Umbrella Academy - Not bad, not great

Hussar · Feb 28, 2019

So, I'm about 7 episodes into The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Umm, it's not exactly riveting to be honest. Seems a bit like warmed over Heroes with some extra bad language and more blood.

carrot · Feb 28, 2019

I enjoyed the first few episodes, but it got less interesting (and more predictable) as it went along. It does have a few nice set pieces - I might watch if there is a second season, but I wouldn't be particularly bothered if there isn't

Morrus · Feb 28, 2019

We're on episode 7 now. It's slow going but seems to be picking up pace as it closes in on the end.

Tonguez · Feb 28, 2019

to be honest I found the first few episodes excruciatingly boring so having suffered through to 3, I skipped through to the middle (6 I think) and yes it does start to pick up significantly, so I got through to the end by cheating

I wasnt familiar with the source material, but can see where it had potential. I did like that it was more soap opera than superhero

lowkey13 · Feb 28, 2019

*Deleted by user*

Mallus · Feb 28, 2019

lowkey13 said:
But it's more ... some Wes Anderson aesthetic mixed with ideas about family dynamics (and how damaged people interact with each other and how that damage keeps echoing in their decisions) and some spot-on dark humor (I personally can't get enough of Hazel and Cha Cha).

It's what you'd get if you started with The Royal Tenenbaums, added superpowers, Doom Patrol, Max from Rushmore, and 2 characters from a Coen Brothers movie (Cha Cha & Havel, obvs.), and also the Apocalypse.

Hussar · Feb 28, 2019

i agree that Cha Cha and Hazel are the best thing about the show.

Aeson · Mar 1, 2019

I watched the first one. I haven't been motivated to watch the rest. I'll get to it eventually.

Istbor · Mar 4, 2019

I wasn't sure on that first episode either, but once I got to the middle and then the second half of the season, I was pretty well hooked in.

I agree with [MENTION=88539]LowKey[/MENTION] that it is not a superhero show, and more about these people that were forced to grow up together under a man who had no real business raising kids. You then get to watch them as adults dealing with real issues caused by that past. I mean, I know people in my life who have similar problems and that help make it feel more realistic. (aside from the obvious ridiculousness of some stuff

)

Like Cha-Cha and Hazel.

Enjoying that even Ben gets to do stuff.

The scoring for this season was really well done I felt. Looking back there were no songs that made me was to skip ahead to save my sanity.

Ryujin · Mar 4, 2019

A couple of friends raised an interesting point about something that happens in the last episode, roughly 35 minutes in. I had completely missed the implications as it slides on by so quickly. I don't want to discuss it here, because of the political implications, but at least wanted to make people aware of a major beat that clearly slipped past me.

Feel free to PM me if you want an explanation of their views.