Netflix: The Umbrella Academy

[technoblue]

Did anyone else catch the release of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix over the weekend? It's based on the comic of the same name by Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Bá. From what I understand, it's a very good small screen interpretation whose artistic license improves on the character stories.  I haven't read the comics yet, myself so I would like to hear more from those who have. Anyway, as someone who is new to these characters and this universe, all I'll say up front is that I started watching it on a whim and got so very hooked. I binged it from Friday through Monday.

Now I'm searching around for copies of the comics, but I find myself very lost on that front. 

Here's the official Netflix teaser, in case you have yet to see it.

 

[spacemanoeuvres]

I actually watched the first episode last night! The comics look interesting but I lost interest in the show pretty quickly. I really enjoyed Sheehan in Misfits so I was excited to see him here. He and Page were the strongest actors but again it didn’t hold my interest. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by spacemanoeuvres
wrods

[Focslain]

Me and my group binged this last weekend. Personally I thought it was ok, the time travel and paradoxes was a neat hook. Saw the ending coming a mile away, but was still a fun ride.

Never read the comic but my buddy (who requested we watch it in the first place) stated it was close enough though deviates from the comic just after the halfway mark. The tone and general feel was still kept up though the end.

So if you didn't mind what the MCU did with it's source material then this adaption shouldn't be too bad for readers of the original series.

[technoblue]

Thanks, guys. That's good information. It makes me want to pick up the comics even more now—to read the story from that perspective.

And thanks to the mod who moved this to the right place. I didn't even notice I was in the toys forum when I posted it (oops). 

[slaginpit]

just my opinion. It sucks.

[technoblue]

All opinions are welcome. I did ask for them, after all. 

8 hours ago, Focslain said:

Me and my group binged this last weekend. Personally I thought it was ok, the time travel and paradoxes was a neat hook. Saw the ending coming a mile away, but was still a fun ride.

Never read the comic but my buddy (who requested we watch it in the first place) stated it was close enough though deviates from the comic just after the halfway mark. The tone and general feel was still kept up though the end.

So if you didn't mind what the MCU did with it's source material then this adaption shouldn't be too bad for readers of the original series.

Yes, the ending was obvious, but I think that set up was the point. The journey to get there was quite entertaining and I did have a lot of fun with the dysfunctional relationships and time travel bits and bobs.  More specifically on that latter point, it's nice to watch a show where the "traveler" character has holes in his knowledge even if he believes himself to be (and comes across as) a know-it-all. It reminds me of the movie Memento in some ways, but without all the scenes being played out of order (better yet 12 Monkeys with all the time travel paradox narrative).

Also, I really grew into the blue-collar characterization of Hazel and Cha-Cha. I have no idea if the "time protection agency" is characterized with similar levels of management in the comics but it was so odd and yet so unique to see those visuals here. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by technoblue

[Big s]

It was a busy weekend, but I did mange to watch the first 2 episodes. So far I really like what I see. It’s filmed fairly well for a series and so far I like the story. I’ve never read the comics though. It’s sorta like the X men, but with ptsd from the actions the professor put them through. Hopefully later this week I’ll have time for the rest of the show.

 I’m surprised it took this long for a thread to pop up for this show.

[SaitouSad]

I binged it over several days and just finished it.

Having read the first series, I felt it was a little odd that they also made some significant changes to characters' personalities.
Deviation from the comic helped expand a lot on the characters, though the TV series felt like it's doing its own things altogether (the MCU comparison is pretty apt). Plus it feels more grounded seeing it on TV.

What was jarring for me though, were the occasional plot holes, and complete character personality change between episodes.

Starting on the second comic series now, I realize there are certain characters and plot elements plucked from the laster series as well. It would be interesting to see how the series continues, having deviated so much right now.

Side note: For some odd reason, I've always found Ellen Page characters to be unlikable, and it is somehow the same here. Her character just feels unlikable, despite being rather pitiful. 

[Graham]

Really enjoying this. It came out on Netflix HK a couple of weeks ago I think ,but due to being insanely busy at the moment I'm only up to episode 7. Watching together with my wife.

Never read or even heard of the comic before.

 

 

[505thAirborne]

Just watched episode 1 last night, so far I am intrigued & I'll watch more tonight. Curious to see where it goes & how it ends. 

[technoblue]

On 2/20/2019 at 11:00 PM, SaitouSad said:

Side note: For some odd reason, I've always found Ellen Page characters to be unlikable, and it is somehow the same here. Her character just feels unlikable, despite being rather pitiful. 

On this point, not being well-versed in the comic, I have to admit...

Spoiler

...that I was surprised by how easily Leonard (the Conductor) led Vanya back into darkness. Her struggle wasn't easy to watch given the whole thing with the pills and the suggestion forced upon her to assume that she wasn't special. Then there was that scene when Allison confronted her at the cabin in an attempt to turn things round and rescue her only to have things go even more sideways....

Conceptually, I thought it was handled very well, given how the step siblings had grown distant. And, I do think Vanya as a character is strong, but no she doesn't win points in the end even though she does win Allison's forgiveness. Essentially, we were witness to the rise of a super villain.

I wasn't aware of too many plot holes in my first time through. I'm planning to watch it again more carefully in a week or so. I'll have to see if I can pick up on the stuff that I missed.

18 hours ago, 505thAirborne said:

Just watched episode 1 last night, so far I am intrigued & I'll watch more tonight. Curious to see where it goes & how it ends. 

Nice. There were a number of story elements that I thought did pick up in pace after the first two episodes.

Edited February 22, 2019 by technoblue

[505thAirborne]

Due to limited time I'm only 3 episodes in, again I'm liking it but I feel like the story is going reeeeeaaaalllly slow at what the plot actually is. 

Oh well, tomorrow is another night & episode! 

[easnoddy]

I liked it a lot.  Much better than the Netflix MCU IMO.  Its quirky, its dark, doesn't waste too much time on romance and other fillers.

[sh9000]

 

[technoblue]

Thanks for linking that @sh9000. I really enjoyed how they integrated the music into this series, and both dancing scenes (this one, and the one later when the show was focusing on Luther and Allison).

[Mazinger]

I'm on episode 4 and appreciate the time spent on the characters just being who they are. Good show so far.  Unpredictable, and refreshingly more complex than I assumed when the first trailers came out.

[technoblue]

I agree that the first season was a deep study in not judging a book by its cover. 

Oh, and we have a second season on the way! 

http://www.darkhorizons.com/netflixs-umbrella-academy-gets-renewed/

 

[Dobber]

Awesome!

[technoblue]

And now season 2 has an air date. 

 

[Dynaman]

Looking forward to it.  I was very pleasantly surprised by the first season.

[jvmacross]

Same here.  Knew nothing about it but got hooked right away.

[Tking22]

Loved the first season so count me in as excited for more!

[Thom]

Just watched the season a few weeks ago, and I really liked it. All the character are really interesting in their dysfunctional way, with a lot of problems coming by how mishandled they were by their 'Father.'

The one I liked best however was Vanya. She is a very downtrodden character, though I wouldn't characterize her as a super villain, but more of a tragic 'villain.' And at this point I use villain loosely. She was a tool that was used and discarded, disparaged for most of her life as her siblings were celebrated, and then used again by the one person who seemed to openly care about her. That she had no context for control is pretty clear. There was a point in which all of it could have been defused - but...
 

Spoiler

 

Luthor botched that up. Though I like him, it was a mistake to treat her as a threat rather than as what she truly was, simply a wounded sister. Locking her back into that cell in the basement cracked her nut right open.

I do have to say though, I figured near the beginning that she was the cause of the apocalypse. The only one of seven gifted children rounded up by Hargreeves who apparently has no gift..? And is popping medication..? It just stands to plot-reasoning that when hers manifested it was going to be extraordinarily powerful.

I still have hope for the character though. It seems like she may have a split personality, with one half fueled by her powers. If they can connect and reason with her then there is the possibility of stopping the whole thing before it started.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Thom

[technoblue]

22 minutes ago, Thom said:

Just watched the season a few weeks ago, and I really liked it. All the character are really interesting in their dysfunctional way, with a lot of problems coming by how mishandled they were by their 'Father.'

The one I liked best however was Vanya. She is a very downtrodden character, though I wouldn't characterize her as a super villain, but more of a tragic 'villain.' And at this point I use villain loosely. She was a tool that was used and discarded, disparaged for most of her life as her siblings were celebrated, and then used again by the one person who seemed to openly care about her. That she had no context for control is pretty clear. There was a point in which all of it could have been defused - but...
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Luthor botched that up. Though I like him, it was a mistake to treat her as a threat rather than as what she truly was, simply a wounded sister. Locking her back into that cell in the basement cracked her nut right open.

I do have to say though, I figured near the beginning that she was the cause of the apocalypse. The only one of seven gifted children rounded up by Hargreeves who apparently has no gift..? And is popping medication..? It just stands to plot-reasoning that when hers manifested it was going to be extraordinarily powerful.

I still have hope for the character though. It seems like she may have a split personality, with one half fueled by her powers. If they can connect and reason with her then there is the possibility of stopping the whole thing before it started.

 

 

Vanya was one of my favorite characters too, and her story is indeed tragic. Seeing her as a tragic 'villain' is as sound as seeing her as a super villain like a Mr. Glass archetype, I think, especially given the timey-wimey plot driven elements of the story. The other points you summarize are the things that were difficult for me to watch in my original play through. It was obvious that Vanya was being taught not to accept herself for who she was but to repress herself and her talents. And then she meets someone on her own who appears to accept her, who is not part of her mixed-up family and earns her trust, and ...  

More season one spoiler-ish thoughts below.

Spoiler

The way season one was setup, I was hoping to see the other siblings stand up to the ideology of their adoptive father and help unwind from the repression and abuse that they had received from him. I was cheering them on, as each one got a mini character arc to learn about their own shortcomings and even self-correct at times. Given that up-ward movement I wanted them to also recognize Vanya's own pain, but there is more to this story (which is okay too).

In the case of Luther, yeah. You're right about him going too far with Vanya.  He is the strongest physically, but he is not all there when it comes to sibling wisdom, making good choices, or keeping his own emotions in check when it's important. He was too dependent on Hargreeves when he was a kid, and he doesn't grow out of that dependency even after his step-dad sends him away to the moon making it an obvious gesture that he was done with him.

This is one of Luther's critical character flaws, I think, and it plays into what happens to his brothers and sisters (especially Vanya). Even after Hargreeves' funeral he was still holding onto the idea that the old team and the old rules mattered. That mistaken psychology allowed him to keep his calm mask up. It wasn't until after his epiphany in the later half of season one, when he finds all his moon letters to 'dad' stashed and unread that his mask is abandoned and he crashes.

Unfortunately for his sisters, Vanya and Allison, his breakdown at the end has real negative consequences.  

 

[Dynaman]

She is not a villain.  She is a force of nature.  Even the idea of Antagonist and Protaganist in the show is hard to pin down.

[technoblue]

1 hour ago, Dynaman said:

She is not a villain.  She is a force of nature.  Even the idea of Antagonist and Protaganist in the show is hard to pin down.

Mm. That's just as legitimate too. I think it's cool how we each have our own impression of her from the first season.

I'm looking forward to how season 2 challenges my own perceptions of Vanya's character.

[Thom]

Yeah, Luther is the least emotionally developed, because he was reliant on Hargreeve for so long, and then shipped off to the moon where his only friend was a plant!

And great point @Dynaman. A Force of Nature is an apt description.

[technoblue]

The new trailer is out. 

I've been holding off on reading the graphic novels...LoL! The wait for this is getting real.   

 

[Dynaman]

Looks good but a disturbing lack of Hazel and Cha Cha.  

[jvmacross]

One of the reasons why I am still keeping Netflix....

[Thom]

Okay, I am psyched! As if I wasn't psyched before. Just a few more weeks!

[TangledThorns]

My wife and I are watching the first season. Just a few episodes and its OK so far, hope I get the hype soon...

[Dynaman]

IIRC it takes a few episodes to build up.  The first couple are WTF?  The rest explain/expound on all the WTF.  Till if finally becomes "over already?"

[technoblue]

Just finished the first episode. Yeah, it's great to be back in this universe. 

 

 

[sqidd]

It's a slow burn for the first five. More backstory, etc. It looks like it's picking up now.