“‘The Umbrella Academy’ stands out among the countless other superhero series splashed across billboards and your viewing queues.” – The Los Angeles Times

“The joy of the ‘The Umbrella Academy’ is that it takes traditional superhero tropes and re-imagines them through a nihilistic, misanthropic lens.” – NBC News THINK

“It has flaws and excesses, but the series…nonetheless lands in the sweet spot between comedy and drama, and between a plot-and-action-driven narrative and character exploration.” – Boston Globe

“The Umbrella Academy captures the same heightened sensation offered by My Chemical Romance’s music: operatic melodrama, given life by gleeful riffs and catchy hooks.” – The Boston Herald

“If you’re looking for a pulpy show with lots of action, melodramatic plotting and eccentric characters then The Umbrella Academy is your ticket.” – Forbes

“Style and doomsday aside, it’s in these pockets of emotion that The Umbrella Academy flashes its true beauty and intent.” – Vox

These numerous reviews point to the excellence of the Umbrella Academy. A more mature superhero show with a dark twist is what the world is missing, and the Umbrella Academy serves as a way to bring more “realistic” adult superhero shows to both adolescents and adults.

Synopsis

On the same day in October 1989, forty-three infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a billionaire industrialist, who creates The Umbrella Academy and prepares his “children” to save the world. But not everything went according to plan; in their teenage years, the family fractured and the team disbanded. Now, the six surviving thirty-something members reunite upon the news of Hargreeves’ passing. Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Vanya, and Number Five work together to solve a mystery surrounding their father’s death. But the estranged family once again begins to unravel due to their divergent personalities and abilities, not to mention the imminent threat of a global apocalypse.

Personal Reflection

After watching both seasons of The Umbrella Academy, I would recommend this show to any Jesuit student who is looking for a new series to watch on Netflix.  If you think that this show follows the typical superhero-movie routine, you are in for a surprise.

The show contains a variety of dark turns that definitely do not display the positive optimism that a typical superhero series has. One of the strengths of The Umbrella Academy is that it is weird, but in a good sense. The narrative is told in a strange fashion, and it sometimes actually diverges from a structured routine. Moreover, it’s not afraid of timelines and the natural rule and law of things. Furthermore, it’s not afraid to show the darker moments of being a superhero.

One of the highest praises I can give to the Umbrella Academy is that it left me wanting more. Even some of the most mundane tasks in the TV shows, such as Vanya washing dishes, gave interesting allusions to all the characters throughout the show.

For those who love watching action scenes and violence, this show is also the one for you as there is plenty of action scenes that play out through the plot of the show in both seasons. The cinematography is also quite astonishing as well. Scene composition tells so many micro-stories from moment to moment. From the slow-motion action scenes to the physics-bending moments, the show is great stuff.

If you want to start watching it, just look up Umbrella Academy on Netflix, it’s a great show.

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