The Umbrella Academy S3 Review: The Best Season by Far!

July 27, 2022July 28, 2022 Jennifer Arthur 1 Comment Aidan Gallagher, David Castañeda, Elliot Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Mary J. Blige, Robert Sheehan, The Umbrella Academy, Tom Hopper

With back-to-back releases of The Boys S3, Stranger Things S4, and the multiple other summer shows, it’s been quite a hectic time for us amateur critics. Holding onto the number 2 spot for a few weeks on Netflix’s global charts, The Umbrella Academy S3 returned with a bang. After averting a doomsday in Dallas, the Umbrella siblings return to a very different Academy, now ruled by the powerful and cruel Sparrows.

I have to say I did not enjoy Season 2 as much as I thought, with Five having the most entertaining story. Season 3, however, is decent in terms of the plot and execution. It’s more of what I anticipated from the previous season, but we got more like an detour or a filler until they figured out the actual direction of the show.

Five has always been my favorite of the siblings. I’ve found it interesting that he’s the only one without a name. Klaus is a close second. His biting sarcasm and cynical wit always made his dialogue entertaining. Also, the chemistry amongst the cast is eclectic. Victor and Alison did a great job of portraying the complicated relationship between siblings.

I liked how the show creators handled Vanya’s transition into Viktor. They acknowledged it, but didn’t spend too much time on it. That was the best way to go about it, I think. Tell the audience that this is what we’re doing and let us adjust without making it a huge deal. I have to say I also feel like Elliot Page looks more comfortable in the role as a result.

The Umbrellas are our favorite dysfunctional family. This season we’re given more background on the relationship between the siblings of both academies and their fathers. Their desire to meet or surpass his expectations only to realize they were more or fewer lab rats to be happily sacrificed for the sake of greater plans. We see how this manifests in all of them. Umbrellas and Sparrows alike. Klaus probably had the most strained relationship with their father, being that he was the most non-conforming of the bunch. This season tackles their strained relationship and affords Klaus some level of closure and acceptance that his siblings are yet to discover.

I really enjoyed the addition of the Sparrow Academy. I was wondering when the other 35 kids would eventually show up… Honestly, the special effects makeup could’ve been better in some scenes, though the CGI was good. I’m not sure why they brought Javon Walton’s character Stan, into the mix. He had zero purposes or effect on the storyline. He’s a pretty good young actor, but I really question the inclusion of his character.

For me, this season was the best by far. If you had asked me to rate this show previously I probably would’ve given it a 3 or a 3.5. Now, I can definitively say it’s up there with the best. I only hope they can keep the momentum going and keep us entertained with more adventures of The Academy. Watch The Umbrella Academy on Netflix here.