What is wrong with the aliens’ home planet in “Invasion?” - Apple TV
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The realm of science fiction has long played with our imaginations, crafting stories of alien civilizations that range from the utopian to the downright menacing. The ongoing narrative of 'Invasion' throws us yet another conundrum to dissect: who are these aliens, and what do they want? The evidence is fragmented, but like all great mysteries, the allure is in the pursuit.
The Aliens' Home Planet: A Dying World
Episode 9 of 'Invasion' gave us a tantalizing glimpse of the alien home planet through Casper’s visions: a bleak, cold world orbiting a dim red sun. The reddish vegetation, blanketed by snow, paints a picture of a planet undergoing significant climatic change. The swirling dust clouds and pelting meteorites suggest a planet under siege, possibly hinting at a catastrophic event that has led to its decline. The whispered Japanese phrase, meaning "thick sunlight", resonates with a reality that might be all too familiar to these extraterrestrial beings: climate change. Their home might be succumbing to a sun that's losing its brightness, a chilling parallel to our own fears for Earth's future.
A Hive Mind Civilization: Not So Alien After All?
The aliens' ability to communicate using radio/magnetic waves instantly reminds us of the Borg from 'Star Trek'. Both races operate as a hive mind, a collective consciousness that erases individuality. In 'Invasion', the aliens don’t view our biological existence as “life,” suggesting a fundamental difference in understanding existence itself. Their probable view of "uploading" human minds might not be an act of conquest but a way of assimilating or even "saving" us in their perspective. This recalls various Sci-Fi narratives where the concept of existence extends beyond the physical; think 'Matrix' or 'Transcendence'.
Creators or Fugitives?
The intriguing drawing of a second alien race in Casper’s book spawns countless questions. Are our invaders fleeing from a predatory species? Or were they artificially created, reminiscent of the Replicants from 'Blade Runner'? The number - 87 million - though vast, isn't overwhelming, supporting theories that they might be the remnants of a destroyed world or a fledgeling population escaping captivity.
Physical Vulnerability and Virtual Immortality
While the aliens seem incorporeal, using radio/magnetic waves as their mode of existence, they aren’t invincible. Their susceptibility to fire, evidenced from torched bases and burned-out cars, showcases a vulnerability. However, their ability to upload human minds into a digital "hive" suggests a kind of virtual immortality. The imagery of humans in virtual confinements, like Hinata and Sam Neill's character, evokes stories like 'Black Mirror’s' "White Christmas", where consciousness can be trapped in digital loops.
'Invasion' provides us with a layered narrative, reminding us of countless other Sci-Fi classics but with its own unique twist. The aliens' home planet, with its reddish landscapes and thick sunlight, stands as a somber reflection of our planet's potential future. Their hive-minded existence challenges our very understanding of life and individuality.
Whether they are here as conquerors, saviors, or refugees, their story is intertwined with ours. And as we delve deeper into the narrative, one can't help but reflect on a universal truth: every being, terrestrial or extraterrestrial, is driven by the primal instincts of survival and understanding one's place in the vast cosmos.
