Abhiroop Das
Created by Simon Kinberg and David Wei, Apple TV+’s ‘Invasion’ tells the story of an alien invasion through the eyes of a number of characters from vastly different backgrounds. Trevante Cole, a soldier, struggles to make his way back home from Afghanistan, while Aneesha Malik goes to hell and back to bring her children to safety. Higher up, in space, astronaut Hinata loses contact with humanity, as well as her lover, Mitsuki Yamato. Out of all of these characters, the most enigmatic continues to be Caspar Morrow, a child with epilepsy who has ominous visions of the invasion that he pours out in the form of art. When the aliens begin to latch onto humanity, we learn that Caspar has supernatural powers of his own, and his actions take center stage in the world’s resistance in the face of such powerful beings. SPOILERS AHEAD
Caspar Might Be Dead, But Season 3 Questions That Narrative
In the season 3 premiere, we get a brief glimpse into what appears to be Caspar’s final moments. He lies in a comatose state, with Jamila standing right next to him. However, shortly after the alien mothership’s collapse, his body begins to fail, and Jamila has to watch the light seemingly leave his eyes. While this hints at a possible connection between the ship and Caspar, that aspect takes a backseat, as he is now mourned and celebrated as an international hero who saved humanity from extinction. Two years have passed since the fateful event, which is now celebrated as M-Day. However, the sudden reentry of Trevante, who is alive, flips all notions of truth on their head. With this, Jamila has a chance to learn what truly happened to her lover, and if he’s really gone.
Trevante’s general state of confusion trickles down to his memory of Caspar, as while the previous season ended on an ambiguous note, Trevante has no real recollection of what went down in the mothership, much less how it was destroyed. His understanding of Caspar’s fate is informed by what people on the ground tell him, and triggers yet another wave of guilt inside the protagonist, who has lost his companions in the past as well. However, an emotional encounter with Jamila forces him to rethink his past, and at that moment, he realizes that the alien invasion might not be over. Furthermore, the gaps in his memory also appear to hold the key to solving the mystery about Caspar. Although neither Trevante nor Jamila is sure of his death, the possibility alone drives them to look for answers, even if it means making the world their enemy.
Caspar Has a History of Coming Back From the Dead
This is not the first time Caspar has had an encounter with death, as the first season finale of ‘Invasion’ also mirrors this scenario. Having been established as a medium to communicate with aliens, Caspar holds an important role throughout the narrative, and in its later stages, his psychic offensive capabilities come to light as well. However, both of these take a toll on the child’s mind and body, and ultimately, he falls to the ground, unconscious. Things go from bad to worse when he is confirmed to be dead and taken to the morgue. However, the second season opens with his miraculous survival, and from there, he is sent to a French laboratory. The skipping of the timeline might be an intentional choice on the creators’ part, with the enigma of his life and death being instrumental to many larger mysteries.
Caspar’s past introduces the possibility that he can come back to life at any point after his presumed death. As such, his coming back to the fray as an active player is always on the table. However, it will require several leaps of logic, as Caspar died a very public death and has since become a martyr with millions of eyes on him. It is possible that his body was sent for further examination, and in the process, taken away from Jamila. This adds to her desire to learn the truth. Caspar’s coming back to life can also serve as a herald for the next wave of alien invasion, something that Trevante is actively afraid of. Nonetheless, the teen is still set to steer the trajectory of the show in many ways, not just influencing the plot, but also the characters’ motivations.
Caspar Might Be Under Alien Control
However, Caspar’s death is not the only pressing question surrounding him. In the season 2 finale, while Caspar appears to initially be an ally, we see a brief glimpse of his eyes going white in a manner that resembles alien life. This introduces the horrifying possibility that he is being controlled by the aliens. This can explain a number of plot threads, such as his deliberately putting his psychic friends’ lives in danger, as well as the way Trevante’s memory has lapsed. It could be that Caspar is merely a Trojan horse that has infiltrated human civilisation on not just a physical but also a psychological level, and with this, the aliens can freely exploit human trust. Trevante’s dynamic with Caspar is a microcosmic version of that turn of events, as it cannot be confirmed whether Caspar acted as a friend or foe in that crucial moment.
Caspar’s connection to aliens also puts his death scenario in a new light, as his collapse coinciding with that of the mothership can now be interpreted as his life force being cut off. To that end, the resurgence of alien activity on Earth makes his revival possible. In doing so, Caspar could very well become the ultimate enemy of humanity, as he is one of the only few who can actually hold their own against the alien forms of attack. Additionally, Caspar’s deep connection to the rest of the psychic children means that he could manipulate their actions as well. Trevante’s own state of being is now put under question, as it is equally probable that he is an alien puppet himself. In the end, his return to the human world can mean both good things and bad, and Caspar’s fate embodies that duality.
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