mothership. The ultimate apex aliens have finally emerged, rapidly spreading their deadly tendrils across our planet. It will take all our heroes working together, using all their experience and expertise, to save our species. New relationships are formed, old relationships are challenged and even shattered, as an international cast of characters must become a team before it’s too late.
The official logline reads, Per the description, it notes
Golshifteh Farahani, Shioli Kutsuna, Shamier Anderson, India Brown, Shane Zaza, and Enver Gjokaj return to their roles, while Erika Alexander joins as a series regular.
Invasion drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+.
Source: CBR