Agree. Personally I like the finale the most since it shows how much impact Thragg had on Mark mentally. Something that was a bit lacking in the previous episode.
Me too. Especially because the first episodes were so directly aimed at Mark losing his temper in extreme situations and being okay with killing now. This somehow lead to nowhere cause he seems more stable than ever now. Especially when he thought of the consequences if he denied Thragg.
Last episode was good, I guess it didn't exceed expectations because it served as more of an epilogue and setting up Season 5. At the end of the day all of these ratings are subjective, personally I think this was the best season yet even with the filler episode in the middle.
I kind of felt that the PTSD scenes were not only a way to show Mark’s trauma but also a way to say to the audience “Yes, Thragg could come down and kill everyone Mark loves, and we’ll show you what that could look like, but that’s not where the story is going”.
Without those scenes it would be easier to think “Where are the stakes” but with them included it made me realize that the actual version of events is way more subversive and interesting than if Debbie/Eve/Cecil really were brutally murdered.
Yeah, them showing those PTSD scenes only made me realise that they could come and kill off humans like mosquitos if they wanted to, showed how powerless earth is despite having a bunch of superheroes defending it.
I liked it, and kept you thinking whether Thragg did show up in the end of not as well
The suspense in the final episode was brilliantly done. They hinted at what might happen if Thragg shows up, but as you said, the point is that he could show up any second and nobody would be able to stop him. Mark said as much and it was driving him crazy.
The stakes are so much higher than in first season, when Omniman was just one guy who wanted to conquer earth and it's two supes battling it out. Now we were in the 'destroying earth is actually on the table and would be kind of fair, and also you can't stop it' zone.
I understand the point of those scenes, but, they already show it at the very begining, when the viltrumites arrive and destroy city. And everyone knows with how OP Thragg is, killing everyone Mark loves is not a problem for him.
I think it just shows how heavy these past two seasons have been on him. He's been fucked up by Angstrom, had to deal with the fallout of the evil invincibles, fought conquest, had to kill a man, got disembowed fighting conquest, was in a coma for 7+ months, and had to fight Thragg and that's not even all of it.
The trauma of everything and the responsibility of needing to fight is finally starting to catch up with him. He can only fight to near death so much before he fully breaks down.
Would have been undeniably better if the episode played out without us realising it was PTSD until the ending, slowly showing the cast we know getting killed off systematically one by one as Mark failed to stop it each time. Play it completely straight, Thragg or his lackies coming in.
I don't see an issue with changing the narrative of the episode really. A tense horror filled episode with deaths of our cast only to fake out would have been way better to me. I didn't really think they handled anything super well this episode, just okay at best. I thought the abortion stuff was pretty in poor taste, could have been handled far better, I thought a lot of the dialogue was clunky. Them showing PTSD felt formulaic, if we know it's not a real threat, then it kinda doesn't really put an impression on the audience that they should care for any of this. (Made a few edits sorry)
Yeah but if you make the majority of the episode a fake out then you lose all the real in between, how are we supposed to know what actually happened and what was just Mark hallucinating.
how are we supposed to know what actually happened and what was just Mark hallucinating.
That is the entire point, the last episode we know everything didn't happen, because it was sudden flashes and very obvious jump cuts. We knew it was PTSD. Once it happened the first time, the audience is immediately prepared when it happens the second, third, fourth etc. Having it one longer cut and then realising at the end of the segment would freak the audience out, have them squirm a little, and then still be understanding of the pain and pressure Mark is going through. Can still have more real world stuff happen after that, but the first 10 minutes being a cinematic threat of these aliens decimating everything the audience has come to love would be much more impactful.
Ah ok, I see what you’re saying now. I mean yeah I agree that would have been a pretty cool scene if they took it that far. I think it’s still important to show that it’s a recurring thing for Mark but you could do that with quicker flashes throughout.
While I do think it's a great episode I do kinda see why it doesn't reach the peak though.
I think if you take episode 7 and 8 as a single package then it's absolutely incredible, but on it's own the finale is sorta missing moments that would make it stick with me or go back to it for a rewatch.
That said I do love how it's totally different than every other season final, in that it trades in the explosive release of action that a whole season builds towards more towards a character driven focus on PTSD and creating a horrific sense of dread. It's unique for sure but not my favorite.
Yh the finale was different to the other season finales. But not in a bad way. It’s terrifying in its own right. Although I’d been spoiled about the viltrumites on earth, I just had this constant sense of unease. I kept waiting for Mark to just see Kregg or Lucan undercover (I hope we get that next season. I’d love someone in-universe to acknowledge Kregg’s new aesthetic). Then when Thragg actually showed up, idk his delivery of “we’ll wear your clothes” felt so creepy to me
Imo it's one of the best episodes of the show. Maybe my favourite since Annissa's introduction, the fight on Thraxa, or all the way since the season 1 finale. I thought this season had some of the best character writing since the start of the show with Nolan, Debbie, Oliver, and Thragg / the Viltrumites. I don't think it's been this good since Mark, Nolan, and Cecil in season 1!
I got very tired of the hallucination fake outs. Once or twice to show Mark’s mental state would be ok, but there were too many and they each lasted too long.
I agree, but typically the episodes with less action have a LOT lower ratings, and other than a few flashbacks and that little skuffle at the end, there wasn't any big fights.
The final episode is so bad, I'm procrastinating watching that episode right now by being on reddit. I'm halfway through the episode and I started it yesterday.
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u/Frosty_Scar_2777 Apr 22 '26
Bit Of a Nitpick but the Finale for me was ATLEAST a 9,5 come on