Apple TV+’s Invasion Is Far Better Than The Sci-Fi Show’s RT Score Suggests
There are a lot of great sci-fi series to choose from, so it is easy for some to get overlooked — and that is exactly the case for Apple TV+’s underrated series Invasion. Despite not getting tons of audience attention compared to other items in Apple TV+’s impressive sci-fi catalog, Invasion is worth a watch for hardcore fans of the genre.
Excitingly, Invasion season 3 premiered on Friday, August 22, 2025, taking viewers back into the lives of its main characters as they attempt to defeat their alien attackers. While Invasion has received mixed reviews in the past, it has only gotten better as it has progressed, and Invasion season 3’s images hint at an even more exciting new season.
Sci-Fi Fans Should Be Watching Apple TV+’s Invasion
Apple TV+’s Invasion is an impressively crafted sci-fi story that is well worth a watch for fans of the genre looking for a series that they can get invested in. The series centers on various people across the globe as they attempt to survive an alien invasion.
Invasion begins with a series of disasters around the world that the dispersed characters initially believe are attacks from various enemy countries. However, as the situation escalates, it becomes clear that it is truly a coordinated attack by alien entities, though this attack looks very different for each character.
The series takes viewers to the U.S., Japan, the U.K., and Afghanistan in its first season as the characters struggle with their own everyday problems, compounded by the onset of the invasion. In this way, the show truly shines when it comes to its relationships and examining the emotions of its characters.
Invasion is a very drama-heavy sci-fi show. The series does not have an issue with spending just as much time on its characters’ relationship problems as it does on showing Invasion‘s aliens themselves. While this does mean that the show is a slow burn, it makes it worth the time.
The imperfect characters’ stories and how their threads slowly begin to weave together throughout seasons 1 and 2 is incredibly compelling, well-written, and well-acted. It is an understandable and deeply human version of living through something as apocalyptic as an alien invasion, with the characters choosing to forge bonds and turn to their loved ones.
With that being said, though, Invasion still has some great sci-fi moments. While audiences don’t see the aliens right away, the series uses their absence to build tension before revealing the horrifying creatures in season 1. The presence of the aliens only expands in season 2, and season 3 seems set to make their presence even bigger.
Invasion’s Rotten Rating Doesn’t Do The Show Justice
Compared to other popular sci-fi shows, Invasion has gotten far less attention than it deserves. As a result, sci-fi fans just hearing about the series for the first time may be worried by Invasion‘s unimpressive 57% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, the show is far better than its rating suggests.
Upon its initial release in 2021, Invasion‘s reviews noted that the series was quite slow-moving compared to what critics and audiences expected, leaving some unsatisfied with the show’s plot development and use of the aliens. Additionally, some viewers found Invasion‘s main characters frustrating and unlikable.
There are certainly valid critiques of the series, and audiences looking for an incredibly fast-paced series may be disappointed by Invasion. But the series’ Rotten Tomatoes score doesn’t show the full picture. For those willing to take time to understand the characters and sit with the mystery of the aliens’ appearance, Invasion is a great sci-fi show.
Invasion is incredibly well-made and features some impressive performances by its ensemble cast. It also does a good job of increasing the mystery of the alien invasion and the exact nature of the threat that humanity faces, revealing details about the state of the world and the goals of the aliens slowly through the challenges that the characters encounter.
These challenges take the form of making impossible, selfish decisions and deciding who to trust, especially when being attacked by entities that humanity is only slowly beginning to understand. Yes, its characters may be imperfect, but their journeys are part of what makes the show such a compelling watch.
Invasion Season 3 Already Looks Completely Different
The critique that the aliens don’t make enough appearances early in the series may also become a moot point in season 3 based on Invasion‘s new trailer. The new trailer shows Invasion‘s main characters united on a mission to learn more about and fight against a new attack, and there is no shortage of aliens present.
The trailer includes glimpses of the alien species that audiences have come to know over the course of seasons 1 and 2, but it also shows something new and even more terrifying. As the characters, particularly Mitsuki, delve deeper into the hive mind of the aliens, the show will undoubtedly revolve around them more.
Based on the images and trailers that Apple TV+ has shared thus far, Invasion season 3 is going to be more action-packed than ever before thanks to the team gearing up for a new fight. At the same time, the complexities of the aliens’ hive mind and universe will continue to be a crucial part of the series.
Whether Invasion will continue beyond season 3 is yet to be seen, but the evolution of the series does point to the overall story that Simon Kinberg and David Weil had in mind. Each season alone isn’t enough to tell the story. Instead, Invasion is something that audiences can only fully understand and appreciate as it progresses.
Invasion
- Release Date
-
2021 – 2025-00-00
- Network
-
Apple TV+
- Showrunner
-
Simon Kinberg
- Directors
-
Alik Sakharov, Amanda Marsalis, Brad Anderson, Jamie Payne, Mathias Herndl, Sylvain White, Daisy von Scherler Mayer
- Writers
-
Dan Dietz, Tatiana Suarez-Pico, Aditi Brennan Kapil
-
Golshifteh Farahani
Aneesha Malik
-
Shioli Kutsuna
Mitsuki Yamato
