Rating: 8/10

Created by: Steve Blackman

Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castaneda, Aiden Gallagher, and more

Release Date: July 31, 2020

MPAA Rating: TV-14

This summer, Netflix released the second season of one of its most popular TV shows, “The Umbrella Academy.” The most recent season of this science fiction superhero show  consists of 10 episodes, each of which is about 50 minutes long. 

“The Umbrella Academy” follows the lives of the Hargreeves family, seven adopted siblings who all have different superpowers. The siblings, who had mostly cut off their ties to each other after their childhoods, reunite to solve the mystery of their father’s death as well as the impending apocalypse. The show, which was adapted from a comic book series, combines humor, action, and compelling characters to create an extremely engaging show. 

In the season finale of season 1, the family is forced to travel back in time after they were unable to successfully prevent the apocalypse. At the start of season 2, we learn that something has gone wrong during the time jump, as each of the characters has been stranded in Dallas, Texas in a different year in the 1960s. 

This premise allows the audience to see the characters in an entirely different environment, and it allows for a variety of plotlines that range from hilarious to heartbreaking. For example, one of the siblings, Diego, is ironically sent to a mental institution after trying to convince the police that JFK would be assassinated in a few years. This plotline is balanced out by that of Allison, the only black sibling, who becomes involved in the Civil Rights movement and tries to start a new life.

“I binged watched the season when it first came out and I really liked it,” said senior Lizzy Cannon. “i also thought it was cool how this season was based in the 60s and included important aspects of life back then, but the ending really tripped me up because i didn’t expect it.”

Another great aspect of the show is its ability to consistently have subversive action scenes. Similar to Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, “The Umbrella Academy” uses music during nearly every fight scene, giving them a quirky and almost comedic undercurrent while still maintaining the importance of each scene. The TV show is filled with humor, which some may find a bit annoying after a while, but is overall an excellent addition to the show. Despite the fact that there are over a dozen important characters to keep track of, the show does an excellent job at allowing the audience to spend time with each of them and to really understand the individual motivations behind each character’s actions. 

“I really enjoyed how funny the show was, and I thought the characters’ backstories were really interesting,” said senior Lexi Shutte. “I thought the plot of season 2 was really exciting and I never got bored or tired while watching it as well. Overall, I think season 2 was great and I am really excited for the next season to come out.” 

For the second time in a row, “The Umbrella Academy” ended on a significant cliff hanger, with the Hargreeves siblings returning back to modern times, only to find that their interactions with their father in the 1960s has significantly altered the future. Because of the show’s great success, its third season is expected to be released sometime in 2022.