The Umbrella Academy, based on the comic book series from Gerard Way and Dark Horse Comics, is a TV series that follows the lives of superpowered adopted siblings as they continually try to stop the end of the world. For a time, at least, it was one of the biggest shows on Netflix outside of Stranger Things or Squid Game.

As a fan of the series, I enjoyed the show a lot, so much so that I then read through the original comics. That being said, it’s hard to deny that each of the four seasons of the show have varying degrees of quality. Because of this, let’s see how they rank from worst to best, in my humble opinion.

4) Season 4

The fourth and final season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy is honestly pretty rough to get through, which is saying a lot for the shortest season. I will say that it does have some things going for it. There’s an early action scene that’s one of my favorites of the series, and it does answer some of the show’s biggest mysteries. 

That being said, it throws a lot of the story’s character development out the window, has many of the Hargreeves siblings acting completely out of character, and has a dissatisfying ending that insults the characters and the audience while also contradicting the messages of the whole show. It’s honestly shocking that professional television writers came up with this.

3) Season 3

Season 3 has its ups and downs, but I ultimately really like it. It has some good character moments and interactions, it has the siblings mostly together, which is a nice contrast to them spending most of their time in separate arcs in the previous seasons, and it features an intriguing mystery. It also handles some romantic subplots quite well.

Unfortunately, though, there are some big problems. The Sparrow Academy’s anger toward the Umbrellas feels extremely forced. Having this timeline’s superheroes trying to murder the Umbrellas unprovoked feels random and out of nowhere. Ben’s previous arc is thrown out the window in favor of him just being grumpy all the time. Its most egregious offense is that most of the season feels like it’s mostly treading water rather than progressing any story. If you liked the first two seasons, this one is fine but with some issues that are hard to ignore.

2) Season 1

Season 1 of The Umbrella Academy is exactly how a TV series should start. It does a fantastic job at introducing audiences to the characters, the rules of the world, and the ridiculousness of it all. The soundtrack is incredible. The action sequences are fantastic. The storytelling is emotional and character-focused. It tells a full story while also setting up subplots to keep fans interested. It also features Hazel and Cha-Cha, who are easily some of the most fun characters outside of the Hargeeves siblings. Season 1 is a lot of fun in many ways, and it still feels special to look back on.

1) Season 2

Seasons 1 and 2 are both essentially perfect television, but Season 2 is slightly better. This is full of the “good stuff” of The Umbrella Academy. The action feels huge. Every character arc feels more emotional and like they have bigger impacts on the story. Everything is at its peak wackiness. It knows when to be hilarious and when to be heartbreaking. The song choices are just as strong as they were in Season 1. It features several separate storylines that all feel relevant and intersect with the main plot quite well. It explores the Commission more than any other season, furthers subplots, sets up new mysteries, and overall hits all the right notes. Season 2 is easily the biggest and best of The Umbrella Academy.

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