The Umbrella Academy

“The Umbrella Academy handles queer grief in a touching and authentic way that isn’t exploitative.”

Title: The Umbrella Academy
Episodes Reviewed: All (Seasons 1-4)
Creator: Steve Blackman 👨🏼🇨🇦
Writers: Steve Blackman 👨🏼🇨🇦 (8 eps), Jesse McKeown 👨🏼🇨🇦 (7 eps), Robert Askins 👨🏼🇺🇸 (7 eps), Aeryn Michelle Williams 👩🏾🇺🇸🌈 (4 eps), and various, based on the comics by Gerard Way 👨🏼🇺🇸 and Gabriel Bá 👨🏽🇧🇷

Reviewed by Sam 🧑🏻🇺🇸🌈

Technical: 3.5/5

Traditional superhero shows like The Flash and Ms Marvel often draw a clear line between good and evil. In contrast, Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy shines an honest light on the messiness that would come with superpowers. Based on the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, we follow the Umbrella Academy: a family of seven kids with powers, adopted and raised by Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), an eccentric billionaire with a strong interest in discovering the extent of their unique abilities.

The first two seasons of the show stay true to the comics. Writers craft a compelling story that investigates themes like familial cycles of trauma and the tension between acting out of self-interest or for the greater good. They lean into weirdness, showing chimps that talk and intricate fights overlaid with iconic tunes. These sillier moments balance out darker confrontations through characters like Klaus Hargreeves (Robert Sheehan), a psychic who struggles with his ability to see ghosts and who turns to substance abuse as a coping mechanism.

However, the latter two seasons feel like a completely different show. The focus shifts away from the characters towards an outlandish, convoluted plot. No longer a mix of fun and introspection, the show struggles to find a way to return to the tonal balance that made The Umbrella Academy so successful in the first place.

Gender: 3.5/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES

The only female character on the Umbrella Academy team is Allison Hargreeves (Emmy Raver-Lampman), who can persuade anyone via “rumoring” to do whatever she wants them to do. The show does a great job of giving nuance to Allison’s character, especially early on. She juggles her role as a mother with her complicated relationship with her powers, and the show isn’t afraid to highlight her imperfections. Unfortunately, in later seasons, she becomes more one-dimensional and villainous, using her powers to force her adoptive brother Luther Hargreeves (Tom Hopper), who has super-strength from his ape-like body modifications, to kiss her.

Season 2 introduces Lila Pitts (Ritu Arya), who has mimicry powers. Additionally, she is the adoptive daughter of The Handler (Kate Walsh), one of the show’s antagonists. The writers do an excellent job of exploring Lila’s past trauma and allowing her to grow and open up. Her story makes an excellent addition to The Umbrella Academy universe.

In later seasons, the portrayal of women grows shakier along with the plot. While the Sparrow Academy, the Umbrella Academy’s counterparts, has three female characters out of the seven heroes, they lack agency and storylines independent from their male peers. For example, Sloane (Genesis Rodriguez), a Sparrow who can manipulate gravity, falls into the trope of being a female love interest for Luther. It’s disappointing; the show wastes the character’s potential and that of the other female Sparrows.

Race: 4/5

In the original comics, the Umbrella Academy consists only of white superheroes. In contrast, the Netflix series casts three actors of color among the core seven heroes. Mexican American actor David Castañeda plays Diego Hargreeves, whose telekinesis allows him to wield daggers expertly. Biracial Black and white actress Emmy Raver-Lampman plays Allison. And Korean American Justin Min portrays Ben, an ever-present ghost and ex-member of the Umbrella Academy.

The first season takes a colorblind approach to representing race, never explicitly addressing the topic. Later on, especially with the inclusion of Lila (portrayed by British Indian actor Arya), the show acknowledges how race informs these characters’ experiences. The most notable example of Umbrella Academy bringing race into the story is Allison’s storyline in Season 2.

During a time warp, Allison accidentally ends up in Dallas in 1961, at the height of the civil rights movement. Along with her Black husband, Raymond (Yusuf Gatewood), they engage in protests and activism, such as diner sit-ins and coalition-building meetings in a barbershop with other Black activists. The sci-fi aspect occasionally overpowers the historical gravitas. Still, for the most part, Allison’s Dallas scenes provide valuable insight into her experience as a Black woman navigating a discriminatory world.

Later seasons also make subtle nods to ethnicity by having Ben speak Korean or hearing Diego speak Spanish. But for the most part, the show feels hesitant in its portrayals of racial and ethnic identity.

LGBTQ: 5/5

On the flip side, The Umbrella Academy stands out for its LGBTQ main characters: Klaus, as well as Viktor Hargreeves (Elliot Page), the estranged sibling who appeared to be the only powerless group member until he discovers sound manipulation abilities towards the end of Season 1.

The show repeatedly affirms these characters’ queerness. When Viktor presented as a woman during the first two seasons, he had a sapphic romance with Sissy (Marin Ireland), a woman in an unhappy marriage with a man. Klaus has a touching storyline in which he mourns the death of his lover, Dave (Cody Ray Thompson), a fellow soldier who died on the battlefield during the Vietnam War. While this could have fallen into the “Bury Your Gays” trope, the show handles queer grief in a touching and authentic way that’s less exploitative and more empathetic. Writers spend ample time exploring how Klaus learns to cope with loss. Additionally, both Sissy and Viktor learn how to love in a place where queerness cannot exist in the public eye.

It’s also refreshing to see Klaus’ experimentation with gender expression so normalized. Klaus occasionally borrows Allison’s skirts and blouses, perfectly comfortable dressing outside stereotypical masculinity. While the show doesn’t address the character’s gender fluidity, the actor says Klaus is not “necessarily a man.” The way all his teammates readily accept him, no matter how he shows up, reinforces that Klaus’ gender doesn’t need to be defined.

Speaking of gender, The Umbrella Academy made headlines when one of the leading actors on the show, Page, came out as transgender. The show aptly made adjustments to his character by incorporating Viktor’s own name change and gender presentation without too much fanfare. Additionally, how all the Hargreeves quickly accept Viktor for who he is serves as a healthy display of allyship. Oftentimes, trans storylines focus on the struggles of dealing with transphobia, so it’s heartwarming to see a trans character so casually existing in the superhero world.

Mediaversity Grade: B 4.00/5

The Umbrella Academy has fantastic queer and trans storylines, and for the most part, it does a decent job of handling its characters of color. Even with its less-than-good portrayals of women and general plot inconsistencies, the Netflix series has secured its reputation as an out-of-the-box superhero show with a large cult following.

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Grade: BLiMay 18, 2025Great for: LGBTQ