Review | Season three of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ does not disappoint

Following the first two seasons, the sci-fi Netflix original series had a great deal to live up to. And in the third season, it did just that.

Mar+27%2C+2022%3B+Los+Angeles%2C+CA%2C+USA%3B+Elliot+Page+arrives+at+the+94th+Academy+Awards+at+Dolby+Theatre.

Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY

Mar 27, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Elliot Page arrives at the 94th Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre.

Jami Martin-Trainor, Arts Reporter


If absolutely nothing else, “The Umbrella Academy” knows how to leave viewers wanting more.

Following the first two seasons, the sci-fi Netflix original series had a great deal to live up to. With convoluted storylines and a killer cliffhanger following season two, viewers had built up excitement during the nearly two-year hiatus before the release of the third season.

That excitement was not only met, but exceeded.

Season three of “The Umbrella Academy” starts with the same whimsy and wonder the other two contain. Yet, rather than introducing us to the lives of our original cast, we see the lives of different characters — individuals we were teased with at the end of season two.

With a whole new array of powers, the new introductions gave me flashbacks to the first season, leaving me excited to learn more about these characters. But, before the audience even gets the chance to witness these new powers, the entire cast breaks into a dance battle to the song “Footloose,” with confetti and pizazz.

In essence, the 10-episode season took everything great from its first two seasons — energetic fight scenes, emotionally-charged moments, and excellent world-building — while fixing some of the less desirable aspects.

Luther Hargreeves, played by Tom Hopper, was one such example of that improvement and I certainly enjoyed his character much more this season. In the past, I found his character arcs to be one of the weakest parts of the show, but this season, I found myself looking forward to his screen time, which was a welcome change.

Reginald Hargreeves, played by Colm Feore, was immensely improved upon as well. In the past, Reginald felt like a very static character, but this season, I felt like I had a bit more understanding of the man. While he certainly is not my favorite character by any means, his storyline contains more nuance — something it severely lacked before.

RELATED: Review | ‘Kenobi’ brings balance to the Star Wars prequels

Elliot Page’s Viktor Hargreeves was also a character development that was handled excellently. When Viktor comes out as trans to his family, he is met with nothing but kindness and love. Witnessing such positivity for his character is honestly refreshing to see, and the characterization feels nothing but authentic.

Fans’ main qualm that I have seen with this season of “The Umbrella Academy” is that the “saving the world from total annihilation” plot gets a bit boring after the third rendition. I entirely disagree.

Yes, the theme of this season is nearly the same as the others — the Hargreeves need to save the world — but it’s not that cut-and-dry.

The crux of this season relies on the grandfather paradox, a hypothetical idea that asks what would happen if one travels back in time and somehow stops their own birth from happening. This theme has been addressed in infamous movies like “Back to the Future” and less-infamous movies like “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie,” but this time, the consequences are more drastic.

With new characters and fresh themes that are explored including loss, fatherhood, and identity, this season feels far from repetitive.

Typically, I keep my hopes low for sequels. With a few exceptions, I generally find later seasons for Netflix originals to be underwhelming. While there are certain elements I was not in love with for season three of “The Umbrella Academy,” if you enjoyed the first two seasons of the show, this one will not disappoint.