One of the most bizarre aspects of the second season of AppleTV+’s sci-fi series Invasion is how the pacing turns out to be random and all over the place. While the first and third episodes accelerated the narrative by deftly handling multiple storylines at once, the second and fourth episodes dedicate entire episodes to rather inconsequential segments that barely move the plot forward, if at all. Especially the fourth episode, The Tunnel, tries to put a survival horror twist in the narrative flow, and in doing so, it not only disrupts the pacing but also goes way off course with the central plotline.
In the previous episode, Mitsuki’s maneuver involving the formless alien entity disabled the cloaking mechanism of the invading alien attack vessels, which gave the WDC a brief window of time to shoot the majority of them down. The collapse of attack vessels rendered the invading alien life forms inactive, and the world rejoiced in their second major victory, expecting a brief respite from alien assault. Previously, Jamila had decided to journey towards Paris to search for Caspar, considering the possibility that his connection with the aliens might be the key to ending the invasion once and for all, and she was later accompanied by her classmates Alfie, Darwin, Monty, and his little sister Penny. Invasion Episode 4 primarily focuses on the adventures of the teen team and, much like the finale of the previous season, showcases how any speculated progression in tackling the alien crisis only results in even more severe blowback.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did The Teen Team Reach The Tunnel?
As Invasion Episode 4 begins, viewers see the group of kids consisting of Jamila, Alfie, Darwin, Monty, and his sister Penny driving through a marine drive as they try to reach the Channel Tunnel, from where they will be able to reach Paris and search for Caspar. Irritated by the bombardment of rap songs, Penny shuffles her brother’s song playlist and suddenly stumbles across Kiss from a Rose, a yesteryear classic that induces a laugh riot among the group, especially because Monty doesn’t seem the type to enjoy songs such as this. They arrive in front of the Channel Tunnel, only to learn that it has been closed to public commuters in order to contain a possible alien attack. They also learn about the impending assault on alien space vessels from the WDC broadcast, and viewers assess the timeline to be preceding the events of the previous episode of Invasion.
Jamila asks Monty to go around the tunnel, and they come across a seemingly vacant maintenance gateway, which also connects with the main channel. So far, the plan had been that Monty and Penny would accompany them up to the channel, but eventually, they decided to tag along with the group all the way to Paris. Penny had charted a detailed map of the Channel Tunnel as part of her school project, which came in handy while venturing into the depths of the underpass. All of a sudden, an explosion startles the group, and the team members suddenly get concerned about escaping from the tunnel. Jamila manages to inspire them to keep moving forward for the sake of Caspar and the rest of the world.
What Is The Situation On Caspar’s Side?
The scene moves to a particular hospital in Paris, where Caspar is admitted and is still in a comatose state. The assault on the alien attack vessel has been successful, and with a huge number of aliens seen getting knocked down on their own, people are considering the nightmare to be finally over. In a special ward inside the hospital, Caspar and other teenagers like him who share his abilities to communicate with alien life forms are admitted, and Gabriel and Esme are two medical professionals assigned to take care of them. While Gabriel is of the opinion that Caspar’s is a gone case, Esme still believes that his connection to the aliens might be the missing link that can pin down the extra-terrestrials.
After a few hours, things suddenly go south, as the admittedly gifted teenagers start chanting ‘Wajo,’ and victims of even deadlier alien attacks start huddling towards the hospital. With the onslaught of even mutated aliens, the hospital attendees, patients, and other gifted teenagers get escorted elsewhere, but with Caspar’s current condition, there is no way to take him to a secure location. Esme commands Gabriel to ensure Gabriel gets optimum safety while still remaining admitted to the special ward.
Will Caspar Fall Prey To The Aliens?
Inside the tunnel, the group confronts an alien that soon gets deactivated, thanks to the initial assault. However, they come across a horde of deactivated aliens, and as they make their way through a semi-locked entrance, the aliens are seen to be evolving into quadruped monstrosities and chasing them. Alfie tries to use fire to neutralize them, but unlike previous instances where it was established that it was one of their weaknesses, the evolved aliens don’t budge a bit. Accessing another sub-tunnel, the group somehow escapes with their lives but soon faces a troublesome situation as they find the tunnel blocked by lined-up cars.
Meanwhile, little Penny gets terrified seeing instances of brutal violence all around her, and Monty appears as a caring brother as he manages to distract and comfort her. Jamila praises her and realizes that the estranged relationship between Monty’s parents led him to shoulder responsibilities toward Penny. Later, Alfie has a heated discussion with Monty regarding his former bullying nature, and as Monty tries to open up as a gesture of friendliness, Alfie teases him about the aforementioned song. Monty reveals that the song holds a special place for him, as it signifies a better time—it was the song to which their parents danced when they were still together. Alfie feels a bit apologetic, and they agree to patch things up by letting their past take a backseat.
The mutated aliens find a way to get to them using the ventilation system, and the group rushes further to come across the exit towards France. However, the exit has been shut off and mined, as the soldiers on the other side want to blow it up to contain the aliens inside. Monty and Co. manage to attract their attention by making a loud noise and get rescued just in the nick of time before the exit gets blown. Darwin sustains a mild injury and gets sent to the hospital, and he wishes for the rest of the band to venture further and meet Caspar.
Speaking of Caspar, he lies comatose inside the darkened hospital ward as aliens brutally butcher the guards stationed outside. Invasion Episode 4 ends with Caspar’s fate shrouded in uncertainty—will the group of teenagers arrive on time, or will the presence of aliens activate Caspar’s latent ability to connect with a hive mind? That remains to be seen. Additionally, the situation across the world has worsened after the emergence of mutated aliens; how that affects Maliks, the WDC, and other characters will be interesting to explore. Mitsuki and Nikhil’s position in front of WDC will worsen, as their decision to launch an attack proved to entail severe blowback, especially for Mitsuki, whose plans regarding aliens have backfired twice.
