3.5/5
Eyes On The Sparrow.
10 Episodes. Starring: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Ritu Arya, Genesis Rodriguez, Justin H. Min, Callum Keith Rennie & Colm Feore. Created By: Steve Blackman.
Back under the Umbrella, ella, ella, Academy, A, A, Season 3, you can see that his eye is on the sparrow. Parasol school is back in session for one of Netflix's most successful streamed shows like 'Stranger Things', 'Ozark' and 'Squid Game'. The last time we enrolled with Canadian, Writers Guild Of America winner and Emmy award nominated 'Fargo' writer Steve Blackman's showrunning 'The Umbrella Academy', based on the chemical romance of Gérard Way's comic-book, locked down in 2020, they came face-to-face with their alternate selves in this multiverse of madness that has us catching more spiders than vacuum cleaner extention tools. The Sparrow Academy, their own world famous team that had everyone tweeting about a potential spin-off. Think of this meeting of the superhero minds like the 'Kingsman-The Golden Circle' sequel, which introduced the British Bond's to their Statesmen Stateside equivalents. A team that deserves to suit-up to their own spin-off, no matter how heartbreakingly good this turn of the years long-awaited 'Kings Man' prequel was. Now with more family affairs than a Mary J. Blige (still sorely missed in this show) classic, it's time to meet the family like Ben Stiller focking around 'The Godfather' De Niro for a new kind of trilogy, now this third series is in season. Monkeying around with cubes, crows, heroes whose dominion is spitting like Dilophosaurus and a serious case of the mumps. All whilst 'The Umbrella Acadmey' try to suitcase up and save the world from certain oblivion again. All from the comfortable room service of the coolest hotel to play with us ever since Jack Nicholson bust through the door like Johnny, as you ride around on your tricycle.
I heard a rumor this was the season that tries your patience. Even if I'd love to see it go fourth. Saving the world agaaaaain (although it takes it more personally than this in this last dance), characters making it really hard to love them like Hopper in 'Stranger Things 3' (let's hope for their own fourth volume redemption) and "samurai's...really?" This show suffers from appropriating a lot of tired and tested suped up themes, right from Professor Charles Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, all whilst tweening between the darkness and parental advisory blood-soaked sticker of Amazon's 'The Boys' (on their own terrific third turn in their and on Prime) and all the Marvel and DC fare like a 'Doom Patrol'. Just as Netflix are still trying their hand at starting their own movie universe, from Charlize Theron's 'Old Guard', to the Russo Brothers giving the Chris Thor and Chris America their own franchise 'Extraction' like 'The Gray Man'. And while fans are crying "mid" (but, what don't they do that at these days?), Netflix itself seems hell-bent on spoiling their own shows via their social channels. They may be unfairly losing subscribers (we are spoilt for classic content), but they're about to lose even more Twitter followers. No rumor needs to have it. Yet this seriously good series is more than its mean sum total of problems (every episodic narrative has their own burdens to bear). And the karaoke soundtrack that will have you singing like it was a nice day for a white wedding is still the best thing to come out of superhero speakers since volumes of gunning 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' for your Zune. But they didn't have to do Lionel Richie like that. They also score points on their own TV show binging playlists too. Here's hoping Netflix call-up William Shatner's cop classic 'TJ Hooker' after it was tuned into the boob tube here.
This show goes on as one of the last Netflix ones standing, as the service does more cancelling than its customers, but also says goodbye to our family drama in the 'Ozark(s)' (that makes this one look like a walk in the Shakespeare in the park) before they venture into the Upside Down with a bedsheet rope, one last time, filming this fall. The former Blockbuster like postal rental service has even sent its street-level Defending Marvel heroes over to Disney + with the rest of the MCU. Despite all that and the tired cliché of N.E.R.D. (not the great group from Neptune, but the notion that "no one ever really dies"), this one still puts a parasol up to all its problems and serves as a mirror to the America of the past and the social study we still rub our temples at today. Elliot Page's redefining character arc once again leads the way with the big heart of Tom Hopper and their beautiful back-and-forth that will leave you beaming. Whilst Emmy Raver-Lampman could get her first name for the knives out she has in character dynamics that shows us as meta-humans in all our flaws and lying to ourselves justification. It's a complex and compelling turn, like it or not. Normal blade man David Castañeda has his own finer points to consider with ever scene-stealer Ritu Arya too. And Aidan Gallagher again is still the smartest one in the room, even in a boys blazer. But this family of misfits would be nothing without our favourite Robert Sheehan. Funny and with evermore forthright feeling, one more time here. Even as the family gets bigger with 'Big Hero 6' and 'Man On A Ledge' standout Genesis Rodriguez (the heart here) and of course Justin H. Min (Ben is back like Lopez and Affleck). All presided over with the parentage of 'The Chronicles Of Riddick' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' star Colm Feore. Looking older than he does in real-life and being wiser in character than his enigma let's on. And as we are talking character, we have to give it up for 'Due South' legend and 'Jigsaw' star Callum Keith Rennie's turn here. But to say more, would be to reveal too much, thank you kindly. Still, in all this cancelling of the apocalypse, it's how the 'Umbrella' opens up to Elliot Page's coming out as transgender in character and heart, without making a big box-ticking, virtue signalling fuss out of it, that really is a big deal. Even though the choice of how someone wants to live and love their life and who they want to be shouldn't be to anyone, but themselves. And the reactions to this here are fitting and heartwarming in their beauty in simplicity and love and understanding. No matter who has a problem with it. Forget the ignorance when we can witness so much influence. When it comes to all of this under the umbrella, but not shielding the star who can stand on his own two feet, give this Academy an award. And Elliot, the respect he deserves. Hopefully now, the rest of the world can turn the page. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Doom Patrol', 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past', 'Kingsman-The Golden Circle'.
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