The Umbrella Academy continues to offer something fresh and unique to the myriad of current superhero TV shows. The Umbrella Academy Season Two is now available to watch on Netflix.
The superb The Umbrella Academy was one of the brightest lights in the Netflix catalogue last year. Based on the Dark Horse comic series, season one was alive with eccentric energy, its characters finding a place in the hearts of every viewer. Now, the gang is back with season two.
At the end of the first outing, the apocalypse threw our misfit heroes back in time to sixties Dallas, thanks to Number 5; however, what may have seemed like a lucky escape as the earth burnt to a crisp is another time-travelling blunder. Number 5 (Aiden Gallagher) has seen the future, and it’s not good! The mission is clear: to reunite each member of the Academy, all of whom are dotted around time in the lead-up to Kennedy’s assassination. The story that ensues is a continuation of season one while also finding a new, fresh voice, allowing for further character development.
The second season of any show is often the most challenging to pull off, so the question is: Does The Umbrella Academy Season Two meet expectations? The answer is yes, mainly due to the character development it relishes. The three characters who most benefit from this focus are Tom Hopper’s Luther, David Castañeda’s Diego, Justin H. Min’s Ben and Emmy Raver-Lampman’s Alison. However, it’s Aiden Gallagher’s Number 5 and Robert Sheehan’s Klaus who truly steal the show.
Season two’s intelligent screenplay sometimes feels like a modern take on Quantum Leap, as it transplants a diverse group of characters into a world of early-60s discrimination and oppression. Here, the fight for black civil rights, women’s equality and LGBTQ freedoms merge with science fiction and fantasy as past, present, and future collide in an ocean of time-travelling complexities.
Of course, it wouldn’t be The Umbrella Academy without the deliciously dark humour, and season two builds beautifully on the anarchy of season one. We have Swedish assassins, talking fish and the return of a dastardly villain to keep us entertained. That said, this is also undoubtedly a more serious outing than the first, and some viewers may feel short-changed by the less eccentric approach.
The Umbrella Academy continues to offer something fresh and unique to the myriad of current superhero TV shows. Its only direct competition comes from the highly underrated Doom Patrol. As season two ends, I don’t doubt that The Umbrella Academy will return, because this story is far from over as the credits roll.
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