My best friend told me a few days ago, after having read all my posts after each other, that she feels my blog has meaning. She felt that my posts made her think. I like that she thinks that way about my blog and I do feel that that is what I am trying to write in this blog. I really do appreciate criticism since I believe there is always room for improvement. On the other hand, I also have the tendency to be a critic myself (insert winky face).

Furthermore, I do not want my blog to be like other blogs that promote makeup or write book reviews. I do not mean to say that those type of blogs are “wrong”, I simply mean that that is not what I am intending to write. However, this week I had the urge to write about this particular TV show that I started watching on Netflix. The Umbrella Academy.

With such an odd title, the curious person I am clicked on the show and decided to watch the first episode. The first three minutes made no sense to me. I was on the verge of not continuing to watch it, yet something held me back. By the end of the episode, I eagerly clicked to watch the second episode. I spent my Saturday night binging on The Umbrella Academy.

This TV show is unlike any other teen drama TV show out there. Trust me, I know of teen drama TV shows. I watched Gossip Girl twice. I tried to start The Vampire Diaries years ago and failed after three episodes. I watched the first two seasons of Faking It and Young and Hungry. I have also watched Friends. I am currently watching Riverdale which I find excruciatingly horrible. I only started it since I used to read the Archie Comics when I was a kid. Most of the actors annoy me especially the actress who plays Veronica. And the story line of Season 3 is a complete mess. Jughead is the only sensible thing in that TV show.

Today I look back and cannot understand why I wasted so much time watching those TV shows. Gossip Girl may be a small exception since it really is scandalous. Still, it does not make my mind think. I do not want to watch junk TV shows and movies anymore. I want to watch TV shows that are not there to sell themselves to like-minded watchers, all with the same patterns and bad cinematography. They may be juicy and a good way to waste time, but honestly, I actually want to use my brain and learn something.

The Umbrella Academy, in a nutshell, is based on billionaire Dr. Reginald Hargreeves who adopts seven children who were born on the same day. What is interesting is that their mothers showed no signs of being pregnant the day before the children’s births. These children grow up to have special powers. Yes, this is a super hero TV show. However, even though the main characters are super heroes, they are presented in a way that they are not and this is what makes them unique. They are just regular people with powers who are trying to save the world.

What makes The Umbrella Academy different? For starters, the term cinematography means, according to Merriam-Webster, “the art or science of motion-picture photography”. The way the TV show is shot; the play of light and colors, the simplicity, the background detail, the different angles and shots… The TV show is not presented as another teen drama. It is shot like a work of art which makes it different.

What also makes the TV show different is the fact that there are a million questions yet you rarely get any answers. Where do their powers come from? How did their mothers get pregnant with them in one day? How could they all be born on the same day? There are many more questions, yet I do not want to spoil the TV show for you.

There is also the element of fantasy yet it is presented as something normal and light-hearted. The action that takes place in the TV show is rarely dramatized too. I also liked the fact that background music was only used in certain circumstances to make an action scene seem “funny” or “normal” with the use of slow motion too. Do keep in mind that the TV show has an incredible soundtrack because of the brilliant Gerard Way who created and wrote The Umbrella Academy as comics back in 2007. Yes, Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance.

Nevertheless, the actors of The Umbrella Academy are actually good actors and the script is well written. My sister started watching Pretty Little Liars a few weeks ago and I watched an episode with her. I seriously do not understand how that TV show became so popular. The particular episode I watched was from the first season and the actors were all horrible and the script was absolute trash. Yes, trash. Yet The Umbrella Academy presents its characters in a way that they are all different, thus it enables every viewer to relate to a particular character. Personally, my favorite is Klaus because, he’s funny, sarcastic and always on drugs which makes him act funnier.

What I also like is the fact that the super heroes, who are the main characters, have flaws as well as a little “bad” in them. They’re not the “good” super heroes who make the best decisions; they can be selfish at times too. The main characters also treat unordinary things with a sense of “normality”.

Furthermore, when it comes to romance in The Umbrella Academy, it is not cliché. SPOILER The love interest between Allison and Luther is not cheesy. Even though they are adopted brother and sister, the idea of incest is kind of cliché however the TV show does not present it that way since their romance is brought out in a simple manner, sort of hidden amongst themselves even though it is there. SPOILER Even other love interests in the TV show do not last or have a happy ending which shows that the TV show is somewhat realistic in that aspect.

Moreover, The Umbrella Academy, in my opinion, is a must-watch TV show. I am glad that in 2019, there are still a few good TV shows and movies being produced. The film industry truly has become artificial that we do not try to make TV shows and movies works of art and appreciate them. Let’s change that.