Tamal Kundu
‘Invasion’ is a unique entry in the alien invasion subgenre. Instead of focusing on the larger-than-life existential battles between humanity and the invading extra-terrestrials, the Apple TV+ series revolves around four seemingly ordinary individuals as they struggle to survive in the extraordinary time they live in. They deal with very human issues — from betrayal to heartbreak to homesickness to loneliness — and their desire to protect their loved ones ultimately might become a key component in the survival of the human race. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Invasion’ season 1. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Invasion Season 1 Recap
‘Invasion’ predominantly revolves around its four main characters. In the US, Aneesha Malik (Golshifteh Farahani) is a devoted mother and wife whose world is turned upside down when she discovers that her husband, Ahmed (Firas Nassar), is having an affair. Just as she confronts him, the aliens launch their attack. This prompts Aneesha and Ahmed to escape northward with their two children — Luke and Sarah. During their journey, Luke finds a mysterious artifact, which the military later refers to as “the Claw.” No ordinary human weapon can hurt the aliens, but Aneesha ends up killing one with the Claw.
In Afghanistan, US soldier Trevante Ward (Shamier Anderson) loses his entire unit in a confrontation with an alien spaceship. As the war-torn country descends into even further chaos, Ward desperately tries to get home to his estranged wife.
In the UK, teenager Caspar Morrow (Billy Barratt) often has seizures. It is revealed that those are connected to the aliens and the method with which they communicate with each other. These episodes started happening to him long before the arrival of the otherworldly beings. Severely abused by his father and brothers at home and a bully at school, Casper emerges as an unlikely hero for his schoolmates after the bus they were traveling on falls into a crater right about when the invasion starts.
Mitsuki Yamato (Shioli Kutsuna), a JASA employee, is in a secret relationship with Captain Hinata Murai, the leader of the upcoming mission to the International Space Station. However, when Hoshi, the JASA space shuttle, is destroyed due to a collision with an alien spaceship, Mitsuki refuses to accept that Hinata is dead and establishes contact with the aliens in an attempt to find any proof that the other woman is out there.
In the season 1 finale, titled ‘First Day,’ the world celebrates the apparent human victory, but Aneesha’s instinct tells her that the war isn’t over and she and her family can’t go home yet. The Maliks mourn Ahmed’s death, and Luke becomes increasingly hostile toward his mother.
Meanwhile, Casper seems to be dead. Ward takes him into the hospital, hands him over to the doctors, and leaves immediately, not wanting to stay in the room even a moment longer than necessary as it reminds him of his late son. He and Jamila say goodbye to each other, but not before she gives him Casper’s sketchbook. This time, he manages to secure a flight back to the US and eventually reunites with his wife.
Mitsuki leaves the city and finds shelter in a temple alongside a monk who is having a crisis of faith. Earlier, she went to her apartment and took one of Hinata’s denim jackets. As the sun sets, she builds a fire and burns the said jacket.
Invasion Season 1 Ending: Are the Aliens Back at the End?
In the penultimate episode, the human responses to the alien attack accidentally synchronize to give Earth a temporary advantage in the war. In Japan, Mitsuki continues to send messages, believing that Hinata is on the other end. In the UK, Casper endures an induced seizure to gain access to the alien communication channels. When the aliens realize what’s happening, they come for him. Ward and Jamila protect him, as Casper seems to establish control over the aliens. When he orders them to “stop,” they simply become immobile. It is then that the nuclear missile hits the spacecraft, destroying it.
Almost everyone on the planet knows about nukes. And the people in Japan know that a Japanese person significantly contributed to the war against the aliens, even if they don’t know her identity. However, no one except Ward and Jamila knows about what Casper did. And even Ward has started to think that it was all because of the nukes.
As the world lets out a collective sigh of relief, believing that the war is over, alarming signs are witnessed by people all over the world. Luke sees the ripples on the “Claw,” indicating that the aliens are on the move. The downed ship in the rainforest lights up. Casper has a vision in which he meets Ikuro, or rather the aliens’ version of Ikuro that they created from Hinata’s memory. “Ikuro” gives a compass to Casper, just like he did to Hinata. With the compass, Casper approaches a bed of alien flowers as they glow and dance with certain expectations about what is coming.
Elsewhere, Ward and his wife look on as the ocean recedes. They must feel an overwhelming sense of terror as the sky seems to split and a colossal spaceship appears. Its main purpose is to take resources such as water from the planet and then terraform it to fit their needs. This means that it is bound to wipe out the native population. After what happened to the other aliens, this new group of enemies have probably come seeking vengeance and will not rest until either humanity or they are exterminated.
What Do the Aliens Want in Invasion?
As mentioned above, the aliens likely came to Earth seeking resources and wanting to establish a colony. But as they are built in entirely different ways from any creatures of Earth, they are not probably equipped to survive in the environment of Earth. And this is why they have begun to terraform Earth with the black substance they leave behind.
The substance metabolizes, releases gases into the atmosphere, and changes the air. They have started to change Earth one small area at a time. But because of Casper, Mitsuki, and the nukes, the aliens seem to have scrapped that plan and have come to Earth with a spaceship with which they can potentially carry away all the resources.
Read More: Where Is Invasion Filmed?
