The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Blocks Sophomore Slump Showers
The second season of the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy does something too rare in entertainment — following up a hit first offering with a second one just as good and in some aspects even better. Below I will give my spoiler-free review, giving away nothing more than what could be seen in the latest trailer. Oh, and Season 1 of course — big spoilers if you haven’t seen that.
A second effort that falls below the quality of the first is sadly so common it has a nickname; the “sophomore slump.” Not every follow-up is a dud, of course. Solid second efforts include The Empire Strikes Back, Stranger Things Season 2 and Mob Psycho 100 Season 2, among many more. But for every example like those cited, there are handfuls of disappointments; Thor: The Dark World, Jessica Jones Season 2 and One Punch Man Season 2, among way too many others.
The second season of The Umbrella Academy improves on the first in some significant ways. The pacing is better, the narrative structure is tighter and more intricate, and the secondary characters are more numerous and generally more fleshed out (taking nothing away from the amazing writing and acting of Hazel and Cha-Cha in Season 1). With the excellent returning cast doing as good or even a better job than in Season 1, some might think the new season is even better than the first. I would agree if not for the fact that the writing relies on some pretty unbelievable plot conveniences, particularly in the final few episodes, as the show races toward another incredible conclusion. (Note how I avoided the term “plot hole” which has become hated by the reviewing community because of overuse and misuse.)
Because of those problems with plot elements, the second season only rises to the same level of quality as the first. Not that they got in the way of my enjoyment of this new season. Unlike the idiotic Aquaman, in which the rest of the story, writing, acting, etc., in that bloated underwater CGI hallucination was so weak it didn’t allow me to ignore the huge plot problems, The Umbrella Academy Season 2 was so good in all other aspects that I noted the plot issues and went on my way enjoying the thrill ride.
That plot is even more intricate than in Season 1, and kudos to show co-creator Steve Blackman and his writing team. The first season of The Umbrella Academy was, as a whole, a bit of a mish-mash when it comes to story structure. That’s to be expected — essentially Blackman and team had to write six origin stories plus a team origin story plus a current-day “end of the world” plot in just 10 episodes. Make no mistake, they did as good a job as could be expected, but there was no way it wasn’t going to seem somewhat disjointed.
In Season 2, because the writers didn’t have to handle all the origin stories, the individual stories of each family member as they are trapped in the early 1960s weaves into the overall story like a brocade tapestry, allowing each character to get time for their separate stories without it seeming like an introduction episode. When there are flashbacks ( flash forwards? flash-less-backs? time travel is weird) they are often done in a style that seems like an expanded montage — each segment gets just enough action and dialogue to jump to the next segment. That helps a lot with the pacing problems of Season 1. It undoubtedly is also responsible in some part for the plot issues — editing for pacing might have left things on the cutting room floor that would have explained them.
Thematically, the new season expands on the first season’s message of “family is important, however you define it.” Season 2 adds to that a strong undercurrent of individual identity and self-acceptance. And not just with Ellen Page’s Vanya, who has a lot of things to accept about herself, not the least of which is destroying the Earth. All of the siblings have to come to terms with their own identity issues. Watching them go through that is as important a part of Season 2 as the time travel plot that involves a thermonuclear war and the Kennedy assassination. And one of those scenes is the first time this series brought me to tears. Season 1 had plenty of gut-punching emotional moments, but none of them moved me like one scene in Season 2. It was beautiful, heartbreaking and superbly acted.
Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy ends with another cliff hanger that makes me want a Season 3 right now, but a cliff hanger completely different from the first season, when we saw Five jump the whole team through time just as the world was destroyed. But that Season 2 ending isn’t the only reason I want Season 3 as soon as possible. Throughout the season, questions are raised and reveals happen that absolutely need to be answered. Like, seriously, what the Hell is up with [REDACTED]?
I give Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, playing now on Netflix, an 8 out of 10.
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