FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YET TO SEE THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY SEASON 3, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Lost in the Reel’s video review for The Umbrella Academy Season 3

The Umbrella Academy pulled off a minor miracle in its second season… rather than going into a sophomore slump, it pretty much improved on everything that came before.  It ditched its Debby-downer tone for a lighter, campier vibe and transported us to the sixties, for a much more focused and captivating adventure.  It’s been two years now since that second season dropped, leaving us off on a crazy cliffhanger that involved our heroes meeting a new, mysterious family called The Sparrows, who might or might not be evil.  Everything was set in place for another incredible, mind-bending new season.  So, has this two-year hiatus been worth the wait?

HOW ARE OUR CHARACTERS HOLDING UP THIS SEASON?

Absolutely.  The Umbrella Academy Season 3 delivers all of the goods. Though I must admit that it definitely does not hit the heights of the second go-around.  My biggest take-away this time is that rather than focusing on an insane story to keep the momentum going… the showrunners have left it to the performers to keep us invested.  This wonderful ensemble of actors has now had the time to build a report and chemistry with one another, and to create richly-detailed characters that the audience will not be able to resist. 

The banter between all of these actors is absolutely hilarious. As they spit sometimes vitriolic and other times endearing one-liners at each other at a rapid pace.  We have now spent thirty hours of time with The Umbrella Academy… and I have gotten to the point now, that I don’t really care what kind of shenanigans they get into next. I’m just excited to get to spend more time with these characters.

WHAT’S THIS SEASON ALL ABOUT?

In this season, Luther finds new love with one of the members of the Sparrows, Vanya is going through an identity crisis while being followed by someone from the past, and Allison is reeling at the loss of her daughter, Klaus is on the hunt for his birth mother and number five is sucked into the continuous cycle of trying to keep the apocalypse from happening.  All the while, we have a whole new family to contend with.

HOW IS THE SPARROW ACADEMY HANDLED?

One of the biggest issues I found with this season, is that the showrunners really have missed an opportunity with The Sparrows.  In the first episode, we have a grand introduction and battle… and then it’s as if the writers have no idea what to do with these characters, so they let them all fall to the wayside, minus a couple of them.  It’s a real shame. Especially since we were left with that epic cliffhanger in season 2, promising something really intriguing with the Sparrows.  Hopefully, with a series like this, that plays with time so creatively… The showrunners are able to re-introduce these characters in a more satisfying way in future seasons.  

WHAT STORYLINES ARE THE MOST GRIPPING?

With an ensemble show like The Umbrella Academy, some storylines are going to be more compelling than others.  In the third season, by far, I was most interested in what was going on with Diego and Laila.  David Castaneda has really grown into this role and his chemistry with Ritu Arya, who plays Laila, is electric.  

I also loved how they handled Vanya’s transition.  It probably wasn’t the easiest thing for the writers to figure out how to not only respect Elliot Page through this time of change but also do this character justice, as well.  And I think they have done an incredible job… By not making a huge deal out of it, but rather tenderly making it just be another facet of this complicated character. I also think the relationship between Vanya (now Victor) and sister Allison adds much of the emotional weight of this season.  And I cannot forget to mention the brilliant Robert Sheehan, whose Klaus continues to steal every scene he is in.  This show really wouldn’t be the same without him.  

WHAT STORYLINES DON’T WORK SO WELL?

The only storyline that didn’t really work for me this time around, has to be Luther’s.  His love affair with one of the Sparrows could have been a highlight… But, Tom Hopper‘s chemistry with Genesis Rodriguez is all but absent and pales in comparison next to Diego and Laila’s.  And the whole relationship feels forced and honestly, a bit cheesy.  There were some moments during scenes between the two that felt extremely cringe, especially during episode 8.

 I also think the whole over-arching story of this season, with an all-powerful ball of energy in the basement of the Academy, is sadly lacking.  Whereas in the second season, there seemed to be more of a directive, with a time period that added a clear focus… this third season feels especially all over the place and chaotic.  Though I love that you really never know where this show is going to go, there were many times during this season… that it felt like it was going nowhere.  And I feel like the show does lose steam over these ten episodes, with the first half being much stronger than the latter half, despite it finishing off with a bang in the finale.

WHAT IS THERE TO LOVE ABOUT THIS SERIES?

But, there is so much to love about this series, that it’s hard to concentrate too much on the many flaws.  This is a show full of so much balls-to-the-wall kinetic energy.  It is unafraid to take wild leaps of imagination… Despite throwing all logic to the wind, it will leave you guessing at every turn.  The Umbrella Academy is a series that time and again proves that anything is possible. Being one of the few shows on the air that consistently reignites my belief in the magic of television. 

At its core, we have a group of characters that feel so lived-in, like they have really grown up with each other, and we are lucky enough to be given the opportunity to get to share in their wild exploits.  The Umbrella Academy might be a mess, but so is this family, and I can’t wait to continue to get to adventure into the messy unknown with them.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 premieres on Netflix June 22nd, 2022.

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