Last night I told my husband I was interested in seeing the new Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, about which I’d heard good things. I didn’t know much of the plot, but the teaser trailers had the right mood. The problem was, I said, that it was ten episodes and I was way too busy, behind on lots of things because of my Antarctica trip and in general, to start a series. (I don’t watch a lot of television at all anyway.) I was still working up until ten p.m., when I decided to forcibly reschedule my remaining to-do task and take a break.
So at ten last night Jon and I decided to try The Umbrella Academy. But just one episode. “Two is my absolute limit,” said Jon, who also had some extra commitments to take care of today.
And that is how we went to bed after seven this morning, while the light rose palely through the bare winter trees and the birds sang and the sleepy dogs wondered why we would change locations after spending the night on the couch.
I have a lot of good things to say about the aesthetic of the show and the writing. Even unlikable characters were fascinating, to hold attention, even the unlikable personalities were justified — I don’t like Klaus’s coping mechanisms and would hate to live with them, for example, but I understand why he’s that way. Overall I liked the pacing and handling of multiple plot streams; I was reminded repeatedly of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency only with the angst turned up.
Anyway, I’m going to need caffeine today after <4 hours of sleep, but if you find yourself with a more binge-friendly schedule, consider this a recommendation.
I’ve managed not to binge-watch, but it has definitely sucked me in. I’ll probably keep watching a bit at a time for a while, in the cracks and corners of my evening schedule.
Part of my problem is that I knew if I did not continue, it would be weeks before I did, and I just wasn’t willing to wait that long for an indeterminate end! Glad you’re enjoying it.