Summary
Three seasons in, the writers have finally ironed out all of those kinks, creating a hilarious, explosive, and highly addictive hit. This is the best season yet, one that will floor fans and win over any cynics.
This review of the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy season 3 does not contain any major spoilers.
Superheroes save the world all the time, that’s their job, but none seem more prolific and, it must be said, more cosmically unfortunate than our Umbrella Academy lot, who returns for a third stunning outing, with a third deadly apocalypse to thwart. This time around, it’s an unstoppable force of nature they must tackle, a raging black hole called a Kugelblitz that destroys everything in its path. Shouldn’t be that tricky, right? Well, they also have The Sparrow Academy and a few other enemies to contend with in this rip-roaring, explosive season.
Season three starts with our Umbrellas facing off against a new set of siblings, who seem to have replaced them in this new timeline. The old gang saved the world (again) in the sixties and find they’ve time hopped to an eerily similar yet totally different universe back in the present. Their mansion home is now inhabited by seven spritely super-humans (okay, one of them is a cube), with equally badass powers. The Sparrows demonstrate these specific and impressive abilities from the off, outdoing the Umbrellas at every turn. And their head honcho, the monocle sporting Sir Reginald Hargreeves, is very much alive and kicking in this twisted timeline, back with his own devious plot.
The Umbrella siblings are visibly hurt by their father’s rejection and these more than adequate replacements, spending the ten episode series trying to comprehend their own place in this wacky world and determine what they are actually fighting for every time they delay the apocalypse. The show-runners have really put their all into this year’s instalment, crafting lovable characters that you can’t help but fall head over heels for.
There’s heart-warming romance on the cards too and more of that devilish banter between the squabbling siblings to enjoy. The writing is quick-witted and sharp as a whip, delivering some meme-ready wordplay and barrels of comedy. Additionally, this season comes with another insanely catchy soundtrack, which our warring siblings dance to, and boy do they love to dance. They also party and sing like there’s no tomorrow, partaking in some chaotic benders. But what else is there to do when you are trapped in a hotel at the end of the world? These rapscallion rogues slowly unravel in a setting that can be best described as The Shining-esque. The show is packed full of these cinematic sequences and iconic aesthetics, which provide pure, unadulterated delight.
It’s not all fun and games though, there is plenty of tragedy within this storyline and nearly every episode is packed with its own unpredictable twists and turns. Don’t get too comfy with any of our kooky characters, not all will make it out alive. This season is overflowing with death, containing an impressively high kill count that Thanos himself would be proud of. The siblings battle death at every corner, with trust issues low within the ranks. Expect more backstabbing and double-crossing antics to endure from our two sparring families. When there is no tomorrow and no consequences it really does bring out the worst in people.
I have to admit, I found the first two seasons of The Umbrella Academy to be needlessly quirky and at times clichéd. Season three has similar moments, but overall, the writers seem to have ironed out all the kinks and created their best effort yet. This will be a magnanimous hit for Netflix, who have poured a considerable budget into this oddball comic-book adaptation, which seems to blend The Matrix, Watchmen and Marvel magic to conceive something truly unique. This is highly entertaining drama, filled with captivating characters and memorable scene-stealing moments. Give this show a spin, you’re in for an absolute blast.
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