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Robert Sheehan plays Klaus Hargreeves and Aidan Gallagher plays Number Five in "The Umbrella Academy." Photo courtesy of IMDb.

REVIEW: ‘Umbrella Academy’ season 3 highlights an approaching end

Season three of “The Umbrella Academy” hit Netflix on June 22; by the end of the day, I had watched all ten episodes. I rather enjoyed this new season, but it left me wondering if it might be time for “The Umbrella Academy” to wrap up and have the series finale it’s earned.

Adapted from a comic book series of the same name, written by Gerard Way, the third season of  “The Umbrella Academy” follows a dysfunctional group of superpowered adopted siblings who find themselves in yet another alternate reality after saving the world in season 2. The focus this time is on a world where, instead of Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) adopting the characters as babies, he adopts seven other children who grow up to become “the Sparrow Academy.”

Alongside handling the issue of being in an alternate reality and rising tensions with the Sparrows, the Umbrellas still, as in previous seasons, have to deal with yet another world-ending problem of their own creation.

The show usually prevails in its well-rounded side characters, often portrayed in such a way that they don’t feel like side characters. However, the Sparrow Academy, the primary side characters this season, felt a bit flat. I loved those introduced, especially Jayme (Cazzie David), but the Sparrows seemed like more of a way to shoehorn Ben Hargreeves (Justin H. Min) back into the storyline than anything, and not much attention was given to the others.

The idea of another superhero family raised by Reginald being so similar yet so different was executed near flawlessly, though. The Sparrows have a wholly different dynamic than the Umbrellas; while they seem to perform better as superheroes, they don’t function as well as a family unit. Regardless, I still enjoyed the short time they were all on screen together.

Heading into the new season, I was curious about how they would handle actor Elliot Page’s transition; after he came out prior to season three, series creator Steven Blackman made the decision to transition the character as well, from Vanya Hargreeves to Viktor Hargreeves. I was pleased when they announced this, but also apprehensive about how they would handle it in the show.

I shouldn't have been — Viktor's transition is handled delightfully, with the show’s signature mixture of humor and family ties making for a seamless shift through a plot filled with love and acceptance.

Viktor is not the only character to undergo changes this season. Klaus (Robert Sheehan) and Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman) have some of the most straightforward arcs that the show has ever had. While I adore Klaus, I could never get behind liking Allison and this season, the problem only got so much worse. She did some truly unredeemable things, and I genuinely dislike her character so much so that it removed me from the enjoyment of watching.

One of the trademarks of “The Umbrella Academy” is having dance scenes; it seems that no matter what reality he’s in, Reginald raises children who love to dance. The dance scenes were the highlights of this season, showing how good the writers are at having joyous, sad and tense moments throughout every episode that come together flawlessly for a glorious and cohesive storyline. It's a perfect representation of family members who have grown closer from their shared traumas.

So far, each season has ended with the superhero family trapped in an alternate timeline or reality. This recipe worked well for the first two seasons, but at some point, Blackman won’t be able to recycle this same device. Season three, however, did leave enough loose ends, and a rather large cliffhanger, to keep my obsession with the show alive for another season. Though I do think season four, if greenlit, should be the final season.

Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @esecor2003

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Elizabeth Secor

Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted on Twitter @esecor2003 

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