The Umbrella Academy started as a comic book before it was adapted for the screen by Netflix. That isn't all that special in itself, but creating a hit from mining comics is becoming a rare feat nowadays. That's why this fascinating and mind-bending series entering its fourth and final series is a big deal.
This show tells the story of a dysfunctional family in a very original way. The characters are born with powers and were adopted by a wealthy philanthropist at birth to be raised as a superhero team. What ensues is hilarious, moving, exciting and very often downright weird, with the series predominantly carried on back-and-forths between the siblings and their many enemies.
It's not an understatement to say that some of these characters will be truly missed when the show comes to an end after five years. With that in mind, it's a great time to come to the show for the first time. The last two seasons racked up a series-best 91 per cent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The best TVs you can buy in 2024
Apocalyptic excellence
Each series pits our team of unlikely and imbalanced heroes against an apocalyptic potential end for us all. And when all that stands in the way of planetary annihilation is a bunch of misfits that struggle to get along, queue a nail-biting and often unpredictable adventure of a show.
From super strong giants and teleporters to mind controllers and time travellers – The Umbrella Academy isn't short of fantastical imagination. Keep in mind that the creation comes from Dark Horse comics – a more mature arm of the already darker-than-Marvel DC comics – so it's not surprising that it's close to the bone in a very edgy and effective way.
Actors to look out for include Robert Sheehan (Misfits), who puts in a career-defining performance as Klaus, a loveable misfit who can see the dead and battles his own drug-based demons. Also, movie actress Elliot Page (Juno, Inception) leads the way as Vanya/Viktor who has potentially planet-destroying powers and goes through a personal journey of identity as the series progresses.
Is this the end?
The show started in 2019 and is already entering its fourth and final series, going to show just how popular it has been. Indeed, a massive 45 million households watched season one during its first week of release, and since then it has received six Emmy nominations.
It's also a measure of how much The Umbrella Academy will be missed by its many fans. Will there be a spin-off series or some sort of reboot to keep it going? It's hard to imagine that the studio will leave this where it stands – but with sci-fi and Netflix, it's hard to say.
A movie adaptation was originally floated some years back, so perhaps there's a chance that this could follow the final series.
MORE:
5 movies and TV shows worth watching in Netflix's Global Top 10
We've built a cutting-edge home cinema system around LG's superb C4 OLED
The surprising '80s album that never leaves our hi-fi test rooms
This sci-fi cult classic has a surprising sequel – and it's free to watch right now
