Invasion 1.11: "Us or Them"

Written by Shaun Cassidy and J. Miller Tobin
Directed by J. Miller Tobin

In which Russell reveals what he knows to Mariel, who discovers that the changes in her life were hardly random, while Jesse has an interesting encounter with a young woman…


“Invasion” had a much shorter hiatus than “Lost”, yet it feels like a lot more time has passed and the story is more elusive. At least this episode actually felt like an example of forward momentum. I wasn’t expecting Mariel to learn that much about her recent experience so soon, but looking back on it, this was the right pacing. Having her discover some measure of truth, just as the Pod People begin separating from the rest of humanity in a more violent fashion, makes storytelling sense.

Focusing on Mariel is essential, because some of the other subplots are just impossible to believe. One is an extension of a truly annoying nonsense plot twist, and the other is a young man’s fantasy brought to life. The former does much to throw Underlay into a more agitated state, but it’s really unnecessary. Is Lewis a creepy religious guy? Sure, but it’s still ridiculous that he cut his own arm off!

This was an episode that mixed the hotness with the creepy in some bizarre ways. Kira is a relatively thin girl, but they certainly got full use out of the push-up bra she was wearing under that skintight top! The award for most exposure, however, has to go to Nicole Garza in her guest role as Emily. That bathing suit couldn’t have been much smaller on network television, especially since some of those underwater shots were particularly buoyant!

I’d like to think that Emily was more than just a chance at showing a hot babe without clothing. Underneath all the pretext is something of a commentary on how the conversion process transforms the desires of a sexually-charged young woman. An earlier episode dealt with the male sex drive, so why not a transformed sorority girl? Quite frankly, that line of thinking gets into kinky territory (the mermaid comment comes to mind). But could it also be a temptation for Jesse, a reason for him to seek out the change?

At the heart of the episode, however, is Mariel’s torn allegiance between her former humanity and the influence of her new “alien” heritage. Mariel didn’t ask for the change; she was already dealing with enough change in her life as it was. And since Russell and Underlay are on opposing sides of the growing rift in the population, each operating with limited information about the situation, Mariel is the natural indicator of which side is gaining momentum.

Up until recently, Underlay was in control of the situation, mainly because everything matched his assumptions about his own experience. So naturally, Mariel could easily suppress her lingering feelings for Russell, since her focus was on a stronger and more stable man. Underlay was also supporting her emotionally. But as Underlay has lost control of the situation and Russell has gained confidence in his own knowledge, Mariel has put Underlay at a distance and her feelings for Russell have returned.

Naturally, since the intention is to use the “alien invasion” as an extended metaphor for how family politics get demented with divorce, the children are pulled into the center of the conflict over control of the family dynamic. Children are usually forced into making a choice, which is why I wonder if Emily was meant as temptation for Jesse, even if she never comes back.

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

Final Rating: 6/10