THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

(this photo looks like it was made by a five-year-old)

I posted a comic review before the show aired and it's one of my most viewed posts, you can check it out HERE. I've put off watching the series because I wasn't a fan of the comic, I said I wasn't going to, and I didn't have a Netflix account. What's the point of me watching it if I hated it? After hearing my friends rave about the series, and getting my friend's Netflix account, I wanted to. 

Predictions before watching:

1) I'll probably hate Luther, Allison, and Vanya in the show because I hated them in the series.

2) I'll probably love Klaus because he was my favorite character in the series. Plus, Robert Sheehan!
3) I don't think I'll like it much until the end of the series.

Thoughts:
1) The format/timing is different. The series doesn't hurl the past at you and throw you into the future; the series uses flashbacks, so the past and present meet at the middle. I enjoyed this to the comic because the comic felt slap-dash and rushed; the show allows for better development.

2) Robert Sheehan brought Klaus to life. He's eccentric and off his rocker. In the comics, he looks rather drab and emaciated. In the series, Robert Sheehan has this vivacity yet glazed over and tortured personality. I loved his turnaround and the energy he gave to each scene, so sassy! I liked how he's afraid of his powers and doesn't have full control of it, it made him an even more interesting character because he contrasts his siblings.

3) Number 5 was apparently one of my favorite characters, according to the review I wrote, I completely forgot about that. The adaption reminded me why: Machiavellian, mysterious, brilliant, driven, and has chutzpah. It was fun to watch his character too because you're wondering what he's going to do next.

4) I think the show has more character development; viewers see what problems the Academy have, their life outside the Academy, and how their powers affect them. The show humanizes them in a way the comics never did. However, I had an issue with the non-Academy member arcs: the donut lady, Leonard, Cha-Cha, and Hazel (felt like a waste of time.) They made the mother a more prevalent character, which was sweet... Diego is even worse on TV than in the comics-always picking a fight; his romantic(?) past with Vanya was omitted, which is replaced with a detective. If I wanted to watch a guy attempting to fight crime alongside a female detective, I would have continued watching Lucifer. I love that Pogo and Ben get more screentime, love Pogo! In the comic, I felt that Ben was mentioned and pushed to the side: it wouldn't have made a difference if he was a part of the Academy or not. 

5) One thing I liked about the comic was the grungey, bloody,  punchy, detail-packed action scenes. The show is less violent, but the action sequences were epic and had you at the edge of your seat. 

6) The series continues the love affair with history-JFK's assassination. I found the fixation weird and out of place in the comic, but it makes more sense in the series. It feels as though the series is the full actualization of the comic: it allowed the creators to get a second chance and correct their "mistakes." Everything reviewers picked apart, solved! 

7) The writers completely changed the story! They added the Commission, whose omission wouldn't alter the story either. They changed the ending for the sake of sucking more money. I was excited to see the evil orchestra come to fruition with its wicked conductor, but I was greatly disappointed. 

8) I feel ambivalent about Luther. I love what the show did with Allison. Still not the biggest fan of Vanya. The role didn't fit Ellen Page. I don't mean to typecast her, but I think she's more suitable playing characters that are sarcastic, witty, and more intelligent. Her Vanya was boring. Where is her brand of sarcasm that I know and love?!

9) I was correct. I was bored with half the series, but the ending somewhat pulled the weight.

Overall, I liked the series, and I prefer it to the comic; it's a better version of the comic because the creators reinvented to what they wanted. But would I recommend this series? No. Watch Penny Dreadful or Lucifer instead.