Apple TV+ ‘Invasion’ Season 3 Episode 6 Review - A Taut Turn After the Betrayal

I went into this episode knowing things couldn’t stay stable after the airbase attack, and “Marilyn” does well in pushing all the pieces forward. It’s tense, occasionally messy, and almost always gripping.

Right from the start, there’s the weight of consequences. Infinitas, under Marilyn Tanner’s leadership, has turned outright against Jack Hollander and the WDC, which fractures trust and forces every character into choices they can’t ignore. The show leans fully into that: Aneesha, Clark, Jamila, Mitsuki, and Trevante each have to reckon not only with external danger but with inner doubt. Who is trustworthy when betrayal seems baked into every alliance?

Performance-wise, the actors carry this heavy material. Mitsuki’s struggle with her connection to the alien hivemind remains one of the show’s strongest threads: her vulnerability is evident, and when she flinches between understanding and fear, you believe every moment. Trevante’s haunted past gets more shades in his visions, his guilt, the weight on his shoulders as he tries to pull survivors along. Aneesha and Clark continue to carry the emotional core. Their concern for their kids, their mistrust, their desperation, all of that grounds the sci-fi in something human.

The writing tightens around the betrayals and the fallout here. After Infinitas’ ambush, this episode gives time to the aftershock: what it means to have your enemies look like friends, and the costs that come with being wrong about someone you once thought aligned with you. The pacing moves between confrontational scenes, quieter character moments, and action in a way that keeps the stakes high without exhausting tension. The show doesn’t flick back to safety after betrayal; it lives in the discomfort, and that matters.

Visually and tonally, “Marilyn” leans into atmosphere. Scenes in ruined bases, hidden rooms, control centers under strain—these are lit and framed to show both the collapse of order and fragile hope. The contrast between intimate moments (a whispered confession, a hesitant apology) and noisy chaos (gunfire, betrayal, scramble) feels intentional. Music and sound design underscore the dread without overwhelming.

There are also plot revelations that shift the landscape. Marilyn’s role becomes clearer, as do Infinitas’ layers of motive. We get more hints of what the stakes really are, not just survival, but what kind of future they’re willing to fight for. Mitsuki’s alien link continues to promise big things, and the show uses her arc to explore alienness not just as an external threat but as a mirror to what humans might become under pressure.

That said, the episode isn’t perfect. In certain moments, character decisions still verge on implausible: when danger is obvious, some reactions feel more forced than authentic. The “betrayal twist” is powerful, but its build-up sometimes leans on silence or omission rather than clever misdirection—there are spots where viewers might see it coming or feel the groundwork is a bit thin. Also, while the emotional desolation is well-rendered, there are a few scenes where the pacing drags with long pauses, repeated expressions of doubt that slightly erode momentum.

Another point: some threads beg for more clarity. Infinitas’ full agenda remains unclear. We know enough to be wary, but the shape of the threat, how it connects to the aliens themselves, why certain betrayals mattered most, all that remains partially in shadow. It’s a strength in that the mystery keeps you in the dark, but it can frustrate when you want firmer footing.

Still, as sci-fi television goes, “Marilyn” strikes a satisfying balance between action, character, and suspense. The moral ambiguity, the shifting loyalties, and the global stakes all feel earned. By the end of the episode, you don’t just wonder whether the heroes will win, you wonder what kind of victory they can accept.

If I were giving advice, I’d urge the show to tighten up some decision points (let motivations show through more softly rather than relying on later reveals) and perhaps pare down the quieter scenes just enough that they serve as breathing spaces rather than pauses in tension. But those are relatively small fixes in what is otherwise a strong entry.

All in all, Episode 6 of Invasion Season 3 delivers on the promise of what was set up before. It stirs the pot, exposes fractures, deepens character arcs, and keeps the viewer leaning forward. Its imperfections don’t undermine its power. This is the kind of episode that makes you care not just about what aliens are doing, but what humans are capable of when everything they believed shifts.

Final Score- [8.5/10]