Invasion 1.6: "The Hunt"

Written by Shaun Cassidy and Becky Hartman Edwards
Directed by Lawrence Trilling

In which Derek realizes that he has a strong attraction to Mariel, which sets him against Underlay in a big way, while Russell goes on a fishing expedition and discovers something chilling…


I was under the impression that the previous episode would really take the series to the next level, because some of the motivations have been laid bare. In this case, the follow-up is all about how the “possessed” deal with their new obsession with how good water feels and how much their hormones are reacting. At least, that seems to be the case with the teenage pod-people.

Derek becomes quite the horn dog after his experience, and he thinks that Kira is a good mark. For her part, she has the same urges, but he’s looking for another pod-person, and Mariel certainly fits the bill. Sometimes I can’t tell if she’s as attractive as she’s clearly meant to be, but she was quite the hottie in this episode.

So the “possessed” can definitely breathe underwater, they feel a lot more comfortable in the waters anyway, and they apparently give off some kind of pheromones. Hence the reason why Mommy smells different now. That makes sense, given that their blood chemistry has also been altered significantly. This brings up an interesting point: what would happen if one of the “possessed” and a normal human were to have sexual relations? Just how violent is the chemical incompatibility?

This brings up another point I’ve been wondering about. Larkin is practically begging to get “possessed” at this rate, the way she runs around where angels fear to tread, and now it looks as if she’s in serious danger. So the question is: how would that possession and the subsequent changes to the blood chemistry and hormones affect a pregnant woman? Would the placental barrier keep the fetus from being changed? Or would the change be different, like a hybrid state?

Meanwhile, right on time, Russell discovers one big portion of the truth about the strange changes taking place in his family, among others, and how these glowing “fish” are connected. That bit with the tracking device was wonderfully foreshadowed in the teaser (good plot structure!) and really piled on the tension.

Despite the slow pacing, the writers really seem to be hitting their stride, now that the introductory phase is all but over and the meat of the tale has begun. The season pick-up, at least, gives the story time to evolve and tighten up a bit. The real question is whether or not the writers can develop a strong enough arc to justify more than one season.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10