The third season of the acclaimed Netflix original superhero series is finally here. Adapted from comics, written by Gerard Way, lead singer of the band “My Chemical Romance”, The Umbrella Academy gives a boost to the genre. It’s got a great cast, goes into some really interesting areas and has a unique, compelling visual style. If you haven't yet watched the series here are a few reasons why you’ll be hooked on it.
The exciting story
It’s an extraordinary story. 43 babies are born on the same day in 1989 when their mothers were not even pregnant the day before. A rich and mysterious industrialist adopts seven of these children with powers and creates the Umbrella Academy. In their thirties, five of them, who are still alive, meet at their father's funeral. This forced reunion is disturbed by the return of number five, their brother, who disappeared 15 years ago. Coming from the future, he warns them that the world will end in 7 days unless the Umbrella Academy reunites.
Its powerful cast
When approached by Netflix to adapt the Umbrella Academy comics, Steve Blackman gathered a handful of interesting actors, that couldn't be more different from each other, to bring the unique family to life. Among the headliners, we find Ellen Page who signs her comeback as the timorous Vanya Hargreeves, Mary J.Blige as a dangerous killer, Game of Thrones actor Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, who appeared in Sicario, and finally Colm Feore (The Borgias, Thor) as an ominous patriarch.
The anti-conformist superheroes
In the first sequence of the series the main five characters end up leading not such exciting lives as expected; an unhappy Hollywood star, a marginal who has fallen into a downward spiral of drugs, a young girl, abandoned for revealing well-kept secrets, and a tough guy with a soft heart. In the Umbrella Academy, "superpowers" do not rhyme with "glory", on the contrary. They are united by the same tragic destiny, these brothers and sisters with extraordinary gifts are nevertheless plagued by ordinary torments: separation, sorrow, addiction, and depression.
The pace
This show is perfectly paced and will get yo hooked from episode 1. It’s really, really hard to stop watching because each episode answers just enough questions to keep you satisfied and hits you with enough cliffhangers that you have to keep going to find out what happens next. It’s the TV show equivalent of a page-turner, and it’s just as much fun a second time at a slower pace.
The diversity
Unlike the comic where mostly all the characters were typical while, The show has done very well with keeping the characters diverse. It has white characters and people of color, straight characters and queer characters, and even diversity in age. There’s an older woman in the most significant romantic storyline, which is pretty awesome. And then, of course, there’s the fact that everyone has lived a drastically different life and therefore comes at problems from very different angles.
You can read life lessons to learn from the Umbrella Academy here!
