The Umbrella Academy

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 15, 2019
Season #: 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 298 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 206 out of 298
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 298
  3. Negative: 40 out of 298

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User Reviews

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  1. rstillman88
    Feb 24, 2019
    2
    This show is terrible. The writing makes one wonder whether Jeremy Slater has ever met a human being before. Plot holes abound, and the behavior of the characters is frequently inconsistent/unintelligible. Characters are thinly-sketched and tropish and remain undeveloped throughout. Steer well clear.
  2. Rudyger
    Mar 3, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was going to drop the show after episode 2, but I forced myself into the whole season, only because of the high ratings. I want those hours of my life back! The production quality is ok. Some scenes are nice to watch. But overall, it's a slow, boring and predictable show, with many problems:

    - Sloooooow pace. Apocalypse is coming but no one seems to give a s***. There's absolutely no feel for urgency here.
    - No character progression
    - Not that many powers. Luther is strong and furry but never uses his strength He even gets beaten in hand to hand combat by a superpowerless assassin Allison doesn't use her powers until episode 8 (in a flashback!). Ben (with the most impressive power) is already dead so we don't see him. Klaus powers are most of the time useless. The "superpower" you'll see the most is Diego's, who is good at... throwing knives. Yeah, impressive. Number Five is the only one using his useful power, but it seems way too hindered when the writing staff wants to, especially the time travel part.
    - Predictable
    - Cliché
    - Inconsistent with its tone
    - Music is cool but sometimes tries too hard to be cool

    I'd say give it a try. Watch the first 2 episodes. If you're overhyped, go for it. If not, just drop it. It won't get any better.    … Expand
  3. gluck3d
    Feb 28, 2019
    2
    I've started this series on Netflix soon after finishing 2nd Season of Punisher and also after Polar, both not-mainstream comics series (at least not included into any of huge blockbuster mashups) and was actually pretty disappointed.
    Mostly due to the lack of any originality and lack of action. A good team of potentially interesting super-heroes is declared, but does nothing mostly    I've started this series on Netflix soon after finishing 2nd Season of Punisher and also after Polar, both not-mainstream comics series (at least not included into any of huge blockbuster mashups) and was actually pretty disappointed.
    Mostly due to the lack of any originality and lack of action. A good team of potentially interesting super-heroes is declared, but does nothing mostly self-reflecting on how they were not loved enough in their youth. While giving each hero a shadow is a must-have in nay modern movie, this shouldn't take 90% of the first few episodes (after which I've abandoned the series) .
    Also actors play seem dull with the only exception of drug-addict-dead-talker may be...
    Totally no wow effect.    … Expand
  4. cmossman
    Mar 4, 2019
    1
    The dialogue was too cliche. You could recognize too many lines from like several other movies. The acting was pretty horrible. The only characters with non-one-dimensional personalities were Klaus and Dr. Hargreeves.

    The plot was interesting at first, but moves so slow. The powers were such crap, and it seemed like most of the characters know that, because they NEVER use their powers.    The dialogue was too cliche. You could recognize too many lines from like several other movies. The acting was pretty horrible. The only characters with non-one-dimensional personalities were Klaus and Dr. Hargreeves.

    The plot was interesting at first, but moves so slow. The powers were such crap, and it seemed like most of the characters know that, because they NEVER use their powers.

    Communication between the characters are either slipping "A hole" to eachother or avoiding all communcation at all.

    The villians are normal people that seem to have little or no combat training against super humans, but despite their lack in training or super powers are formidable foes to the umbrella academy.

    I finished it, but after the 6th episode, things got really bad really fast. Vanya's power was (let's just say) "way too much" and everyon else's powers were "way too weak".

    Overall, you are better finding another super hero movie as this show doesn't depict very good villians, super heros, or a captivating story.    … Expand
  5. alvin2000
    Feb 25, 2019
    3
    Somehow I found this series overrated. Just because of Ellen Page perhaps?? I just watched 4 episodes, thinking to stop watching after first episode actually, but due to the all the "fake" high rating. I say yo myself, why not give it a chance, to be disappointed, nothing changes. Its nothing super hero type of action, its a drama series!!!

    The episode is very dragging, the family drama    Somehow I found this series overrated. Just because of Ellen Page perhaps?? I just watched 4 episodes, thinking to stop watching after first episode actually, but due to the all the "fake" high rating. I say yo myself, why not give it a chance, to be disappointed, nothing changes. Its nothing super hero type of action, its a drama series!!!

    The episode is very dragging, the family drama is very stupid and unrealistic. All adult with a mindset worst than 10yo kids. Frankly speaking by cutting off all the "rubbish" elements in the series, specially on Ellen Page scene. This is actually a standard movie length!!

    Effect is quite nice, but only specific to number 5's effect. Others~~~ wait... is there others effect?? It's nothing to be proud of, in fact kinda boring and nothing new to be exact. Songs are just ok, not that great. Honestly that's the only reason this series is not rated 0 by me.    … Expand
  6. arro253
    Mar 10, 2019
    3
    While the concept is intriguing (exploring the after-effects of being not only superheroes, but kid superheroes), so many things did not work here.

    Storytelling: Even for a Netflix show, the pacing is terribly slow. Many elements were not covered or depicted properly, going back to the issue of throwing "Show, Don't Tell" out the window. The show relies heavily on dialogue, but it's    While the concept is intriguing (exploring the after-effects of being not only superheroes, but kid superheroes), so many things did not work here.

    Storytelling: Even for a Netflix show, the pacing is terribly slow. Many elements were not covered or depicted properly, going back to the issue of throwing "Show, Don't Tell" out the window.

    The show relies heavily on dialogue, but it's bland, unoriginal and we either don't feel invested in what's going on (because not much is going on anyway) or we find it hard to believe in characters making certain choices or acting that way.

    I've seen some reviews comment that they were tired of all the bickering, and I'm inclined to agree. Where was the camaraderie? The complicated love-hate relationships that's so common among siblings?

    From what I've observed, siblings who grow up in such a tough environment tend to form even more of a close bond where they look out for each other and understand what each other has gone through (as no one else can), but we see none of that here.

    Acting: The lack of chemistry and the one-dimensional characters made it hard to care about the characters, and the acting felt like most of the actors were bored of their own characters. Even and especially Ellen Page!

    Score: The choice of songs was predictable and at times detracted from scenes instead of enhancing them. Surprising considering Gerard Way was on the production team.

    All in all, the show is painfully slow, without offering any worthwhile payoff for all that waiting. And I did not care about any of the characters, much as I wanted to.

    I also think that most fans would expect quite a bit more action from a superhero show. Very disappointed that this turned out to be more of a gloomy and dull soap opera than anything else, and for the life of me, cannot understand why it's gotten such positive reviews.

    I enjoyed Netflix's Titans much more than this, and that's not a particularly strong show either.    … Expand
  7. TalulaGrey
    Feb 24, 2019
    3
    I was looking forward to this but came away sorely disappointed. The summary doesn't give anything away, just that the adoptive dad is dead and the kids that he adopted come back to the place they were raised. They (the grown-up kids) have so many issues. Sure they've got powers of a kind, and at the same time, they never really got over their childhood. This is mostly a drama about howI was looking forward to this but came away sorely disappointed. The summary doesn't give anything away, just that the adoptive dad is dead and the kids that he adopted come back to the place they were raised. They (the grown-up kids) have so many issues. Sure they've got powers of a kind, and at the same time, they never really got over their childhood. This is mostly a drama about how they feel as grown-ups, coming to terms with their upbringing AND all their dialogue feels fake and forced.

    Yes, there are some flash-backs. There are a few superhero moments, and there are a few bad guys thrown in the mix, but it's not enough. It is tediously slow and poorly edited. I didn't want it to be boring but it 'is' boring. It takes forever for them to get to the point and by the time they get there, I don't care anymore.

    So, it's slow and poorly written. There's some atmosphere, and a few good special effects, but that's pretty much it. It's a solid 3 out of 10.    … Expand
  8. addict-insane
    Apr 1, 2019
    1
    - Many characters are made into disagreeable **** just for the sake of creating artificial drama because nothing is really happening in the show.
    - The scene where Diego beats Ben in a fist fight ruined the show for me action-wise (episode 1 so, so much for a good start.)
    - Klaus is that edge-lord that no one wants to be around, and script writers don't seem to understand that we don't    - Many characters are made into disagreeable **** just for the sake of creating artificial drama because nothing is really happening in the show.
    - The scene where Diego beats Ben in a fist fight ruined the show for me action-wise (episode 1 so, so much for a good start.)
    - Klaus is that edge-lord that no one wants to be around, and script writers don't seem to understand that we don't want to spend time watching characters with whom we wouldn't want to spend time in real life.
    - Number Five is NightCrawler on crack, but when the two assassins attack him wearing masks, he decides to run instead of causing teleport-induced mayhem like he did in a previous episode against a dozen killers in a small doughnut place?!?
    - An Oscar-winning actress gets a role where she plays an emotionally numb person, so we get to see none of her nuance and range as an actress?!?! She was the one reason I started watching this, smh.
    - Everything Hollywood is now going the Guardians of the Galaxy route with music nostalgia, but this show just beats you in the face with it. Couldn't be less original if they tried.
    - It's been 3 episodes and there is no character I like in this. Not one! At least Doom Patrol gave Alan Tudyk the perfect role for his severely underrated talent.    … Expand
  9. KingPin714
    Mar 26, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Before you read this review, it's filled with spoilers...

    First of all I love Ellen Page. But why make her look ugly for the whole season and then make her look hot the last 2 episodes.. She could've looked like that the whole season then make her look more bad ass the last 2 episodes.

    The plot was all over the place and things that happens throught out the show could've been written better. The movie lacked character building. I really wanted to like this show, but it was so annoying and frustrating to watch.

    #1 a dumb ass,
    #2 a dumb ass
    #3 is suppose to be the smart one, never uses her ability the whole season, semi dumb
    #4 a dumb ass, apparently time traveled back to the Vietnam war for a year and didn't gain any experience with fighting or using guns.

    #5 has been gone for a "long" time, came back as a kid, they used a kid actor to play an old man that's the best assassin in the future, supposedly a "legend", but all we get is an annoying little kid that can't take out a pair of assassins with no abilities.

    #6 the strongest of all of the characters, is already dead, they didn't really explained how he died. The only one that's not a dumb ass.

    #7 lived her life taking these pills she has no idea what it's for. Really? She plays the violin for an orchestra, but looks and dresses like Juno that just finished high school.

    Their dad that put all of them through intense training to maximize their powers was also a dumb ass, because none of them actually know how to use their powers! WTF!

    The 2 assassins have killed so many people without a blink of an eye, but act as if they are Team Rocket from pokemon, so it was hard to believe that they are "top tier" assassins, but they were.

    Also, very bad acting from Mary J Blige.

    The use of music was cool at first, then it became worse as the season went on. Some of the music just didn't match the scene.

    The use of the "Umbrella Academy" umbrella seemed outta place as well.

    That one scene where they found out #1 wasn't a virgin anymore and #3 got all mad, like wtf? She has an X husband and a kid and she's mad at #1 for getting laid? STFU.

    I forced myself to watch it until the end, because maybe.. just maybe the ending will make me understand why everything was so stupid.

    OF COURSE NOT! It got even stupider! 8 guys with automatic machine guns shooting at 5 people in the bowling alley misses as they run into the lanes to the back of the building. THEY ALL MISSED! These guys are top assassins from the "community bs". The same assassins came again in the theater and shot feets away from the characters who were hiding behind folding chairs and the chairs blocked all the bullets!

    Anyways, they could've time traveled from the get go, but they waited until the end when everything failed..so...

    I gave this a 3 because at least they tried and there might be potential to redeem themselves.    … Expand
  10. usuallee
    May 15, 2019
    1
    Liked it better when it was called X-men lol. Show seems to think it's far more clever/quirky/original than it actually is. Was pretty eager to check this show out, but zzzzz it's kinda boring. Lost interest halfway through the first ep. Just too many options on NF alone, let alone elsewhere, to settle for something less than captivating. Now if I could only figure out a way to delete itLiked it better when it was called X-men lol. Show seems to think it's far more clever/quirky/original than it actually is. Was pretty eager to check this show out, but zzzzz it's kinda boring. Lost interest halfway through the first ep. Just too many options on NF alone, let alone elsewhere, to settle for something less than captivating. Now if I could only figure out a way to delete it off my Continue Watching lol...… Expand
  11. AlaZander21
    Aug 13, 2020
    3
    If you like to pause you TV show about 25 times in ONE SINGLE EPISODE and say to yourself out-loud, "How the F does that make any sense!!!" Then I guess you're going to love or at least tolerate The Umbrella Academy Season 2. And what I just stated is no exaggeration, because that's EXACTLY WHAT I DID for this season from start to finish. There are so many problems with this show, from farIf you like to pause you TV show about 25 times in ONE SINGLE EPISODE and say to yourself out-loud, "How the F does that make any sense!!!" Then I guess you're going to love or at least tolerate The Umbrella Academy Season 2. And what I just stated is no exaggeration, because that's EXACTLY WHAT I DID for this season from start to finish. There are so many problems with this show, from far left political agendas being crammed down your thought, to COMPLETE abandonment of characters. There are plot holes that disregard the point of the season 1 plot, and WAY more questions than answers. I swear, some of the events must have been directed by a six year old! There's just simply no logic in anything that happens in this show. For this review I'll just list most of the cons and the very few pros of this show.

    NOT A SUPERHERO SHOW- You better believe me when I say that this is nothing like the first season, and it's just NOT a superhero show since no one uses their powers AT ALL except for Five. I kid you not, there is only ONE scene in the WHOLE season where Luther, Diego, AND Klaus use their powers, ONE!!! And that's not to say that Allison or Vanya use their powers often, CAUSE THEY DON'T! There actually is one other scene in the entire season where Diego uses his super cool knife ability on an antagonist, but instead he MISSES! Um, what!?

    THE ANTAGONISTS SUCK!- The plot in this season is actually pretty similar to season 1, and they also have a small group of antagonists trying to kill the academy like Hazel and Cha Cha in season one. Only thing is, that they're NOTHING LIKE HAZEL AND CHA CHA in terms of personality. The simple fact is that they are completely lifeless literal walking manikins who never speak except in two scenes in the whole season. I did not care one bit about these weirdos, worst bad guys ever!

    Diego- Let me just say out right that if you liked Diego in season 1, then sorry, because the bad-ass we knew before is NOTHING AT ALL like the wimpy, stupid man we got in season 2. Diego makes some of the STUPIDEST dissensions in this season for the sake of moving forward the terrible plot, I can't count how many times I just had to pause the show and say to myself, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT!!??"

    Alison and Politics- Much like Diego, Allison is absolutely NOTHING like she was in season 1. The problem with her is that they use her and the color of her skin as a far left political tool! I'm sure that you know that this season takes place in the 60's during the Civil Rights Movement. So if you have even just the slightest ounce of common sense, you already know where this is gonna go. I don't have a problem with her being in the 60's Civil Rights Movement, but I do have a BIG problem with the fact the director did NOT do ANY research about this topic. He literally just assumed that EVERY police officer (and white person in that time for that matter) were just PURE EVIL! Did you know that you have a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than having you home invaded by policemen without a warrant. I only reason I say that is because the director seems to think that police invading your home and then beating the s*** out of you just because they feel like it is something that's completely normal. There's also mentions of police killing black men on the streets, and even a scene where a police officer almost beats a black main character to DEATH! I'm aware that this kinda thing happened in some areas during this time but NOT in Texas. I did some research and found that there is no record of police brutality cases in Texas aside from ONE in 1977! These horrific police events in this show are completely made up! I thought this season was using real life events! Of course the only reason this is here is to advance a far left political agenda.

    Vanya- If Alison was used to cater to the racial politics, then Vanya is used to cater to the LGBT politics. Throughout the course of the season she finds a new FEMALE lover who is:

    A. Nothing like her
    B. An incredibly selfish character
    C. About 15-20 years older than Vanya

    All of this made me just not care for her new lover which made me not care about Vanya. There's really no rhyme or reason to their relationship except to push more politics. Also, Vanya was NEVER established to be gay, nor was her lover, so it just really comes out of know where which comes off as ac-ward.

    Lila: Lila is a new character, but she is by FAR the worst in the show. When she's introduced she's actually ESTABLISHED as an annoying character. The show never gave me never one reason to like her so she just stayed as an annoying and absolutely TERRIBLE character throughout the end. I kinda relate to her Jar Jar Binks, she's annoying as hell, is only in the plot by accident, and makes you think about how much this show sucks every time she goes on screen.

    I really wanted to like this season since 1 loved season 1, but trust me, it's garbage.    … Expand
  12. conott
    Feb 19, 2019
    3
    SLOW. Tons of bad dialogue. Clunky. Characters actions/decisions often feel like a ham-fisted attempt by the writers to create forced drama. Way too many scenes of angsty whining and convenient spats among the characters to keep the forced family drama aspect around to do nothing more than what feels like just fill time within episodes. Just poor writing in general. Which is reallySLOW. Tons of bad dialogue. Clunky. Characters actions/decisions often feel like a ham-fisted attempt by the writers to create forced drama. Way too many scenes of angsty whining and convenient spats among the characters to keep the forced family drama aspect around to do nothing more than what feels like just fill time within episodes. Just poor writing in general. Which is really unfortunate because from the synopsis of the show, production value, and some competent actors attached... seems there could have been potential for something quite a bit better than a bad soap opera that just so happens to have characters with superpowers in it.… Expand
  13. leaveit
    Feb 28, 2019
    3
    Not quite garbage, but certainly not good. If you've ever seen a Netflix superhero show then you've seen this: 85% first-draft monologues from actors you might have seen once in your life, source material that didn't interest you enough to consume in the first place because of how derivative it was, and dashing in some sociopolitical "updates": in particular, it was decided that it wasNot quite garbage, but certainly not good. If you've ever seen a Netflix superhero show then you've seen this: 85% first-draft monologues from actors you might have seen once in your life, source material that didn't interest you enough to consume in the first place because of how derivative it was, and dashing in some sociopolitical "updates": in particular, it was decided that it was more important to the plot to make a certain character gay in the past than for him to have used a power he always had to stop the apocalypse. Whether you care about the source material or not, this thing is boring, big time, and if you can actually sit through the whole thing and be entertained I will be genuinely shocked.… Expand
  14. Heatsink
    Feb 21, 2019
    3
    Too many pointless scenes drag this series down. The whole show is really about Five because he's the focus character and the most important, while everything else is backstory and filler. The writing suffered from terrible bloat since it was put together as an ensemble piece, but most of the ensemble ended up not mattering. The story design also suffered from having a hidden villain,Too many pointless scenes drag this series down. The whole show is really about Five because he's the focus character and the most important, while everything else is backstory and filler. The writing suffered from terrible bloat since it was put together as an ensemble piece, but most of the ensemble ended up not mattering. The story design also suffered from having a hidden villain, which probably was meant to end up as a big surprise, but it weakened the plot considerably.… Expand
  15. Nekxes
    Apr 19, 2019
    0
    The worst TV show ever... Just full of inconsistencies and nonsense wich make it a pure waste of time...
  16. insickness
    Feb 17, 2019
    3
    I'm done with Netflix superhero shows. Why? They aren't action shows. They're drama. And not very good drama. Very little actually HAPPENS in these shows. It's mostly characters having conversations with other characters. And I'm not talking about conversations on the way to action happening. Conversation with just two characters sitting around talking in boring locations. In this room orI'm done with Netflix superhero shows. Why? They aren't action shows. They're drama. And not very good drama. Very little actually HAPPENS in these shows. It's mostly characters having conversations with other characters. And I'm not talking about conversations on the way to action happening. Conversation with just two characters sitting around talking in boring locations. In this room or that room. And when things actually happen, its as if it happens in addition to the drama. Something will happen and then it's right back to boring conversations.… Expand
  17. HMF_47
    Feb 17, 2019
    1
    Most boring Netflix show since Iron Fist. The characters are very one note and do nothing but brood about their daddy issues (which are mostly delivered by lip service and rarely seen) and point out how much they hate each other. They never do anything to, you know, move the plot forward. In fact, saying there's a plot is an overstatement. For a show about how the world will end in a fewMost boring Netflix show since Iron Fist. The characters are very one note and do nothing but brood about their daddy issues (which are mostly delivered by lip service and rarely seen) and point out how much they hate each other. They never do anything to, you know, move the plot forward. In fact, saying there's a plot is an overstatement. For a show about how the world will end in a few days, it's surprisingly sluggish and lacking in tension.
    It's also actively ugly to look at (especially the lighting) and tonally all over the place. You got one scene that's very mopey and the next one is suddenly all "yeah! we're so punk rock" (especially with the try hard needle drops). It's basically like putting Zack Snyder's Watchmen and Guardians of the Galaxy in a blender.
    Not even Ellen Page can save it (she's sleepwalking through the whole thing, but can you blame her?)    … Expand
  18. WhyUdoThis
    Feb 17, 2019
    1
    This is a painful show to watch. There is nothing fun about it. The funny moments are all ruined by an immediate and unneeded dark twist. There are shots that should be art and symmetrical but are instead shot just to the side seemingly just to erk the inner director of photography in you. The set design is immaculate as is the acting. But it is like the producer or director was constantlyThis is a painful show to watch. There is nothing fun about it. The funny moments are all ruined by an immediate and unneeded dark twist. There are shots that should be art and symmetrical but are instead shot just to the side seemingly just to erk the inner director of photography in you. The set design is immaculate as is the acting. But it is like the producer or director was constantly saying "It needs to be more dark" at the obvious cost of entertainment. People just trying to be good are penalized for it like it is some kind of clever commentary on the darkness of the world but it just kills the entertainment value. The super-powers really have nothing to do with the story. This could easily be changed to a story about a bunch of orphans and one grew up to be a nuclear physicist gone bad because he didn't get to go on the fam camping trip when he was a youngin, but nobody would watch that. This show is a pile of potential that a bad director/producer ruined.

    Robert Sheehan is legit the only good thing about this monstrosity. In one sentence, this show is a dark trainwreck played out over 10 long unentertaining hours.

    edit: Just realized this was the same writer/producer that ruined Fantastic Four.

    And they end it on a cliffhanger, but you know it isn't good enough to get a season 2.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019
30
#30 Most Shared TV Season of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 22
  3. Negative: 2 out of 22
  1. The Independent
    Reviewed by: Ed Power
    Jan 3, 2020
    80
    The Umbrella Academy is a reminder caped crusader adaptations can be delightful and insightful along with punch-drunk and deafening. It’s as bonkers as anything – but a brolly good show to boot.
    Read full review
  2. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Catherine Gee
    Jan 3, 2020
    60
    As a production, it is incredibly stylish. Clearly a fair bit of money has been spent here. And there are enough good ideas in its multifaceted story to please some fans of the comic book – and comics in general. But if it does return for a second run, it would be nice to see some more genuinely fresh ideas – without the over-reliance on tried, tested and tired tropes from years past.
    Read full review
  3. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Dec 30, 2019
    50
    Too much of the series, though, suffers from the same grey emotional palate and cement pacing that have afflicted every other Netflix superhero show. ... Ellen Page is utterly wasted until the season’s last two episodes, by which point Umbrella Academy has squandered most of the goodwill its occasional bursts of stylistic inspiration have generated.
    Read full review
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