Ensuring a comic book lives up to its screen counterpart is always a tall order. There’s always going to be that fan who waits eagerly in the wings poised to tear it down with an outraged tweet ready to go before the opening credits have even popped up. But (thankfully) it seems the team behind Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy has managed to keep the trolls at bay.
It was released onto everybody’s favourite streaming service last month with possibly the greatest soundtrack since Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1 (I’m positive absolutely nobody expected it, which makes it even more delicious). Since then, our feeds have been awash with memes and clips and the wonderful Robert Sheehan. Securing great reviews across the board, The Umbrella Academy looks set to stay on our screens for quite a while (TV Gods willing!)
We’ve put together a list of the 20 best moments from the show.
Beware of spoilers ahead! And if you’re about to click away, I certainly hope you’re logging straight into Netflix to watch it!
Baby Academy
They didn’t have much screen-time, but the younger versions of the dysfunctional heroes featured in one of the most memorable scenes: foiling the bank heist. It was a great way for us to see the talented tykes’ powers but also an ideal opportunity for Hargreeves to introduce his prodigies to the world (though we’re not sure how Ben managed to get all that bloody gunk off himself!)
“Oh, shit.”
Five’s arrival from the future is one of the key scenes in the whole show. He falls through time and space after Klaus throws a fire extinguisher at him (for some reason) and then promptly makes himself a marshmallow sandwich. As you do.
Trashing Griddy’s
The fight at Griddy’s doughnut shop really drilled it home: Five is not to be f*cked with. Watching a kid effortlessly take out gun-wielding time-travellers with cutlery while ‘Istanbul’ plays is absolutely brutal and oh-so satisfying. He’s like a peachy Nightcrawler!
The chandelier reveal
Poor Luther. He tried so hard to cover his gorilla torso under that massive trench-coat. Revealing it in front of Allison was probably nightmare-level awful for him. But hey, he’s swole, so he’s got that going for him!
Klaus goes full-psycho
How did Klaus manage to skull himself with a snowglobe and keep his beauty intact? We’d love to know the secret.
Just picture the word in your mind, Diego
Who else full-on bawled their eyes out when Diego switched Grace off? We’ll need the hankies close to hand for the re-watch!
Run Boy Run
What’s a teenager if not a rebel? Five defying his father and jumping forwards in time is a fantastic scene, especially when the smug expression slides off his face as he realises he can’t get back.
Oblivious in a towel
Klaus bopping around in his headphones while Cha-Cha and Hazel turn the mansion into an after-party wreck is a whole mood. The take-home message is to ignore the chaos around you and pamper thyself #selfcare
“Italian for dinner?”
Most of Cha-Cha and Hazel’s interactions are comedy gold, but one of their best scenes is when they’re torturing information out of someone they think is Five. Poor guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and what did he get? Electrocuted nipples. Life isn’t fair.
Saving Dolores
Five picking up his plastic sweetheart and dodging bullets while running through a clothes store is basically The Umbrella Academy‘s aesthetic. It was weird, beautifully shot and the accompanying song was perfect. You can’t beat ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’.
Hazel and Agnes
Every scene. Just every single one. Their love is so pure.
The dead babushka
Getting clean is hard enough without having to do it while being tortured and held against your will in nothing but a towel. Klaus managed to make lemonade out of a whole bunch of lemons; he was able to use his powers with the help of a few vengeful ghosts to spook his kidnappers and escape the motel. You go Glen Coco!
Vanya vs Allison
I genuinely gasped when Vanya slit Allison’s throat. The sound effect of the bow slicing the air, the single cut of red, the horror on Vanya’s face. It was all devastating. Seeing them bond despite their past was so heart-warming and it makes this scene all the more tragic.
Dave
I think every viewer’s heart shattered into a million pieces when Klaus came back from war and destroyed the briefcase. We’re in the process of setting up a support network for anybody traumatised by Dave dying in Klaus’s arms, please bear with us.
Bye bye, Peabody
Leonard (or Harold Jenkins, if you prefer) didn’t have an easy life, and his dirtbag father got what was coming to him, but he pulled some real dick moves manipulating Vanya for his own revenge. Get therapy like the rest of us, man. How satisfying was his death on a scale of ‘Yes’ to Oh my god yes’?
The funeral
When the official trailer was released, it was a clip from this scene that got me excited. After Diego said “He was a monster” and Klaus chuckled I knew it would be good. And the funeral itself didn’t disappoint! Sir Hargreeves’ last goodbye featured rain, fighting, emotionally confused children, the surprising appearance of an old family member nobody had seen in years, and lots of drinking. Besides the lack of ham sandwiches and a decade of the rosary, they nailed an Irish funeral.
Ice cream truck
Probably our favourite scene here at The Arcade (mostly because of this meme). Klaus, Ben and Diego’s collective devil-may-care “We’re just living our best lives” attitude cemented them in our hearts as the most loveable goofs on TV. They must be protected at all costs.
The dance
Each character dancing to ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany is quite reminiscent of “Ding dong the witch is dead!” don’t you think? They’re all so different and expressing that difference in their dance moves was a great way to show it to the audience. Also, we got to see Klaus dancing around the kitchen with his urn-father. Iconic. Showrunner Steve Blackman says it best: “In my mind it shows you they’re all together, but they’re alone, but somehow they’re gonna make this work.”
The OTHER dance
Sometimes when a show pushes a ship it can feel a little forced, and at first everything about Luther and Allison was a big old snooze fest. But they grew on me and after their dance-that-never-was I was flying the L-Allison flag hard. Who’s with me?
Vanya’s solo
The entire theatre scene is great, from the red-goggled bad guys and dodgy tentacle CGI to Vanya’s slick white suit and the family’s last-minute teleport. A very solid final few minutes of a fantastic season.
What were your favourite moments of the season? Let us know in the comments!