The Umbrella Academy season 3: With a plate full of drama, the Umbrellas fight to save family and the universe in a slow burn season

Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy has dropped and it is a long one. The new season with its 10 episodes, seamlessly carries forward the story where it stood at the end of season 2 with the Hargreeves siblings once again travelling forward in time, only to realise they have messed up the timeline – again.

There are no bonus points for guessing that yet another apocalypse awaits the Umbrella Academy but this time there’s the added plot twist about coming face to face with their superpowered step siblings who have replaced them in the new timeline and are called the Sparrow Academy. The apocalypse has become a familiar territory for the Hargreeves so watching them save the world from yet another dooms day might not be the enticing factor here but what helps is the rather self-aware approach the show takes to getting there.

The unique factor is the Umbrellas going up against their own kind, the Sparrows. But as all world ending affairs go, the Kugelblitz takes the centre in the latter half of the season with a tonne of mysteries for us to unfold. What also piles up with each passing episode is a series of unanswered questions.

It is not so hearty reunion for the Umbrella with their deceased sibling Ben who in the new timeline is hateworthy Sparrow. But many hints are dropped about how he died in what is referred to as the ‘Jennifer incident’. If the ending of the season is any indication, it might be a big part of season 4’s discoveries along with the story behind Abigail Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves’ wife who was shown dying of a mysterious illness in season 1, who is shown in passing glimpses in the latter episodes of season 3 but her storyline is never explained.

While superheroes rule the roost in the movie world, what sets apart The Umbrella Academy from its various counterparts is how the show deals with the emotional coming of age of the team and how self discovery is constant process with them. The fact makes the show much more relatable and the new season packs loads of this material.

This also involves handling the transition of Elliot Page’s real life identity change which the makers deserve all the credit for handling it with great care. The transition is seamless and much in tune with her character Vanya’s storyline in season 2 as he comes out as Vicktor in season 3 to the family and finds acceptance.

Handling multiple protagonists is not easy and the number just doubled in season 3 but you do not feel the lack of attention with regards to any of the characters old or new which is a very big plus for the show.

Having said that, The Umbrella Academy season 3 does feel a little stretched as it goes into exploring complicated relationships in the family. Many equations are picked up and dropped instantly which feels a bit frustrating like the angle between Luther and Allison. Ben’s mysterious death references have also been a slow burn and build up expectations that much more from the upcoming season to justify the waiting.

Many big plot twists seem like grandly set up distractions which involve the newly introduced the Sparrows in a big way. Season 2 returnee Harlan’s plotline also dies disappointingly.

However, The Umbella universe seems to expanding from mysteries beyond Earth and opens up a lot of possibilities for where this lot of superheroes goes in upcoming seasons.

If you are a fan, you will certainly be sucked into this apocalyptic universe from the word go but be aware that the season is more of a family drama than it is about a family of superheroes saving the world.