The first season of The Umbrella Academy was an excellent surprise, an adaptation that managed to be different enough from the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá but still keep the core idea of the property. Creator Steve Blackman (Legion) and Showrunner Jeremy Slater (The Exorcist) whipped up quite the incredible series. The show has a big ensemble cast and the returning members includes Ellen Page (Days of Future Past), Tom Hopper (Game of Thrones), David Casteñeda (Sicario: Day of the Soldado), Emmy Raver-Lampman (Hamilton), Aidan Gallagher, Robert Sheehan (Mortal Engines), Justin H. Min, and Cameron Britton (The Girl in the Spider’s Web). There are also new additions the cast which are Rita Arya (Last Christmas, Humans), Sheila McCarthy (The Day After Tomorrow), and Yusuf Gatewood (The Originals).

Last season: The Hargreeves, a troubled family of seven adopted siblings including six ex child superheroes, are reunited for their father’s funeral after years apart. Their long lost brother reappears with news of an impending apocalypse that they must prevent. In solving the mystery of this cataclysmic event, they uncover secrets about members of their own family that brings them closer to their doom.

Premise: After time traveling to the past to escape their apocalyptic present, the members of The Umbrella Academy, the Hargreeves find themselves stranded in 1960s Dallas, Texas as an unexpected Doomsday event approaches.

Review: I know the premise sounds very similar to the first season, but it’s much more than that. I have watched the ad campaigns for this season, and I’m glad to say that there is a lot more to be revealed and discovered this season. I almost expected having a clear picture of over what half season two might be about from the trailers and clips but they barely scratch the surface.

This season is really built around all of the characters. All of the siblings, particularly the ones that might have been short changed before, are given fleshed out, interesting, important and interconnected story-lines. Allison’s reflects the character we were introduced to and the era, the Hargreeves are now in. The same can be said for Diego, who’s storyline is as rich and intricate as Allison’s. Every members of the Hargreeves family are further developed to give us a compelling arc this season and a great set up for the next. The new additions to the cast elevates all if the storylines they are involved in. They’re not just new faces, they are engines to the story.

The actors own their roles and sell the drama, the subtle comedy, and the action very well. Speaking of the action, the show is not stingy on it. There are movie level VFX throughout the series. Sometimes it dips in qualities a bit but stay at a very respectable level.

Although I knew that season one was inspired by vol.1 of the comics, this season does the same with “The Umbrella Academy vol.2: Dallas” they’ve kept the setting and enough to please the readers while keeping them guessing. In season 2, we’ve been reintroduced to the Hargreaves, they seem even more like siblings in their shared history, interactions, and quips. The show was not afraid to touch on the issues the era and location provided finale feels like a transitional episode, a salve, like coming down after a wild ride.

You can check out or get the comics for S2 here