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It’s been a while since I have been anticipating a new show. Most shows I watch are on the streaming service giants like Netflix. One of Netflix’s biggest shows, The Umbrella Academy, adapted from the Dark Horse comic by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba, returned for a second season after a shocking first season finale. I will be honest though; I didn’t start watching The Umbrella Academy until about a week before the release of Season 2. I heard many good things about the show, but never got around to watching it and I’m glad I did watch it.
The first season focused on a handful of adoptive family members with extraordinary powers. They faced an upcoming apocalypse and had to band together, even if they were the ones who caused it. The season took place in 2019 with family members reuniting after their father’s death. As the Earth’s end approached the family (caused by Vanya), Number Five used his powers of teleportation and time travel to take his brothers and sisters back to the 1960s. There were a couple of problems with his solution. The Academy ended up in different years in the ’60s and the apocalypse followed them. So yet again, the Umbrella Academy must stop the end of the world.
The second season improved on many things that already made the show great. This is one of the best shows about family. Please don’t get this confused with being a family show because it’s not that by any means. I’ve always been impressed with how the series approached the family and gave them different personalities that clash with others. Since the family members are all adopted, they are all different but are brought together by their father. I loved how Season 1 wrote the characters and reunited them after their father’s death. Season 2 benefits from already knowing the characters and being emotionally invested in their storylines. When watching the family navigate through the ’60s, their personalities still develop but do it in a way that feels more personal. They still feel like a family throughout the season despite being separated from each other. Once they all reunite to stop the apocalypse, it is an endearing moment that was being built up throughout the episodes.
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Right from the first sequence, the action promised a thrilling season. Towards the end of Season 1, the action started to pick up with Vanya and her abilities. Moments of the siblings showing off their abilities were severely lacking in the first season but within the first five minutes of Season 2, we got something like a big budget Marvel movie. The season ramps up the violence, especially scenes with Number Five. There are a lot of more brutal scenes in Season 2 compared to the first season and they were entertaining. I always must remind myself that Number Five isn’t the age that he appears, and I’m always shocked at the situations that he gets himself into.
As the family was adapting to the 1960s, they had many opportunities to use their powers for good and bad. One family member that I still find interesting is Alison. When learning that she married Raymond and helps with the Civil Rights Movement, I think she had the most compelling story since she had a daughter in 2019 before she was transported back to the ’60s.
The writers also managed to integrate Luther’s storyline into Alison’s. As we saw in the first season, they had feelings for each other that they couldn’t hide. This causes some complications for Alison and her husband as Luther starts to appear more often in their household.
I was curious as to how the siblings would live their lives in the ’60s with the world not knowing who they were. Would they choose a quiet life or use their powers for personal gain? The answer is yes to both. Klaus, one of the more outgoing characters with a haunting past, battles his demons once again but also tries to confront events that happen in the future. He is a prime example of someone who takes advantage of his situation and it’s hilarious to watch how he manipulated people throughout the season.
I didn’t watch the first season until a week before the Season 2 premiere. It was a great time binging both seasons back to back, even though it took up a good chunk of the week. The Umbrella Academy is one of the best shows I have seen on Netflix, and Season 2 built on Season 1 in such a strong way. The season ended on a cliffhanger and now I’m patiently waiting for season three.
What did you think of this season? Sound off in the comments below!
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Shop for The Umbrella Academy merchandise at Entertainment Earth!
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