The Umbrella Academy is such an incredible show that really should be entertaining to all types of different people! I would absolutely recommend it to any superhero fan, action fan, sci-fi fan or drama fan because it has something for fans of all those genres! It may start a little slow for some while it builds up the story and characters, but it gets better and better as the story progresses. I thought Season 2 was even better than the Season 1 now that I just finished Season 3 I can say there's a little drop in quality but it's still really good! I'm a huge fan of superhero movies/shows and while I have to say The Umbrella Academy isn't my absolute favorite one, it's still really good and very entertaining! It really brings a fresh take to the genre and I can't wait to see this last season!
1,782 Reviews
Really Enjoyed It
Rob133126 April 2023
I have absolutely loved The Umbrella Academy ever since the very first episode. I even enjoyed this last season a lot more than most. It's unlike any other superhero type show there is. It's just such an original and unique show. It has everything you want in a good show...action, drama, comedy, suspense, twists, etc. It will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the series! Every character is so well written, they all have superhero powers but also real life problems that they all have to deal with both individually and as a family. It's too bad that next season, season 4, is the last season. Hopefully it will have the ending it deserves.
Robert Sheehan
tonyro-5289627 December 2020
My God Season 3 was atrocious!
agasi99930 June 2022
It started of promising enough but just around episode 5 of Season 3 you realise even they haven't a clue how to make sense of all this. Some of the episodes felt like they were making up scenes and stories as they were shooting it. Wasted 10 hours of my life on this crap.
Very disappointing
fishwhisperer-3184526 June 2022
Season three - what the?
bettillee3 July 2022
Goes remarkably downhill in season 3
nansjune30 June 2022
Season 1 - 7\10
Season 2 - 7\10
Season 3 - 3\10
Went from being clever, original and witty to awful. The way each character changed between S2 and S3 suggests the writers were completely replaced. It's so bad that Disney could call it Star wars: the umbrella academy.
The new "sparrows" are especially poorly written, sure the show was always ridiculous, deliberately so, but it had an internal consistency. The characters having just saved the world are now acting like distrustful strangers to one another. The handling of Pages' real life personal changes is badly incorporated, they themself looks desperately unwell such that it's difficult to watch their scenes. I hope 3 is the last season.
Went from being clever, original and witty to awful. The way each character changed between S2 and S3 suggests the writers were completely replaced. It's so bad that Disney could call it Star wars: the umbrella academy.
The new "sparrows" are especially poorly written, sure the show was always ridiculous, deliberately so, but it had an internal consistency. The characters having just saved the world are now acting like distrustful strangers to one another. The handling of Pages' real life personal changes is badly incorporated, they themself looks desperately unwell such that it's difficult to watch their scenes. I hope 3 is the last season.
You'll need an umbrella to protect you from all the crap
andre_carreiro28 June 2022
First season, great. Good ideas, nice execution. Doomsday upon us, nice ring to it.
Second season, short stories, no real storyline. But well, some were good, some were silly politicial coment, but hey, still watchable.
Third season is a parody to itself: nothing really makes real sense. Reality is nothing. And not in a mysterious kind of way, but more like this is so stupid the actors are feeling dumb doing it kind of way.
The end is just "Man, how obnoxious and nonsense can this get?" Yeah, ruined it for me. And I tried. I really did.
I hope you enjoy it.
Second season, short stories, no real storyline. But well, some were good, some were silly politicial coment, but hey, still watchable.
Third season is a parody to itself: nothing really makes real sense. Reality is nothing. And not in a mysterious kind of way, but more like this is so stupid the actors are feeling dumb doing it kind of way.
The end is just "Man, how obnoxious and nonsense can this get?" Yeah, ruined it for me. And I tried. I really did.
I hope you enjoy it.
Season One is Good, Season 2 is bloody fantastic!
zorrodg-316-2383303 August 2020
While Season One of The Umbrella Academy had a tonal imbalance and took a little too long to get to the good stuff, it was still watchable and populated with fun, relatable characters. Season 2 manages to not only keep the best parts of its inaugural run, but fixes all of its missteps along the way.
Characters are further defined and have well-motivated arcs, the universe expands nicely, the tone is consistent while maintaining a powerful emotional through-line, and the weirdness factor is turned up to 11.
All in all if you can get through a rocky but entertaining freshman season, you'll be blown away and throughly satisfied with the wilder and wackier follow up.
Characters are further defined and have well-motivated arcs, the universe expands nicely, the tone is consistent while maintaining a powerful emotional through-line, and the weirdness factor is turned up to 11.
All in all if you can get through a rocky but entertaining freshman season, you'll be blown away and throughly satisfied with the wilder and wackier follow up.
Its okay, but characters lack development/don't learn from past mistakes
jacoal28 June 2022
A lot of the show would be solved if characters would just communicate with each other and ask each other questions, but they refuse to time and time again, even 3 seasons in, leading to easy to fix problems not being solved till the end.
Its just lazy writing, instead of solving problems by at least having a bit of communication and then creating new and interesting problems after, the writers decided to drag easy to solve problems throughout a whole season and then justify it by labelling the characters/family as dysfunctional.
It is so frustrating to watch, but at the same time, aside from the problems, there are still many entertaining moments, fights, and funny dialogue within scenes so I gave it a 6.
Its just lazy writing, instead of solving problems by at least having a bit of communication and then creating new and interesting problems after, the writers decided to drag easy to solve problems throughout a whole season and then justify it by labelling the characters/family as dysfunctional.
It is so frustrating to watch, but at the same time, aside from the problems, there are still many entertaining moments, fights, and funny dialogue within scenes so I gave it a 6.
Season 3 is NOT what we waited for!!!
cherrygolden-5684924 June 2022
To be honest, I am really disappointed after watching season 3. Everything is so bland...the story,screenplay, cinematography.... nothing is worth watching. I absolutely loved season 1 and 2,waited so eagerly for this new season. But its ruined. Its same story they kept dragging. Even my favourite characters, Five and Klaus has become bland...its just both Aidan and Robert are amazing actors thats why i kept watching it. But apart from them,nothing else seems interesting. Characters just kept fighting, nobody seems to be interested, its the same apocalypse again.. The sparrow academy was pointless. And its needless to say the actor playing Vanya/Victor...is not someone who can act. His acting range is not something you will be looking forward to.
This is not The Umbrella Academy we wanted.
This is not The Umbrella Academy we wanted.
what a waste
ipmqfpj4 February 2023
This show was amazing season 1-2 weee. It was dramatic yet hilarious and a dash of love. Well that ended with its last season. They couldt have screwed it it up any worse. The ties to the Kennedy assassination was brilliant and mixed with aliens from another planet or dimension. They never answered the questions that were left open at the end of season two. The character of five was complex,endearing,witty,and unique. As the show goes on those characteristics became annoying and very easy. His mannerisms became annoying and cringe. It was such a shame that the 3rd season screwed up what was witty,funny,and very clever into a predictable mess.
Season 3 falls short
melissa_levasseur23 June 2022
Season 1 was amazing and season 2 managed to surpass it by being excellent. However, season 3 was just all over the place, lacking consistency, hard to follow and difficult to keep viewers engaged. Very disappointing to t after such a long wait.
Slowly falling off... left feeling disappointed and sad
curiousgeorgiapeach1 June 2021
Adrian Gallagher, Five, is a genuine standout for his acting in a series which is largely plagued by a storyline with rampant plot holes.
The writers had an initial idea that seemed to work but the series just never really comes together or finds a way to keep me truly interested. The plot drags on and the way they attempt to wrap up certain parts of the story is increasingly unsatisfying.
7/10 - Writing is just falling flat while, Five, is carrying the series on his back. Help the dude out.
The writers had an initial idea that seemed to work but the series just never really comes together or finds a way to keep me truly interested. The plot drags on and the way they attempt to wrap up certain parts of the story is increasingly unsatisfying.
7/10 - Writing is just falling flat while, Five, is carrying the series on his back. Help the dude out.
Masterclass on how to use music in movies
rlorenzoa19 February 2019
Very entertaining series about superheroes, where superheroes have a life, a character, dramas and traumas...
But what in my opinion raises it above the already good series is the use of music in the movie. Remarkable, impressive, needs to recognized with an award. It's been years (pulp fiction?) since I saw such a perfect use of music for the last time!
Season 3 made me change my rating
Rootbear12 July 2022
Loved season 1 - rated it a 10
Really enjoyed season 2 - rating unchanged
Season 3....what happened??? Gave up midway through episode 3. WTH? My rating is dropping to 6 and only that high due to how much I enjoyed the first two seasons.
This seems to keep on happening - except for those well written shows who's creators know when to bring it to a close, thinking "The Good Place".
Really enjoyed season 2 - rating unchanged
Season 3....what happened??? Gave up midway through episode 3. WTH? My rating is dropping to 6 and only that high due to how much I enjoyed the first two seasons.
This seems to keep on happening - except for those well written shows who's creators know when to bring it to a close, thinking "The Good Place".
Starts vaguely promising and kinda stays there
cherold6 March 2019
After the first episode of The Umbrella Academy, I thought, maybe. The premise was intriguing, it had superheroes, and there was some mystery. It was a little slow, and felt a little overstuffed, but it had potential.
By the fifth episode I was done.
Initially I thought the show was trying a little too hard. Robot moms, talking monkeys, a whole bunch of superpowers, an apocalypse and a whole bunch of side stories. It seemed slight excessive.
Yet while at first it seemed like Umbrella Academy was too much, by episode five I had concluded it was too little. Most of the characters were bland. Too much of the plot was devoted to their angst. The Umbrella Academy is basically a show about dull, depressed people with superpowers.
There were fun moments, exciting moments, funny moments, but the series always went back to being a slow-moving, angsty bummer. It was like watching someone depressed breaking out in a moment of fun then remembering how depressed they were and sitting down glumly to mope. The story is somewhat intriguing, but I found reading the plot description in wikipedia a more expedient way to resolve my curiosity.
Doom Patrol, which came out the same day, is (so far) a lot more fun. But I have seen as much of UA as I care to.
By the fifth episode I was done.
Initially I thought the show was trying a little too hard. Robot moms, talking monkeys, a whole bunch of superpowers, an apocalypse and a whole bunch of side stories. It seemed slight excessive.
Yet while at first it seemed like Umbrella Academy was too much, by episode five I had concluded it was too little. Most of the characters were bland. Too much of the plot was devoted to their angst. The Umbrella Academy is basically a show about dull, depressed people with superpowers.
There were fun moments, exciting moments, funny moments, but the series always went back to being a slow-moving, angsty bummer. It was like watching someone depressed breaking out in a moment of fun then remembering how depressed they were and sitting down glumly to mope. The story is somewhat intriguing, but I found reading the plot description in wikipedia a more expedient way to resolve my curiosity.
Doom Patrol, which came out the same day, is (so far) a lot more fun. But I have seen as much of UA as I care to.
Unexpectedly Excellent
rtipping6821 August 2020
When I decided to give this a go I was expecting a teen "special powers" typical Netflix whining American beauties accompanied by chisel faced men nonsense. The sort of series in which you could not care less about the characters with the obligatory politically correctness to teach us something in a patronising and predictable sort of way. Well I could not have been more wrong on this occasion.
The actors are well cast and you do care about them all. I found the humour was genuinely funny. There is a lesbian relationship in season two and a gay relationship spanning both seasons which went beyond ticking the netflix diversity check box and was rather touching and relevant. Well done for doing a great job in weaving that into the story in a sensitive and meaningful way.
I actually preferred Season two but that is in no way saying season one was bad because it wasn't. Season 2 also covered political issues in the form of black activists and cold war paranoia which was relevant for the time in which it was set. This also was very well done and did not come across as preaching but rather it made me appreciate the struggle facing black people back then and in some way still do sadly.
I was blown away with the CGI concerning the character Pogo. This was a purely CGI driven character and it / he was brilliant. It would seem no expense was spared and the detail is worthy of any blockbuster movie. I don't want to give anything away but you will know what I mean when you watch it.
I tip my hat to the person or people responsible for a great soundtrack.
It would seem that all the ingredients where spot on in making this an entertaining watch for both teenagers and adults alike, a rare feat for netflix. The only other series I have watched that managed this was Stranger Things.
Netflix did good here, the acting was great and the characters and story was wacky enough to deliver humour and seriousness convincingly. Looking forward to season 3.
The actors are well cast and you do care about them all. I found the humour was genuinely funny. There is a lesbian relationship in season two and a gay relationship spanning both seasons which went beyond ticking the netflix diversity check box and was rather touching and relevant. Well done for doing a great job in weaving that into the story in a sensitive and meaningful way.
I actually preferred Season two but that is in no way saying season one was bad because it wasn't. Season 2 also covered political issues in the form of black activists and cold war paranoia which was relevant for the time in which it was set. This also was very well done and did not come across as preaching but rather it made me appreciate the struggle facing black people back then and in some way still do sadly.
I was blown away with the CGI concerning the character Pogo. This was a purely CGI driven character and it / he was brilliant. It would seem no expense was spared and the detail is worthy of any blockbuster movie. I don't want to give anything away but you will know what I mean when you watch it.
I tip my hat to the person or people responsible for a great soundtrack.
It would seem that all the ingredients where spot on in making this an entertaining watch for both teenagers and adults alike, a rare feat for netflix. The only other series I have watched that managed this was Stranger Things.
Netflix did good here, the acting was great and the characters and story was wacky enough to deliver humour and seriousness convincingly. Looking forward to season 3.
A rather different story about a 'family' with superpowers
Tweekums7 August 2020
These comments are based on watching the first two seasons but avoid plot details which might spoil a viewer's enjoyment of the series.
One day in 1989 forty three babies were born to mothers who weren't pregnant when the day started. Seven of them are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a very wealthy industrialist. He raises them and it is clear that they aren't like other children, with the exception of Vanya, they each have a special power. He raises them to use their powers to fight crime but things don't go well and they each go their separate, dysfunctional ways. When Sir Reginald dies five of the children return to their family home, the titular 'Umbrella Academy'... one of them, Ben, died years before and another, Number Five, disappeared after trying to jump through time. The survivors start to doubt that their father's death was as natural as they were told. Later a young Five returns from the future warning that the world will end in a matter of days! As if trying to stop that weren't enough a pair of assassins appear to be after them.
If you like your superheroes to have great powers and fight crime in a distinctive costume this won't be for you. If however you want something different from the genre then this is definitely worth watching. The story is consistently interesting and while some major revelations aren't exactly a total surprise there are some decent twists. Our dysfunctional protagonists are all good characters and the antagonists prove to be fine too as they aren't standard evil super-villains but somewhat ambiguous and definitely more sympathetic, for the most part, than one might expect. The cast does a really solid job; particular stand outs are Robert Sheehan and the camp Klaus, who can see the dead; Aidan Gallagher as Five and Ellen Page as the 'normal' Vanya. The series has a great look with fine special effects; it also employs music to great effect. Each of the first two seasons contain separate season long plots; the characters develop nicely throughout both seasons. Overall I'd say I really enjoyed this and would certainly recommend it... I am already looking forward to season three.
One day in 1989 forty three babies were born to mothers who weren't pregnant when the day started. Seven of them are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a very wealthy industrialist. He raises them and it is clear that they aren't like other children, with the exception of Vanya, they each have a special power. He raises them to use their powers to fight crime but things don't go well and they each go their separate, dysfunctional ways. When Sir Reginald dies five of the children return to their family home, the titular 'Umbrella Academy'... one of them, Ben, died years before and another, Number Five, disappeared after trying to jump through time. The survivors start to doubt that their father's death was as natural as they were told. Later a young Five returns from the future warning that the world will end in a matter of days! As if trying to stop that weren't enough a pair of assassins appear to be after them.
If you like your superheroes to have great powers and fight crime in a distinctive costume this won't be for you. If however you want something different from the genre then this is definitely worth watching. The story is consistently interesting and while some major revelations aren't exactly a total surprise there are some decent twists. Our dysfunctional protagonists are all good characters and the antagonists prove to be fine too as they aren't standard evil super-villains but somewhat ambiguous and definitely more sympathetic, for the most part, than one might expect. The cast does a really solid job; particular stand outs are Robert Sheehan and the camp Klaus, who can see the dead; Aidan Gallagher as Five and Ellen Page as the 'normal' Vanya. The series has a great look with fine special effects; it also employs music to great effect. Each of the first two seasons contain separate season long plots; the characters develop nicely throughout both seasons. Overall I'd say I really enjoyed this and would certainly recommend it... I am already looking forward to season three.
Rapidly going down hill
kyivguy25 June 2022
First season was an eight, season two a bit on the in your face about social issues so it's a seven. So far the first two episodes of season three are bordering on the absurd so it's now down to a six. Wow I hope that the writing gets the plot line back on track because I am wearing the fast forward button down to a nub.
Original, Different, Outside the box.......
fuller_ryan-4888316 February 2019
First off, the soundtrack alone Is worth watching the show. Humor, action and mysterious plot keeps you engaged. This is not your typical "superhero" show, and that's a good thing. The cast is great. Terrific performances from just about everyone. I recommend this show if you are looking for something a bit odd, yet keeps you curious and entertains with some great action and comedy.
Great first 2 seasons untill season 3....
esjacobs27 June 2022
Was so looking forward to the new season, first 2 were great. Great storyline, great way of filming, the music, the action. But now season 3 got out and altough there is the same stuff there, it is lacking something and I can't pinpoint what it is. I really had to push myself to finish it, which is not a good sign. Still love the characters, but the story line is so... vague, I can't even put words to describe season 3 cause I wouldn't know how. I don't know what to say, besides that I am disappointed because it was so such a good and unique show. I can understand the low rated reviews on this one.
A tale of 3 timelines.
ThereelscoopwithKK1 October 2022
The first season was a bit slow to get going , but midway through the lead characters had intrigued me just enough to keep going and I'm glad I did as it progressively got better and better. The ending to season one was perhaps a bit too predictable , but it absolutely left me wanting another season.
As for season 2 , I absolutely loved this season. In fact, it is one of my favourite streaming seasons I've ever scene. I'm very rarely interested in all storylines in any series, but this one had me interested all the way around. It almost had like a modern back to the future meets marvel kind of vibe. Each character grew significantly in their own way and I found the conclusion to be an interesting creative way to tie it together. If the story was ever dragging at times "Five" was always able to jolt life back into it with his cynical wit. Klaus also adds excellent comedic relief throughout.
Then came Season 3 and the writers began to totally alter character dynamics. I have read other reviews and while I agree it's without a doubt the worst season , I disagree with many others on why that is. With regard to Allison , I don't think her character becoming extremely angry and lashing out was a bad plot move at all. She had just lost two people she loved deeply in the span of a couple of weeks. In many ways I understood why she was just done with the whole thing. Having said that, the writers absolutely did not need to include the sexually abusive behaviour she displayed to Luther by "rumouring him". I found it sick and distasteful.
Speaking of Luther, this was my greatest disappointment in terms of character arc. They totally ruined his character in this season and his acting was not the greatest to pull off what they were trying to do either. There were always moments he showed flaws in seasons prior but this season he received too much screen time for not offering up much.
The sparrows as a whole were a rather failed experiment in my view. They were not the fresh new look heroes or antiheroes the writers were going for. Most of the time they were just an annoying side show, we already had more than enough characters with the umbrellas.
Lastly even some of the characters who carry the show like five and klaus began to become a bit repetitive. When they couldn't "resurrect" the season I knew their were some serious issues with it.
The ending of the season feels rushed, but despite how bad the rest of season 3 was I STILL found the last episode to be highly entertaining and was reasonably happy with how it ended.
I still will definitely tune into Season 4, but I really hope they go back to what made the show great , which wasn't anything like Seasom 3.
As for season 2 , I absolutely loved this season. In fact, it is one of my favourite streaming seasons I've ever scene. I'm very rarely interested in all storylines in any series, but this one had me interested all the way around. It almost had like a modern back to the future meets marvel kind of vibe. Each character grew significantly in their own way and I found the conclusion to be an interesting creative way to tie it together. If the story was ever dragging at times "Five" was always able to jolt life back into it with his cynical wit. Klaus also adds excellent comedic relief throughout.
Then came Season 3 and the writers began to totally alter character dynamics. I have read other reviews and while I agree it's without a doubt the worst season , I disagree with many others on why that is. With regard to Allison , I don't think her character becoming extremely angry and lashing out was a bad plot move at all. She had just lost two people she loved deeply in the span of a couple of weeks. In many ways I understood why she was just done with the whole thing. Having said that, the writers absolutely did not need to include the sexually abusive behaviour she displayed to Luther by "rumouring him". I found it sick and distasteful.
Speaking of Luther, this was my greatest disappointment in terms of character arc. They totally ruined his character in this season and his acting was not the greatest to pull off what they were trying to do either. There were always moments he showed flaws in seasons prior but this season he received too much screen time for not offering up much.
The sparrows as a whole were a rather failed experiment in my view. They were not the fresh new look heroes or antiheroes the writers were going for. Most of the time they were just an annoying side show, we already had more than enough characters with the umbrellas.
Lastly even some of the characters who carry the show like five and klaus began to become a bit repetitive. When they couldn't "resurrect" the season I knew their were some serious issues with it.
The ending of the season feels rushed, but despite how bad the rest of season 3 was I STILL found the last episode to be highly entertaining and was reasonably happy with how it ended.
I still will definitely tune into Season 4, but I really hope they go back to what made the show great , which wasn't anything like Seasom 3.
Loved this show but season 3 ruined it.
dishjones23 July 2022
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