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The Umbrella Academy is one of many notable series on Netflix: a popular content platform where hundreds of genres of movies and series are offered. With total viewership numbering 45 million member households globally and being on the top 10 most-watched series on Netflix for both season one in 2019 and season two in 2020, this Netflix original’s success was guaranteed. The Umbrella Academy was adapted from the same-titled comic by Gerard Way and Gabrial Bá. The creator of the show, Steve Blackman, wanted to develop a show that respected the comic and its fans but differed from it slightly due to a few changes and adjustments made to the plot and the characters. In the end, this Netflix adaption became not just another ordinary superheroes TV series, but a masterpiece of racial and gender. Furthermore, American social issues are not excluded from the show but seamlessly blend into this fantasy science fiction.

“Gif by @umbrellaacad via Giphy.”

The plot begins with children who are born at the exact same time on October 1, 1989, by different women around the world, who never showed any sign of pregnancy. Sir Reginald Hargreeves later adopt seven of the children that were born that day. Altogether there are five White girls and boys, one Black girl, and one Asian boy. Hargreeves educates and trains them to be superheroes of "The Umbrella Academy." He calls them by numbers from one to seven, not by their names. However, a robot mother later gives the children the following names: Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Five, Ben, and Vanya (respectively). Apart from their robot mother, the children also have a talking chimpanzee as their mentor. Their childhood is boring though as the children are wrapped up in training and fighting petty villains just to fulfil Sir Hargreeves’s fantasy. 

In season one, the setting is in 2019 or the present-day. The story reveals that “The Umbrella Academy” is a total failure. The children have grown up to be typical adults, not powerful superheroes. It’s sad but true. Unfortunately, the siblings have gathered again due to their father, Sir Hargreeves’ death and they also have to save the world from Vanya, one of the siblings, who is unable to control her power. Alright, it’s power flexing time! After successfully saving the world from their powerful little sister, they are forced to time travel back to Dallas, Texas during the 1960’s. The siblings, however, are separated in different years. In season two, they have to prevent the world from the apocalypse again. (Seems like someone has been enjoying the catastrophe here). While also having to deal with social issues like racial discrimination and homophobia which are prominent in that decade.

“Gif by @umbrellaacad via Giphy.”

What makes this show even more incredible is that while it carries these significant issues, it still manages to make the audience giggle. In other words, the sense of humor contained in the show helps you not to be overwhelmed by the seriousness of it all. Not once does The Umbrella Academy ridicule the issues as one of their jokes. You can just watch a scene from the show and find it funny. For example, in season two, when the Handler, the antagonist, is mad at her assistant, Herb, for taking her position, she says to her commander: “I dropped turds bigger than Herb.” Herb then replies: “someone needs fiber” and chortles. This scene is supposed to be serious but, the humorous conversation takes it the other way. My personal favorite is a scene in which the Handler’s stepdaughter introduces the Handler to her new boyfriend, Diego. The Handler casually says to her daughter: “sweetheart, your vagina needs glasses. He is not worth it.” The way the actors and actresses deliver these lines with straight faces makes the gags even more hilarious. I bet you’ll die watching these scenes.

                                                                                                                     “Gif by @umbrellaacad via Giphy.”

On top of everything, The Umbrella Academy delivers significant messages along with covering the American historical background flawlessly. In the first season, the message of bad parenting which causes severe trauma is portrayed as it is. One of the main reasons why the characters suffer psychological problems as adults. This is presented in the character of Vanya Hargreeves whom her father makes her believe that she has no ability and useless. Therefore, she is unable to control her power when finds out she has it. And Harold Jenkins, the main antagonist as well as Vanya’s boyfriend at the time, has an abusive father and hates Sir Hargreeves. So, he grows up thinking violence is the only solution and ends up persuading Vanya to destroy “The Umbrella Academy."

                                                                                                                     “Gif by @umbrellaacad via Giphy.”

Because, The Umbrella Academy is a superheroes TV series, the effect of these character’s trauma goes beyond their psychological trauma and is the cause of the apocalypse that annihilates all species. Just like the Butterfly Effect, the wave from a single character’s personal trauma eventually puts the entire world in danger — and this is what makes this Netflix adaption fascinating! The thrill is escalated in season two as the issues of racial discrimination, homophobia, and feminism in the 60’s, are displayed! As the siblings have to travel back in time to the 60’s to prevent the world from ending, they experience what it is like to be black or gay back then. For instance, Allison or Number Two is Black and consequently, she has to face thousands of daily life struggles more than any of her siblings like not being able to have a meal at a “Whites Only” diner or having to straighten her naturally curly hair. Therefore, Allison creates a civil movement that ends with an abusive arrest that reflects racial discrimination accurately. Historical moments in the 60’s like John F Kennedy’s assassination is also applied as a mission in the series. The way that science fiction and time traveling, alongside accurate historical context are weaved together seamlessly is what makes the show worth watching.  

                                                                                                                       “Gif by @umbrellaacad via Giphy.”

Blackman explains in a CBR interview why the show is extraordinary. He says that when he had to pick a section of the comics to include in the show, he decided to pick Book five in Volume two, which takes place in Dallas during the time of John F Kennedy’s assassination which he viewed was " a great setting for the show." Blackman also mentioned that he made many developments from season one as there are higher expectations from the fans. Even though, the strength of the show is its sense of humor, season two is also more serious because they “told some really real stories this year about things that are now in the cultural zeitgeist, like racial tension. So finding that balance is sort of tricky” (qtd. in Vinney).

Blackman also says that they put a lot of conspiracy theories in the show, some are obvious like the John F Kennedy’s assassination and some are “big Easter eggs” which are hidden messages for the fans. For example, the movie marquee changes to indicate the different years in the 60’s. He notes that the early 60’s “was a really interesting time period, so [the team] wanted to grab all [American] stories in the time period as well as we could.” Blackman explains that what [the team] wanted to tell is “that [the 60’s] is a voiceless time for people of color. And it's not by fluke that the first experience [Allison] has is arriving, going into a place for help and it says "Whites Only." Moreover, The Umbrella Academy is indeed a “fantasy show,” but they did not want to look over or “glaze over” racism. They wanted the audience to experience the situation and the issues in the period. Although Blackman realizes that the issues have slightly improved since the 60’s, he thinks we all have “a long, long way to go” (qtd. in Vinney).

                                                                                                                         "Image by Christos Kalohoridis via Netflix.”

Nevertheless, the comic and the Netflix version of The Umbrella Academy has its uniqueness. Steve Blackman, the creator of the Netflix adaption, addressed in the CBR interview that he has a close relationship with Gerard Way, the original author of The Umbrella Academy, and Gabrial Bá who is the creator of the comic version. After their discussion, they realized that the TV series “couldn't be a carbon copy.” The charm of The Umbrella Academy comic version is “nonlinear storytelling” which cannot be illustrated in the series production. Besides, Blackman wanted to respect the fans of the comic as well as the new fans of the Netflix version, so, he had to modify the Netflix version and try his best to find what fans enjoy most (qtd. in Vinney).

Katie Louise Smith listed on PopBuzz that there are twenty-two differences between the Netflix adaption and the comics. The plot and the characters are different. A significant change is that the characters’ powers are subdued from the comic version as Blackman wanted to make the show appear more realistic. Moreover, in season two, the show presents Vanya and Klaus as LGBTQ+ when they are not LGBTQ+ in the comics. Also, Vanya, Klaus and Allison have their lovers which are the characters that only appear on the Netflix version. Blackman explains in CinemaBlend that the LGBTQ+ and the black characters were added as they do not want to ignore the American social issues in 1963. He also stated that “[the team] did an incredible amount of research on [American social issues], and [the team] really wanted to ground it in a real way that felt emotional and could be understood as relatable" (qtd. in Smith).

Ultimately, the humorous and historical superheroes in this Netflix adaption are the reasons why The Umbrella Academy is so-good-that-it-must-be-seen TV series. Not only does it have interesting storylines about superheroes, but it also demonstrates how to incorporates social issues and the diversity of American history in a decent amount. Despite all its serious topics, the show is surprisingly extremely amusing too. It is something that one can enjoy binge-watching without being overwhelmed while still being able to educate oneself. The mixture of serious issues and entertainment in one show is unreal and once you start the first episode, you won’t be able to stop.

Before we go, check out the hilarious behind the scene here!