- Title: Invincible – A Deal with the Devil
- wiki: link
The tensions between Mark (Steven Yeun) and Cecil (Walton Goggins) at the end of the previous episode only increase in “A Deal with the Devil” as Mark’s attempt to walk away GDA reveal the links Cecil has gone to in order to try to control him (including implanting a device inside Mark’s skull to case him pain if activated). This leads to lots, and lots, and lots of cyborg casualties. Unfortunately for Cecil, the implant doesn’t stop Mark from fleeing the Pentagon and bringing their private war to the Guardians doorstep where the truth of Cecil’s recent actions causes a fissure within the group with half, like Mark, deciding to walk away.
While Cecil’s tactics make sense from a certain point of view, his actions only continue to escalate the situation until any chance at a peaceful solution has been eliminated. If he treats all heroes this poorly, it’s a wonder he’s still alive. The episode is also notable for Mark and Eve (Gillian Jacobs) starting to repair their relationship, Darkwing (Cleveland Berto) officially joining the Guardians, and a good chunk of the episode focused on Cecil’s background when he was as idealistic as Mark only to have the need for compromise beaten into him by the harsh truths of the world. These flashbacks include a mission gone wrong, a prison stint for Cecil, and his first meeting with Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons).
