Netflix’s new show, The Umbrella Academy, follows the lives of six adults who have been groomed to be heroes since they were very young. Being trained to be the “perfect hero” would not be easy. This show displays how living a life as a hero can affect people as adults and gives a view of retired superheroes reuniting to save the world.

The Umbrella Academy starts because of a strange phenomenon that occurred causing 43 infants to be born to mother who wasn’t pregnant the day before. Sir Reginald Hargreeves, a wealthy scientist, goes all around the world looking for these babies to adopt because he believes they may have some type of power or ability. He was right. Hargreeves manages to get seven of these children and raises them to control their abilities. He teaches them to use their powers for the greater good. Throughout their childhood, one of the kids dies and another goes missing. The kids eventually go on with their lives, but they are reunited after the death of their adoptive father. Adults now, the five remaining investigate what happen to their father, while a greater issue unfolds.

I think the most interesting part of this show was the different personalities of the seven kids and what powers they have. Hargreeves never actually named the kids, just called them one through seven. Eventually, the children got sick of it and named themselves. Six of them have incredible abilities that they use to help the world.

Number One, Luther, has super strength and is the leader of the group. Diego, Number Two, can throw knives so accurately that they will always hit his target. Number Three, Allison, can make any rumor come true. Number Four, Klaus, can see and conjure the dead. Five can jump through wormholes to other parts of the room and time travel. Ben, Number Six, has a tentacled monster from another dimension inside him that he can unleash when needed. Number Seven, Vanya, is seemingly ordinary.

Things were not as they seemed in this show. If I were to compare and contrast the characters and how they act in the first and last episodes, the differences would hugely outweigh the similarities. The writers and creators of the show did an praiseworthy job of keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the entire stories. A big example of this was when Five came to the present day from the future. He had been trapped their for over 30 years. In travelling back, he got trapped in his thirteen year old body, even though he was actually in his early 50’s. Five brings the main conflict of the looming apocalypse. Going into the show, I didn’t think it was going to be an end of the world centric storyline, so this really got me invested in how they were going to stop this from happening. The person behind the apocalypse is also very astonishing part of the story.

It was a plot twist that no one could have expected.

In The Umbrella Academy, nothing that happens is set in stone, with the time travel abilities of Five. This leaves so many possibilities open for future seasons.

I also really liked how this show wasn’t just a show about siblings reuniting to find out what happened to their father. It was actually about the importance of family. The siblings grew apart after being separate for all those years. They were all doing different things in different parts of the world. None of them really had the ability to catch up with one another, however, their father’s death brings them together. At first, they are all standoffish, but as the season progresses, the six realize how much they need each other.

None of them can save the world on their own. Also, they are there for each other if one does something shady. They all believed in redemption and care about each other no matter what. This show was a good example of how much family means to a person and the lengths people will go to for each other. The power of family was a very heartwarming theme to such a thrilling story.

The Umbrella Academy has been bringing in fans all over the world with its captivating storyline, intricate characters and plot twists. Netflix has already confirmed a second season, which is a relief because the cliffhanger that season one was left on. This show blends action, comedy, and tragedy perfectly into something truly wonderful. The storyline is constantly changing and goes through many twist and turns, which makes it a really fun show to watch. The reaction of fans was really positive. People were talking all over social media about their favorite moments, surprising parts and how they feel about characters. I believe that the show was really interesting to watch, as the plot was constantly changing and developing. I’m very excited to see what comes next for all the characters after what went down in the first season. This show is very binge-worthy and worthwhile.