Invasion (TV Series) The King Is Dead (2021) User Reviews

Still slow as heck

[grlym-46849 · 5/10 · 31 October 2021]

So this show is bleedingly slow. It's like someone drew straws for a human experience (affair, bully as a kid, soldier) and decided to film it real time so that the plot goes minute in screen= 1 minute real world.

The show haphazardly jumps between characters around the world. And Apple must get paid a premium for unsolicited F-word that added nothing. And some characters seem to add nothing

So far, the Japanese, cheater sheriff are the only that seem interesting.

The kid scenes are way too long and make me only think about how evil those two bully kids are

The soldier scene was interesting for a second when the nomad helped him.

The only characters that seem no where in this show.... THE ALIENS!!!!

So far, just a bad drama.

Slow burn but terrible writing & ideas

[chuckkcash · 5/10 · 31 October 2021]

I love a slow burn story, as long as that story is told well, with good pacing and consistent pay offs for you, the viewer. This...does none of this. There is a big world to build, I get that, and it will take the first season to complete hence the slow burn. But, outside of the Japanese story arc, the characters are so badly written and situations so ridiculously contrived that this is all you see. There is no pay off for your time except to poke holes in story, motivation and plot.

I think I was finally done with it when the son goes missing while peeing, while the parents argue for 30 secs. They then have to search miles and miles for him, just in order to shoe horn in a plot device.

It's a painful watch currently.

Characters engaging, pacing not so much

[jediofpool · 7/10 · 29 October 2021]

I agree with a lot of folks saying the pacing is bad. No doubt it's slow. There is a ton of world building going on. I think the characters are very interesting and I will give it a few more episodes. Hinata and Mitsuki's story is the one I'm most interested in and especially with the end of this episode, interested to see it finally take that next step.

Slow yes, but very good at creating tension.

[maxx_ · 8/10 · 20 November 2022]

I can't help but feel that many of the reviews here are slightly prejudiced, in no disrespect btw. I completely get the argument that it's slow - yes, I agree. Sometimes, at points and at times it's lethargic. The characters (some of them) are weak, and the attempts to make the audience reconcile and actually like some of them are often futile. But I also feel like some characters have been worked excellently.

Yes, there are multiple random story arcs with limited resonance but that's a refreshing take on TV. Yes, there's very little "Invasion" happening for a series named "Invasion", but overall I feel like so far it's building its way up. Little by little we are introduced more backstory, which allows for such powerful scenes (the ending in this episode and some other scenes in previous episodes).

It's slow, but for a reason.

6 minutes worth

[jamosmonk · 2/10 · 30 October 2021]

I gave it another shot. 6 minutes of watchable entertainment out of 56 minute program. Excepting the Japanese portion, the other people have no useful content. Focusing on irrelevant and unimportant events for no discernible reason. What happened to Sam Neill and his part? Sigh.

Just keeps getting worse

[darthcasanova · 30 October 2021]

There a billion hours of tv out there to watch, this is going nowhere and by the review ratings it's obvious it won't get another season. And we all at this pace aliens won't show up until season 4.

This feels more like a troll on the viewers than an actual tv show.

The buildup is great.

[bpcreigh · 8/10 · 30 October 2021]

The problem with most TV series is they try and hook viewers early so they don't lose their viewership because most people don't have the patience for an exciting buildup in a TV series. Unfortunately we live in a society that wants everything NOW.

And then this refreshing series comes along, which has a storyline for 4 characters as their lives are turned upside down but strange events. We don't know what's actually happening as we wait for the invasion, which is ultimately coming. Often shows that reveal all in the beginning become so mundane and completely unexciting.

Well done to the show runners for going against the grain and not introducing the actual invasion and excitement too early. I'm enjoying getting to know the characters and I'm looking forward to the next episode each week. That's rare for me to be eager for a new episode.....not too many shows have that affect on me.

The jury is still out but so far so good.

The KIng is Dead - and my brain too

[DrMarazanvose · 2/10 · 29 October 2021]

Why am I still watching this?

How long can this show continue to stretch out the plot?

Is there a pay off for my time accrued being bored to death?

Why would a kid wanting to pee suddenly run off? What's that all about?

Why is the main soldier dude behaving like he's never been in a fight before? Perhaps his ability to haul a$$ with someone else on his back, running into the open, always firing reactively is the new way and everyone else has just been doing it wrong.

All I can say is...

Wajo.

Rise of the Billy Barratt

[yusufpiskin · 8/10 · 29 October 2021]

Why do some people say that they do not like a work and make a continuous and negative comment?

You are people fueled by hate.

There is no reason for your hatred.

This is a "slow burn" sci-fi.

If you're looking for action, watch an action series.

Even Billy Barratt's acting is reason enough to watch this series.

Max Richter... You are the best.

4 episodes in it's not getting better.

[fusideway · 1/10 · 29 October 2021]

Did catch a tiny glimpse of an alien attacking a local fighter but that was it. The story or plot is truly awful with family, lesbian love, school bullying, and a lonely GI melodrama being acted out while the world is supposed to be under some kind of an invasion. Did get a good look at the new iPhone 13 held by the cheating Iranian husband So perhaps in later episodes it will become the weapon that defeat the aliens, well played Apple!

Decent acting. Dreadful pacing. (U)

[AmplifiedLife · 29 October 2021]

Update: per the comparisons to foundation... imho it took 7 (!) entire episodes of that show, to arrive at a "point", or to click (only for me personally I'm saying) and make me say "ohhhhh...I get it now" out loud, like an idiot. But I didn't write a single review of foundation because it was mostly good. I came here to write a review, of this episode only, because I was so bored watching it and because of my disdain for stupid characters/motivations. The other reviewers pointed out the marketing vs the actual show. Well said. Go watch the trailers and come back here and tell me they match the content. The other reviewers pointed out the highway stop scene also. Well said. Wasn't that the stupidest thing you're ever seen? For the record, the woman portraying the Japanese space agency character is one of the better actors on the show. I was invested in her emotionally.

Original: Took 48 minutes to get interesting. I'm writing this during the episode. That should tell you how entertaining I found it.

Some lame characters do some dumb things. Questionable motivations abound. Actress on the poster is good when she isn't whining about her doofus husband or screaming & crying. Given dialog, she's clearly a solid actor. My point is, the on-screen talent isn't the problem.

A kid gets knocked to the ground at one point. And it takes them what feels like 30 seconds to get back up. The pacing forced me to check my watch. I want to like the show. Stayed up to watch it. But almost fell asleep this episode.

I remain skeptical of this show. I dont like shows about dumb characters doing dumb things.

AMAZING!

[freqeteq · 9/10 · 30 October 2021]

What an episode!

We learned that the husband got his lover pregnant.

We learned that the kid in England being bullied has 3 older brothers.

And we got to see an alien for half a second in this show that's supposedly meant to be about an alien invasion.

Amazing how bad this show has been so far.

Nobody Said it Better Than Bilbo Baggins...

[Thanos_Odinson · 4/10 · 29 October 2021]

I feel like nobody is addressing the elephant in the room. That's why all those reviewers of those "positive" reviews are ranting at the ones leaving a negative review.

So, if I may, allow me to play the devil's advocate here;

The main problem of this show (thus far, 4 episodes in) is not that it is super slow, lack of actual Alien invasion, too much drama, boring, boring, boring japanese segment, wife that totally belongs in a lifetime movie deals with cheating husband, etc. No, the problem is that this show has been falsely advertised as being a Sci-Fi show.

This is the premise of the show, and I quote from IMDb's main page for this series:

"Earth is visited by an alien species that threatens humanity's existence. Events unfold in real time through the eyes of five ordinary people across the globe as they struggle to make sense of the chaos unraveling around them."

Of course, when you look at the genre, it says, DRAMA, FANTASY, SCI-FI. We are used to sci-fi shows of this combination. Usually it means more sci-fi, a little fantasy and the drama part is suppose to be there for developments and to make the characters more relatable; be it plot, characters, life changing events, etc. Think a sci-fi TV-show/Movie that has to deal with politics for example, (Dune, Foundation, The Expanse, to name a few) not just mindless shoot'em up. So, we need the drama.

Having said that, this show leans too much into the drama part. It's a drama show that has like 3% sci-fi element. Again, a drama show in itself is not necessarily bad. However, this show was marketed as SCI-FI, was sold on the fact that IT-IS-A-SCI-FI-SHOW! So naturally the GROUP IT TARGETS (or at the very least DRAWS), is a group that wants to see a SCI-FI show. A group that watches shows like Resident Alien (2021), The Expanse (2015), Falling Skies (2011), Altered Carbon (2018), The Mandalorian (2019), Foundation (2021) (FOUNDATION also entices quite the hate, but not from me. I like it. Say what you will about FOUNDATION, at least its more sci-fi than this!!!).

This group is not interested in a drama show. I'm switching to my perspective now; I'm not interested in TV-Drama. The genre that is. So when I choose what to entertain myself with, I completely omit only Drama Television ala Titanic, The Crown, etc.

No one is saying they want to just see mindless Alien Invasion that leans heavily into explosion and heavy artilleries firing at anything that moves ala Transformers! Or dismemberment of people, brains flying all over the place!!! We don't need that! Though the mob of the positive reviews sure make it seem like anyone who doesn't remotely like this show is part of that group that also enjoy the endless Halloween movies where Mike Myers is basically stronger than Thor and Hulk combined!!! No, all we are saying is we want what we came here to see: a decent Sci-Fi show and so far INVASION has failed to deliver.

Anyways, in conclusion: This show, is not inherently bad. The problem is the targeted group it drew under false pretense of being a Sci-Fi show, when in reality its just an ordinary drama show that deals with real life issues, laced veeeeeeeeeeeery thinly with a wee bit of Sci-Fi (the Sci-Fi, thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread; the DRAMA.... Bilbo Legendary Baggins!!!)

I love it

[xuajsten · 9/10 · 31 October 2021]

It's a slow burner for sure but it's really good. Some people like to complain about anything. It's not as good as the book or the characters are poorly worked. The don't comform to this or that political view. The list of complains are endless but the fact remains that these people are paid to entertain. If you prefer a book over a film that's fine but that doesn't make the film bad it's merely an artistic interpretation of written words.

This show is finely balanced with strong female and strong male characters. It's all from the point of view of the people and not how a government is going to win the war. I'm quite glad that it's avoided places we all know as well.

wondering what the true intent of the show is

[klowey · 1/10 · 30 October 2021]

I can only conclude that the people behind this joke are sitting their laughing while taking bets on how far they can go to hoodwink the public.

The subplots reached new heights of revealing nothing. My fav example is the Afghanistan segment. Not only void of content, but challenging the laws of physics, probability, guns, and wide open spaces.

The emperor really does have no clothes in this dreadful excuse for a TV show.

LOL to the whiny viewers still expecting

[terrylarosa · 8/10 · 29 October 2021]

A massive alien attack or some such. Creators are masterfully building up the invasion with 4 character stories. Will it eventually pick up steam and become something more intense. Time will tell. The show regardless is never boring except when we see the reflections of lesbian Asian women. Those are tedious. Again similar to the show Colony where we never saw an alien till the first season finale. We're staying for the ride. If you want endless meaningless prattle go see the now sinking The Morning Show with forever screeching harpies painting women in the worst light possible. This show has much potential. I'm hoping it follows through.

Absolute waste of time.

[dguisinger · 1/10 · 29 October 2021]

Poor writing, no aliens, no sci-fi, and no interesting characters or story lines.

I'm done with this show. I can't justify sitting around watching something so bad. I had high expectations for this show.

Invasion?

[burrhole-78855 · 2/10 · 29 October 2021]

There is slow burn, then there is a fire that goes out. We are now four episodes in. This isn't a show about an invasion. This is a show that attempts to tell poignant stories but fails miserably by attempting to weave an intricate seemingly disparate progression of "adventures" that ends up becoming such a tangled mess of confusion that one decides to just throw the entire tangled mess into the garbage can. It is like a jumbled ball of twine inextricably mashed together that it is no longer worth it to keep attempting to untangle it into a coherent pattern. Sorry Invasion producers, your "payoff" is taking too long to get there.

Really tried to like it but...

[ohjim · 3/10 · 30 October 2021]

French viewer really disappointed here.

Episode after episode I really try to find a reason to like the show. In vain.

This is so boring.

There are some really non sense like the school bus accident. The bus should been completely crushed. And every passenger dead!

The rhythm of this show is soooo slow. I love slow movies like those by Nicolas Winding Refn, but lack of storytelling talent.

Maybe we will get more in episode 9 or 10 ? Who knows.

I will patiently keep watching it though. Just in case.

I am going to die of old age before anything happens

[dusadomovine · 31 October 2021]

Sci-Fi is about ideas, technology and action - stuff that is thought provoking. This show so far is 90% about dysfunctional relationships. This is like a techie chick flick. Totally slow paced and booooooring. Please speed it up a bit.

This is sooooo slooooow

[ragnarhannes · 1/10 · 1 November 2021]

In episode 4...Nothing has changed since episode one. Give this a solid pass. Apple tv should rethink their stuff. I feel for the actors which are good. But this is not sci fi, it a day time slow motion soap.

A slow burn of a slow burner.

[dharmashantilove · 4/10 · 31 October 2021]

Firstly the actors are great. Solid performances; however, not enough to keep me engaged or interested in viewing the rest of the coming episodes. Not for me at all.

Seemed like a cool concept, but it's all drama. Ep#4 is the extended version of Ep#3. It's great if you are into long drawn out drama's.

If you are a sci-fi fan this ain't it.

Boring buildup

[emmersoon · 1/10 · 21 November 2021]

I get it, they're trying to make the characters interesting but nothing about their drama so far has been interesting. Super boring writing. The affair storyline is bland, the annoying bully is annoying, the kid running away was lol who is writing this? Bots?

Utterly frustrating characters and plot, evolving slower than molasses on a cold day.

[Beachbum2018 · 1/10 · 7 June 2023]

Couldn't let this episode go without saying something about the weakest plot elements ever in any movie ever filmed.

When the kids are in the quarry, an open cast quarry by the way, the kid decides to climb out via the hardest route possible, a shear cliff face. Point of education for the stupid writers, open cast quarries are mined by vehicles taking away excavated material, which means the lowest point in the pit has to be accessible by a ramp, so dah dah why are they not leaving via the ramp!

Then there's the school bully, who in real life would have been strangled by the other kids by now.

Then there's the dumbest US marine / soldier anyone has ever seen who behaves like a moron to the local who saved his life.

Then there's the long suffering family trying to get to Canada, with the weakest, most self centered cheating father you will ever encounter anywhere, yet the wife hasn't yet drawn up the nerve to just leave him on the side of the road!

Then there's the JASA communications experts who's having to fight her boss because she's discovered the cause of the space accident!

Blow me sideways..... even I want to cut my member off with a rusty blade and feed it to ants after watching this depressing bunch of hopeless individuals.

AND.... I'm still waiting to see the sci-fi bits!

At least it's consistent.

[namstonk · 1/10 · 3 November 2021]

Hard to believe after the three episodes I previously watched I'm here again hoping we get an invasion. Amazing also how IMDb failed to except my reviews as well, just derogatory about the writing etc but IMDb now seems to be part of the cancel culture, don't say a bad word, then why have the review system.

Anyway it is consistent, consistently bad.