Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Simon Kinberg and David Wei, Apple TV+’s ‘Invasion’ chronicles the lives of many characters spread around the globe in the face of an alien invasion. Aneesha Malik, a former doctor, faces many hurdles in bringing her near and dear ones to safety, while Caspar Morrow, a child, struggles to reconcile his ominous visions and abilities with reality. Mitsuki Yamato, a communications specialist, finds herself in a similar situation, conversing with aliens while still mourning her lover’s death. However, in this mix of independent stories, Trevante Cole’s journey stands out as one marked by loss. Beginning in Afghanistan, the soldier loses his entire unit to an alien attack, and then has to see his allies go one by one in their fight against these forces. In the end, he steps up as the only person capable of taking down the aliens, but a cruel future awaits. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Trevante Miraculously Reappears Two Years After His Assumed Death
In the season 2 finale, Trevante enters the alien mothership alongside Caspar, intending to destroy its core. However, the exact events that transpired inside the ship are left ambiguous, and the only visual confirmation we get is that of the ship being destroyed. When the army base loses all contact with Trevante, he is presumed dead and declared a martyr. In the years following this event, now called M-Day, Trevante becomes one of the most celebrated people on earth, with his funeral garnering more attention than any other event in human history. However, two years later, one of the many portals to the mothership suddenly reactivates, revealing none other than Trevante on the other side, alive and in one piece. This revelation threatens to shake the world order to its core, and as such, he is immediately contained.
The truth about Trevante’s return becomes the subject of much enquiry, with the leader of the World Defense Coalition, Jack Hollander, himself stepping in to interrogate the soldier. He is joined by General Bryant, who helps Trevante catch up on two years of history. Upon learning of his status as an international hero, the protagonist is overwhelmed, but he realizes there are more pressing issues at hand. At the center of it all is the nagging belief in his head that the alien invasion is not over, and there is more to learn inside the mothership. To his dismay, he learns that the ship’s destruction resulted in the creation of an enormous toxic wasteland, now called the Dead Zone. Its hostility towards all lifeforms makes investigation difficult.
Additionally, Trevante learns that the ship has been dormant since it fell, and all the hunter-killer aliens are returning to their base to die. However, he is quick to point out that the world leaders are too fixated on the idea of peace to prepare themselves for the greater danger at hand. Notably, Trevante’s existence itself is an indication of more trouble to come, as it defies the conventional understanding of the world. This is only strengthened when he begins to notice signs of a new wave of alien life, such as birds moving in strange patterns, and the hunter-killer aliens reactivating. All of this mirrors the events of the previous seasons, which indicates that while the protagonist might have returned, the world around him is all set to change once again.
Trevante’s Return Might be a Part of the Aliens’ Plan
The most inexplicable part about Trevante’s turning out to be alive is the fact that his body has not changed. Given that his body protection suit failed during the mission, it shouldn’t be possible for him to sustain life in such a hostile environment. Furthermore, there is also the question of sustenance, as two full years have passed with Trevante likely having no access to food or water. As such, his survival stands out as a puzzle, with the only hint being the liquid he was found in. It is possible that the liquid helped him stay alive all these years, but that still does not explain the lapses in his memory about what happened on the ship. As such, another scary possibility arises that Trevante’s disappearance and subsequent reappearance are all part of a grander scheme.
The World Defense Coalition is quick to point out this possibility, and as such, the primary stages of Trevante’s containment were all about confirming his status as a human. However, that angle is never fully explored, and he is quickly reintroduced to the public due to news of his survival being leaked to the press. As such, there is still the potential for him to be an alien puppet who might carry the original host’s consciousness but still be of equal threat to humanity. This idea is further strengthened by Caspar’s actions in the season 2 finale. While he appears to be in support of Trevante’s mission, we see his eyes turn white, suggesting alien interference. Given that the rest of the encounter is narratively skipped, a whole world of possibilities unfolds.
At the very least, it can be inferred that the aliens have had some form of contact with Trevante and likely experimented with his body. This helps explain what happened in the two years of his life that he does not remember, as well as the recurring visions of the past he experiences.. However, Trevante now has a target on his back, as Jack Hollander suspects him of working against humanity. Even if his connection to the aliens cannot be confirmed, the fact remains that his active resistance threatens an era of peace, which makes him an enemy to the World Defense Coalition. Ironically, the protagonist stands at odds with the collective human forces regardless of whether his consciousness has been tampered with by alien forces..
Read More: Is Caspar Dead or Alive? What Happened to Him in Invasion?
