Abhiroop Das
Season 3 of ‘Invasion’ picks up right where the previous season ended, with the alien invasion’s threat to the planet being confronted by Trevante Cole and Caspar Morrow. The latter’s supernatural abilities are matched by the former’s grit and resolve. However, as the duo enters the alien mothership, it becomes clear that there are greater forces at play, and victory will not be easy. The lives of Aneesha, Luke, Mitsuki, and several others hang in the balance, and a hope for humanity’s victory reverberates throughout humanity, uniting it in the face of a greater enemy. With a new world order on the brink of creation, many new mysteries come to light, with humanity facing an internal threat as fearsome as any other. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Jack Hollander is a World Leader Who is Unhappy With Trevante’s Return
Jack Hollander is introduced in the season 3 premiere as the leader of the World Defense Coalition, an organization specifically created to deal with the alien invasion crisis. In the years following Trevante and Caspar’s mission, which ended with the destruction of the alien mothership, the world entered a state of peace. In such an environment, Jack Hollander calls most of the shots, making sure that nothing gets in the way of his controlled idea of a peaceful state. However, Trevante’s inexplicable return a full two years after his assumed death results in a barrage of questions with very few answers. As the leader, Jack Hollander steps up to handle the interrogations personally, with the goal of deciding whether Trevante is friend or foe to humanity.
While Hollander’s face is not shown at the start of the interrogations, his personality seeps through in how he treats Trevante, someone who was ready to sacrifice his life for the greater cause. The world leader makes clear that he does not see the soldier as a hero; instead, he sees someone who is eager to disrupt an era of peace and relative prosperity. To that end, he considers all of Trevante’s warnings about a new wave of alien attacks as mere conspiracies. There is also another dimension to Hollander’s skepticism, as he believes that the person in front of him might not be Trevante at all. The possibility of an alien taking human form to trick its way into civilisation is always there, and Hollander refuses to let it out of his mind as far as the protagonist is concerned.
While Hollander’s actions seem well-intended, the way he approaches them often involves violence and secrecy. After rejecting all of Trevante’s pleas, he carries out an independent operation of his own, sending armed men to restrain the protagonist, as well as Jamila. When Trevante escapes, the world leader is left in a state of panic as well as anger, as he fully believes the former to be a threat to his world order. Reversing the soldier’s status as a hero, he labels him the most wanted man on the planet and initiates a large-scale search. As such, Hollander plays the part of a complicated antagonist, whose reasons, while grounded in reality, are also driven by a warped sense of peace and domination. The fact that he is unprepared for another extraterrestrial attack can come back to bite him, as Trevante’s words are evidently not in vain.
Eric Lange Brings Jack Hollander’s Gray Shades to Life
In ‘Invasion,’ Jack Hollander is a no-nonsense figure of power, and doesn’t shy away from exercising it at every turn. While he exudes a calm, controlled attitude in public, his real side leaks out during the intense sequences, creating a complex image that might be hard to bring to the screen. However, actor Eric Lange brings in decades of experience to elevate the character to another level with his performance. As Jack Hollander, Lange embodies the dilemmas that might be faced by a political leader of that calibre, while also adding a touch of internal flaws to the equation. The actor is no stranger to the industry, given a stellar resume that began with minor roles in shows such as ‘Firefly,’ ‘The West Wing,’ and ‘Lax’ before his big hit as Stuart Radzinsky in ‘Lost.’
Additionally, Lange has also worked in hit titles such as ‘Easy to Assemble,’ ‘Victorious,’ and ‘Perry Mason,’ where he essays the characters of Erik, Erwin Sikovitz, and detective Holcomb, respectively. The actor is no stranger to works of science fiction, having featured in ‘Beacon 23’ as Milan. Some of his most famous works include ‘Narcos,’ where he steps into the role of Chief Bill Stechner, and ‘Unbelievable,’ where he plays Detective Robert Parker. The actor is known for his dedication to his craft, as shown by his work in Escape at Dannemora, which involved losing weight and gaining muscle. Lange’s commitment to the role was key in making Jack Hollander stand out in the larger interpersonal threads of the show.
Read More: Is Caspar Dead or Alive? What Happened to Him in Invasion?
