Hellooooooooooo Entertainment-seeking Peeps!
If somehow you’ve missed the buzz, The Umbrella Academy is the hottest thing on Netflix….and I LOVE IT!
I am a sucker for a good sci-fi plot and a good binge-worthy Netflix series and this is both. I wouldn’t call it family viewing exactly, but for teens or older it’s awesome! It’s not Game of Thrones level, so it’s up to you but there are fight scenes and Klaus’ drug use, so just check it out before showing youngsters.
Basic Plot (without spoilers): In 1989 43 women gave birth at the same time under exceptional circumstances. This piques the interest of “eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves” who adopts as many as he can to help them master the abilities they’ve been born with. (Think a junior X-Men with a leader who’s not as nice as the lovely Sir Patrick Stewart.)
Through some unfortunate circumstances, they grow into dysfunctional young adults.
Number One, Luther, is a gentle giant. He’s super strong with a loving heart.
Number 2, Diego, is a rebel and a fighter. Very much a “hit first, ask questions later” type. It sometimes gets him into trouble and sometimes gets the family out of trouble.
Number 3, Allison, seems quite self-absorbed and attention-seeking at first, but when you realise what her power is and what she’s been through, you see why she doesn’t want to be around the family.
Number Four, the aforementioned Klaus, has a somewhat hedonistic existence, but he uses the drink and drugs to numb his abilities…there is one scene where he’s in the bath and you see his thoughts and experiences for the first time and you suddenly understand why he wants to block it out. If it weren’t for him though, the finale of season 1 wouldn’t work.
Number 5, is a time-hopping boy. (Major props to that little actor by the way, he’s awesome!) If you saw the later episodes of Primeval with the bat-alien things, you’ll get the future scenes straight away. A lot of the main plot themes are centred around this eccentric young man,,, and the 2 assassins out to get him! Side note: The female of the team is played by Mary J Blige and she’s scarily good at the role!
Number 6, Ben, didn’t make it to adulthood, but still makes frequent appearances! I’ll leave it there…
Number 7, Vanya, is the quiet, dutiful child who grew into a seemingly ordinary adult. So quiet she’s almost invisible, except when playing the violin. She needs rescuing by the team and they unite to try to save her.
The music in this is astounding, there are also nods to the 80s background of the story in every episode….if you hear 80s pop you’re in for a good action scene or major plot point! As an 80s child, this just adds to the enjoyment.
There are 2 other characters in the house, their “mother” and an assistant, who happens to be a talking chimp. They seem kind of superfluous to the plot at the start, but they become much more significant. You grow to love the chimp, even when you don’t agree with him.
Totally worth a watch if you’ve ever sat through any sci-fi/superhero/time travel show and enjoyed it…possibly the quirkiest thing I’ve watched this year…well done Netflix, well done!
If you’ve seen it, let me know what you think!
Happy viewing Peeps,
Anna x
Photo by Craig Whitehead on Unsplash
A Peace of Life 