The Umbrella Academy season 3 review
Season three of The Umbrella Academy is a perplexing mix of good and awful ideas. The superhero comedy-drama succeeds in revealing new facts about the show’s larger mythos, building on each character’s narrative from previous seasons, and delivering several twists and turns on the way to its conclusion. However, the film’s fractured narrative and weird creative judgments work against it. Overall, it’s a rather entertaining installment in the series, but The Umbrella Academy season 3 is the epitome of ‘good, but not great,’ which is a shame.
The Umbrella Academy is one of those rare shows that manages to strike a good mix between familiar and unique material. Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s graphic novel series has been brilliantly honored by the blockbuster Netflix series. Similarly, the TV adaptation’s tale is more unified than what happens in the comics — a fresh take on the source material’s narrative that works well as a TV show.
The Umbrella Academy season 3 has a dilemma on its hands, as the show is running out of source material to adapt. The Umbrella Academy’s TV series has officially superseded the story in the graphic novels, as the next volume in the comic series has yet to be published. From here on out, the program must carve its own course, and the creative team’s experimental story and character-arc choices will determine whether the show succeeds or fails. It’s a conundrum similar to the one faced by Game of Thrones’ final season, which we all know earned mixed reviews from fans and critics.
Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy, however, suffers from the same issues as its HBO counterpart. The show’s latest batch of episodes has lots to like, including dramatic twists and turns, shocking revelations, and interesting character growth. Season 3 is a tumultuous chapter in the show’s history, much like the head-spinning timeline that the show’s superheroes must navigate. It’s bogged down by long subplots, erratic pacing, and a lack of superhuman action. As a result, it’s the lowest-rated entry in the series to date.
Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy begins immediately after the conclusion of the previous season. The Hagreeves family assumed they had returned home in the season 2 finale after spending the previous season stuck in 1960s Dallas. However, it turned out that their time-traveling briefcase – provided by The Commission, the body in charge of the time-space continuum – had dumped them in another world without warning.
The Umbrellas are shocked to learn that their purportedly deceased father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), has been supplanted in the superhero stakes. Take a step forward. Instead of the Umbrellas, Sir Reginald adopted the Sparrow Academy in October 1989, a collection of superpowered individuals who are significantly more adept at their jobs, as well as more antagonistic and stubborn than their siblings.
The factions will inevitably clash, but for the time being, their obvious animosity for one another, as well as the Umbrellas’ wish to deal with the painful events of season 2, will have to be set aside. The presence of the Umbrella Academy in this alternate dimension produces a time paradox, resulting in the emergence of a malevolent creature that begins spreading havoc across the universe. With their previous experience facing similar apocalypses, it’s up to the Umbrellas to save the world from ending again – perhaps with the help of their Sparrow brethren, if the Umbrellas can persuade them to help. Isn’t it true that the third time’s the charm?
Season 3 does not, however, make effective use of the Sparrows’ presence in the story. Aside from Ben (Justin H. Min) and Sloane (Genesis Rodriguez), the show’s new cast of superheroes is underutilized, with little to no information about their backstories given to viewers. Season 3 does not, however, make effective use of the Sparrows’ presence in the story. Aside from Ben (Justin H. Min) and Sloane (Genesis Rodriguez), the show’s new cast of superheroes is underutilized, with little to no information about their backstories given to viewers.
Sure, as the season develops, the rationale for these narrative choices becomes clearer. Still, it’s a shame that the program doesn’t go into further detail about the Sparrows’ family dynamic or the events that lead Jayme (Cassie David), Alphonso (Jake Epstein), and Marcus (Justin Cornwell) to become superheroes. They’re just as important to Season 3’s plot as The Umbrella Academy, despite the fact that the latter is the show’s star. With the exception of some intriguing flashbacks in episodes 1 and 6, we’re left in the dark about the Sparrows’ origins.
Season 3 makes up for the fact that it doesn’t fully explore the mythos at the center of the show with its sophisticated thematic investigation. The Umbrella Academy is surprisingly profound for a program about a dysfunctional, superpowered family, whether it’s the existential/identity crises that certain characters experience, the ethical difficulties that superheroes face, or a variety of other topics. The sympathetic treatment of Viktor’s – and, by extension, Page’s – coming out as transgender storyline by Blackman and the team deserves special notice. It’s a subplot that the cast and crew manage deftly, and it highlights the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion and acceptance in an industry that has been reluctant to respond to both.
