‘The Umbrella Academy’ season 3 reviews: Netflix series handles Elliot Page’s transition with ‘grace’

“The Umbrella Academy” returned on June 22 with its third season almost two years after the release of season two. But the superhuman characters on this show are accustomed to jumping through time. Do critics think the new episodes were worth the wait?

As of this writing, season three of the Netflix series has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on nine reviews, of which six are classified as positive and the other three as mixed. None of the reviews are deemed outright negative. Compare that to season one, which scored 61 based on 22 reviews, and season two, which scored 67 based on 12 reviews. That may suggest stronger critical appeal with each passing season, or it could be attrition, with critics less favorable to the show no longer covering it.

Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the third season rates 88% fresh based on 34 reviews (only four are classified as rotten). Their critics’ consensus states that the show “unfurls a bit beyond a manageable scope in this overstuffed season, but there remains all the gonzo creativity and resonant character relationships that fans enroll for.” So there’s still substantial good will for the show, of which The Telegraph‘s Ed Power says, “This smart adaptation of Gerard Way’s graphic novel continues to impress, tackling real, relatable issues in the process.” The A.V. Club‘s Jenna Scherer adds, “Season three continues to honestly grapple with everything its seven protagonists went through in the past.”

The series also marks a significant change for one character to correspond with the transition of transgender actor Elliot Page. Scherer explains, “The writers map the actor’s real-life transition onto his character, as the queer awakening he experienced back in the 1960s leads Vanya to becoming Viktor.” Of this storyline, Radio Times writer Eammon Jacobs praises, “It’s refreshing to see Viktor’s story treated with enough grace and focus, because this is a pivotal moment for both the actor and the character — but the show knows not to exploit it either.”

Other assessments of the season are more mixed, however. I News critic Emily Baker says it’s a “wasted opportunity … so intent on being strange it forgets to tell a story.” CNN‘s Brian Lowry contends, “The assorted subplots yield diminishing returns, indulging in strange detours while building toward the inevitable faceoff with the amorphous threat.” He compares the show to Amazon’s “The Boys,” “which demonstrates that it’s possible to adapt edgy graphic-novel material and sustain narrative momentum in a more focused way.”

What do you think of the new season? Let us know in the comments below, and discuss this and more with your fellow TV fans here in our forums.

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?