My Pointless Review: The Umbrella Academy

There was a lot I liked about The Umbrella Academy, but I found myself a bit perturb by the lack of answers to the many questions the 10-episode first season unraveled. 

The performances were uniformly great, though, with Mary J. Blige, Robert Sheehan, and young Aidan Gallagher being particular standouts for me. The show did not reinvent the dysfunctional family trope and, at times, sort of doubled-down on them that it became distracting. Nevertheless, there was enough dark humor and much likeability of the main characters that one can forgive them treading over the same themes other shows have done over the years

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I did find it odd that the character of Leonard, who becomes romantically involved with Vanya, would start out creepy from his first episode. He never comes off as the typical White Knight someone like Vanya might need considering how her father and siblings treated her as child and later as an adult (though those themes would be explored in later episodes), what the viewer might expect him to be. While that upsets the apple cart of typical storytelling metaphors, I felt it odd that this production made it so obvious early on that Leonard had a few loose screws. 

As series goes on, we the audience learn that Leonard (or Harold Jenkins) does have a beef with The Umbrella Academy –as well as serving jail time for killing his father, whom was physically and verbally abusing him when he was a child- so this explains his motives. And yes, Allison seems suspicious of Leonard early on as well, but again, the audience already knows something’s off about the man, so Allison’s investigation into his past just seems like some clumsy and sloppy exposition and offers no real surprises. 

But the biggest issue with the show for me deals with the lack of answers to the many questions it unfurls. Now as limited graphic novel book series, the writers can easily plop down a lot of plot information, world building and end it the way they did –hey, the world blows up. This gives them a Get Out of Jail Free Card in explaining anything, and for some people, maybe the ones who enjoy the comic book world, are fine with this. 

However, a TV viewing audience really does like some explanations. Maybe the producers, writers, directors don’t have to answer everything, but after 10 episodes (which may in itself be restrictive to the creative process), nothing is really revealed, no explanations to some the most basic issues presented here. And while the makers assume its audience are not idiots, I did expect some explanation to what is being presented on screen.

Again, not everything needs to be explained, but…

Are we really on Earth, or is this some sort of alternate timeline created by the seven Hargreeves adults who’ve failed again and again to stop the destruction of the planet? Does this mean they’re stuck in some sort of time loop (which means any of the deaths that occurred here won’t stick, so there is that) or a variation on Groundhogs Day, with number Five knowing more than anyone else?

And what year is it? Because it’s not 2019 as no one uses a computer, a mobile phone, or drive a modern car. This would give credence to idea that all of what we saw has all happened before, that Five has tried again and again to prevent the annihilation of Earth, only each time he does, whatever timeline they end up in, or alternate Earth for that matter, becomes more and more corrupted and further away from ours.

As it has pointed out in the opening narration: “On one day in 1989, 43 infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before.” Reginald Hargreeves adopts seven of them, but what happened to the other thirty-six? Now this plot point does not need real answers in season one, but I was surprised how quickly this aspect was dropped and forgotten, so I’m curious if this will be ever addressed as the show enters season two -as well as how these seven got their extraordinary powers.

Other questions: 

If the Commission is as powerful as they say, why are they living in 1955 with that year’s technology? 

In the finale, it appears that Reginald Hargreeves is an alien (?), as we see in a background shot through some windows, many ships launching from a planet. Is it the Earth or some alien world? Also, how does Hargreeves know the world is going to an end in the first place? Was he going to reveal this information to Klaus during their Ghost Adventures conversation when Klaus became a spirit box after collapsing during the rave? How and why did Ben die? (this plot point was not answered in the graphic novel, apparently either, so we may never get that resolved) and how does Klaus channel Ben’s power in the finale? 

Too many questions, too many ideas lying around like yesterday’s cold oatmeal. Maybe we should get some of these questions answered before they unload a steamer trunk full of more for next season.