The first season of Apple TV+’s Invasion took a slow-burn approach to its story of aliens landing on Earth.
Set in Oklahoma, Long Island, Tokyo, England and Afghanistan, Invasion depicts a hostile extraterrestrial invasion of the planet – which threatens humanity’s very existence – from a diverse array of perspectives.
While some critics were left frustrated by Invasion’s leisurely first season, those who persisted were rewarded by its tense and visually impressive set pieces, rich character development, strong performances by Golshifteh Farahani, Shamier Anderson and Shioli Kutsuna, as well as tantalising cliffhangers.
One big fan of the 10-episode-long opening season of Invasion was American director Alik Sakharov. He was so hooked and inspired by the show that he signed up to oversee several episodes of the sci-fi dystopia’s second season, and also executive produce.
“I was a big fan of season one. I loved that it was so contemplative, that it allowed me to invest in the characters, and it set up season two so nicely,” Sakharov tells The National. He then adds that he was actually initially approached to direct episodes of its debut season, but he was already scheduled to work on season four of Ozark.
“So when I received the script for season two of Invasion I really responded to the material again.”
This time around, though, Sakharov insists that Invasion’s pace has been amped up.
“Simon Kinberg has summed up the contrast between the two seasons nicely. He said that season one was preparation for the fight, and season two is the fight. Me and Simon had a lot of conversations about the energy of season two, and the word he used was propulsion. He wanted that through the storylines of season two,” explains Sakharov.
But while Sakharov teases that Invasion season two has a different energy to its previous episodes, he’s also keen to stress that it still includes the quiet character-driven moments that made the first season so unique.
“You can’t sustain, ‘Go, go, go,’ all the time. Audiences will get tired. You have to find ways of modulating it, because that makes it more interesting to watch," he says.
Sakharov is very well placed to know what’s required to make a great television show work, too. After being the director of photography on a number of feature films throughout the 1990s, he worked in the same position on 38 episodes of The Sopranos.
“When The Sopranos script landed on my lap I hadn’t done much work in television at all,” Sakharov recalls. “I wasn’t keen on doing it, because of the nature of television. But David Chase (The Sopranos’ creator) was such a film aficionado. He looked at it as cinema, not television. I did the pilot, then worked on it for 10 years.”
After that show concluded, Sakharov moved into directing – overseeing episodes of Rome, Marco Polo, House Of Cards, Dexter, The Witcher, Boardwalk Empire and Game Of Thrones, quickly establishing himself as one of the most reliable directors working in television today.
Despite his past triumphs, Sakharov is none-the-wiser about what is going to be successful with audiences.
“Nobody knows what is going to be a behemoth. I didn’t know it with Rome, Game Of Thrones or The Sopranos. You just try to do the best you can and bring your aesthetic to it. That’s what me and Simon Kinberg did with Invasion. We wanted to make something that resonates and elicits a response," he says.
Sakharov even compares Kinberg’s talent to that of Chase and Terence Winter, who created Boardwalk Empire.
“What’s great about Simon is that he’s a filmmaker. He understands what you need to do and how big the job is. He doesn’t involve himself in slowing down the process of the show. He’s always hugely encouraging and he’s very intelligent. Working with him is a joy.”
At the end of July, the second season of Invasion actually got a surprising boost in publicity when a former Air Force intelligence officer testified to Congress that the US government has been concealing information about UFOs for decades. Retired Air Force Major David Grusch even alleged that “non-human” biological matter had been retrieved from these crafts, too.
While Invasion wasn’t directly referenced during these hearings, Sakharov admits that the hearing “makes this project even more relevant” as it proves that the plot is “no longer just sci-fi.” This should only help to make Invasion feel even more real and terrifying.
Especially as Sakharov promises that its second season is even more “heightened,” as the “aliens are coming up with new ways that force the humans” to adapt.
“It’s a fight. Basically, it’s either win or lose. There is no middle ground," he says.
New episodes of Invasion air on Wednesdays on Apple TV+, with the second season concluding on October 25
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Sukuk
An Islamic bond structured in a way to generate returns without violating Sharia strictures on prohibition of interest.
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UAE%20SQUAD
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: April 10
THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
