There is something so infectious about a dance sequence that, even in movies and TV shows in which they occur pretty much out of nowhere and, in theory, should not work, they still do in most cases. In fact, some of the most iconic and beloved numbers in pop culture history do not even come from titles categorized as musicals. Step back in time and review the following most cherished examples of the like.

Napoleon Has "Canned Heat" (Napoleon Dynamite)

While most of the dialogue is extremely quotable and Jon Heder's title character is a one-of-a-kind instant comedy icon, if you ask me, the moment that 2004's Napoleon Dynamite won audiences over is its centerpiece dance sequence. In a last-ditch effort to help his best friend, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), win class president, the nerd busts out some absolutely ridiculous, yet passionate, dance moves in an impromptu routine set to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat," which earns a roaring round of applause from his classmates.

Nothing Suits Barney Like A Suit (How I Met Your Mother)

In the 100th episode of the beloved TV sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) contemplates whether or not he should give up his suits forever in order to score with an attractive bartender who hates men in business attire. He then imagines an elaborate song and dance number professing his love for his wardrobe called "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit," featuring the rest of the snappily dressed cast.

Tom's Dreams Are Coming True ((500) Days Of Summer)

It is moments like this that make 2009's (500) Days of Summer one of the best romantic-comedy movies of its time. Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is so high on cloud nine after starting up a romance with Zooey Deschanel's title role that he imagines the local townspeople are joining him for a brief dance set to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True" during his morning commute.

"The Name Game" (American Horror Story)

Some of the most unsettling moments from American Horror Story masterfully utilize the power of juxtaposition, like in one of the most dazzling moments from Season 2, subtitled Asylum. After receiving shock therapy, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) hallucinates that she is performing a rendition of Shirley Ellis' 1964 pop hit, "The Name Game," with her fellow patients at Briarcliff Manor.

Gutterballs (The Big Lebowski)

Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 cult favorite comedy The Big Lebowski is home to two of the most iconic movie dream sequences, with the second one easily taking the cake as the most wonderfully uproarious. Knocked out by Jackie Treehorn, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) imagines he and Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore) are the stars of an adult film shot in the style of a Busby Berkeley dance number.

Joel Likes That "Old Time Rock And Roll" (Risky Business)

What is the exact moment that Tom Cruise became a movie star? I like to think that occurred in 1983's Risky Business when the future Oscar nominee, as Chicago teen Joel, with the house to himself, celebrates his independence by dancing and lip-synching to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in his underwear.

Tina Opens The Movie (Do The Right Thing)

Writer and director Spike Lee prepares you for an unforgettable and subversive cinematic experience with an unforgettable and subversive opening to 1989's Do the Right Thing. The opening credits play over Rosie Perez's character, Tina, dancing solo to Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," making for a certainly unexpected and moving way to start a film with a lot to say about society.

Jim And Pam's Wedding Party Dances Down The Aisle (The Office)

In the episode of the U.S. version of The Office when Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), the wedding party, instead of the traditional walk down the aisle, dance to Chris Brown's "Forever," which was originally written as a Doublemint Gum commercial. While this act goes against the couple's wishes, it goes down in history as a memorably unique way to start the ceremony.

Nathan And Kyoko Tear Up The Dance Floor (Ex Machina)

Alex Garland is a writer and director who never fails to dazzle his audience, either with thought-provoking sci-fi concepts, brutally honest societal commentary, or epic dance sequences. All three of which are used to perfection in his 2015 technophobic classic, Ex Machina, when Oscar Isaac's shady, eccentric tech billionaire, Nathan, and his companion, Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), shift the tone in a rousing way by interrupting Caleb's (Domhnall Gleeson) interrogation by getting busy to “Get Down Saturday Night” by Oliver Cheatham.

"I'm Just Ken" (Barbie)

There had been a dance sequence earlier in 2023's Barbie when Margot Robbie's title hero hosts a party, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, even for a movie taking place in an alternate dimension where dolls are sentient. The film suddenly incorporates an elaborate, traditional Hollywood dance sequence when Ryan Gosling's Ken expresses his frustration with feeling undervalued by Barbie in the Academy Award-nominated track, "I'm Just Ken."

Jenna Thrills Her Colleagues (13 Going On 30)

One of the most iconic scenes from the hit fantasy rom-com, 13 Going On 30, sees Jennifer Garner's Jenna (an '80s teen trapped in the body of her future, adult self) try to liven things up at her company party by getting everyone to recreate the dance from Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Rue's Relapse (Euphoria)

After giving in to her addictive urges, Zendaya's Rue imagines that she is in a music video for the actor's haunting single, "All For Us," which illustrates the complicated relationship she has with her family as a result of her habits. The sequence culminates in her being carried outside of her house by a sea of dancers in matching outfits, who also serve as her choir, at night, before a marching band joins in. It marks an invigorating, but also tragic, end to the first season of the provocative coming-of-age drama, Euphoria.

The Deetzes Do The Calypso (Beetlejuice)

One of the all-time greatest and funniest musical moments from a horror movie comes from 1988's Beetlejuice. Hoping to scare the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara) and their dinner party guests out of the house, the lingering spirits of Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) use bodily possession to manipulate them into dancing and singing to Harry Belafonte's "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)." Much to their surprise, they enjoy the experience.

Wally, Charley, And Rhonda Channel Bowie (School Spirits)

School Spirits is a TV show told from the perspective of ghosts who have passed away on a midwestern high school campus, where they struggle to cope with the parameters of their afterlife. Wally (Milo Manheim), who was a star athlete in the 1980s, lets off steam by putting on a vinyl copy of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and leading his fellow ghostly friends in a wonderfully choreographed groove through almost the entire school.

Jamal And Latika Are Victorious (Slumdog Millionaire)

Director Danny Boyle's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2008's Slumdog Millionaire, ends with an upbeat dance number set to the Academy Award-winning original song, "Jai Ho" and led by Dev Patel and Freida Pinto as Jamal and Latika. It might have been surprising to some audiences to see this production suddenly include such a sequence, but it honors a longstanding tradition in Indian cinema.

The Kids Rock The Library (The Breakfast Club)

Many have argued that 1985's The Breakfast Club is the greatest high school movie ever made, despite never taking place during school, but a Saturday detention shared by five teens who each represent a different rung of the teen social hierarchy. The unlikely friends attempt to break up the monotony with an impromptu dance to "We Are Not Alone" by Karla Devito.

"Tequila!" (Pee-wee's Big Adventure)

One reason 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure remains a cherished classic is how Paul Reubens' eponymous man-child wins over the hearts of nearly everyone he meets. For instance, he earns the respect of a bar full of bikers with his signature dance to The Champs' rendition of the saxy tune, "Tequila."

Don Dreams Of Bert Cooper Dancing (Mad Men)

AMC's Mad Men had its fair share of off-kilter moments, none more perplexing than when Don Draper (Jon Hamm) suddenly has a vision of the recently passed advertising veteran Bertram "Bert" Cooper (Robert Morse) singing and dancing a performance of "The Best Things in Life Are Free."

Andy Lets The Sunshine In (The 40-Year-Old Virgin)

Judd Apatow's heartfelt, raunchy comedy, 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, ends with Steve Carell's Andy finally losing his "innocence" and expressing his relief through song. The song in particular is The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In," which transitions into a dance in a wide-open field that the rest of the cast joins him for.

"Come On, Little Sister, Let’s Dance” (The Life Of Chuck)

There are not many Stephen King movies with scenes that leave you feeling invigorated and hopeful, but that is the general response to the centerpiece dance sequence in 2025's The Life of Chuck, from writer and director Mike Flanagan. Tom Hiddleston's title character crosses paths with drumming street performer, Taylor (Taylor Gordon), and spontaneously lets the music drive him, even inviting a random young woman named Janice (played by Annalise Basso) to join him, giving a crowd of bystanders the show of their lives.

Will Shows How They Dance In Gelderland (A Knight's Tale)

A Knight's Tale may take place in 14th-century Europe, but it boasts many modern sensibilities in everything from its dialogue to its soundtrack. For instance, in a scene when William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) is forced to come up with a dance to impress the royalty, he receives some help from his "foxy lady," Jocelyn (Shannon Sossamon), and soon the entire dance floor is rocking out to what we hear as David Bowie's "Golden Years."

Raj's Romantic Fantasy (The Big Bang Theory)

In one episode of The Big Bang Theory, Raj (Kunal Nayyar) finds himself attracted to Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), leading him to have multiple daydreams about her, including one reminiscent of an Indian Cinema dance sequence.

Donkey's Swamp Dance Party (Shrek)

At the end of the Oscar-winning, acclaimed kids movie, Shrek, Smash Mouth's cover of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" plays during Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) nuptials before Eddie Murphy's Donkey takes over the vocals, leading the wedding guests in a breathless celebration of the event.

Terry And Holt "Push It" (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

In one of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) goes into labor in the police station during a city-wide blackout. In a hilarious effort to keep her calm and distracted, Lieutenant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) try dancing to Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It."

Dance Of The Dead (The X-Files)

In a Season 7 episode of The X-Files called "Hollywood A.D.," Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate a murder on a movie set, where, at the end of the episode, corpses resting underneath are reanimated and indulge in a passionate ballroom dance with one another.

Harry's Dream (3rd Rock From The Sun)

In an essential and bewilderingly surreal episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun, the Solomons experience their first-ever dreams. This proves to be a startling experience for the extra-terrestrial visitors, except for Harry (French Stewart), who imagines he is in an upbeat, urban Broadway production.

Ed Livens Things Up At The Mental Hospital (Good Burger)

In Good Burger, Ed (Kel Mitchell), Dexter (Kenan Thompson), and Otis (Abe Vigoda) are wrongfully committed to a mental hospital, where Ed responds to the request of a patient played by George Clinton himself to change to the music to something funkier, and tunes it to Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep." He then leads most of the other patients in an impressively choreographed dance routine, which Dexter uses as an opportunity to knock out the guards and escape.

The Siblings Are Alone Now (The Umbrella Academy)

Netflix's series adaptation of the hit comic book The Umbrella Academy has a clever way of introducing its superpowered main characters early on in the premiere episode. The adoptive siblings are seen grooving to Tiffany's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now," each in a different location and boasting a different style of dance.

Backstreet's Back In Heaven (This Is The End)

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's 2014 apocalyptic meta comedy This is the End ends with most of the main characters (actors portraying uproarious versions of themselves) meeting up in the afterlife, where they celebrate their ascent into Heaven with the Backstreet Boys, who also appear as themselves to perform “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

The Study Group Is Gonna Finally Be Fine (Community)

Community Season 3 begins with Jeff (Joel McHale) daydreaming about a dance number, featuring the entire cast of characters, with a hopeful outlook on the next year at Greendale.

David's Three-Way Dance Battle (Legion)

In the Season 2 opener of FX's unconventional Marvel Comics adaptation, Legion, one of David's (Dan Stevens) memories of the past year shows him at a club where the mutant engages in an intense dance battle with Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and Oliver (Jemaine Clement).

Lucifer Is Alright (Lucifer)

The series finale of Lucifer opens with the Devil Incarnate (played by Tom Ellis) leading an upbeat ensemble dance sequence set to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright," which starts at a bar before transitioning to the police station, where Lucifer and Detective Dan (Kevin Alejandro) reenact an iconic moment from Dirty Dancing.

2024 TV started off pretty shaky as the industry returned to normalcy following strike-related delays, but it wasn’t long before everything felt normal again. And “normal” tends to mean “lots of big character deaths” to go alongside all of the cancellations and series endings. Thankfully, we had a full year to get through all the genuine emotions that were sparked by so many scripted tragedies.

So let’s take a look at what I thought matched the combination of being the most heartbreaking and unexpected TV deaths of 2024, while accepting the dread of knowing that the cycle of televised trauma will start up anew when the 2025 premiere schedule gets underway. So join me in pouring one out for all of our fallen TV brethren, as well as for the many talented artists who were also lost along the way.

It should probably go without saying, but SPOILERS BELOW for a variety of different series that aired across 2024. So tread lightly if there are some major shows that you haven’t gotten around to just yet.

Victor Aguilar (The Penguin)

For a TV show focusing on someone that every single viewer knew was a major villain going in, The Penguin somehow bewitched me into thinking Rhenzy Feliz's Victor would continue thriving with confidence under Oz's wing for years to come. Instead, Victor's fate was sealed the moment Oz laid eyes on him, no matter how charming or empathetic he proved himself to be. At least he didn't have to be around to watch Colin Farrell's criminal go hard on his Oedipal urges.

Isabelle Carriere (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon)

An extension of one of TV’s deadliest franchises. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon gave longtime fans a stellar reunion in Season 2 between Norman Reedus’ titular survivor and Melissa McBride’s Carol. But along the way, the show killed off its best character in Clémence Poésy’s Isabelle, and in the episode right after her and Daryl’s big kiss. It was an angering shock, and Season 3 will need to deliver something amazing to truly make up for it.

Asher Wolke (The Good Doctor)

Noah Galvin’s Dr. Asher Wolke arrived at St. Bonaventure in The Good Doctor’s fourth season and worked his way up to becoming a resident under Shaun’s wing by the ABC drama’s final season. Tragically, after Asher stopped a pair of men from vandalizing a synagogue — during which he openly declared himself gay and Jewish — the young doc was murdered on the street when one of the antisemitic vandals clubbed him in the head with an iron bar.

Colby Mayfield (Yellowstone)

Yes, Yellowstone featured multiple jaw-dropping deaths in the long-delayed final six episodes of its fifth season, from killing off John Dutton sans Kevin Costner to having Beth finally take out Jamie. But it was the lowest-profile death that actually hurt the worst, with the western drama taking out one of the bunkhouse’s best by having a wild horse lethally clomp Denim Richards’ ranchhand Colby. Hopefully Teeter can find a way to get over that heartbreak down in Texas.

Gambit (X-Men ‘97)

One of TV’s most celebrated revivals, X-Men ‘97 took little time in taking viewers right back to the animated fan-fave’s roots, but with a modern storytelling touch that heightened the character dynamics and upped the ante for danger. Case in point: the fifth episode rocked many viewers’ cores when the charismatic, crop top-wearing Gambit impulsively chose to sacrifice himself to take out the newly upgraded Master Mold. Sure, Rogue was sad, but I dare say everyone at home was even more taken aback.

Rhaenys (House Of The Dragon)

Okay, so those who are more intimately familiar with George R.R. Martin’s source material were no doubt awaiting the death of Eve Best’s Rhaeynys Targaryen, but not even such foreknowledge made her demise at Rook’s Rest easier to witness or live with after the fact. The Queen Who Never Was became the first to die in the Dance of the Dragons — at least the first human — crashing into the rocky walls in a fiery explosion.

Doug Williams (Days Of Our Lives)

Something of a unique (but equally heartbreaking) outlier of a 2024 TV death, Days of Our Lives honored veteran character Doug Williams with a final episode in July 2024, roughly six months after soap actor Bill Hayes passed away at 98. (He starred off and on from 1970-2024.) Making the episode all the more emotional is the fact that the actor’s real-life wife Susan Seaforth Hayes portrayed Doug’s wife Julie, and so his final episode featured the widowed actress once again mourning her hubby’s death by paying fictional respects.

Hughie Campbell Sr. (The Boys)

The Boys’ comic Hughie owes his whole look to Simon Pegg, and while the actor’s live-action impact on the Prime Video series has been limited, Eric Kripke & Co. thankfully(?) gave his Hughie Sr. a Season 4 death that was truly gut-wrenching both literally and metaphorically. Post-coma and with V in his veins, the seemingly healthful chap was suddenly unable to maintain his place in time or space, and unmenacingly blazed a gory train of panicked mayhem through a hospital before the eyes of his son and rekindled love.

The Hargreeves Siblings (The Umbrella Academy)

If The Umbrella Academy can be described with any one word, “unpredictable” would likely work best, as no one could have foreseen the comic adaptation’s mega-mutant culmination of “The Jennifer Incident.” Or the threat of existence’s destruction due to Ben’s marigold mixing with Jennifer’s durango. Or that the entire group of characters at the end of Season 4 would have to sacrifice themselves to save seemingly everyone else who met doomed fates throughout the series. I guess that’s just the (Gerard) way it goes when Five’s the one in charge of anything.

Emma Morley (One Day)

Sure, any shock surrounding One Day’s tragic 13th episode comes with the caveat of “never having read David Nicholls’ novel or the Nicholls-scripted 2011 movie.” But for those whom that applies, it applies so fucking hard. The highs of watching Ambika Mod’s Emma and Leo Woodall’s Dexter finally dovetailing into a relationship soon cascaded into all-too-real middle ground and then abject tragedy when Emma is knocked off of her bicycle and dies. Even for those already aware of Emma’s fate, I can imagine twelve episodes of build-up helped keep it soul-crushing, if not surprising.

Mrs. Hart / Sharon (Agatha All Along)

Despite killing its titular witch off in the second-to-last installment, Agatha All Along’s most shocking death, if perhaps not the most emotional, belonged to Debra Jo Rupp’s mind-warped Sharon — Mrs. Hart during WandaVision’s hex — who rather unceremoniously drowned in the second episode right as the coven figured out how to get past the first trial of the Witches Road. (And after she suffered a traumatic flashback hallucination.) Despite an abundance of theories proposing how she could return, and despite Agatha herself returning in a ghostly form, Sharon apparently had no such luck.

George Cooper (Young Sheldon)

Technically, George Cooper’s death was set in stone on The Big Bang Theory before Young Sheldon even existed, but only through the prequel series were viewers able to emotionally invest in the character’s life and legacy. So that by the time Lance Barber’s patriarch actually did bite the metaphorical bullet, which went down in the series’ penultimate episode, it truly did warrant a full in-episode funeral to provide him a worthwhile farewell.

Chloe Yasuda (Grey’s Anatomy)

Grey’s Anatomy should have multiple eponymous awards for heartbreaking and shocking deaths, with Mike’s sister Chloe arguably the show’s most jarring in the past year. Julia Rose’s character appeared in just three episodes, but after the emotional triple scoop of cancer, surgery, and recovery, it seemed like she was off to enjoy recurring character status. But no, it was more suffering for one and all after Mika fell asleep at the wheel and caused a crash that eventually led to Chloe succumbing to her injuries in ICU, and the reverberations were intense, y’all.

Clark And Lois (Superman & Lois)

By being The CW’s final post-Arrowverse DC drama, Superman & Lois was arguably already aimed at some kind of forever-ending as opposed to a happily ever after. Yet it was still both an emotional and surprising journey into the near and distant future with Clark and Lois after taking Lex Luthor down. Happy weddings and pregnancies gave way to Lois’ cancer returning and her death, then Clark’s own death due to heart failure. But wait! A happily-ever-after conclusion is indeed reached when Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch’s characters reconnect once more in the afterlife. I’m wiping smudges off my glasses, not tears.

Grace Garvey (Bad Sisters)

Perhaps Bad Sisters was giving Anne-Marie Duff’s Grace some legitimate in-universe grace with her left-field Season 2 death, given all of the skeletons that escaped her closet across Season 1. But given the darkly comedic tone of creator and co-star Sharon Horgan’s series during that stretch, the idea of forever breaking up the five-sister bond seemed wildly unlikely, if not impossible. And yet that car crash and funeral went down in the first three episodes. Hug your siblings if you got ‘em.

Larry Dalrymple (The Simpsons)

The Simpsons has been on the air long enough for some to think it’s no longer capable of producing fresh ideas, but the show’s creative team took a wild swing early in Season 35 by killing off a longtime background character that viewers may not have even known had a name: Larry Dalrymple, the jacket-wearing barfly. Fans were both surprised and outraged by the canonical death, which sparks a bonkers funeral-jumping caper for Homer & Co.

The Umbrella Academy Season 4 has come and gone, and the shorter season left fans hurt, mad and wanting more. The show also ended without answering some big questions, including one about the whereabouts of Genesis Rodriguez’s Sloane Hargreeves, the Sparrow Academy member Luther fell for. Thankfully, Rodriguez has landed a new role in a Taylor Sheridan show that will help turn this frown upside down, because while I'm still upset about Sloane, her upcoming part sounds awesome.

That's right, Rodriguez has landed a role in the upcoming second season of Special Ops: Lioness. Those with a Paramount+ subscription will be able to see the actress portraying Captain Josephina "Josie" Carillo, a fierce and dedicated pilot. Other than that, we don't know much about her role yet. However, the series' star Zoe Saldaña told People what to expect from the new character, and it’s going to be a breath of fresh air:

It sounds like Josie is no Sloane, and it will be fun to see what she brings to the second season of Taylor Sheridan's show. Overall, I'm sure the actress will be an interesting addition to Lioness, and the fact that Rodriguez and Saldaña have been friends for a while makes it even better. Now, I can't wait for its premiere this fall on the 2024 TV schedule!

Lioness premiered in July 2023 on Paramount+ and comes from Yellowstone's mastermind Taylor Sheridan. Along with Saldaña, the series also stars an ensemble cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett and James Jordan. Rodriguez is certainly in good company. And I just need the second season to be here already so she can be back on my screen, because I missed her that much in the final season of Umbrella Academy.

Speaking of that Netflix show, while Sloane Hargreeves was missing from the last episodes, there was still a lot going on. While the series seemingly referenced famous movies like Kill Bill, Ferris Bueller, and more, which certainly made it fun, there is one major gripe people have with Season 4.

It was shorter than the other seasons. While Seasons 1-3 had 10 episodes, Season 4 only had six, meaning there was less time to wrap up the stories and focus on the multiple major plot lines. At the very least, there was still closure and some wild romances (like Lila and Five), however, Sloane and Luther's story was not one of them.

Thankfully, we'll get to see the Sloane actress back on our screens soon though! While a premiere date for Special Ops: Lioness Season 2 has not been announced, it's expected to return this fall, and all of Season 1 is available on Paramount+. In the meantime, fans with a Netflix subscription can take a look back at their favorite Sloane moments by watching Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy.

As a huge fan of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, I’m so sad the show ended after four seasons. Showrunner Steve Blackman did a great job staying true to the comics, but he also had some fun sprinkling in surprises for the fans to pick up on. And after binging the fourth and final season when it was released earlier this month on the 2024 TV schedule, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the show seemingly referenced some very well-known famous movie scenes.

The Umbrella Academy is no stranger to mimicking pop culture. I mean, the entire second season takes place in the 1960s and surrounds the assassination of JFK and the conspiracies that followed. Meanwhile, Season 3’s hotel scenes were strongly reminiscent of The Shining. In a recent segment for Tudum, Blackman discussed a bunch of hidden callbacks from past Umbrella seasons they snuck into the final installment of the show, saying:

Without further ado, here are four famous movies the Umbrella Academy seemingly referenced in Season 4, including Kill Bill and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The Little Miss Sunshine Van Scene

Starting off strong, we see our first potential, though not confirmed, reference in Episode 2, titled “Jean and Gene”. Though we don’t see the two aforementioned married villains until the very last minute of the episode, we do see a scene that reminds us a lot of Little Miss Sunshine.

In both the beloved movie and this sci-fi comic book show, the driver of the packed, three-row van that's full of dysfunctional family members is told to pull over. However, in The Umbrella Academy, it’s not because someone is having a panic attack, but because all of the passengers have been dosed with marigold against their will and are feeling quite sick.

The Trench Coat Scene From Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

In one of the best movies of the ‘80s, Ferris Bueller gets away with some pretty incredible things on his “day off” from school, including sneaking out his girlfriend from right under the principal’s nose. In the scene, Sloane and Principal Rooney are waiting outside when a bus pulls away to reveal Ferris standing across the street, disguised in a trenchcoat.

In a very similar way, in The Umbrella Academy episode “End of the Beginning,” a bus passes by to reveal Diego and Luther standing on the sidewalk, dressed in trench coats. A coincidence in attire? I think not!

The Grave Scene From Kill Bill Vol. 2

This one is actually confirmed by the dialogue itself, so there is no guesswork to be done here! Episode 5 finds Klaus buried alive in a pet sematary (oh Klaus!), and after trying all other options, he tells himself to channel his inner Uma Thurman to escape the grave.

Our favorite eccentric medium has a lighter instead of a flashlight, but otherwise, the scenes are exactly the same, with Klaus lining up his hand and punching the wood, Black Mamba style. As a Kill Bill fan, I absolutely loved this direct reference!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Elevator Scene

Every Marvel fan knows the famous elevator scene from Winter Soldier in which Captain America beats up an elevator full of S.H.I.E.L.D. henchmen with his hands tied.

The Umbrella Academy seemingly recreated that scene, where in a similar vein, Luther becomes a threat to the underground organization that has infiltrated the CIA, and they send a bunch of men into the elevator to take him out. But in true Steve Rogers fashion, the elevator opens to all of them unconscious on the floor, with Luther standing over them. As a Captain America fan, I recognized this one right away. Iconic!

I certainly enjoyed finding these unofficial references, as well as the intentional easter eggs hidden by the crew, especially in the last scene with all the old characters. Although I might need another watch-through to get them all. I might even rewatch the whole series to catch all the Bennifer easter eggs, and no, I don’t mean the tumultuous celebrity relationship. My Brellies know what I’m talking about.

But you can try and find these references and other Easter Eggs for yourself by watching Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy with a Netflix subscription.

Spoilers ahead for the final season of The Umbrella Academy.

The streaming wars have been going for years now, and one of the best shows to binge on Netflix is definitely its superhero show The Umbrella Academy. The show's fourth and final season recently arrived for those with a Netflix subscription, and offered a moving ending for the Hargreeves.

The series finale of The Umbrella Academy confirmed what we perhaps should have known all along: that the Hargreeves are the very reason why they keep trying to avoid the apocalypse. Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy ended with the titular team sacrificing themselves forever, allowing their loved ones (plus the entirety of the multiverse) to live on. And while I did like the finale itself, I thought that the short season the final installment of the series overall.

The first three season of The Umbrella Academy were all ten episodes each, which really gave the story enough time to breathe. There are a ton of characters to service, many of whom were often traveling across timelines. Which is why reducing it to just six episodes for Season 4 felt like such a slap to the face, and one that forced the story to move much quicker than it probably would have.

While fans adjusted to shorter Umbrella Academy episodes in Season 2, missing out on four episodes for the final season was a toughie. While the show stuck the landing for its series finale, it could have packed an even more emotional punch if there was more time to spend with each of the beloved characters.

My biggest complaint as far as these characters go for Season 4 definitely has to be the storyline involving Five and Lila. This pair end up being lost in the multiverse subway lines for years, bonding deeply and even getting romantic during this time helping keep each other alive and sane.

The episode which focused on this storyline was gorgeous, especially the montage where the two wandered the subway lines while the song "Ahead of the Century" by Tragically Hip plays. But I personally needed more time spent on the fallout of this relationship, and the trauma they experienced.

The series finale saw Five and Lila return to their universe, with their loved ones originally unaware of what they'd experienced. They eventually revealed the truth about the time passed and their connection, with Five and Diego coming to blows in the midst of the final battle.

But with time ticking and the ensemble deciding to sacrifice themselves, they had to quickly resolve this issue before their impending deaths. This felt rushed for me, and I wish there was an episode in between to really unpack it all. I'd also loved to have seen the siblings connect with the monstrous form of Ben, rather than just Viktor. Hey, at least it was a satisfying series finale regardless.

The Umbrella Academy is streaming in its entirety now. Check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch, including upcoming Netflix shows and movies.

Spoilers below for The Umbrella Academy’s final season, so be warned if you haven’t yet streamed it in full!

One of the past week’s biggest streaming releases has definitely been the final season of The Umbrella Academy, which remains one of Netflix’s most binge-worthy shows, even if the six-episode swan song has taken some huge hits from critics and the fanbase. Though the powered-up comic book adaptation finally revealed what the Jennifer Incident was, with the Hargreeves siblings saving the world’s purest timeline once and for all, that victory came with arguably TUA’s most shocking character interactions.

I’m speaking, of course, of the gobsmacking and oh-so-illicit romance between Aidan Gallagher’s Five and Ritu Arya’s Lila that inspires the fifth episode’s title, “Six Years, Five Months, and Two Days.” The whole episode was a wild trip, both metaphorically and literally, as the two characters became stuck within the subway system without a way to return to their shared home. And along the way, their mutual disgust morphed into something more emotionally fraught and knotted with desperation and despair.

Even though Five and Lila’s eventual kiss seemed inevitable long before it happened, the actual moment and immediate aftermath was still jarring as all hell. And as it turns out, showrunner Steve Blackman was keenly aware that this plot point was going to be a divisive one amongst fans. Here’s how he put it when talking to Netflix’s Tudum:

Honestly, I don’t take too much issue with this part of the explanation, at least if it’s completely removed from the context of what’s happening in other characters’ lives. While I don’t think that every TV character absolutely needs a romantic storyline to be vindicated, I think Five is a very special case as someone who has experienced so many other emotional extremes without romantic love being accounted for.

And I also get that The Umbrella Academy isn’t exactly teeming with hot young singles who fetishize nice suits and timeline fuckery. To that end, Blackman continued his explanation by addressing more of why the creative team set Lila up as Five’s loving foil:

Also a sensible enough thought process in the sense of “length of time” being a key factor in the impetus behind Lila and Five locking lips. Considering these two once fought each other while Lila was fully nude, and without any hornball energy wafting off of it, I get that them being forced to live and survive together even under such dire circumstances can lead to such complex energies. And that after so many years of hopelessness, even the most unexpected relationship can form.

Blackman revealed that they filmed the scene in such a way that Gallagher and Arya’s kiss would feel as spontaneous and potentially awkward as could be. In his words:

That's all good and well, but now let's strike at the heart of the matter, and why the above explanation can still fail as a proper justification, even though it's mostly understandable.

The Big Issue With Five And Lila's Romance

For all that Steve Blackman explains the companionship well enough from Five's perspective, he doesn't really provide a whole lot of commentary about why it makes sense from Lila's point of view. Because that would be way harder to pull off.

To be sure, The Umbrella Academy's fourth season does successfully portray Lila as a ball of frustration as a family woman, with her marriage to Diego the main source of her angst. But it's not as if their chemistry was completely absent, or as if he was a truly terrible husband and/or father. So I don't know that I wholly believe that Lila would have threatened that bond with Five of all people, even after years of roasting rats and peeing on subway tracks and whatnot.

At least not after only half an episode of TV. This whole thing would have been far easier to swallow had it taken place across two or three episodes, a knowingly impossible feat within this shortened season. As such, the story arc comes across as overly rushed and fairly cringe-y despite having fairly smart and measured reasons for existing in the first place. But Aiden Gallagher and Ritu Arya both sell it well enough that it didn't bother me that much going into the finale.

Of course, the finale had a bunch of equally bonkers choices in how it handled Ben and Jennifer's Cleanse monster, and I still have questions about the final scene in the park, and how some of those characters existed in that reality. But I suppose I can just ponder those thoughts for the next...oh, I dunno...six years, five months, and two days.

The Umbrella Academy's four-season run is available to stream in its entirety with a Netflix subscription.

Spoilers below for the final season and episode of The Umbrella Academy, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched it on Netflix.

For a show where part of each season’s core hook has been stopping a literal apocalypse, The Umbrella Academy wasn’t destined for an easy ending in 2024, and its shortened final season didn’t exactly help make things any smoother. The season not only had to resolve the power-removing efforts from Season 3’s conclusion, but also had to tie up various loose ends while also delivering the long-awaited answer behind The Jennifer Incident. And how’d it go? Well, everyone’s mileage will vary.

I share in others’ online opinions about how the season probably would have felt less choppy had it maintained prior seasons’ episode counts and/or focused more on the core Hargreeves siblings instead of alt-versions of other characters. I still enjoyed the hell out of the episodes while watching, though, and for better or worse, I’m still thinking about questions I have about the series finale’s final scene, as well as the flowers that were revealed in the extended post-credits moment.

As those who watched will recall, the O.G. Umbrella squad sacrificed themselves and allowed Ben and Jennifer's Cleanse to finally occur, which meant that the other 145,000+ additional timelines (subway stops) were voided and ceased to exist, leaving only the original timeline that wasn't splitered into oblivion by the group's Marigold-fueled existences. And this untarnished reality was exemplified by the suburban utopia of a cameo-filled sunny day in the park, implying that many of the previous seasons' characters were living their best lives. But that just led to befuddlement over the questions below.

Is That Robot Grace, And Whose Child Is In The Stroller?

Perhaps the most surprising appearance in the park — other than Five’s mannequin paramour Dolores popping up in the background — came from Jordan Claire Robbins’ Grace, or Mom, as she was affectionately known by the Umbrella siblings. This is the kind of cameo that is possibly meant to be accompanied by a big winking shrug from showrunner Steve Blackman and the rest of the creative team, but I don’t know how to make the logic work well enough inside my head.

Like, I’m not sitting here worried about whether Gabriel Bá’s guest spot as the artist sketching Herb and Dot means Bá exists within this universe. But like…what are we talking about here with Grace? Clearly this can’t be the human woman that Reginald first took a shine to in the 1960s, since she looks exactly the same. And I dunno that I’m willing to automatically guess that this is a lookalike granddaughter or something.

So that would mean it’s the same version of the robot that more or less raised the Hargreeves kids, but does that even make sense if Reginald created her to be the perfect mother due to all the nannies that were killed? Even if he would have had another iteration of Grace in the works otherwise in the ‘80s, would she still be walking around in 2024 with a baby stroller?

Which leads us to this all-important follow-up: who in the world could be in that stroller? Does Robot Grace have a babysitting side gig? (Or even a full-time gig, because why not?) Or is this meant to imply that Reginald is still taking other people’s babies for reasons unknown? I mean, what I WANT to believe is that it’s Pogo’s kid inside the stroller, because Pogo is just that kind of a stud, but I fear it’s not anything so fantastical.

Are Other Versions Of Allison, Diego And Lila Raising These Children?

I can understand the logic mechanics behind Allison’s daughter Claire still existing in 2024 along with Lila and Diego’s children Grace and Coco and other family members, and that they wouldn’t remember any of the Brellies. But are these indeed still the same characters from earlier Season 4 scenes? Because if so, not remembering who Allison, Lila and Diego are should create some huge issues when it comes to living situations and the science behind their existences.

If other characters like Kate Walsh’s Handler are enjoying their O.G.-timeline life, then wouldn’t Claire be living with her father Patrick instead of hanging out with a family she wouldn’t otherwise have had any contact with? And would Patrick be freaking out right now without knowing where his daughter is, or where his daughter came from in the first place?

Or is the idea here meant to be that Allison, Diego, Lila and the rest of the core characters experienced totally natural births in this universe without the Marigold-infused powers, and that they’re indeed alive out there? If so, would Grace’s middle name still be Stanley as a reference to Javon Walton’s Stan, who disappeared in Season 3? Would her name even be Grace?

Okay, But What DO The Flowers Actually Mean?

The post-credits scene featuring those eight golden flowers no doubt threw some viewers just as much as Five and Lila's romantic relationship. On the one hand, it kinda seemed like that moment was undercutting the entire series by showing that Marigold (and presumably also Durango) are still present on our planet, and could potentially wreak havoc anew down the line. But it could also be a sign of hope that the core Brellies and their heroism are just as inevitable as any dangers out there.

When asked by Netflix's Tudum if the eight flowers were indeed a direct link-up with the eight siblings, showrunner Steve Blackman shared the following:

I can actually get behind that kind of response, since it doesn't really matter if there's a "real" answer without any further episodes to explore the ideas. So by all means, if fans want to believe in the Hargreeves' sibs reconnecting and saving the world from future catastrophes, it's there for the theorizing. As is the opposite idea that this world will never have to worry about the threats that could only be handled by Five & Co., and that these flowers are the dying breath of Reginald and Abigail's threat to humanity.

Especially since the story is going to get turned on its head in a completely different way whenever Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá complete their comic book arc. Which will hopefully happen sooner rather than later, regardless of what timeline we're talking about.

The Umbrella Academy is available to stream in full with a Netflix subscription.

As one of Netflix’s best and most binge-worthy series, The Umbrella Academy has taken both viewers and its characters across space and time in unpredictable yet meaningful ways. With the final season among this week’s streaming highlights (at least for those with Netflix subscriptions), the Hargreeves family will have one more shot to save the universe without botching all the timelines. Not all of the drama is so large-scale, however, as fans will also see Elliot Page’s Viktor facing off with the family’s patriarchal machinator Reginald Hargreeves.

It’s a big season for both Viktor and Page himself, who spoke to People about how “significant” the difference has been filming Umbrella Academy post-transition, saying that the biggest change of all is inherent to being more comfortable while portraying Viktor. Here’s how he put it:

Page notably came out as a trans male in December 2020, months after the second season of The Umbrella Academy hit streaming, and in the thick of the COVID pandemic, which helped to prompt the public admission. He recevied a wave of support in response, and the Netflix series was quick to adjust the actor's casting notations and other mentions across its many sites and outlets.

For those who can’t wait to see Viktor in action, Elliot Page teases that his character will indeed stand up to his figurative father figure about all of the trauma he’d faced over the years, saying the scene is “so juicy,” and that it’s the culmination of so much of the character’s journey to that point.

Speaking to how gratifying it’s been for him to witness and experience Viktor’s progress, Page said:

Page has spoken about how open and supportive showrunner Steve Blackman was regarding the actor coming out, and was positive about working that into the comic book adaptation's storyline for the character. Blackman later faced a round of accusations about workplace behavior, including the allegation that he exploited Page's transition for storytelling purposes, but the latter hasn't vindicated those claims.

At this point, we’re still unsure of how Viktor and the rest of his Hargreeves siblings will fare in the final season, which follows up on the Season 3 finale that took most of the characters’ powered-up abilities away, while also splitting them up. And all within a timeline where Reginald Hargreeves (and possibly the “real” version of Grace) seem to be in a position of great power.

The Umbrella Academy is one of many TV shows ending in 2024, with Season 4 arriving on Netflix on Thursday, August 8. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see when everything else will arrive before the year is up.

With the massive amount of content that arrived on the best streaming services on August 1, there was certainly a lot to get through. Once you're caught up, however, you won't want to slow down, as there's plenty more where that came from.

The first full week of August is one that brings a lot of great content. What’s new on Netflix involves several new seasons of TV for a wide variety of audiences. What’s upcoming on Disney+ includes a new series that K-pop fans won’t want to miss. But the movie I'll be sure not to miss this week is on Apple TV+.

New Movies

 The Instigators (Apple TV+)

The friendship and regular business relationship between Matt Damon and friend Ben Affleck is well known, but in The Instigators Damon will team up with his friend’s little bother, Casey Affleck. The Instigators stars Damon as an ex-Marine in need of money so he plans a heist with an ex-con played by Affleck. This one looks like it has plenty of action and more than a few laughs, and considering it’s from director Doug Liman of the popular Road House remake, this one has the potential to be great.

The Instigators premieres August 9 on Apple TV+

 The Bikeriders (Peacock)

The Bikeriders wasn’t a massive theatrical hit, which isn’t a shock considering it’s a small character drama. But considering this is exactly the sort of movie that can become a massive hit streaming, it will be interesting to see if audiences if with a Peacock Subscription find it. Critics generally approve of The Bikeriders, so there's a good chance that those who watch it will feel the same way. With a cast that includes up-and-coming stars like Austin Butler and Jodie Comer, it’s worth checking out.

The Bikeriders premieres August 9 on Peacock

New TV

The Umbrella Academy, Season 4 (Netflix)

One of the more popular original series from Netflix, The Umbrella Academy debuts its final season this week. Once again the world is coming to an end, and a dysfunctional family of superpowered people are the only ones who can save it. Season 3 left fans with a lot of questions but we can only assume that throughout Season 4, all questions will be answered and the story will reach some sort of conclusion. Many fans will be sad to see this one go, but hopefully, they'll be satisfied by the end.

The Umbrella Academy Season 4 premieres August 8 on Netflix

Are You Sure ?! (Disney+)

BTS is still one of the most popular K-pop groups in the world and fans of the group, and music in general, would benefit from a Disney+ subscription. The new series Are You Sure?! Isn’t about their music, but it will likely be even better for fans. The series is a travelogue that follows two members of the group, Jimin and Jung Kook, as they travel the world before entering their required national military service.

Are You Sure ?! premieres August 8 on Disney+

Mr. Throwback (Peacock)

As of this writing, Stephan Curry is busy trying to win a gold medal at the Olympics. But before the gold medal game the question will be, can Stephen Curry act? He skipped out on Space Jam 2 but Curry will get in front of the camera in the new series Mr. Throwback. It features the NBA star as a fictionalized version of himself, who attempts to help out an old friend, played by Adam Pally who has fallen on hard times. It’s time to answer the question, is Stephen Curry as funny as Lebron James?

Mr. Throwback premieres August 8 on Peacock.

Gabby’s Dollhouse (Season 10) (Netflix)

If school hasn’t started yet then you may have kids who need something to do. The good news, if you have a Netflix subscription, comes in the form of a new season of Gabby's Dollhouse. The animated series has become so popular among the younger set that the character is now part of DreamWorks land at Universal Orlando Resort and will be part of the forthcoming Universal Kids Resort currently in development in Texas.

Gabby’s Dollhouse Season 10 premieres August 5 on Netflix.

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears (Max)

The NFL season is almost here. As fans get ready for the new season, and enjoy preseason action, fans with a Max subscription will also be able to watch the latest season of Hard Knocks, the documentary series takes a look at a different team’s training camp every year. This time around, it’s the Chicago Bears, one of football's most storied franchises, but one that hasn't been on top in a long time. If this is their year, this will be the beginning of the story.

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears premieres August 6 on HBO and Max.

Love Is Blind: UK (Netflix)

If you have a particular love for Netflix’s reality series Love is Blind, and you can’t wait for the next season of the U.S. show, the good news is there are multiple versions of the series in different nations so there is almost always a new one right around the corner. And the new one doesn’t even require subtitles as Love is Blind UK arrives this week

Love is Blind UK premiers August 7 on Netflix.

Yo Gabba GabbaLand!  (Apple TV+)

The original Yo Gabba Gabba children’s show ran from 2007 to 2015. Now, nearly a decade later, Apple TV+ brings the show back as Yo Gabba GabbaLand. Considering how popular the show was with the first generation that grew up with it, this new version has a lot to live up to. Having said that, there’s every reason to believe this one will be just as special.

Yo Gabba GabbaLand premieres August 9 on Apple TV+

This week will also see the end of the 2024 Summer Olympics, so if all you've been streaming for the last two weeks are sports, it's going to be time to pivot to something else pretty soon. Luckily there's even more great streaming content coming next week.

One of Netflix’s most popular original series is joining the many series ending in 2024, with The Umbrella Academy Season 4 set to give the Hargreeves siblings a big bang of an exit when it debuts in August. But before we learn whether or not the Jennifer Incident will get explained, some troubling behind-the-scenes allegations have surfaced regarding showrunner Steve Blackman, with a number of former writers and staffers accusing him of harboring a toxic workplace and more.

Through a selection of representatives who are part of Blackman’s creative team, the series developer has denied the various claims made against him, many of which were the subject of an investigation. But despite no consequences surfacing just yet, one has to wonder whether this unfortunate turn of events will derail Netflix’s adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn. Let’s take a closer look.

The Accusations Made Against Umbrella Academy’s Steve Blackman

On June 30, 2024, Rolling Stone revealed a report including accusations and troubling anecdotes shared by twelver former Umbrella Academy writers and members of its support staff. Many of the complaints were previously included in a January 2023 HR complaint that was filed with production company Universal Content Productions, which pegged Blackman as being a manipulative and bullying boss who engages in retaliatory behavior with employees who question his judgment or share ideas that go against his wishes.

To clarify, UCP’s investigation into the matter cleared Blackman of any punishable wrongdoing, while allowing the complaints about the showrunner using foul and derogatory language to be likely true, as well as the notion that he made unprofessional remarks. But that judgment is part of the reason why many of the same staffers have gone more public (albeit anonymously) with their allegations. Here are some of the specific examples of claims made:

• Season 1 writers claim they were unfairly dismissed from the project when Steve Blackman overhauled the entire writers room with all-new staffers.
• A writing team of two women, one of which was pregnant and went on maternity leave after being hired, claim that Blackman didn’t offer them contract extensions when the writers room was kept open for rewrites, alleging that he made comments to other employees about not knowing one of the writers was pregnant when she was hired.
• Staffers claim there have been multiple instances where Steve Blackman has shown retaliatory behavior, and his Season 4 co-showrunner Jesse McKeown claims to have witnessed it happening with others, believing he wouldn’t ever experience it, and then says he suffered his own shrinking of job duties after supporting a fellow writer’s pay dispute.
• The showrunner was accused of dropping a staff member between seasons based on a Season 2 conversation the former employee had in private with another writer and an actress on the show about the latter’s 1960s Dallas storyline. It’s claimed that Blackman was extremely angry to hear that others were discussing story changes without him.
• Blackman is accused of using his past as a defense attorney to talk his way out of complaints and blame sudden staff changes on budgeting and scheduling concerns.
• Writers say that Blackman often took credit for others’ work, whether through asking non-writers to submit ideas under the guise of potential advancements, or by flatly attaching his name to others’ scripts that he polished up.

In fact, one of the only complaints made against Steve Blackman that was readily acted upon involved his attempt to get a sole credit for the Season 4 finale from the WGA. The organization ruled against him, allowing that additional writers provided the necessary proof for one to get a “Story By” credit, and for three others to get a “teleplay by” credit.

While the representatives for the showrunner offered more specific denials for a selection of the more specific accusations, below is more of a boilerplate response to the claims as a whole:

As of this writing, Netflix reps have not commented on the matter, and no further actions or responses have been made by Steve Blackman and/or his team. For now, it appears as if The Umbrella Academy's fourth season will debut as planned, but what about the executive producer's highly anticipated video game adaptation?

What’s Happening With Netflix’s Horizon Zero Dawn Adaptation?

Back in August 2022, two months after The Umbrella Academy's acclaimed third season was released, Netflix renewed its overall creative deal with Steve Blackman, with two major project developments spinning out of that news: an International Space Station drama titled Orbit, and a live-action adaptation of Sony and Guerrilla Games’ action RPG Horizon Zero Dawn.

Rumors had spread months prior that Netflix was developing a series based on the game, with the idea that the main character Aloy would be one of the series’ leads as well. So fans were obviously hyped up about it, though at the time, Netflix’s penchant for canceling shows after a single season weighed down on the excitement.

Not much news spread for the next year and a half or so (with the PlayStation franchise releasing the third game, Horizon Call of the Mountain in February 2023), but at the 2024 CES in January, Sony confirmed that the writing process had begun for Horizon Zero Dawn along with writing for the upcoming God of War TV show. It wasn’t specified which other writers were tasked with joining Blackman’s writers room.

At some point around that time, Steve Blackman’s production company Irish Cowboy updated its website to include the Horizon adaptation, with Michelle Lovretta noted as being a co-creator. Here’s the current synopsis for the show:

Can everyone with a Netflix subscription still look forward to seeing Horizon Zero Dawn's adaptation one day? Probably so, at least at this point, since most of the accusations made against Blackman were already looked into. That said, if Netflix execs grow wary that this negative publicity will hurt the show's chances down the line, other decisions could be made.

Until then, keep those hopes about Aloy alive, and head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what else will be popping up on the small screen in the near future.

One of many shows ending in 2024, The Umbrella Academy’s run as one of Netflix’s best TV shows is wrapping soon, and the stakes are as high as ever for their time-altering chicanery. Even though audiences are still largely in the dark on the Hargreeves clan’s situation after the Season 3 finale left them mostly split up and powerless. Thankfully, the first trailer for The Umbrella Academy Season 4 has arrived, and it’s full of fun moments and interesting details.

Take a look at the new trailer below before moving on, so we're all on the same page of this comic adaptation.

For all the new information we now have, there are still plenty of questions to pore over ahead of the suped-up series’ debut in August. Will Genesis Rodriguez return as Sparrow Sloane Hargreeves? Will we get to see The Commission’s origin? What happened to Stan? And will we ever learn what the “Jennifer Incident” is, and how Ben died from it? As far as that last point goes, the Season 4 trailer features one moment that has me curious over whether it's hinting at something deeper or not.

What Is The Jennifer Incident?

Short answer: it seems to be the event during which Umbrella Ben died. In Season 3's episode "Marigold," Sparrow Ben asks Luthor about his timeline's Ben, to which the latter replied:

Luthor was interrupted by Sparrow Ben asking the same question we're asking now, but the big galoot just waved it away. Possibly because he didn't want to relive it, or possibly for other reasons. Regardless, the same episode proved that Sparrow Ben's inquiry was a personal one, as his room featured several drawings that are marked with "Jennifer."

The Moment In Diego's Van

The midpoint of the trailer is something of a comedic moment, as the gang gathers around Diego’s van, with David Castañeda’s character saying, “We’re back,” and then screaming about it being their “First mission back!” Then, in what appears to be the following moments, Ben screams from the backseat:

At this point, the others all appear to be slightly disturbed or put off by that sentiment, with Allison pointing out that it's a "rescue mission," which Ben responds to with slack-faced agreement. But what seems like a random outburst may actually be anything but, especially with Sparrow Ben looking worse for wear.

In the first place, it brings it immediately reminds viewers how callous and impulsive Sparrow Ben can be, harking back to the Season 3 dojo sequence when he gleefully went too far in using his tentacles to squeeze Jayme. If we're seeing here that his first instinct is to kill, even in what's meant to be a rescue mission, does that offer insight into how he might have acted with his own Jennifer?

Fans have theorized that there was a mission in which Jennifer was meant to be saved from something, and that Umbrella Ben possibly sacrified himself in order to keep her alive. There's also speculation that Ben committed suicide, based on the wording of his plaque, so it's possibly Ben wasn't able to save Jennifer during this hypothetical mission, and then that grief drove him to taking his own life.

On the flip side, it's theorized that Sparrow Ben was possibly in a smiliar kind of mission, only he either chose not to save Jennifer, or plainly felt no consequential feelings about her death. Which doesn't quite explain why he kept drawings of her in his room, but still.

I can even take a gigantic leap here by positing the idea that the Hargreeves siblings went "back" to the year that Umbrella Ben died, so that they could possible reverse or alter the "Jennifer incident" so that Ben never died because of it. It's unclear if the team even has the ability to jaunt across time if desired, but with this show, all theories are viable to a certain extent.

The Tentacle Powers Are Back!

The Season 4 trailer ends with Ben standing in all his tentacles-out glory, and it looks like he'd just finished causing quite a bit of horror wherever he's at. There's not quite enough to make any specific guesses, but the body being dragged across the ground appears to be someone in a military uniform, though it's hard to tell if any of the detached limbs lying around are also within uniform material.

Is breaking into a military base part of the rescue mission? Does it have anything to do with Reginald Hargreeves, whether it's him running things, or him being investigated over his alien origins? Or, to circle back around, is this possibly where the mysterious Jennifer is being held? Probably not, but it would be an interesting wrench to throw into these theory works if Jennifer never died in either timeline, and has been around all this time. Especially if she's revealed to be a character we've already met. I don't know how I'm going to go the next two months without knowing answers.

The Umbrella Academy Season 4 will premiere on Netflix on Thursday, August 8, so get ready for all kinds of explosive, reality-shredding mayhem. And check out all the other upcoming Netflix shows and movies while waiting.

Following Elliot Page coming out as trans, his character on The Umbrella Academy also transitioned. In Season 3 of the Netflix show, he changed his name to Viktor Hargreeves, and the actor has been open about how accepting the cast and crew was of him coming out. Now, ahead of The Umbrella Academy’s fourth and final season, he spoke about how sweet the showrunner, Steve Blackman, was when he came out and how they instantly started implementing his trans identity into the show. 

In 2020, between Seasons 2 and 3 of The Umbrella Academy, Elliot Page came out as trans. His castmates, including his on-screen brothers David Castañeda, Justin H. Min, and more, showed their support and love for their co-star. Another person who was incredibly supportive through this was the Netflix series' showrunner, Steve Blackman. Speaking with Time about coming out, the actor spoke highly of his boss, saying:

Going into Season 3 of Umbrella Academy, which featured the cast coming together to figure out life in a totally new parallel universe, it was announced that Elliot Page’s character would now be known as Viktor, and his story on the show went along with his transition in real life. 

To this point, the Inception star explained that when he came out to Blackman, he was “very insistent” on having the show reflect life. So, that’s how they established Viktor’s story, which included him coming out very early in the season to his family, and it was lovely. Speaking about the support he got from the showrunner, the actor said:

Page coming out was immediately implemented in Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy. He told his family in the show that he was now Viktor, not Vanya, and they were all incredibly supportive, accepting and excited about it. The show is a glowing example of trans representation, and this story was treated with a lot of care, love and joy. 

To this point, back in 2022, Elliot Page spoke with THR about Viktor’s transition, his story that season, and what it meant to him. The actor said:

Now, Elliot Page, Steve Blackman and The Umbrella Academy crew are getting ready for their fourth and final season. They all celebrated the renewal in August of 2022, and now, two years later, we’ll finally get the Hargreeves’ final chapter. 

As we learn more about the final season of The Umbrella Academy, which will premiere on the 2024 TV schedule on August 8, we’ll keep you updated. To see the story Elliot Page is talking about when it comes to Viktor’s transition, you can stream the series with a Netflix subscription. 

The 2024 TV schedule is in the early days of the always anticipated fall schedule, with a few months left to go in one of the most cancellation-heavy years in recent memory. Which means there's plenty of time for studios, networks and streaming platforms to pull the plug on even more favorites.

Here’s a rundown of all the big TV series that were suddenly canceled or ended their already doomed runs this year, as well as everything that came to more of an amicable and pre-planned conclusion. (This article will be updated regularly as announcements are made.)

That ‘90s Show (Netflix)

Fans were happy to start "hanging out down the street" with Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp's Red and Kitty Foreman for Netflix's sequel series That '90s Show, which brought back nearly all the '70s Show characters that made logical sense. But it seems as if not enough former generations were tuning in, as Netflix pulled the plug on the multicamera comedy in October 2024.

Final Episodes: Aired August 22, 2024

The Serpent Queen (Starz)

Starz's historical drama The Serpent Queen spent two seasons exploring the life and accomplishments of French Queen Catherine de' Medici during her 16th century reign. Though Season 3 was expected, with the cast options already locked down, the network canceled the show in October 2024. However, the creative team is developing a potential spinoff with Minnie Driver as Queen Elizabeth I.

Final Episode: Aired August 30

Parish (AMC)

Following Better Call Saul's ending, Giancarlo Esposito reteamed with AMC for the crime drama Parish, based on the UK series The Driver, about a former criminal who returns to the underworld after his son is brutally murdered. But while the star earned some priase for his performance, Parish itself was deemed to be middling, likely leading to its cancellation in October 2024.

Kaos (Netflix)

Initially making waves for being the show where Jeff Goldblum plays a Greek god, Kaos' wild plotting was enjoyed by enough people to keep the show in Netflix's Top 10 for a month or so. Unfortunately, the service made the call in October 2024 to cancel the big-budget project, spite the finale ending on a cliffhanger.

Final Episode: Aired August 29

Chucky (Syfy/USA)

Despite gaining mostly universal acclaim from horror fans of all ages, Don Mancini's gory small-screen horror Chucky was put back into the Good Guys Doll box and placed back on the shelf. At this point, it's unclear where Macini will attempt to produce Season 4, but he definitely seems keen on making it happen, based in part on the strength of fans' #RenewChucky social media campaign.

Final Episode: Aired May 1, 2024

Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix)

First developed for Max, Dead Boy Detectives was brought into the Netflix fold as part of a shared universe with Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, and premiered to acclaim in April 2024, remaining in the streamer’s Top 10 list for a few weeks before falling out. Netflix dropped the bomb in August that the supernatural mystery series was canceled, with the slight chance for characters to pop back up in Sandman Season 2.

Final Episodes: Aired April 25, 2024

Pretty Little Liars (Max)

The fourth TV series adapting the world of author Sara Shepard’s hugely popular YA novel thrillers, Pretty Little Liars aired for two seasons on Max under the respective subtitles Original Sin and Summer School, with a couple of O.G. actors helping the familiarize audiences with the quasi-rebooted story. Though it wasn’t “A” who was to blame, the streaming spinoff was canceled in September 2024.

Final Episode: Aired June 20, 2024

Time Bandits (Apple TV+)

The TV show that paired up Friends vet Lisa Kudrow and What We Do in the Shadows’ co-conceivers Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, Apple TV+’s episodic adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s ‘80s classic Time Bandits caused all kinds of timeline shenanigans in July and August 2024. Unfortunately, none of those actions secured the series a second season, and the streaming service confirmed its cancellation in September 2024.

Final Episode: Aired August 21, 2024

Velma (Max)

Despite initial excitement for Scooby-Doo entering the adult animation realm, Max's Velma went over with audiences about as well as monsters' scheme go when Mystery, Inc. is on the case. Mindy Kaling's creative path struck a raw nerve with many who just wanted to see Scooby-Doo, and following two seasons and a Halloween special, Velma was canceled in October 2024.

Final Episode: Aired October 3, 2024

The Boys (Prime Video)

Creator Eric Kripe’s initial goal of a five-season run is becoming a prophecy realized, as it was revealed ahead of the bonkers Season 4 finale that The Boys Season 5 will be the hilariously dark and twisted superhero hit’s final run. The showrunner told us it will be the “colliding between Butcher and Homelander” that fans have been waiting for.

Final Episodes: Airing TBA 2025

Unstable (Netflix)

Beacon 23 (MGM+)

Based on the short stories written by author Hugh Howey, Beacon 23 was in development for years ahead of its eventual 2023 streaming debut, where it impressed audiences with its imaginative scope, if not its characters. After two seasons, the Lena Heady-starring sci-fi drama was canceled by Amazon MGM Studios in September 2024.

Final Episode: Aired May 26, 2024

9-1-1: Lone Star (Fox)

When the Rob Lowe-fronted spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star didn’t follow its predecessor to ABC, many fans suspected the worst, and reports about stalled contract negotiations only stoked those flames. Less than a month ahead of its Fall TV return, Fox confirmed that the Texas-set drama’s fifth season will be its final outing.

Final Episode: Airing February 3, 2025

Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC)

The fan-fave sci-fi series Orphan Black returned to the zeitgeist with the Krysten Ritter-led spinoff Orphan Black: Echoes, which dropped its entire season exclusively in Australia back in November 2023, seven months before it landed on AMC in June 2024. But for all that diehard fans were pumped to return to this clone-filled universe, the lone season was considered inferior to the O.G. series, and was canceled in September 2024.

Final Episode: Aired August 25, 2024

Wicked Tuna (NatGeo)

Since 2012, Wicked Tuna has given cable viewers an in-depth look at the trials, tribulations and financial windfalls of the fishing industry surrounding Gloucester, Massachusetts; even its Outer Banks spinoff aired for eight seasons. But the NatGeo series became a victim of parent company Disney’s stricter budgeting decisions for its linear TV networks, with the network announcing the cancellation in August 2024.

Final Episode: Aired May 26, 2024

Life & Beth (Hulu)

Amy Schumer’s first scripted TV creation following Inside Amy Schumer (and her stand-up specials, obviously) was Hulu’s introspective dramedy Life & Beth. Its first season was a hit with critics and with viewers upon its 2022 release, earning a second season from the streamer. That second effort, which dropped in February 2024, didn’t match the buzz of the first, and Hulu canceled several months later.

Final Episodes: Aired February 16, 2024

The Acolyte (Disney+)

Disney+ took Star Wars fans to the High Republic era with The Acolyte, which spent nearly its entire run on Disney+ caught between a fervent fandom and absolute vitriol. But despite all of the overtly strong opinions on both sides of the aisle, the overall viewership for the streaming original apparently didn’t justify its massive budget. Disney+ waited until after SDCC and D23 to announced The Acolyte’s cancellation in August 2024.

Final Episode: Aired July 16, 2024

The Conners (ABC)

While it technically wasn’t meant to last longer than a season, The Conners managed to join its predecessor Roseanne in making it beyond 100 episodes. The cast’s contracts are renewed each and every year, making renewals an annual concern for viewers, and it amicably agreed by all involved this time around that Season 7 would be the final run, with six “very big event” episodes set to debut in early 2025.

Final Episode: Airing TBA Early 2025

Power Book IV: Force (Starz)

Power’s third spinoff, Book IV: Force, furthered the criminal dealings of Joseph Sikora’s Tommy Egan, with a third season order coming from Starz in December 2023, around a month after the second season concluded. During the midst of its hiatus, Starz’s CEO Jeffrey Hirsch revealed the network’s cost-saving tactics included ordering more new shows instead of keeping expensive ones on the air. Three months later, in June 2024, the news dropped that Season 3 would be Force’s last one.

Final Episodes: Airing TBA 2024/2025

Station 19 (ABC)

Even after prior showrunner Krista Vernoff exited the role at the end of Season 6, Station 19’s fate didn’t seem to be in jeopardy. But after the firefighter drama returned to post-strike production in December 2023, ABC announced that the seventh season would be the final stretch for Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George and the rest of the actors comprising the firestation’s crew.

Final Episode: Aired May 30, 2024

Bosch: Legacy (Amazon Freevee)

Titus Welliver reprised the role of author Michael Connelly’s beloved investigator Harry Bosch for the Legacy spinoff, which was renewed for a third season ahead of its Season 2 debut in 2023. In September 2024, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed that this spinoff will be concluding following its Season 3 arrival in 2025. Fans can still look forward to the currently untitled spinoff starring Maggie Q, which is set to arrive in Fall 2025.

Final Episode: Airing TBA 2025

Walker (The CW)

Amid all the big cancellations that have gone down at The CW since it was bought out by Nexstar, Jared Padalecki’s Walker seemed to be a safe bet for renewals, but that streak of luck ended on May 21 when the network made it official that the western-tinged drama would be ending with its ongoing fourth season, a little over a year after its spinoff Walker: Independence was canceled after a single season.

Final Episode: Aired June 26, 2024

Arcane (Netflix)

Spinning out of League of Legends to become the first streaming series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, Netflix’s Arcane instantly became a darling for both critics and fans with its nine-episode debut season. First renewed in November 2021, the highly anticipated second season is set to arrive in November 2024, but its creators shook the fanbase with the June 2024 reveal that Season 2 will conclude the Riot Games production.

Final Episodes: Airing November 2024

Tokyo Vice (Max)

First ordered to series in 2019, Max’s crime drama Tokyo Vice finally debuted in 2022, with Ansel Elgort portraying journalist Jake Adelstein (who wrote the memoir source material), and Ken Watanabe as his guiding light of a Toyko detective. The second season aired from February-April 2024, concluding its story with the finale “Endgame.” In June 2024, via THR, the show’s producers confirmed that the show would not be returning for Season 3, and that it was always envisioned for a two-season run, with Elgort only having signed on for two years.

Final Episode: Aired April 4, 2024

UnPrisoned (Hulu)

The stellar duo of Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo headed up Hulu's UnPrisoned, which centered on the daughter-father relationship following the latter's release from prison, but remained a fun time despite the heavy issues. Washington herself revealed in September 2024 how "super duper disappointed" she is that Season 3 would not be happening, and that Hulu had canceled the Onyx Collective project.

Final Episodes: Aired July 17, 2024

Extended Family (NBC)

Despite having Mike O’Malley as a creator and a star trio in Jon Cryer, Donald Faison and Abigail Spencer, the NBC sitcom Extended Family was one of many shows whose production was sidelined right in the middle of production due to the Hollywood strikes, and though it was able to start filming again relatively quickly, the network gave it an arguably ill-timed pre-Christmas premiere, but that still ended up being its largest audience and demo rating, with neither rising to the same heights at any other point.

Final Episode: Aired March 26. 2024

The Winter King (MGM+)

The UK historical fiction adaptation The Winter King, based on Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles novels, arrived on MGM+ in 2023 and won over critics and quite a few fans with its action-packed take on Arthurian legend, with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. vet Iain De Caestecker as the fabled king. The long wait for any Season 2 updates wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence, and the decision was made to cancel it in September 2024, though being a co-production with ITV could mean a potential return if another studio steps in.

Final Episode: Aired November 5, 2023

The Brothers Sun (Netflix)

Fronted by Michelle Yoeh, Justin Chien, Sam Song Li and more, The Brothers Sun high-kicked its way onto Netflix with audience-pleasing verve, telling the story of a Taiwanese mobster attempting to keep his mother safe in the aftermath of his father’s assassination. Despite positive reviews from critics and fans, and despite having Ryan Murphy’s producer partner Brad Falchuk as co-creator, Netflix canceled The Brothers Sun and sent it into the sunset in early March 2024.

Final Episode: Aired January 4, 2024

The Witcher (Netflix)

In December 2022, Liam Hemsworth was announced to be replacing Henry Cavill in Netflix's fantasy adaptation The Witcher Season 4 and beyond. Then in April 2024, as the fourth season's production start was revealed, Netflix officially put in the order for a fifth and final season, confirming that the final three novels in the series will be brought to live-action in those seasons.

Final Episode: Airing TBA 2025/2026

The Big Door Prize (Apple TV+)

Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name, Apple TV+’s comedy The Big Door Prize charmed many viewers with its cozy tale of a small town turned upside down by a mysteriously prophetic machine. Its second season was ordered in April 2023 soon after the first premiered; on the opposite end of fortune, the streaming service canceled the Chris O’Dowd-starring show two weeks after its second season wrapped.

Final Episode: Aired June 12, 2024

Death and Other Details (Hulu)

Despite our efforts to not allow Death and Other Details to fall victim to Hulu’s cancellation spree, the streamer announced that the Mandy Patinkin-led murder mystery would not return for a second season, continuing the frustrating practice of canceling shows after just one season. This is especially upsetting, as creators Mike Weiss and Heidi Cole McAdams had originally hoped for five to seven seasons, and had built the potential for longevity into the show’s DNA.

Final Episode: Aired March 5, 2024

That Girl Lay Lay (Nickelodeon)

It’s been a rough time over at Nickelodeon with the airing of the docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV and amidst the fallout, the network has quietly canceled two series, including That Girl Lay Lay. The show, which ran for two seasons, featured Sadie getting into some pretty wild situations with Lay Lay, the AI avatar who Sadie wished to life.

Final Episode: Aired March 20, 2024

NCIS: Hawaii (CBS)

The fourth series in the NCIS franchise, NCIS: Hawai’i debuted in 2021 to decent numbers, and though the average stats dipped in Season 2, they rose back up for the strike-delayed third season. Unfortunately, those ten episodes now serve as the unplanned final season, as CBS canceled it weeks before the finale aired, much to the surprise and chagrin of the cast and crew. Making matters worse is the idea that CBS’ already filled schedule was more the cause than anything wrong with NCIS: Hawai’i itself.

Final Episode: Aired May 6, 2024

The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

Fans have had quite a while to anticipate Elisabeth Moss’ swan song as June Osborne in The Handmaid’s Tale. Hulu ordered up the sixth and final season of the popular dystopian drama back in September 2022, just ahead of the Season 5 premiere. Since then: a lot of waiting for more details.

Final Episode: Airing Spring 2025

American Rust (Prime Video)

Showtime originally ordered up American Rust, an adaptation of Philipp Meyer’s 2009 novel, with Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney leading the cast during its Season 1 run in 2021. The network dropped the cancellation axe after Season 1 ended, though Amazon stepped in with a Season 2 order months later. Those episodes hit Prime Video starting in March 2024, but not long after Tierney joined Law & Order’s upcoming season, American Rust’s second cancellation was reported.

Final Episodes: Aired March 28, 2024

Renegade Nell (Disney+)

Veteran UK screenwriter Sally Wainwright created a fictional 18th-century England for the action-adventure fantasy Renegade Nell, centering on a highway bandit who is framed for murder and then teams with a magical sprite to save her future. However, it appears the impressively produced series did not move the viewership needle quite enough on Disney+ to convince execs to order a second season, per Deadline, and it was canceled in July 2024.

Final Episodes: Aired March 29, 2024

My Lady Jane (Prime Video)

Novelist Gemma Burgess adapted the Jodi Meadows alt-history romance My Lady Jane for Amazon MGM Studios, and viewers were eagerly transported to the 16th century across the eight-episode debut season. Unfortunately for the fanbase, the streaming service revealed My Lady Jane’s cancellation news just six weeks after it premiered, sparking the creator to set up a petition to save the show.

Final Episodes: Aired June 27, 2024

Black Cake (Hulu)

Having Oprah Winfrey as an executive producer helped bring eyeballs to Hulu’s adaptation of Charmaine Wilkerson’s same-named novel, and critics and fans alike appeared to adore it. Unfortunately, the streaming service offered zero updates for the show across much of 2024 before confirming its doomed fate in September, with Deadline reporting that Netflix was in contention to pick the drama up for second season and ultimately chose not to.

Final Episode: Aired December 6, 2023

Reginald The Vampire (Syfy)

Spider-Man trilogy and Tarot star Jacob Batalon brought his jovial talents to the small screen in 2022 to sink his fangs into the vampire horror-comedy Reginald the Vampire, an adaptation of Johnny B. Truant’s Fat Vampire book series.The second season arrived in May 2024, but sadly didn’t inspire a third season, with Syfy pulling the plug less than a week after its Season 2 finale.

Final Episode: Aired July 10, 2024

Erin & Aaron (Nickelodeon)

The second series that got the ax from the kids network was Erin & Aaron, a one-season show that starred Ava Ro and Jensen Gering as step-siblings with different personalities who bond over music after their parents get married. Its 12-episode season concluded last June.

Final Episode: Aired June 29, 2023

CSI: Vegas (CBS)

The CSI-verse was resurrected in 2021 for CBS' follow-up crime drama CSI: Vegas, with several O.G. actors (William Petersen, Jorja Fox, Marg Helgenberger) returning during the three-season run. The Season 3 viewership was notably higher than in the second, but the network backed itself into a cancellation over a reported lack of space in its upcoming primetime schedules.

Final Episode: Aired May 19, 2024

Obliterated (Netflix)

Amidst the streaming success of Cobra Kai, creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg co-created a completely different kind of action dramedy with Obliterated, in which Nick Zano, Shelley Hennig and more tried to stop a nuclear attack while under the influence of all manner of booze and drugs. Less than three months later, Netflix put a stop to the mission and canceled it.

Final Episode: Aired November 30, 2023

Our Flag Means Death (Max)

Max’s pirate-tastic original Our Flag Means Death debuted to much acclaim with both seasons, winning over fans with its mix of comedy, swashbuckling, and relationships between characters played by Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby and more. Max execs did not share any specific reasons for the early January cancellation news, but given all the critical attention, its fate likely came down to a limited audience.

Final Episode: Aired October 26, 2023

Uncoupled (Showtime)

After Showtime saved Neil Patrick Harris’ rom-com series Uncoupled from Netflix cancellation, that network too has decided not to go forward with a second season. It’s the latest example of a series getting canceled, uncanceled, then canceled again.

Final Episode: Aired July 29, 2022

What If...? (Disney+)

Though part of Marvel’s animated universe of alternate timelines and stories will continue with the upcoming series Marvel Zombies, What If…? proper is set to wrap up its run with the upcoming third season, which will reportedly feature an Agatha Harkness musical number and more. Executive producer Brad Winderbaum more or less confirmed the animated anthology’s fate in May 2024, referring to the third season as the culmination of a trilogy, with Jeffrey’s Wright’s The Watcher getting a suitable conclusion.

Final Episodes: Airing TBA

HouseBroken (Fox)

A more mature and nuanced take on the Secret Lives of Pets approach, HouseBroken followed a group of neighborhood animals who met for a therapy group, with Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Tony Hale and more TV vets in the voice cast. The show ran for two seasons, with the second ending in August 2023, and it wasn’t until May 2024 when Fox officially confirmed the animated comedy was canceled. According to Animation Magazine, network reps cited low ratings as the reason behind the ax dropping.

Final Episode: Aired August 6, 2023

La Brea (NBC)

Natalie Zea and Eoin Macken’s super-bonkers sci-fi drama La Brea has faced an uphill battle critically, but developed a fanbase with its unpredictable twists. Though NBC wasn’t willing to keep the show going for much longer, the network ordered a shortened third season in January 2023 that was revealed to be the final run.

Final Episode: Aired February 13, 2024

Scavengers Reign (Max)

Based on their 2016 short film Scavengers, Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner’s adult-skewing animated sci-fi tale Scavengers Reign quickly won over fans and critics upon meeting its cargo ship crew in October 2023, and it continued gaining word of mouth in the months that followed. So it was somewhat surprising in May 2024 when Max suddenly canceled the series without a second season. There may be good news coming, however, as Netflix acquired the first season, and will choose whether or not to produce a second season after its debut.

Final Episode: Aired November 9, 2023

Squid Game (Netflix)

Netflix debuted its biggest series ever, the high-octane stressfest Squid Game, all the way back in September 2021, and it’s become both highly influential and highly merchandisable in the years since. Surprisingly, months ahead of the second season’s streaming premiere, the company revealed that Squid Game will end at a later date with Season 3. (The competition series Squid Game: The Challenge will be back for a second season as well.)

Final Episodes: Airing TBA 2025

Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)

In a rare case of a cancellation with good news attached, Disney Channel execs announced Raven-Symoné’s sitcom spinoff Raven’s Home would not be returning for Season 7, and the sixth season that ended in September 2023 would be its swan song. However, Disney also set up a new overall creative deal with Raven-Symoné that includes a pilot order for the new spinoff Alice in the Palace, with Mykal-Michelle Harris set to reprise the role.

Final Episode: Aired September 23, 2023

Hightown (Starz)

Starz’s crime drama Highland took Monica Raymund’s state trooper Jackie Quiñones to some dark places in its first two seasons, and she’ll have one more shot at bringing justice to Cape Cod’s endangered sex workers. The premium cabler ordered up a third season for Hightown in March 2022, and only revealed during the lead-up to its release that Season 3 will be the final one.

Final Episode: Aired March 8, 2024

Outer Range (Prime Video)

Josh Brolin and Imogen Poots won over viewers as Outer Range’s Royal and Autumn across two seasons of the oddball sci-fi mystery western. Despite any critical acclaimed earned by its two seasons, the Amazon-owned Prime Video canceled Outer Range in July 2024, two months after that second batch of episodes dropped all at once, unlike Season 1’s weekly releases.

Final Episodes: Aired May 16, 2024

Young Sheldon (CBS)

Though The Big Bang Theory lasted for 12 seasons on CBS, it wouldn’t have been so logical for its prequel Young Sheldon to match that span, given its ever-aging star Iain Armitage. So even though co-creators Chuck Lorre and Steve Molaro have stated the story could have gone on, CBS revealed the previously ordered seventh season would be the final one, and that its storyline would continue in a Georgie and Mandy spinoff.

Final Episode: Aired May 16, 2024

Pretty Freeking Scary (Disney Channel)

Disney went dark with the horror-tinged comedy Pretty Freeking Scary, which starred Eliana Su'a as a 14-year-old who died in a manhole accident and returned from the dead as the Grim Reaper’s second banana. Fans of the series, which was legitimately based on an American Greetings accessory line, had to wait nearly an entire year for the House of Mouse to confirm that Season 2 wasn’t coming back to life.

Final Episode: Aired August 18, 2023

Evil (Paramount+)

One of TV’s most unpredictable series, the supernatural genre-masher Evil majorly flourished upon moving from CBS to Paramount+, and was able to take its tag team of science and religion to some dark and bizarro places three seasons so far, with the upcoming fourth season set to serve as its final romp. The show was officially released canceled in mid-February, though with four additional episodes ordered to help close out the story, though Katja Herbers still jokingly attempted to get Netflix’s attention for a possible renewal, but nothing shook out from that.

Final Episode: Aired August 22, 2024

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)

Though not the most vital of all the Star Wars shows on Disney+, the action-filled animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch has still been a core part of the franchise’s small-screen success. And the Dave Filoni-created series will wrap up its clone-heavy story with a 15-episode third season.

Final Episode: Aired May 1, 2024

What We Do In The Shadows (FX)

Quite possibly one of the greatest movie-to-TV adaptations/spinoffs, FX’s gore-soaked and award-winning comedy What We Do in the Shadows was initially ordered for its fifth and sixth seasons back in June 2022. It was only in December 2023 that the network fully confirmed that Season 6 will be the last one, likely due in part to a steady decline in linear viewers.

Final Episode: Airing TBA 2024

The Good Doctor (ABC)

To the shock of TV viewers and industry insiders alike, 2024 was less than two weeks old when ABC canceled The Good Doctor, despite it being ratings-consistent, and despite the reported interest from cast members about continuing on. It’s unclear exactly what went into the decision, from strike delays to financial wariness, but fans will at least have the chance to say goodbye via the 10-episode Season 7.

Final Episode: Aired May 21 2024

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Larry David’s cringe-centric HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm has been around since 2000, but with spaced-out seasons for the bulk of its run, based on when its creator was inspired enough to return to Faux Larry’s world. And after years of speculation about when the always hilarious series could actually end, David made the pretty-pretty-pretty good decision to make Season 14 the last one.

Final Episode: Aired April 7, 2024

My Dad The Bounty Hunter (Netflix)

Co-starring Laz Alonso, Yvonne Orji and Priah Ferguson, My Dad the Bounty Hunter gave viewers a lot to enjoy with its all-genre tale of a father and his kids who discover that he’s a bounty hunter of otherworldly entities. Both of its seasons debuted on Netflix in 2023, despite critical acclaim, its creator confirmed with WhatsOnNetflix in June 2024 that the streaming giant opted not to order a third season.

Final Episodes: Aired August 17, 2023

Halo (Paramount+)

After a long trip through development hell, the live-action video game adaptation Halo finally arrived on Paramount+ in 2022, earning much critical and viewer praise. The second season, which aired from February to March 2024, was generally perceived as being even more engaging and easy to follow. Shockingly to many, the streaming service canceled Halo in July 2024, four months after Season 2 ended, though producers were actively seeking out a new home in the aftermath.

Final Episode: Aired March 21, 2024

So Help Me Todd (CBS)

As one of the more unique original series in CBS' primetime lineup, So Help Me Todd won over audiences with its offbeat mother-son relationship and non-procedural storylines, and was drawing in 4+ million viewers with nightly episodes, with millions more watching in delayed viewing. But with its upcoming programming slate already filled to the brim, the network pulled the plug on the Wright family's investigations.

Final Episode: Aired May 16, 2024

Life & Beth (Hulu)

Amy Schumer’s first scripted TV creation following Inside Amy Schumer (and her stand-up specials, obviously) was Hulu’s introspective dramedy Life & Beth. Its first season was a hit with critics and with viewers upon its 2022 release, earning a second season from the streamer. That second effort, which dropped in February 2024, didn’t match the buzz of the first, and Hulu canceled several months later.

Final Episodes: Aired February 16, 2024

Clone High (Max)

First existing on MTV from 2002-03, Clone High was brought out of cryogenics by Max, which ordered up two follow-up seasons of the historical figure-filled comedy. Unfortunately, the creative team set up a similar cliffhanger situation as the O.G. series, and the streaming service confirmed it will remain unresolved by canceling the revival in July 2024.

Final Episodes: Aired February 1, 2024

Superman & Lois (The CW)

As the CW’s final DC Comics outing in the wake of the Arrowverse, Superman & Lois Season 4 will follow up on Season 3’s overarching clash between Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark and Michael Cudlitz’s Lex Luthor. The fourth season was ordered in June 2023, months after The CW was taken over by Nexstar, which jettisoned the majority of the network’s original series after the acquisition, with quite a few casting changes being necessary for the renewal.

Final Episode: Airing TBA 2025

This Fool (Hulu)

Spearheaded by Corporate’s trio of Matt Ingebretson, Jake Weisman and Pat Bishop, as well as stand-up comedian Chris Estrada, This Fool hilariously puts its spotlight on L.A.’s cholo culture, centering on Estrada’s goal-minded Julio and his just-out-of-prison cousin Luis (portrayed with A+ gusto by Frankie Quiñones). With Sopranos vet Michael Imperioli also co-starring, This Fool lasted two seasons before Hulu pulled the plug in Feb. 2024, seven months after Season 2 debuted.

Final Episode Aired July 28, 2023

Rap Sh*t (Max)

Issa Rae’s second series created for Max through her overall deal, which sparked by the success of HBO’s Insecure, Rap Sh*t followed the hilarious and often intense journey of Aida Osman and KaMillion’s Miami rappers Shawna and Mia. Its strike-delayed second season was released in November 2023 to widespread acclaim, though they couldn’t seduce and scheme their way into a third season, and Max canceled the series in January 2024.

Final Episode: Aired December 21, 2023

Blue Bloods (CBS)

One of TV’s most under-discussed and most-watched series, Blue Bloods was revealed by CBS to be ending with its 14th season, giving fans one more year of Reagan family dinners to appreciate. Unlike most series facing strike-hampered final seasons, Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg’s legal-minded drama is in the midst of its 18-episode swan song that was split across 2024.

Final Episode: TBA

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

There are only so many times a group of powered-up misfits can save the planet for apocalyptic devastation, so perhaps it makes sense that The Umbrella Academy is capping its run on Netflix at four seasons, with the final year set to give the Hargreeves siblings their biggest challenges yet. Netflix revealed back in August 2022 that the show only had one batch of eps left to wrap things up. The Umbrella Academy Season 4 has yet to reveal any concrete info about what to expect.

Final Episode: Aired August 8, 2024

Dave (FXX)

Considering some of the ridiculously risqué moments that went down on FXX’s Dave, it’s kind of amazing we got three full seasons of the coming-of-race comedy centered on co-creator Dave Burd’s rapper persona Lil Dicky. And while the musician’s fictionalized universe could return in the future, Burd made the call in early February to step away from the series to focus on his music career and other opportunities.

Final Episode: Aired May 31, 2023

Secrets Of Sulphur Springs (Disney Channel)

Soap opera writers Tracey Thompson and Charles Pratt Jr. brought their talents to The Disney Channel for missing-person mysteries, ghosts and more paranormal fun in Secrets of Sulphur Springs. The show aired for three seasons, with its third suffering a fairly noteworthy drop in viewership, which is possibly what influenced execs to cancel the series in January 2024.

Final Episode: Aired on May 5, 2023

Chad (Roku Channel)

Created by Saturday Night Live vet Nasim Pedrard all the way back in 2016 for Fox, the high school comedy Chad later shifted to TBS, where its first season aired. Before the pandemic-stalled Season 2 could arrive, the cable channel axed most of its original content, Chad included. Months later, Roku Channel stepped up as the new home for the already filmed season, confirming no more were on the way.

Final Episode: Aired January 19, 2024

Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)

In its first three seasons, Star Trek: Lower Decks delivered more than enough canon-skewing sci-fi comedy to rank among the best animated series of all time, and it seemed like there was enough creative energy to keep the crew in space for many years. But it was when announcing Strange New World's Season 4 renewal that Paramount+ revealed Lower Decks' fifth season will be its last. No word on whether characters will make the jump to live-action.

Final Episode: Airing Late 2024

The Flight Attendant (Max)

Big Bang Theory vet Kaley Cuoco jumped from broadcast sitcoms to streaming thrillers with Max’s The Flight Attendant, whose first season garnered awards buzz. The second run seemingly wasn’t on the same level of popularity or success, and it took Max until January 2024 to confirm the show wouldn’t be back for Season 3. Kaley Cuoco’s response to the news drew attention to the fact that the show was envisioned as more of a limited series anyway.

Final Episode: Aired April 21, 2022

Wolf Pack (Paramount+)

It seemed like a dream pairing for Teen Wolf and Criminal Minds creator Jeff Davis to team with Buffy vet Sarah Michelle Gellar for a new drama about a town affected by werewolf attacks. Alas, its first and only season didn’t move the meter too drastically when it arrived on Paramount+ in 2023, and it wasn’t wildly surprising when Paramount+ revealed in January 2024 that the show wouldn’t return for Season 2.

Final Episode: Aired March 16, 2023

Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS)

After four steady seasons on CBS’ Monday night schedule, the network ordered up Season 5 in January 2023, with April bringing the surprising update that 11 of the sitcom’s 13 series regulars were being demoted to recurring roles, and that none of them would appear for more than 5 episodes each. Seven months later, in November, CBS made the call to cancel the show’s forward progress after Season 5.

Final Episode: Aired May 13, 2024

The Other Black Girl (Hulu)

Based on the 2021 novel by Sakiya Dalila Harris, who co-developed the show with Rashida Jones, The Other Black Girl starred Sinclair Daniel as a book editor caught up in a potential conspiracy involving her bosses and co-workers, including Ashleigh Murray, Bellamy Young and Eric McCormack. Hulu made the call in May 2024 to cancel the dramedy without a second season.

Final Episode: Aired September 13, 2023

Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)

With Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon!, co-creators Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio checked all the right boxes for episodic musicals, even winning the 2022 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. But Season 2’s focus on Chicago didn’t create quite the same rhythmic buzz, and in January 2024, Paul shared on Instagram that despite Season 3 being written, with 25 songs planned out, the streaming service wouldn’t be going forward with it.

Final Episode: Aired May 3, 2023

Vikings: Valhalla (Netflix)

A sequel to Michael Hirst’s cable hit Vikings, Jeb Stuart’s streaming sequel Vikings: Valhalla was seemingly always destined for at least a three-season run, with reports of Netflix granting it a 24-episode order in November 2019. The final eight eps were filmed between May and October 2022, and it was only after they were filmed was it confirmed that they'd serve as the final season, which aired in Summer 2024.

Final Episode: Aired July 11, 2024

Minx (Starz)

As Jake Johnson and Ophelia Lovibond’s comedy about an erotic magazine, Minx, was in the final stages of finishing up Season 2, Max pulled the plug, with Starz stepping in to help pay for the production to be completed. Unfortunately, the premium cable channel made it clear in early January 2024 that a third season isn’t on the horizon.

Final Episode: Aired September 8, 2023

Constellation (Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is arguably the best streaming service for original sci-fi TV shows, even if promising projects such as Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks’ psychological thriller Constellation don’t always get to make it beyond a single season. The series, which followed the aftermath of a deadly collision involving the ISS, debuted to largely acclaim in February 2024, but it was quietly canceled by the streaming service just six weeks after the season concluded.

Final Episode: Aired March 27, 2024

Bunk'd (Disney Channel)

One of The Disney Channel’s longest-running live-action series, the Jessie spinoff Bunk’d has given viewers going on seven seasons of misadventures at Camp Kikiwaka (and later at Kikiwaka Ranch), with Miranda May and more. Following the first batch of strike-delayed episodes airing, Disney announced that Season 7 was being extended to 22 episodes, and that the series would wrap afterward.

Final Episode: Aired August 2, 2024

Primo (Freevee)

Co-executive produced by The Good Place and Parks and Rec creator Michael Schur, Primo was a coming-of-age comedy created by (and based on the Texas upbringing of) writer Shea Serrano, which was first pitched to ABC back in 2017. It took five years to get the Latino-fronted series into production — it eventually landed on Freevee — and the show earned widespread acclaim with its eight-episode season. Unfortunately, Freevee canceled the series in May 2024, though Serrano claimed at the time that the series would be shopped around at other studios.

Final Episode: Aired May 19, 2023

High School (Freevee)

Oddly enough, High School first arrived on Freevee back in October 2022, with Clea DuVall helping musician duo Tegan and Sara adapt their memoir of the same name for TV. Following its critically acclaimed eight-episode run, fans heard relatively zero news about the show’s future until May 2024, when THR reported its cancellation. At one point, the Amazon-owned network reportedly tasked DuVall with setting up a mini writers room for Season 2 scripts, which were reportedly finished at the time the cancellation was confirmed.

Final Episode: Aired October 28, 2022

Quantum Leap (NBC)

For two seasons, Quantum Leap fans watched the reboot's Ben and Addison play out their love story amidst jaunts across space and time. Their ability to start leaping together is perhaps the silver lining when it comes to NBC canceling the sci-fi drama in April 2024 without a third season.

Final Episode: Aired February 20, 2024

grown-ish (Freeform)

Freeform’s grown-ish didn’t quite make it to the eight-season mark set by its predecessor black-ish, but has still enjoyed a lengthy run for a network-shifted spinoff. The dramedy’s sixth season was ordered up in January 2023, with the news dropping two months later that those episodes would wrap up Zoey and Junior Johnson’s stories. The first half of the season aired in the summer months of 2023, with the back half closing out the show's run in Spring 2024.

Final Episode: Aired May 22, 2024

SEAL Team (Paramount+)

With the military drama having shifted to Paramount+ from CBS ahead of its fifth season, SEAL Team’s cast and crew first got the good news in January 2023 that Season 7 was ordered up, and then ten whole months later, the streaming service affirmed that those episodes would be SEAL Team’s final tour. The strike-delayed production kicked off in January 2024, so fans can expect it to be a late-year arrival.

Final Episode: Airing October 6, 2024

Tacoma FC (truTV)

Co-created by Broken Lizard troupe members Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme, Tacoma FD did for the firefighter profession what the sketch group’s Super Troopers films did for cops. Co-starring Hassie Harrison, Eugene Cordero, Marcus Henderson and Gabriel Hogan, the comedy mixed hilarious professional ineptitude with surreal and silly humor, and earned itself a four-season run in the process. Unfortunately, none of the show’s captains or commissioners could pull enough weight to make Season 5 happen, as truTV canceled it in February 2024.

Final Episode: Aired October 5, 2023

My Brilliant Friend (HBO)

One of HBO’s most acclaimed and under-discussed originals in recent years, the coming-of-age drama My Brilliant Friend was first developed in 2016 with the goal of adapting the popular Neapolitan Novels attributed to the writer pseudonym Elena Ferrante. With the first three season having aired in 2018, 2020, and 2022, the stage is set for the final eight episodes to take viewers to the last era in the lives of BFFs Elena and Raffaella.

Final Episode: Airing November 11, 2024.

Big Mouth (Netflix)

One of the relatively rare scripted Netflix Originals to extend all the way to eight seasons, the Nick Kroll-starring animated hit Big Mouth has presumably earned its consistent renewals, with seemingly no limit to the amount of pubescent and hyper-hormonal chaos in the teen characters’ lives. The streaming service revealed in April 2023 that Season 8 will cap off Nick and Andrew’s masturbatory adventures, which outlasted the two-season run of spinoff Human Resources.

Final Episode: Airing TBA 2025

Good Trouble (Freeform)

The spinoff of the fan-favorite drama The Fosters, Freeform’s Good Trouble made it through four-and-a-half ratings-challenged seasons so far. In December 2023, around seven months after the first half of Season 5 aired, the Disney-owned channel confirmed that Good Trouble would be done-zo after the back half of the fifth season dropped in early 2024. Freeform was reportedly interested in continuing the drama, but budget issues forced the execs’ hands.

Final Episode: Aired February 27, 2024

American Born Chinese (Disney+)

Based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name, the fantastical action-comedy American Born Chinese won over audiences with its stacked cast (including Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh) and embrace of various cultures, albeit with some criticism sprinkled throughout. Despite its popularity, Disney canceled the show after the cast members’ contract options expired.

Final Episode: Aired May 24, 2023

Magnum P.I. (NBC)

Few TV dramas, network or otherwise, went through quite the same year that Magnum P.I.'s cast and crew did in 2002, when it was canceled by CBS and then subsequently saved with a 20-episode order from NBC. While that gave the Jay Hernandez character more time to build into a better close-out, the network didn’t take that long before dropping its own axe, canceling Magnum P.I. anew in June 2023.

Final Episode: Aired January 3, 2024

World On Fire (PBS)

Created for BBC One in the U.K., the war drama World on Fire made its way stateside as part of PBS’ Masterpiece, debuting its first WWII-set season back in 2019, nearly four years before the start of its second and final season. Despite a stacked cast that included Helen Hunt, Sean Bean and more, World on Fire’s numbers dropped in its second season, and it was canceled without fanfare in Feb. 2024, before creator Peter Bowker could deliver on a third season that depicted the U.S.’ entry into the war.

Final Episode: Aired November 19, 2023

Julia (Max)

Led in part by the stretch of star Sarah Lancashire as the titular culinary legend Julia Child, Max’s biographical dramedy Julia earned creator Daniel Goldfarb mostly compliments and lauding with its pair of eight-episode seasons. Max reps didn’t share any reasoning behind the show’s cancellation news that dropped in January 2024, but a smaller-than-desired viewership is likely a big factor.

Final Episode: Aired December 21, 2023

Still Up (Apple TV+)

Several top-notch UK comedy actors joined forces for the Apple TV+ dramedy Still Up, which followed the late-night bonding between The Good Doctor’s Antonia Thomas and Red Oaks’ Craig Roberts as Lisa and Danny, respectively. It debuted in September 2023 to largely positive reactions, if quiet ones, and all remained fairly quiet until May 2024, when the streaming service canceled the series without a second season.

Final Episode: Aired October 27, 2023

Bupkis (Peacock)

Pete Davidson’s semi-autobiographical dramedy Bupkis will not see a second season on Peacock after all. Despite the series receiving a new order and production set to begin this summer, the comedian appears to have put the kibosh on the project. In a statement, the former SNL cast member called the show the part of his career that he’s “most proud of,” however, he said, “I do also feel that this part of my life is finished.”

Final Episode: Aired May 4, 2023

LA Fire and Rescue (NBC)

Dick Wolf has found a lot of success with his fictional procedurals, but his unscripted offering for NBC, LA Fire and Rescue, didn’t have the longevity of some of his other projects. The reality series that showed the daily life of firefighters protecting their communities was canceled after a single eight-episode season.

Final Episode: Aired August 9, 2023

Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge (NBC)

Another single-season casualty over at NBC is Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge. This competition series pit its contestants against each other, tasking them with giving Hot Wheels-inspired makeovers to cars that held sentimental value in hopes of nabbing a $25,000 grand prize.

Final Episode: Aired August 8, 2023

The Upshaws (Netflix)

The family comedy from co-creators Wandy Sykes and Regina Y. Hicks has enjoyed a sporadic run on Netflix, with Mike Epps and Kim Fields leading the fray as the parental figures for the Upshaw clan. Ahead of the sitcom’s fourth season (which is being dubbed Part 6), the streaming service ordered a fifth and final season on June 7, 2024, which will run for 12 episodes.

Final Episode: Airing TBA Early 2025

All American: Homecoming (The CW)

The CW is down to just a single scripted original series leftover from the pre Nexstar buyout, All American, following the network’s execs making the call to end the follow-up drama All American: Homecoming after its third season, which is set to premiere on Monday, July 8. While the series is popular among younger demographics, that crowd wasn’t big enough to justify a new season as the network continues transitioning to content that draws in older viewers.

Final Episode: Airing September 30, 2024

The Girls On The Bus (Max)

Based on Amy Shozick’s 2018 memoir Chasing Hillary, with the author serving as co-creator alongside Julie Plec, the political drama The Girls on the Bus debuted on Max in March bolstered by talents such as Melissa Benoist (who also produced), Carla Gugino and Christina Elmore. Unfortunately, the 10-episode first season’s impact on critics and audiences wasn’t overwhelming enough to secure a second season, and Max’s execs canceled it outright in late May, just two weeks after the finale aired.

Final Episode: Aired May 9, 2024

Ratched (Netflix)

Sarah Paulson reteamed with her American Horror Story boss Ryan Murphy to take on the iconic literary character Nurse Ratched for a standalone Netflix series that predated Jack Nicholson'a flight over the cuckoo’s nest. Though it was given a two-season order from the start, and though its viewership numbers were nothing to sneeze at, Netflix quietly reversed plans for Season 2, and Paulson herself let the cat-ched out of the bag in early February 2024 (via X).

Final Episode: Aired September 18, 2020

We’re Here (HBO

Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and several other RuPaul’s Drag Race vets came together for the HBO reality TV series We’re Here, and spent four seasons spreading the good word about drag shows as entertainment in a variety of cities and small towns around the country. The Emmy-winning series wrapped its latest season in May, and the cable network revealed the cancellation news in September.

Final Episode: Aired May 31, 2024

The total number of projects facing their endgames in 2024 continues to grow from week to week, and will no doubt expand even more as the May finale season hits. Stay tuned for more updates.

If you're looking for shows like Wednesday, we have you covered. 

In November 2022, a show called Wednesday came out on Netflix, putting a new spin on the beloved character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family, and quickly becoming incredibly popular. Fans worldwide were doing the viral dance from the show, dressing up in Wednesday's killer fashion, and demanding a Wednesday Season 2. And, of course, Netflix did confirm that Season 2 is coming. 

Since we will most likely be waiting for some time for Wednesday, Season 2, fans are looking for another great show to binge. Here are some shows like Wednesday that will capture your interest and attention from the moment you start them. 

The Chilling Adventure Of Sabrina (2018 – 2020)

Set in a modern timeline, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina follows a teenage witch named Sabrina, who has to choose between giving up her mortal world to learn how to truly embrace her magic or leave the magical world behind on the night of her sixteenth birthday. At the same time, evil beings are near and threaten her family's lives. 

As someone who grew up watching the best fantasy movies and shows, I loved The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, even if it only lasted two seasons. I think you'll like the supernatural aspect for fans of Wednesday, and Sabrina is a fun protagonist to follow. And The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina cast is exceptionally talented. 

Stream The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003)

This classic fantasy series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, follows a teenager named Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who is her generation's Slayer, chosen and destined to take on demons, vampires, and other monsters. 

If you love the supernatural parts of Wednesday, this is the series for you. Buffy the Vampire Slayer lasted for seven seasons, with several giant characters and storylines, and had an impressive Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast, so this show will keep you entertained for months before Season 2 of Wednesday. 

Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.

The Order (2019 – 2020)

The Order is a Netflix original that follows the story of a college student who joins a secret society that teaches magic. While there, he discovers dark secrets, conspiracies, and even more. 

For fans of Wednesday, this show is perfect because it expands on family drama and how we sometimes don't know who our parents and family members really are. The magic is so much fun, and yes, I will always be upset that this series was only two seasons. Netflix canceling it was the worst day ever. 

Stream The Order on Netflix.

Yellowjackets (2021 – Present)

Yellowjackets is one of the best Showtime shows and follows the story of a soccer team stranded in the Canadian wilderness after their plane crashes on the way to a national title. Decades later, the secrets of their time there are threatened to be released, and they must find a way to stop them. 

Yellowjackets is a lot darker than many other shows on here – and even darker than Wednesday – but I will say that if you love a good mystery, this is the show. It has expanded and grown over the two seasons so far, and with Yellowjackets Season 3 in the works, the series will only get more twisted. 

Stream Yellowjackets on Showtime.

The Umbrella Academy (2019 – Present)

With three seasons so far, The Umbrella Academy follows a group of siblings who all have superpowers and reunite in their old home when their father dies mysteriously. 

I will say that The Umbrella Academy isn't necessarily what you would deem a supernatural show. Still, its powers are interesting, and the family dynamic between the siblings is a lot of fun to watch. These shows aren't alike in plot, but in tone? I think they line up pretty well. 

Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

The Addams Family (1964 – 1966)

Obviously, I have to put the original The Addams Family on here. The classic 1960s series follows the lives of The Addams Family, a kooky family unit, full of interesting characters and their daily lives. 

While The Addams Family certainly has a different tone than Wednesday's, the premise remains the same – the Addams' are creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky, and they make for great television with how they interact with people outside their gothic home. Plus, you can see the original Wednesday Addams. 

Stream The Addams Family on Pluto TV.

You (2018 – Present)

With You Season 5 coming, it's time to check out the first four seasons. You follows Joe Goldberg, a serial romantic who tends to stalk the women he's interested in. He falls in love hard and fast and will do anything to ensure his partner stays with him, even kill. 

I love You, and every season is filled to the max with drama and exciting love stories that will make you squeal or squeamish in your seat from how creepy Joe can be – but somehow, we all end up loving him. Jenna Ortega (who plays Wednesday) has a prominent role in Season 2 of the show. 

Stream You on Netflix.

The Midnight Club (2022)

Created by Mike Flanagan, The Midnight Club follows a group of hospice children who live in the same home and gather each night to tell each other scary stories while unraveling the house's secrets. 

While Wednesday is more of a horror teen comedy, The Midnight Club is a horror teen drama because it does gut-punch you with how much you care about these characters but still finds ways to make you laugh and smile. Not only that, but the show comes from the same person who did The Haunting of Hill House, Bly Manor, Midnight Mass, and more, so you know it's good. 

Stream The Midnight Club on Netflix.

I Am Not Okay With This (2020)

While there's only one season, I Am Not Okay With This is a great series. The show is about a teenager named Sydney who suddenly realizes she has telekinesis and tries to figure out how to survive with these powers while facing the worst things ever – high school and her mother. 

For fans of Wednesday, this is a series that many people will love. There's plenty of family drama mixed in with some funny superpowers that are delivered in a comedic way. Plus, Sophia Lillis's starring role is killer. 

Stream I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix.

The End Of The F***ing World (2017 – 2019)

Last but not least, we have The End of the F***ing World. This two-season show follows the story of two teenagers who run away together – one who wants to escape her home life and the other who thinks he is a psychopath. 

This series is so out of pocket in so many ways, but for fans of Wednesday, you'll love the comedy. How Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden deliver their lines is hilarious, and there's also plenty of drama that pairs well with the comedy. I love it dearly. 

Stream The End of the F***ing World on Netflix.

With so many shows, you'll find something to keep you entertained as we wait for Wednesday Season 2. Some of these might even appear on the 2024 TV premiere schedule. Only time will tell. 

One of streaming TV’s most exciting and unpredictable super-powered series, The Umbrella Academy has thus far provided three seasons worth of masterfully twisted apocalypse-stopping adventures for everyone with Netflix subscriptions. The streaming service confirmed that the upcoming fourth season will be the final one, which is on one hand a sad turn of events, but is also quite exciting at the same time, since it means the show will be going out with a gigantic bang.

Just hopefully not a world-ending one. Before it all gets to that, though, take a look below at everything we know so far about the upcoming swan song from the Hargreeves family, with The Umbrella Academy set to deliver Season 4 in 2024.  

What Is The Umbrella Academy Season 4 Release Date?

As of this writing, Netflix is still playing coy when it comes to exactly when audiences will be able to reconnect with Viktor, Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Five, and Ben. (As well as patriarch Reginald Hargreeves, but he can wait his turn.) Considering the Hollywood strikes that went on through the middle of 2023, the early promotions for The Umbrella Academy Season 4 were basically limited to a "birthday" video in October marking the fictional birthdate for each of the ability-laden siblings. (Or the formerly ability-laden, I should say, given the events of the Season 3 finale.) 

While the birthday video wasn't direct in laying out a specific release date beyond "2024," I did speculate at the time that the video may have been teasing a February or April premiere, but those guesses haven't been proven or disproven just yet. So while we don't yet know when it'll be hitting the 2024 TV schedule, expect to hear updates soon.

The Full Main Cast Will Be Back

As confirmed in the first two behind-the-scenes videos released by Netflix, The Umbrella Academy definitely won't be losing any core cast members going into Season 4. Fans can look forward to the returns of Aidan Gallagher, David Castañeda, Tom Hopper, Elliot Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan and Justin H. Min, but returns outside of those cast members remains a mystery for the moment. 

Colm Feore will also presumably be back as Reginald Hargreeves in some respect, presumably as the more powerful version that was introduced at the end of Season 3 in the "new" 2019 timeline. Considering that big moment also revealed that his formerly dead wife Abigail is now living once more by his side, fans can presumably also expect to see Liisa Repo-Martell taking on a bigger role in Season 4. (It's unclear whether or not we'll see/hear from Adam Godley as the sentient chimp Pogo. 

Given how things played out for Luther in Season 3 --- though not the part where he was killed off by Sparrow Reginald --- fans will hopefully also get to see Genesis Rodriguez returning as the Sparrow Academy sibling Sloane. That said, her whereabouts were unknown by the season's end, and it's certainly not clear how the timeline shift would play into her return.

In that same wishy-washy vein, Javon Walton's Stan was taken out of the picture by the kugelblitz, but there are still hopes for that character's return in the 2019 timeline. Although it presumably wouldn't be Walton playing him, given whatever age difference would be at play, since Lila had originally pulled him out of the 1989 timeline. 

• RELATED: The Umbrella Academy's Aidan Gallagher And Ritu Arya Talk Nude Lila Fight, Meeting Old Five, And What Happened To Stan

New Characters Will Be Introduced In Season 4

For all the recognizable heroes, villains and morally in-between characters that we either know or can assume are on the way to Season 4, The Umbrella Academy is known for bringing in memorable new personalities with each season that passes. And that will apparently remain the norm going into the new episodes. 

Check out what the core squad had to say about what's coming soon in the hype-filled final season video below:

For those who couldn't watch, here's the brief but still enthusiastic way star Emmy Raver-Lampman explained it:

Unfortunately, fans are pretty much in the dark when it comes to speculation about who we might expect to see. The TV series is now fully ahead of the comic book source material written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, with Season 3 incorporating the third comic "chapter" Hotel Oblivion into its Sparrows vs. Umbrellas storyline. (The fourth comic arc will be an expanded take on the Sparrows independent of the live-action series.)

As such, there aren't any comic plots that might indicate where things are going next, or what the fourth apocalyptic event will be that needs to thwarting. But let's just assume time travel confusion will be involved.

Just from what we saw at the end of Season 3, Reginald Hargreeves' name being all over skyscrapers aplenty likely means that his empire will supply quite a few of the new faces that fans will become familiar with whenever the new season brings them into the fray. 

The Umbrella Academy has always handled the concept of villains in interesting ways, since someone within the family tends to be in cahoots with the other side, or unwittingly caused a kugelblitz, as it were. Or, in the case of the Sparrow Academy, another version of the family was perceived to be the enemy, even if it was Reginald doing all the puppetry. 

So if O.G. Alien Father Hargreeves and Abigail are at the top of that food, er, antagonist pyramid, then I expect one or more of their underlings to come from the core Hargreeves clan, whether the sibling is aware of it or not. 

Each Umbrella Academy Character's Fate At The End Of Season 5

Here's a quick reminder of where the surviving characters' stories were left off as Season 3 came to a close, noting straightaway that each of the Umbrella Academy members appear to have lost their powers.

• Allison: Having reset the timeline, Allison appears to have achieved her goal of bringing her daughter Claire back, and seemingly husband Raymond as well.
• Diego and Lila: The timeline reset brought back Diego's fingers that were sliced off by the guardian's blade, while Lila was revealed to be pregnant with Diego's child. (For real this time.) They set off to have that kid in less dangerous settings.
• Luther: Not only was Luther brought back to life in full after the reset - the same version who died previously - but he's now just normal-human-sized instead of the hulked-up version.
• Sloane: Though she was with the others when the timeline was reset, Sloane did not appear with them in the final group scene, and her whereabouts are unknown.
• Five: Having recognized that they were now in a memorial park where the Hotel Oblivion once stood, Five regained his severed limb in the reset, and set out on his own without any clear direction. But knowing that he was the one who went on to found the Commission, among other not so great things.
• Reginald and Abigail: As stated above, the alien presumed-spouses are apparently at the height of corporate power, looking out over a city of buildings with their names lighting up the exteriors. It's unclear why Abigail is now alive without Luther having been sent to the moon to protect her.
• Ben: Sparrow Ben returns with the others before angrily walking away. However, a post-credits scene shows him reading a book on pottery in a train "bound for Yeouido Station," and it appears to be the same train from the Season 3 premiere.
• Viktor: Unlike most of the others, Viktor doesn't have a clear forward path, but does get a solid last line in calling the Reginald statue an "asshole" before walking away.

So now you're all caught up on everything you need to know ahead of Season 4, and we'll be keeping things updated as more information gets released. While waiting, check out some of the other best shows to stream on Netflix.

2024 will be a big year for entertainment, especially after a year plagued by Hollywood strikes, and there's a ton of bittersweet anticipation aimed at Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, which was renewed for a fourth and final season in Summer 2022. While audiences have yet to see any action-packed footage from the upcoming episodes, the cast appeared in a new video filled with teasy hype for Season 4 that will no doubt spark more than a little excitement. And I think we can all agree that Robert Sheehan takes the October 1 cake with his Klaus-esque promotional message. 

Check out Netflix's Umbrella Academy hype vid, which was unveiled as part of the streaming service's Geeked Week celebration. 

For those unable to watch the video in full, Robert Sheehan's arrival happens after the rest of the core cast has shared a wide variety of words and phrases to describe what fans can look forward to seeing in Season 4, with Emmy Raver-Lampman saying it's full of "nonsense and shenanigans" that the Hargreeves squad is known for, with Rita Arya saying it's an "amazing lovefest," as well as being "the best season yet." Justin H. Min says it's totally "sexy," but also cops to using that description for just about everything. 

Sheehan's moment begins with a sigh, which is amusing in and of itself, and then turns on the carnival barker charm for his pitch, saying:

Not only is it funny, but it's also quite possibly the most logical advice for any fan to take to heart before partaking in a desired TV show or movie. (Or album, or video game, or book, etc.) It's also patently near-impossible to mentally squash one's excitement for any given project, so maybe it's not the most practical advice for a hugely popular streaming show's final season. But still, let's get that printed on some Season 4 posters, stat. 

Stars Tom Hopper and Emmy Raver-Lampman did share a pair of comments speaking more directly about what we'll be seeing when Season 4 arrives, even if they obviously couldn't go into extreme detail or anything. The Luther Hargreeves portrayer pointed out that Season 4 won't break the comic book adaptation's streak of delivering season premieres that jump right into the complications. In his words:

An interesting turn of phrase, since Season 3 ended with the various siblings walking away from each other to head out in different directions following the reset button being hit inside the Hotel Oblivion. I don't think anyone will be running too quickly, however, since seemingly everyone lost their superpowers. But it would be truly baffling if Umbrella Academy kept its siblings apart for longer than a single episode, so here's hoping that reunion happens in the premiere. 

Just because it's the final season doesn't mean there won't be room for additional characters to make their presences known. As Emmy Raver-Lampman put it:

One can only hope that some or all of these new villains and others will be canonical to the comic book series from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The creative duo have yet to release the fourth volume of the source material, dubbed Sparrow Academy, which will presumably have some similarities to the live-action series, but with more than enough differences to stand apart in its own bonkers AF way. Which is to say, there may be an antagonist or two designed for the page that could find a way into the Season 4 narrative on Netflix, even if the stories don't totally link up. 

Speaking of things that don't link up, Netflix also unveiled the first new poster for Season 4, with an overlay of timeline wonkiness over what appears to be a street map. 

It's still not clear when fans with Netflix subscriptions will be able to stream The Umbrella Academy's fourth and final season, but I'm betting we'll learn it before we ever hear from Javon Walton's Stan again. Check out everything else hitting the streaming service soon with our 2023 Netflix TV premiere schedule.

With all the superpowered characters running around and causing havoc on the small screen — from Gen V’s critically acclaimed fuck-ups to Loki’s time-bending madness to the honorable heroics seen on Superman & Lois — it’s not so hard to temporarily forget that we’re still waiting to witness one of the biggest swan songs of them all: The Umbrella Academy’s fourth season, which is also its final season. It’s been a while since fans enjoyed any kind of update on what’s coming next for the Hargreeves siblings, and it’s still unclear when we’ll be able to see it arrive. But a new birthday celebration video was released that just might clue fans in on the impending premiere.

As fans are well aware, all members of the core Umbrella squad were born on the same day, October 1, 1989. And so to celebrate everyone growing another year older and bolder, if not necessarily wiser, Netflix and the star ensemble put together a celebratory vid to mark the occasion. Check it out below!

By and large, this is about as silly and anti-serious as Team Umbrella gets, even if they aren’t all taking part in a choreographed Footloose dance or blipping in and out of the known universe. Ain’t no party like an Umbrella Academy party, ‘cause an Umbrella Academy party includes Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Aidan Gallagher, Robert Sheehan and Justin H. Min, and also specific hats and decorations that are only applicable with Umbrella Academy celebrations.

What About The Season 4 Release Date?

Let it be known that this is complete conjecture, but I know someone else out there will agree there's something peculiar about the way the year appears on the screen. Instead of 2024 showing all at once, we see the numbers 2-4-2-0 popping up one at a time. In just about any other instance, that would indicate 2-4, or February 4. Which admittedly doesn't directly address the 2-0 appearing right after, but still. 

So could Season 4 debut on February 4, 2024? That would be roughly nine months after principal photography wrapped, which is in line with the lengthy post-production efforts needed for the first three seasons, and is actually shorter than the 10-month gap between Season 3's filming and the eventual all-in-one drop on Netflix. Given that this is the final season, there certainly may be enough effects-driven sequences to require a lengthier wait, but hard to tell from a spectator's perspective.

• Related: The Umbrella Academy's Aidan Gallagher And Ritu Arya Talk Nude Lila Fight, Meeting Old Five, And What Happened To Stan
• Related: The Umbrella Academy’s Robert Sheehan On Klaus’ Hilariously Brutal Power Trip, And What He’s Really Hoping For In Season 4
• Related: The Umbrella Academy Showrunner On Season 3’s Stephen King Easter Egg, Working With Comic Creators Gerard Way And Gabriel Bá

The main detail that makes this theory seem quite bunk is that February 4 is a Sunday — the Sunday before the Super Bowl, no less — and Netflix is not known for dropping marquee premieres over the weekend proper. It could be changing that process up in the future, but there's no big reason to think so just yet.

April 2 is a Tuesday, so maybe we were supposed to be reading that backwards as 0-2-4-2. Wait, that doesn't make any sense at all, even though the date does fit better. However it goes, we'll certainly be ready for a confirmed date whenever it's announced. 

For now, fans with Netflix subscriptions can only generally anticipate when The Umbrella Academy Season 4 will arrive, while also awaiting a more concrete premiere date. Never a bad time to relive the Sparrows’ arrival in Season 3, though. 

It's no mystery that the SAG-AFTRA strike has had a huge impact on an industry that was already in dire straits due to the WGA writers strike that began months prior, and there is still no end in sight for either strike. As the picket lines continue to form and grow on a daily basis, more and more guild members are speaking up about why it is so important to be striking over pay at this point. It's shined a light on the fact that just because a streaming show or star is popular, it doesn’t mean all involved are suddenly free from money struggles, with one Umbrella Academy writer sharing just how quickly things can change for the worse.

While picketing near the Paramount lot, acting WGA strike captain and The Umbrella Academy writer Molly Nussbaum opened up to The Wrap about how being an executive producer on a big streaming series wasn't enough to keep her from immediately needing to find more work in the aftermath to make ends meet. With a major point of contention for both guilds centering on a fairer payment and residuals structure for streaming projects, Nussbaum addressed having to fall back on a Lyft sidegig in lieu of landing another series:

One would think that bringing a streaming series to life as a writer and executive producer would lead to a lot of money, but that is definitely not the case for many working in Hollywood. With multiple streaming shows under her belt, including the upcoming Disney+ superhero drama Daredevil: Born Again, Molly Nussbaum is staying pretty busy, at least when strikes aren't in play, but even so, it’s clear that doesn’t mean that she's bringing in a proper living wage for L.A. living. Hearing that she had to resort to the non-creative work of driving for Lyft is frustrating, but here's hoping all of the efforts being made by writers, actors and beyond will lead to huge changes in the industry at large.

Nussbaum didn’t say exactly what streaming series she was working on ahead of joining Lyft, but if she was talking specifically about 2022 timing, she served as co-executive producer on the now-canceled Peacock series One Of Us Is Lying, which aired for two seasons from 2021 to 2022. So it’s possible that could be the series she’s talking about. Either way, regardless of what show it is, those working on it and others should be able to find consistent and lucrative work in their fields, rather than needing to take on part-time jobs to bridge the gap until the next writing job. It’s sad that it even came to that for Nussbaum, but hopefully, things will change. 

Many WGA strikers are demanding fair pay, which includes higher residuals for past projects, with several TV faves sharing how small some of those checks have been.  An Abbott Elementary fan-favorite recently showed off his residual check, which was only five cents, and not worth what it took the print the paper. There’s also the fact that many studios are eager to start incorporating A.I. technology across various levels of the creative process, from writing to actors' likenesses. So hopefully, things come to a resolution soon, so that Molly Nussbaum and others can land industry jobs that pay back as much as what they put into them. 

Meanwhile, as the strike continues, fans can still support Nussbaum’s projects new and old, including the final season of The Umbrella Academy. The first cast picture from the final season got people emotional, but thanks to the hair game, that viewers can definitely look forward to in Season 4, it made it a little easier to cope with. A premiere date for the fourth and final season hasn’t been announced yet, but fans can sign up for a Netflix subscription and watch the first three seasons in preparation.

It’s been nearly four years since we were first introduced to the Hargreeves in Netflix’s hit series The Umbrella Academy. In 2022, the streamer gave news of TUA’s fourth and final season, which was both a relief and a disappointment since fans had been hoping for more. Now, just over six months since Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy premiered, production has started on Season 4. While emotions are running high, the cast members' hair is keeping things light.

The official Twitter account for The Umbrella Academy posted a sweet cast photo to share that production has begun. Based on their expressions, it looks like they're feeling the same kind of bittersweetness that fans may be as the final chapter of the journey begins. Take a look:

Knowing that the final season is in production definitely makes the end feel more real and more emotional. Some fans are getting their feelings out now, with one not ready to say goodbye, and I’m sure they are not alone on that:

Meanwhile, others couldn’t help but notice some of the stars' hair, which is different from in previous seasons. Although fans are sad that Season 4 is the last season, they can’t help but still be excited for what’s to come, as john_lmfaooo pointed out Allison Hargreeves actress Emmy Raver-Lampman’s hair, which is pretty adorable, while also hoping she gets the ending she deserves:

Not wanting to single anyone out, @soundofdino took a different route and commented on everyone’s appearance, and I can’t say I disagree with them:

Robert Sheehan, who portrays Klaus Hargreeves, took to Instagram to share his own photo from the start of production, looking as dapper as ever and ready for the beginning of the end. If the looks are on par with what the characters will be wearing, the fans are going to be fed pretty well for Season 4:

Speaking of dapper, user whitewadewilson_ decided to focus on Sheehan's snazzy look rather than mourn the coming end of the popular series. Take a look:

Another person chose to embrace the positives of what's ahead, which of course includes one of Sheehan's particular accessories. lilianamoonraven commented:

Justin H. Min, who portrays Ben Hargreeves on the superhero series, decided to just post his name tag from the table read to get fans both hyped and sad about the upcoming season. In a short note to his character, he got ready for one of the first of many lasts on The Umbrella Academy:

In response to the tweet, a fan cleverly used one of Min’s tweets to describe what they were feeling, and it wouldn’t be surprising if others were feeling the same way:

Another fan, @fivefolklore, is taking Justin H. Min’s tweet as a form of betrayal, wondering why he would do that. I just hope that they’ve seen the cast photo because that would be enough to make anyone who is sad about TUA feel better, at least just for a little bit:

Since production did just start on TUA’s fourth season, it’s safe to say that fans will have to wait a while for it to premiere on Netflix, which could be a good thing. That means more time to come to terms with the show actually ending! It does make me wonder if the different hairstyles will stick or if they will change for filming. Either way, it seems safe to say that they'll look good.

Fingers crossed that we get more behind-the-scenes content as production on Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy continues, even if it will make fans emotional! In the meantime, watch the first three seasons now with a Netflix subscription. Be sure to check out the Netflix 2023 TV schedule to see what is coming to the streamer this year.

While Netflix has a never-ending supply of content, a few like Stranger Things stand out as fan favorites. The Umbrella Academy brought a new type of comic book project to the streaming juggernaut, with a stellar cast playing members of the Hargreeves family. Elliot Page and other members of the cast have reacted to getting renewed and getting final season notice in same breath.

Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy aired this June, ending on yet another massive cliffhanger for the titular team of superheroes. Fans have been hoping that a renewal was coming, and Season 4 is indeed on the way. But it'll also be the finale for the Netflix series. Elliot Page was one of many cast members to react to this news, posting on his Instagram story:

Ok, but "Brellies" is actually a very cute name for Umbrella Academy fans. Fan name aside, Elliot Page took the time to thank those who supported the Netflix series. And while it might be bittersweet to end the Hargreeves' journey on the small screen, the Juno star seems happy to be given the opportunity to provide one final season. We'll just have to wait and see how Viktor's story ultimately plays out. 

Of course, Elliot Page wasn't the only cast member from The Umbrella Academy who took to social media after the news of Season 4 went public. Emmy Raver-Lampman plays Allison/ The Rumor in the Netflix series, and she also reacted to the news with a short but sweet post on Instagram story. The caption reads:

Some members of the Hargreeves family used even fewer words to respond to the news about The Umbrella Academy's fourth and final season on Netflix. Actor Tom Hopper who plays the hulking Luthor used two emojis: an umbrella and a bicep. Seems appropriate given Number One's powers, no?

Ritu Arya joined The Umbrella Academy back in Season 2, and has remained a main cast member throughout the third season. She had a two-word reaction to the news about Season 4, posting on her Instagram Story:

The Umbrella Academy premiered on Netflix in February of 2019, after the first season filmed in 2018. As such, the actors who have been there since day one have spent a ton of time within the wacky universe of the comic book adaptation. This includes Justin H. Min, who plays Ben Hargreeves. He was a recurring character in Season 1, before being promoted for later installments. Min took to Twitter about Season 4, posting:

We'll just have to see what The Umbrella Academy has up its sleeve for its fourth and final season. Each of the previous three have had wildly different plots, although they all build to an apocalyptic event (or two). The finale of Season 3 left some big questions, especially related to whether or not the Umbrellas still have powers in the universe that they ended up in.

It's currently unclear when The Umbrella Academy will return to Netflix for Season 4. In the meantime, check out the summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Throughout pretty much the entirety of The Umbrella Academy’s third apocalyptic season on Netflix, viewers watched as a paradox-spawned kugelblitz essentially ate up the entire universe, save for the Hotel Obsidian, its superpowered inhabitants, and its alt-dimensional hallway to the Hotel Oblivion. All that destruction seemed to have been retconned by the finale’s end, though it came at the cost of the Hargreeves siblings (with the continuity-reversing Sparrow Ben and nude brawler extraordinaire Lila included) all losing their superpowers. It was a bummer for everyone, but perhaps especially for Robert Sheehan’s Klaus, who’d only just figured out how to willfully put his death-reversing powers to work.

As viewers will likely remember, Episode 7 featured a madcap sequence in which Klaus perfected his resurrection abilities through being fatally struck by speeding vehicles over and over again. When Robert Sheehan and Tom Hopper spoke with CinemaBlend and other press about The Umbrella Academy Season 3, I asked for the Irish actor’s thoughts on the particularly painful and Looney Tunes-esque manner in which Reginald Hargreeves essentially forced Klaus to evolve his power set. In his words:

At that point in his answer, Tom Hopper spoke up and agreed that it was a cool needle drop for the scene, and the two actors then began singing the chorus to the Harry Chapin classic, and it was as magnificent as it sounds. But I digress. 

Thankfully, Klaus was able to utilize his newly conquered power set to return to the living after Reginald had left him for dead outside of the hotel-connecting hallway. But that modicum of success was short-lived (pun slightly intended), since the Hargreeves clan all seemingly lost their powers after Allison hit the big red button in Reginald’s ship.

In the Season 3 finale’s last group scene, ahead of the mid-credits bits, Luther went off to somehow try and find Sloane, despite not knowing anything about where she might be. At which point Klaus felt the responsibility to follow him, since Luther had only just previously been resurrected himself for the first time. When I asked Robert Sheehan for his thoughts on that ending, and what he hoped would happen with Klaus in a potential fourth season, here’s how he answered: 

As it turns out, Robert Sheehan had long been curious about what these Hargreeves kids would be like without the powers that dictated their life paths, so he’s fully down with the idea of Klaus and the rest being “normal” people for a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if Klaus once again found himself the unwitting leader of a loyal following (cough-cult-cough), even though I doubt the writers will repeat themselves in that respect. 

Granted, Umbrella Academy fans probably don’t expect for the group to go powerless for the entirety of the fourth season, especially since showrunner Steve Blackman has stated that the show could fittingly conclude with Season 4, should the renewal happen. (And it likely will, considering it ruled Netflix’s Top 10 TV list for the entire span between Stranger Things’ first Season 4 drop and when the final two episodes were released.) Whichever way it goes, at least fans can still definitely look forward to the upcoming fourth comic arc from creators Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, who worked with Blackman to help keep things connected to, but still distinct from, the source material. 

The Umbrella Academy’s three seasons can all be streamed in their entirety with a Netflix subscription.

On a day of celebration and exciting festivities such as the Independence Day, the most common reason why one might stay inside is if it happened to be raining. However, if that is the case in your territory (or if you have your reasons to prefer staying indoors instead), there are plenty of great titles on the Netflix Top 10 today to check out. To witness the explosive displays on the lists of Netflix’s most popular movies and TV in the U.S., read on.

Top 10 Movies On Netflix In The U.S. - July 4, 2022

Because the Fourth of July is a time meant to be spent with family, it is not surprise that a fun animated family film like Sing 2 is, once again, Number One on Netflix’s Top 10 Movies in the U.S. with new action-comedy The Man from Toronto and 2015’s Jason Statham-led thriller Wild Card back in second and third place. However, they are now followed by the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s live-action Batman movies - 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises - as it sits above director Todd Phillps’ 2003 comedy Old School, 2011’s Contraband with Mark Wahlberg, and Adam Sandler’s sports drama Hustle. New to the list is a Dave Bautista-led revenge flick from 2018 called Final Score in eighth place above the Oscar-winning Zero Dark Thirty and Frank Darabont’s heartbreaking Stephen King adaptation, The Mist.

• 1. Sing 2
• 2. The Man from Toronto
• 3. Wild Card
• 4. The Dark Knight Rises
• 5. Old School
• 6. Contraband
• 7. Hustle
• 8. Final Score
• 9. Zero Dark Thirty
• 10. The Mist

Top 10 TV Shows On Netflix In The U.S. - July 4, 2022

It is no surprise that Stranger Things is still reigning supreme on Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows in the U.S. on the Fourth of July as Season 3 takes place around said holiday (or because the Season 4 finale dropped days earlier, probably). Back in second and third is inventive superhero TV show The Umbrella Academy and paranormal docuseries The UnXplained above treasure-hunting docuseries Pirate Gold of Adak Island switching places with hit sitcom The Upshaws as reality series Snowflake Mountain, coming-of-age fantasy Legacies, and fellow CW favorite All American have not budged since yesterday. Meanwhile, after making a surprise return to the list over the weekend, The Lincoln Lawyer has reached a new verdict, surpassing the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.

• 1. Stranger Things
• 2. The Umbrella Academy
• 3. The UnXplained
• 4. Pirate Gold Of Adak Island
• 5. The Upshaws
• 6. Snowflake Mountain
• 7. Legacies
• 8. All American
• 9. The Lincoln Lawyer
• 10. Grey’s Anatomy

Whether you are getting your entertainment from the sky watching your local fireworks display or from your own Netflix subscription, just remember that today is a day of great importance and great celebration that is mean to be honored with the people you love. Once your Fourth of July festivities have concluded, be sure to check back tomorrow for our next daily breakdown of what movies and TV shows people are watching the most on the streaming giant.

View the Netflix Top 10 lists for Sunday, July 3, 2022.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 continues its wave of success at the peak of Netflix’s daily Top 10 TV shows, having held the spot since beating out the first part of Stranger Things’ record-breaking fourth season. Which presumably means millions upon millions of Netflix subscribers have watched the third season’s premiere and beyond. And if you were one of the fans who picked up on the lapse in continuity between Season 2’s bonkers finale and its follow-up, you’re not alone, and you’re absolutely correct. Ben Hargreeves somehow went through a magical hairstyle change mid-scene!

Of course, the character didn’t actually flip his bangs up really quick within the sequence itself, as Ben’s tentacles probably aren’t so savvy with clippers and hair gel. (Although if they can light a cigar…) In any case, The Umbrella Academy star Justin H. Min and showrunner Steve Blackman revealed that Ben’s hair switcheroo wasn’t a random editing snafu, but was rather a purposeful continuity error for reasons both practical and emotional. In that Min did not want to rock that look the entire season. Here’s how he amusingly explained it to TVLine:

While it’s likely The Umbrella Academy’s hair stylists could have made Ben’s hair work in the super-emo hanging-bangs mode, Justin H. Min might not have needed to act very much to pull off the character’s surly demeanor. Especially if it would have remained a logistical issue as far as problems with the hairpiece went. 

Thankfully, the mild horrors that came with filming the Season 2 finale weren’t replicated for the most current season, which was not only pleasing to Min, but was clearly the best choice in hindsight. I cannot imagine that Ben would have remained such a likable assbag throughout the season had his eyes been partially covered by his bangs the whole time. Would it have led to some amusing moments involving Umbrella members pushing Ben’s hair up and away from his eyes? One can only hope.

The way Steve Blackman puts it, he wasn’t all that into the bangs entering the equation back when the previous finale was filmed. In his words:

Nobody wanted to point fingers too directly, so let’s just blame the bangs on the extraterrestrial Reginald Hargreeves, since he never truly has the best interests of his children in mind, regardless of what timeline he’s in.

All three seasons of The Umbrella Academy are currently streaming on Netflix, and be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what’s worth diving into after all the nude fights and kugelblitzes have gone away for the time being.

Major spoilers below for Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy, so tread carefully between the timelines if you haven’t yet watched!

With its highly anticipated return to Netflix subscribers around the world, The Umbrella Academy Season 3 kicks off with a glorious whirlwind of a hallucinated dance-off set to Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose,” which pretty much meant all bets were off for what the rest of the season might deliver. (With “Total Eclipse of the Heart” karaoke absolutely being packaged in there.) So it was only natural to watch as Five and Lila’s respective and combined storylines included her falsifying parental guidance over a kid who ends up being wiped out of existence, as well as meeting an old and iron lung-reliant version of Five just before his death, and arguably the show’s best fight sequence so far, in which one of the characters was nude. 

This is what fans have come to expect from The Umbrella Academy — perhaps not so specifically on the nose — and stars Aidan Gallagher and Ritu Arya spoke with CinemaBlend and other press about the chaos wreaked throughout Season 3. So let’s dive into what they shared with me regarding the aforementioned twists and turns. 

Best Fight Ever: Five Vs. Lila, Bathroom Stage

The Umbrella Academy is no stranger to fight sequences that up the various characters' superpowers, and the ante is upped in Season 3 thanks to the arrival of the various Sparrow Academy members, each with their own unique abilities. But arguably the season’s best action pop involved minimal CGI powers and a whole lot of clever camera work. The third episode brought the adversarial Five and Lila (in her birthday suit) together for the first time this season with a bathroom brawl for the ages. When I asked star Ritu Arya about the scene, here’s how she started her answer:

It's good to know that nobody wrote that scene ahead of time and just expected Ritu Arya to automatically be game to take part in a choreography-filled sequence in any state of undress. So power to her for helping bring it to life with her own ideas. That said, it's a whole different thing to conceive it than it is to put it to practice. But they figured out a best-case way to throat-punch two birds with one fist, as it were, through the planning stages. Arya continued, saying:

Aidan Gallagher shared his take on the fight scene after his co-star was finished, and they agreed that it ended up becoming both of their top fight sequences so far. 

Beyond whatever titilating reasons why Lila and Five's fight is memorable, one of the coolest things about it is how precise the moves and edits work specifically to avoid blatant nudity. It's a weird skill to be applauding, but applaud it I shall. 

Aidan Gallagher On Five's Rage Against His Older Self

With Season 2 having already put Five in the midst of his own paradox psychosis as the Kennedy assasination was going down, The Umbrella Academy Season 3 somewhat quickly delves into the concept of the grandfather paradox as a way of explaining the universe-sucking kugelblitz. So what better way to end Five’s mini-quest for answers in Episode 4 than for his Operations Bunker discovery to be yet another version of himself? Only this time, the other version was far older, on death’s doorstep and possibly even more distanced from empathy. It was hard to tell whether he was purely being hopeless or deviously cryptic when he told Five not to save the world, considering the way everything played out.

When I asked Aidan Gallagher about meeting up with an even bigger jerk Five for that sequence, he spoke quite a bit on the inherent angst and aggression forever building up within his character, saying:

Ideally, Five would be able to settle down in a quiet spot with occasional access to the family members that annoy him the least, and the apocalypses would cease. But ideals don't really exist in this universe, so Five is left to deal with himself, and he hates it. According to Gallagher:

Though Five did showcase signs of paradox psychosis by way of some itching, sweating and farting, the symptoms weren’t quite so prevalent, since the younger-bodied version wasn’t motivated to physically confront himself in timeline-altering ways. (I mean, that’s always a back-pocket option.) Aidan Gallagher seemed to read Old Five’s “don’t do anything” advice as falling on the doomsday side of things, as opposed to the secretly-world-saving side, so maybe the old grump just wanted to destroy everything before other versions of him reached such a grizzled state. Time is hard.

Ritu Arya And Aidan Gallagher Share Thoughts On Stan's Disappearance

Now we come to one of the more unexpectedly heartbreaking twists that The Umbrella Academy dropped onto viewers’ laps in Season 3: the disappearance and unexplained fate of Javon Walton’s Stan. While obviously not as tragic as it would have been if Lila hadn’t been lying, and Stan was actually their kid, he’s still SOMEONE’s child, even if the mother was prone to leaving him alone while she shacked up with musicians. So that’s a whole conversational avenue all on its own. 

But here’s the conversation Aidan Gallagher and Ritu Arya had amongst themselves when I asked the actress if, at least in her mind, Lila and Diego would attempt to find Stan wherever he is. 

• Ritu: In my heart, I think, yeah, like, they must. We fell in love with him, you know? He's such a cool character. It'd be sad to just let him be disappeared, but also, it might not be in their control. He's not the only person. 
• Aidan: We don't know. They haven't told us. We don't know what happens if we get like a Season 4. They haven't all figured it out.
• Ritu: That's why I say, in my heart, I want that. Because I was kind of shocked even reading the script. Like, 'Where is Stan? Is he coming back?' And then the season ended, and I was like, 'Nope.' We never got to conclude finding him. But also, we're in this funny transition phase where we've just ended up in this area, we don't have our powers, and we're gonna have to figure out what's next.
• Aidan: It's quite a move though, like when he disappears. It's just like a punch to the gut, it feels, watching it, because you've come to love this character. 
• Ritu: It's also the end of the world. So I think that there's a lot of things to be kind of concerned about anyway.

Obviously no one knows what the future holds for The Umbrella Academy as far as a potential fourth season goes. But considering it’s been at the #1 spot in Netflix’s daily Top 10 since its release, which dethroned Stranger Things’ Season 4 reign, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if a renewal announcement is imminent. But will it contain any information regarding Stan’s whereabouts? No, not unless the announcement comes from another timeline’s Netflix where press releases give away information like that. 

All three seasons of The Umbrella Academy are available to stream now on Netflix, with many other awesome shows out there available to stream for fans looking for fare in the same weirdo ballpark as the Hotel Oblivion. 

Although Squid Game’s first season has been the reigning Most Watched TV Show champion on Netflix, having become a global phenomenon in the weeks after its release, its biggest competition to date has been the obsessively discussed horror hit Stranger Things. The first batch of Season 4 episodes quickly took over the streaming service’s daily Top 10 list upon the May 27 premiere, and the show remained in that top spot ever since. At least, until now, as Stranger Things was pushed out of the #1 slot for the first time by another group of oddballs who developed strange powers in their youths. 

Before Stranger Things could pull off a full month atop Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows list, the streaming service dropped another highly anticipated series onto eager fans. As such, The Umbrella Academy Season 3 officially took over as the current most popular series on the platform on Thursday, June 23, one day after it premiered all ten apocalypse-thwarting episodes. Looks like the Wheelers and Byers families have nothing on the Hargreeves siblings, amirite? (Although that said, Priah Ferguson’s Erica Sinclair would definitely be formidable enough to pose a threat.)

At this time, Netflix has yet to unveil actual viewership stats for The Umbrella Academy’s third season, but one can imagine its first weekly total will be pretty massive. Honestly, I don’t see it coming close to topping the record-setting early numbers that Stranger Things Season 4 put out, since that was a relatively rare occurrence bolstered by the throwback thriller’s episodes exceeding traditional runtimes for “hour-long” series.  

But I’m certain the timeline-jumping, alt-universe-destroying heroes within The Umbrella Academy were watched for over 100 million hours, since Stranger Things’ latest weekly total topped off at 106 million (for the week of June 13-19). Given the pretty solid word-of-mouth so far, along with the mostly positive critical reactions, I don’t see the new season’s audience facing any nosedives in the near future. Nobody can truly deny the power of a “Footloose” dance-along and Stephen King easter eggs, after all.

Notably, the current Top 10 list doesn’t feature either of The Umbrella Academy’s first two seasons, while all three of Stranger Things’ prior seasons re-entered both the daily and weekly Top 10 lists as fans rewatched to catch up ahead of the new episodes. (Beyond just rewatching in general, of course.) That indicates that the hunger for more Umbrella-related comic book chaos wasn’t quite as strong as the need for more Upside-Down horrors in the minds of Netflix subscribers.

It’s likely that The Umbrella Academy will hold onto that top slot for the majority of the time between Season 3’s arrival and the impending premiere of Stranger Things’ final two Season 4 episodes, which will hopefully answer all of our biggest questions during their super-extended runtimes. Considering Netflix hasn’t specifically marked the first seven episodes as Part 1 within its overarching Top 10 tallies, it can be assumed that the platform will count the remaining two installments in with the rest of Season 4, giving the show that much more of a shot at topping Squid Game once and for all. Or, at least until Squid Game’s upcoming second season rules the world of streaming next year. 

For now, though, be sure to watch the bumbling heroes of The Umbrella Academy attempting to survive a kugelblitz (among other things), as all three seasons are currently available to stream on Netflix. 

Mild spoilers below for The Umbrella Academy Season 3, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

Fans knew going into The Umbrella Academy’s third outing that the powered-up Netflix drama would be roundabout tackling the comic book series’ “Hotel Oblivion” arc, while also introducing the upcoming fourth arc’s Sparrow Academy. But as it went with the prior two seasons, fans also knew showrunner Steve Blackman would totally shake the story up in unfamiliar ways, which led to the O.G. Hargreeves siblings living it up inside the alt-named Hotel Obsidian for the majority of Season 3. It’s basically a pop culture rule at this point that when a TV show or movie features a reality-breaking hotel as a setting, it’s imperative to utilize at least one Stephen King reference, presumably tied to Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece adaptation of The Shining. (Though any and all 1408 easter eggs are welcomed as well.)

Sure enough, while The Umbrella Academy didn’t feature any nightmarishly wrinkled old women stepping out of the shower in Season 3, the Netflix series did incorporate some classic iconography from the Jack Nicholson-starring adaptation. Specifically, the wallpaper within the room of one Lester Pocket (not his real identity) features the same pattern as the instantly recognizable hallway carpet from The Shining’s Overlook Hotel. 

Steve Blackman spoke with CinemaBlend and other press outlets ahead of Season 3’s critically approved release, and as a massive Stephen King fanatic for most of my life, I had to ask about the wallpaper. Here’s how he answered:

The Wes Anderson movie Steve Blackman referred to was, of course, The Grand Budapest Hotel, which most certainly did not feature any axe-wielding homicidal writers or alternate dimensions protected by deadly guardians. I guess Umbrella Academy’s guardians were axe-wielding and homicidal, but I doubt they were professional writers. Amateur bloggers, maybe.

In any case, while Steve Blackman didn’t speak to what the symbolism could mean within the context of Season 3’s storyline, I think there’s still something to chew on there. Had the pattern shown up on the wallpaper in everyone’s rooms, or had it been all over the public areas of the Hotel Obsidian, that’d be one thing. Since its use was more limited, though, I believe it could easily represent the basic idea of dual identities. In the sense of both ol' Lester Pockets and Jack Torrence. But then maybe it just looked cool in the moment to the set decorator, and there's no hidden meaning. 

And while it's likely not necessarily a Shining nod, Klaus pushing a joyful Stan around the halls on a housekeeping cart was at least vaguely reminiscent of Danny Torrence riding around on his tricycle, even if without the Steadicam involved.

Steve Blackman On Comic Connections And Creator Relationships

Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá first unleashed The Umbrella Academy on the world back in 2007, and it seemed for many years as if the Hargreeves squad would only be around for a 12-issue existence. But then the TV show came around and semi-coincided with the Hotel Oblivion arc, with confirmed plans to deliver the next batch of issues in the not-too-distant future. So it was technically the first time that Steve Blackman & Co. were developing a TV story around elements that hadn't been fully introduced yet in the source material. 

When I asked the showrunner about how that worked, and how much access to the material he had for the purposes of planning and creating (as well as avoiding duplication), he explained how his evergrowing friendship with the comic book creators has helped the process out.

So you know what that means: Umbrella Academy fans are going to scour the upcoming Sparrow-geared issues to try and figure out what elements of the comic arc were directly influenced by how the Netflix series handled things. Will things turn out similarly for Luther and Sloane? Will some of the deaths play out the same way? Will Pogo be as good at tattoo artistry in the comic? THESE ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, PEOPLE! And ones that will have to wait to be answered.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 is available to stream in full with a Netflix subscription, so be sure to check it out, and hit up our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what else is hitting the streaming service and beyond in the near future.

Madness is about to ensue as The Umbrella Academy returns to Netflix subscribers for a third season that sees the Hargreeves facing the consequences of their Season 2 time travels back to 1963 Dallas. Those consequences include returning “home” to an alternate universe where Reginald Hargreeves adopted the Sparrows — a new squad of super-beings (and a cube) — to call his children. Critics have had the opportunity to screen the episodes ahead of their June 22 release on Netflix, so let’s see what they said about the manic chaos promised to fans in the trailer.

It’s been almost two years since Season 2 ended with a huge cliffhanger that introduced the Sparrow Academy, who included a still-alive Ben (Justin H. Min, who’s leaning into details from the comic book for his character this season) and a telekinetic cube that has people pretty excited. Let’s jump into the reviews and see what we have to look forward to with The Umbrella Academy Season 3. Mason Downey of GameSpot says Season 3 maintains its quirky charm, but the addition of so many characters and plots may have been a little over-ambitious:

Tom Power of TechRadar rates the new season of The Umbrella Academy with a 3 out of 5 stars, saying that he enjoys the plot twists and fun callbacks to the comics. Fans will be happy to find more of the series’ trademark wisecracks and dance numbers, and the story answers some of the mystery while leaving plenty of room for more revelations in future seasons. While the Sparrow Academy characters aren’t always used as effectively as they could be, this review says that the way they contrast the Hargreeves is “fascinating”: 

Charles Pulliam-Moore of The Verge calls this the best season yet of the comic book-inspired series, as its ever-expanding lore and creative pacing make it worthy of the 10-hour commitment. This review also speaks to the big change that Season 3 sees for Elliot Page’s character Viktor, and it’s about more than gender:

Alex Stedman of IGN rates the upcoming season a “Great” 8 out of 10, saying despite the addition of more characters, The Umbrella Academy is able to tell a more intimate story in its third season, thanks to the strength of its complicated characters and excellent cast:

Petrana Radulovic of Polygon says viewers’ enjoyment of Season 3 depends on how much they enjoy seeing characters they love keep making the same wrong decisions over and over again. It’s frustrating, this review says, but deliciously so, and while the new characters and plots are a lot to handle, the season settles in to become quite fun:

It sounds like fans of The Umbrella Academy are going to want to check this season out, even if there are some hiccups along the way. Ahead of its release, Season 3 has garnered an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 12 critics. If you’ve been waiting two years to see the next chapter of Hargreeves adventures, your wait is almost over. The Umbrella Academy Season 3 premieres Wednesday, June 22 on Netflix, and be sure to check out what other TV shows are coming soon to Netflix. 

As a comic book fan with a good deal of free time and who is looking to get his money’s worth for subscriptions to multiple streaming services, I am eagerly anticipating the next upcoming Marvel TV show, as well as the latest DC TV shows to return or premiere for the first time. However, I am also just as big a fan (if not a bigger fan in some instances) of superhero TV shows that are not affiliated with either of those comic book publishing giants, such as The Boys - which returns for a third season in June 2022. In fact, let’s start with that dark, satirical masterpiece for our list of some of the most super series that are not based on either Marvel or DC comics.

The Boys (Amazon Prime)

In a world in which superheroes are real and are primarily involved with the crimefighting business for the fame and fortune, a young man (Jack Quaid) who has grown to hate costumed vigilantes due to personal tragedy joins a former Special Forces agent (Karl Urban) and his ragtag crew on a mission to expose all “supes” and their corruption, and destroy as many as possible.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: While originally published under DC’s now defunct Wildstorm imprint, writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson’s brutal and hilariously biting, The Boys, transferred to Dynamite Entertainment before showrunner Eric Kripke adapted it into a brutal and hilariously biting Amazon Prime original series that has already inspired an animated anthology spin-off with a live action one on the way, too.

Stream The Boys on Amazon Prime.

Invincible (Amazon Prime)

With the help of other young super-powered individuals like himself, a teenager (Steven Yeun) struggles to live-up to the expectations of his father (J.K. Simmons), who also happens to be the most powerful and famous superhero in the world.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: Often compared to The Boys for its extremely graphic content, dark sense of humor, and stellar voice cast, Amazon Prime’s animated hit superhero show Invincible is co-created by The Walking Dead comic scribe Robert Kirkman, whose own Image Comics title inspired the series.

Stream Invincible on Amazon Prime.

Jupiter’s Legacy (Netflix)

With the definition of justice changing and the people who aim to obstruct it growing in strength and numbers 90 years after the first generation of superheroes emerged, veterans of the world-saving business (including Josh Duhamel and Leslie Bibb) prepare their grown-up children (such as Andrew Horton) to take over as the Earth’s sworn protectors, while also trying to mend their own personal relationships.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: A live-action TV show based on an Image title that also focuses on young superheroes struggling live up to their powerful parents’ legacy is the eight-episode Netflix original, Jupiter’s Legacy - developer Steven S. DeKnight’s action-packed, visually stunning, and heartfelt adaptation of the graphic novel series by writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Quitely.

Stream Jupiter’s Legacy on Netflix.

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

With the threat of a cataclysmic destruction looming, a group of specially gifted adoptive siblings (including Academy Award nominee and former X-Men movies star, Elliot Page) reunite to prepare themselves for defending the earth while also trying to mend their own personal relationships.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: A live-action Netflix original (with an upcoming third season) based on a Dark Horse title that focuses on young superheroes struggling live up to their own legacy is The Umbrella Academy - creator Steve Blackman and developer Jeremy Slater’s unique and thought-provoking adaptation of the award-winning comic book series created by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way.

Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

Raising Dion (Netflix)

After learning that her young son (Ja’Siah Young) has been born with extraordinary abilities, a widowed single mother (Alisha Wainwright) struggles to figure out how to keep him safe while he keeps the world safe.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: Another Netflix original superhero TV show that would be perfect for The Umbrella Academy fans for its unique and clever take on family dynamics and coming-of-age themes is Raising Dion - developer Carol Barbee’s refreshing and poignant adaptation of the one-shot comic book that writer Dennis Liu originally released independently online.

Stream Raising Dion on Netflix.

Heroes (Peacock)

After learning that they have been gifted with extraordinary abilities, a group of otherwise seemingly ordinary people must band together to protect the world and themselves from a man (played by Zachary Quinto) who wishes to claim their powers for himself.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: In addition to not being based on any pre-existing comic book, creator Tim Kring’s beloved NBC series Heroes was one of the most truly original and groundbreaking superhero TV shows of its time for its grounded themes, inventive depiction of its characters’ superhuman abilities, and lack of any of cheesy costumes.

Stream Heroes on Peacock.
Buy Heroes on Amazon.

The Tick (Amazon Prime)

After learning that the city in which he resides is under the control of a powerful supervillain, a meek, ordinary accountant (Griffin Newman) decides to join forces with a goofily earnest superhero dressed as a blue, muscular, anthropomorphic bug (Peter Serafinowicz) and become a vigilante himself.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: A series that boldly celebrates cheesy, comic book-accurate costumes is Amazon Prime’s hilarious, Emmy-nominated superhero spoof, The Tick, which was the second live-action adaptation (and third television iteration overall) of cartoonist Ben Edlund’s antennaed character that he originally created as the mascot for New England Comics in 1986.

Stream The Tick on Amazon Prime.

Freakazoid! (Tubi)

After a computer bug gives him a variety of abilities ranging from super strength to instant access to all information found on the internet, a teenage computer genius (Paul Rugg) with blue skin and a strange haircut dons red long underwear to fight crime in Washington D.C.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: A cult favorite animated series that was groundbreaking in the 1990s for its cleverly meta way of poking fun at superhero tropes was the Steven Spielberg-produced Freakazoid!, which was not based on any pre-existing comic book but was originally created by two men behind one of the most acclaimed animated series based on a DC comic - Batman: The Animated Series producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.

Stream Freakazoid! on Tubi.
Buy Freakazoid! on Amazon.

One Punch Man (Netflix, Hulu)

In a world full of superhuman beings, one teenage boy (Mokoto Furukawa, or Max Mittelman for the English-language dub) possesses the unique ability to defeat any enemy with a single strike - a strength that quickly becomes a weakness when the hero begins to grow bored of how easy saving the world comes for him.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: A more recent beloved animated superhero spoof with an inventive and absolutely hilarious commentary on what it must be like to possess unstoppable power is One Punch Man, which is also one of the most popular and acclaimed Japanese anime series of its time and is based on the manga by Yusuke Marata.

Stream One Punch Man on Netflix.
Stream One Punch Man on Hulu.
Buy One Punch Man on Amazon.

Danny Phantom (Paramount+)

After an accident involving his ghost-hunter parents’ very strange machine, a young man (David Kaufman) gains all the known (and unknown) abilities of a paranormal entity (such as walking through walls, disappearing, and flying) and uses them to fight ghostly evil.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: Another popular animated series about a teen with superpowers, but one in which the title hero often struggles to gain a hold of his abilities, is Danny Phantom - a spooky, fun Nickelodeon hit (that deserves its own Netflix movie) from the creator of The Fairly Odd Parents, Butch Hartman.

Stream Danny Phantom on Paramount+.
Buy Danny Phantom on Amazon.

Todd McFarlane’s Spawn (HBO Max)

After he is murdered by his boss and sent to hell, a C.I.A. assassin (Keith David) is later resurrected on Earth to lead a satanic army, but instead becomes a watchful protector and a punisher of corruption. 

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: A much darker and more mature series about a man with paranormal abilities who fights ghostly and demonic evil is Todd McFarlane’s Spawn - HBO’s Emmy-winning adaptation of the popular Image comic that was previously made into a live-action film and has another feature-length adaptation in the works.

Stream Todd McFarlane’s Spawn on HBO Max.
Buy Todd McFarlane’s Spawn on Amazon.

Ultraman (Pluto TV)

An alien transfers his life force to an adult human, which gives him the ability to transform into a giant, superpowered warrior in order to defend the earth from large, monstrous creatures.

Why it is a great non-Marvel or DC Comics superhero TV show: While there have been countless iterations of the Ultraman character (including a Netflix original animated show), I figured it was most appropriate to go with his first appearance on his own influential, self-titled Japanese series from the mid-1960s, that would later inspire a loosely-connected manga of the same name.

Stream Ultraman on Pluto TV.
Buy Ultraman on Amazon.

Now, if you have consumed all the DC or Marvel-related content you can find but still crave more fun superhero stories, you know just where to look. On that note, however, there are still plenty of great comic books like this that have yet to be given the series treatment. Hopefully, we will see this list grow even larger soon.

Netflix had a killer month in May thanks to the highly anticipated conclusion of Ozark and the more highly anticipated, record-breaking return of Stranger Things, and after so many stressful moments stretched across both of those shows, not to mention other dramas and thrillers, it’s time for a laugh. Netflix subscribers will no doubt notice the service is preparing for just such a comedy deluge in June, as there will be no shortage of stand-up specials culled from the service's big Netflix Is a Joke festival.

Of course, that’s not the only new programming coming this month to Netflix, which is why we’ll be focusing on the return of The Umbrella Academy for its Sparrow-licious third season along with other super-duper original shows worth checking out in June 2022. especially if stand-up comedy is not your thing. Let’s dive in, and run through some of the notable picks from all genres arriving in June. 

Floor Is Lava Season 2 (June 3)

Floor Is Lava is back for another season, and it looks like one of the most creative Netflix game shows to date has upped the ante for Season 2. A trailer for the upcoming season shows new challenges on the way for teams to conquer...life...and even some returning faces in the mix. I personally am excited to watch people try and climb that giant slimy volcano, because it looks like a more intense version of the Aggro Crag from Nickelodeon GUTS. Anybody who missed out on Season 1 may not understand why I’m this excited for a show based on a children’s game, but you just have to watch it to get it. And then you'll be auditioning to be in Season 3.

Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey (June 8)

True crime fans, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey looks to be a disturbing doozy of a series centering around the 2008 raid of the Yearning for Zion Ranch compound in West Texas. Ultimately, 400+ children were taken into custody after law enforcement found evidence of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin delivers a four-part miniseries that features never-before-seen archival footage, interviews, and much more information about Warren Jeffs, the man who masterminded the whole operation and its illegal acts. This is probably going to be that series that scratches the itch of those curious about those about the culture within cults, and how those who get brought in ultimately get out. 

First Kill (June 10)

Netflix is offering up a classic Romeo & Juliet kind of story in June, with a medium side of vampires. In First Kill, Juliette has to make her first kill as a vampire, and targets a new girl in town named Calliope. Unfortunately, Calliope is a vampire hunter also in need of her first kill, and because they’re rebellious teens at a turning point in their lives/unlives, the two fall in love. I’m not sure how this one will play out, but there’s plenty of other supernatural goodness happening in this show that anyone upset about Legacies' cancellation may well enjoy. So get those fangs polished.

Peaky Blinders Season 6 (June 10)

After a long wait, the beloved UK crime drama Peaky Blinders will finally return to Netflix with Season 6. Unfortunately, for anyone following the ride but not in the know yet, it’s the final season. These upcoming episodes will finally bring the action to a halt nine years after its 2013 debut. Will this be when star Cillian Murphy gets the award recognition that fans believe he's been deserving of? We’ll have to see if folks feel that way when the final season arrives in the United States and brings this thrilling show to an end. 

God’s Favorite Idiot (June 15)

Mike & Molly vet Melissa McCarthy is back on television, and she’s starring alongside her husband Ben Falcone, as it usually goes, in a comedy about an unwitting man who becomes a messenger of God. Religion is definitely a part of this series, but based on the trailers I’ve seen, I’m reckoning it’s going to fall more on the side of irreverence and mischief than anything purely faith-based. It looks like satan, angels, and the Four Horseman are all caught up in this adventure, which arrives on Netflix at the midpoint of June. 

Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend (June 15)

Iron Chef fans, this is a specialized reboot series you won’t want to miss. Rising stars in the food game will take on notable icons of the franchise like Curtis Stone, Dominique Crenn, Marcus Samuelsson, Ming Tsai, and Gabriela Cámara. Alton Brown and Kristen Kish will host, and of course, it wouldn’t be a true Iron Chef party without The Chairman, Mark Dacascos, along for the ride as well. Netflix is always a good place for cooking shows, and I expect Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend will be no exception.

Snowflake Mountain (June 22)

Snowflake Mountain takes the wilderness reality show subgenre that's spiked in popularity on cable and mixes it with shows focusing on scaring troubled teens into turning their lives around. Essentially, a bunch of young adults go on a survival retreat that’s devoid of all the luxuries of modern living. The hope is that through reconnecting with nature and learning about hard living, they’ll make a more full and meaningful transition into adulthood. I’m curious to watch and see how effective the show is on that front and what drama might arise from these participants when they’re forced out of the lap of luxury. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 (June 22)

The Umbrella Academy is back for Season 3, and once again, the timeline is in shambles. As it turns out, fixing all things doomsday-related in 1963 technically didn’t correct the present, and now the heroes must come face to face with the Sparrow Academy after returning "home," which is actually an alternate reality where Reginald Hargreeves found a squad of other super-beings to call his children. And one of them is a telekinetic cube. Suffice to say, the day still needs saving, and yes, it’s feeling less likely the Umbrella Academy crew will ever find their way back to the timeline they are familiar with. 

Man Vs. Bee (June 24)

Rowan Atkinson is back with a new series, which might be something we’re all a bit surprised to hear in 2022 (unless you remember how much his Johnny English sequel made). The British comedy legend behind Mr. Bean is back, and he’s doing one of the things he does best as a comedian: dialogue-free chaos. In what’s advertised as a “mostly silent” series, a housesitter goes to war with a bee, and it appears as if no one will come out of this one the fictor. At least there will be no mistaking Man vs. Bee for any other show on the platform, as straightforward as the title is!

The Upshaws Season 2 Part 1 (June 29)

Mike Epps’ streaming comedy The Upshaws returns for the first half of Season 2, once again highlighting the life of a family trying to make its way in the Midwest. Those looking for the classic family sitcom are going to get all that and more from this show, which is good because it feels like we see less and less of those types of shows on television each year. Netflix wouldn't dare cancel a show in between parts, so fans can look forward to more later this year. 

Catch all these shows and more on Netflix in the month of June, and don't forget about all the stand-up specials on the way as well, including the retrospective for Bob Saget.

Summer excitement is about to hit the Netflix library in quite a huge way. June 2022 sees old favorites coming online, like select installments from the Mission: Impossible series, as well as Titanic. The lineup of originals is nothing to sniff at either, as Chris Hemsworth gets nutty in Spiderhead, and Cillian Murphy’s fan favorite TV show Peaky Blinders is coming to an end. 

All of this, plus Adam Sandler’s new drama film Hustle and the third season of The Umbrella Academy, are up for grabs. You’ll want to keep your Netflix subscription up to date, as this next month is going to be quite impressive. Without further ado, let’s jump into June 2022’s Netflix lineup.

New On Netflix The Week of June 1: Mission: Impossible, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Interceptor, And More

News Team, assemble! Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is coming to Netflix, and in the same week as three separate Mission: Impossible movies. (Which is perfect timing, considering the recent release of the trailer for Dead Reckoning Part One.) If you’re up for even more action, Fast Saga vet Elsa Pataky is about to get into some heavy duty world-saving in Interceptor.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - 6/1/22
Dear John - 6/1/22
Dumb and Dumber - 6/1/22
Edge of Seventeen - 6/1/22
Eraser - 6/1/22
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass - 6/1/22
Lean on Me - 6/1/22
Léon: The Professional - 6/1/22
Life as We Know It - 6/1/22
Mission: Impossible - 6/1/22
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - 6/1/22
Mission: Impossible II - 6/1/22
Mr Bean's Holiday - 6/1/22
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - 6/1/22
Soul Plane - 6/1/22
Steel Magnolias - 6/1/22
The Amazing Spider-Man - 6/1/22
The Boy - 6/1/22
The Departed - 6/1/22
The Fighter - 6/1/22
The Girl Next Door - 6/1/22
The Hurt Locker - 6/1/22
The Players Club - 6/1/22
Titanic - 6/1/22
Troy - 6/1/22
Vegas Vacation - 6/1/22
We Are Marshall - 6/1/22
Borgen - Power & Glory - 6/2/22
The DUFF - 6/2/22
Yuri Marçal: Honest Mistake - 6/2/22
As the Crow Flies - 6/3/22
Floor Is Lava: Season 2 - 6/3/22
Interceptor - 6/3/22
Mr. Good: Cop or Crook? - 6/3/22
The Perfect Mother - 6/3/22
Surviving Summer - 6/3/22
Two Summers  - 6/3/22

New On Netflix The Week Of June 5: Hustle, Peaky Blinders: Season 6, Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute, And More

Adam Sandler’s Netflix original Hustle is definitely not a comedy, as proven in the trailer. The basketball movie, co-starring Queen Latifah, looks like it could rival Uncut Gems when it comes to the more serious side of Sandler, and fans will get to see it soon. Also coming aboard is the promised tribute to the late Bob Saget, fittingly titled Dirty Daddy, which was also the name of his 2014 autobiography.

Straight Up - 6/5/22
Action Pack: Season 2 - 6/6/22
Bill Burr Presents: Friends Who Kill  - 6/6/22
That’s My Time with David Letterman - 6/7/22
Baby Fever - 6/8/22
Gladbeck: The Hostage Crisis - 6/8/22
Hustle  - 6/8/22
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey - 6/8/22
Rhythm + Flow France - 6/9/22
Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration - 6/9/22
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness - 6/10/22
Closet Monster - 6/10/22
Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute - 6/10/22
First Kill - 6/10/22
Intimacy - 6/10/22
Peaky Blinders: Season 6 - 6/10/22
Top Gear: Season 27 - 6/10/22
Top Gear: Season 28 - 6/10/22
Trees of Peace - 6/10/22
Vice - 6/10/22
Amy Schumer's Parental Advisory - 6/11/22

New On Netflix The Week Of June 12: Spiderhead, Halftime, Iron Chef: Quest For An Iron Legend, And More

While Elsa Pataky helped open June 2022’s Netflix extravaganza, her husband Chris Hemsworth will keep things going at the middle of the month. His new film Spiderhead has a trailer that shows off Hemsworth cracking jokes and messing with the heads of people like Miles Teller, just for fun. Other notable titles for this week are the Jennifer Lopez documentary Halftime, and the debut of Iron Chef: Quest For An Iron Legend.

Charlie's Colorforms City: Mighty Movie Adventures - 6/13/22
Charlie's Colorforms City: Miss Weather and Friends - 6/13/22
Pete Davidson Presents: The Best Friends - 6/13/22
Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America - 6/13/22
Jane & Lily: Ladies Night Live - 6/14/22
Halftime - 6/14/22
The Mole: Season 3-4 - 6/14/22
Centauro - 6/15/22
Front Cover - 6/15/22
God's Favorite Idiot - 6/15/22
Heart Parade - 6/15/22
Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend - 6/15/22
Maldivas - 6/15/22
Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet - 6/15/22
The War Next-door: Season 2 - 6/15/22
The Wrath of God  - 6/15/22
Dead End: Paranormal Park - 6/16/22
Karma's World Music Videos: Season 2 - 6/16/22
Love & Anarchy: Season 2 - 6/16/22
Rhythm + Flow France  - 6/16/22
Sing, Dance, Act: Kabuki featuring Toma Ikuta - 6/16/22
Snoop Dogg's F*cn Around Comedy Special - 6/16/22
Won't You Be My Neighbor? - 6/16/22
The Martha Mitchell Effect - 6/17/22
Rainbow High: Season 2 - 6/17/22
She: Season 2  - 6/17/22
Spiderhead - 6/17/22
You Don't Know Me - 6/17/22
Alchemy of Souls - 6/18/22
Charmed: Season 4 - 6/18/22
SPRIGGAN - 6/18/22

New On Netflix The Week Of June 19: The Umbrella Academy Season 3, The Man From Toronto, Sing 2, And More

Saving the world from an apocalypse will take it out of you, but The Umbrella Academy doesn’t look like it’s going to give its heroes much of a rest on that front in Season 3. Also, for those of you who missed Sing 2 in the theaters, your chance to watch it at home on Netflix has finally arrived. Last, but not least, The Man from Toronto finally becomes a reality, through the Netflix exclusive debut of the Kevin Hart/Woody Harrelson action/comedy. 

Civil  - 6/19/22
It (2017) - 6/19/22
Doom Of Love - 6/20/22
Philomena - 6/20/22
All That: Seasons 2-3 - 6/21/22
The Future Of - 6/21/22
Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual - 6/21/22
Kenan and Kel: Seasons 1-2 - 6/21/22
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: Seasons 1-2 - 6/21/22
Zoey 101: Seasons 1-2 - 6/21/22
Bruna Louise: Demolition - 6/22/22
The Hidden Lives of Pets - 6/22/22
Love & Gelato  - 6/22/22
The Mist (2007) - 6/22/22
ONE PIECE: New Episodes - 6/22/22
Sing 2 - 6/22/22
Snowflake Mountain - 6/22/22
The Umbrella Academy: Season 3 - 6/22/22
Best of the Fest - 6/23/22
First Class - 6/23/22
Queen - 6/23/22
Angry Birds: Summer Madness: Season 2 - 6/24/22
Legacies: Season 4 - 6/24/22
The Man from Toronto - 6/24/22
Man Vs Bee - 6/24/22
Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area - 6/24/22
Grey's Anatomy: Season 18 - 6/25/22

New On Netflix The Week Of June 26: Blasted, Sharkdog: Season 2, And More

Get ready to get Blasted, as a bachelor party between estranged friends turns into the frontline of an alien invasion! Also returning to Netflix is the children’s series Sharkdog, which brings the creature and his human back for more kid-friendly adventures. 

Cafe Minamdang - 6/27/22
Chip and Potato: Chip’s Holiday - 6/27/22
Blasted - 6/28/22
Cristela Alonzo: Middle Classy - 6/28/22
BEAUTY - 6/29/22
Extraordinary Attorney Woo - 6/29/22
Pirate Gold of Adak Island - 6/29/22
The Upshaws: Season 2 Part 1 - 6/29/22
BASTARD‼ -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy - 6/30/22
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - 6/30/22
Sharkdog: Season 2 - 6/30/22

New On Netflix June 2022 TBD

Here’s a couple more titles headed to Netflix, which are currently without release dates. 

Glamour Girls
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

June 2022 is a huge month for Netflix subscribers! Be sure to check this listing frequently, as everything listed above is subject to change and availability. So while you’re hoping Dumb and Dumber and The Departed debut in their listed slots, you’ll definitely want to make sure something hasn’t shifted. We’ll see you back here around this time next month, when July 2022’s lineup of newcomers hits the streets! 

Even though The Umbrella Academy will only be in its third season when it returns to Netflix subscribers this summer, fans are keenly aware of what to expect once it arrives: manic chaos, the threat of the universe’s imminent death, wacky superpowers and only the most skillful dancing. So it’s no surprise at all that the Season 3 trailer seen above is chock-full of the show’s signature madness as it more concretely sets up the third season’s Umbrellas vs. Sparrows vs. Kugelblitz Armageddon mayhem that’s on the way. 

The trailer starts off by resetting the stage for how Season 2 wrapped up, with the core Hargreeves siblings returning from Dallas in 1963 to a modified future where the family’s tyrannical patriarch Reginald Hargreeves snatched up an almost completely different batch of children on that fateful October day in 1989. The only point of similarity is Justin H. Min’s Ben, but this isn’t the same dude that everyone else loved and mourned previously. This version is quick to let his Horror-bound tentacles out to do his bidding, as seen in the trailer, although the protagonists don’t take too kindly to this iteration being such a dickhead. [Looks out for throat punch.]

And that’s not even speaking about the rest of the Sparrow Academy squad, whose powers are put on display throughout the trailer, even though Elliot Page’s Vanya-turned-Viktor doesn’t appear to be too worried by any of them. The new team’s presence is perhaps summed up best in the line below: 

The big threat in Season 3, naturally, comes from the time paradox that the Umbrella Academy created with everyone’s Dallas shenanigans, and it sounds like they have less than a week to figure the situation out before everything goes kablooey. And you can’t make an omelet without cracking a few Sparrow Academy members’ faces, so fans can expect to see these two factions squaring off, even though it appears as if they may eventually need to combine forces in order to save humanity at large. And if Klaus has anything to say about it, combining forces will also involve getting freaky with his double. Which brings us to our two big surprises. 

Ben Apparently Isn't The Only Doubled-Up Character

The trailer seems to confirm that the TV show's Hotel Obsidian is not the same Hotel Oblivion that was set up in the comic book series. And it's seemingly within the establishment that Number Five sets up the logical understanding that if a different version of Ben exists there, then all of the children born on that special day will also exist in this timeline. We've technically already seen Five fighting himself in Season 2, just with vastly different ages. But could there be a moment in the third season that features the core protagonists facing off against other versions of themselves?

Pogo 2.0 Is Here!

Just in case anyone suspected that Number Five's comments mentioned above were merely for window dressing, The Umbrella Academy's Season 3 trailer reveals that Reginald's second banana (pun) Pogo is still alive in this timeline. And the talking mammal clearly also went through his own changes, since this version is apparently a tattoo artist who belongs to a motorcycle club. (Fingers crossed for a Sons of Anarchy crossover somehow.) Does that mean fans can look forward to seeing new versions of all the characters who died in the prime timeline? Bring on more Hazel and Cha Cha!

On top of all that, fans also got our first look at Euphoria’s Javon Walton within the Umbrella Academy universe, although it’s still not exactly clear who he’ll be playing. In any case, we’ll be watching when the show finally returns to Netflix with a premiere on Wednesday, June 22. 

 The Umbrella Academy has lots of big questions to answer when it returns to Netflix for Season 3, with the biggest of all being "What up with those Sparrow Academy goons?" The mysterious way Season 2 ended has kept fans talking and speculating ever since the group's Dallas-based timeline alterations changed everything. It's been almost two years since all we first watched all those wild moments happen, so fans are understandably hyped to see how things play out in new episodes. So let’s all give star Justin H. Min a sincere round of applause for offering up some comic-friendly details to keep us satiated while waiting for the premiere.

Despite his character being dead in the show’s central timeline across its first two seasons, Justin H. Min’s character Ben is definitely alive and well in Season 3, though he isn’t the same version as Klaus’ spiritual buddy. He’ll be a more hardcore version of Number Six, and it sounds like he’ll be leaning into his comic book distinction of being The Horror, or at least the tentacled side of things. Speaking with EW, he described Sparrow Academy Ben embracing his power set in the show’s future, saying: 

I do hope this version of Ben has seen Tom Cruise's Cocktail, and will mimic some bartending moves while making the aforementioned drinks. I love the idea of casually presented tentacles. 

Ahead of its more recent images that possibly indicate changes to some characters’ origin stories, The Umbrella Academy gave fans a first look at new footage when revealing the show’s premiere date, but we’re still waiting for a full-blown trailer to make its way into our timeline, with or without the tentacles at the ready. I’m also already waiting for the the Funko Pop! version of Christopher Hargreeves, the telekinetic cube that makes up the most…telekinetic cube…member of the Sparrow Academy. Be there, or be square, amirite?

Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy will be readily available for those with a Netflix subscription on Wednesday, June 22. 

When The Umbrella Academy Season 3 finally debuts on Netflix in June, it will mark nearly two full years since Season 2 upended the Hargreeves siblings’ reality by introducing another group of Hargreeves siblings, along with Colm Feore’s still-breathing father figure, within its alt-timeline. These new characters will make up the Sparrow Academy, which is yet to be fully explored in Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s comic book series, and Netflix has been using the group divide to promote the upcoming episodes. But the third season’s newest batch of posters is wholly focused on the O.G. Academy members, and it appears as if some big changes are being made for the live-action series that could change up some important elements from the source material. 

Before we talk out the potential switch-ups, everyone should take a look at all the new posters thanks to the Instagram post below.

In and of themselves, the new posters aren’t particularly complicated, as each features a character holding a suitcase, indicating even more travel plans will be set (and presumably thwarted by time-travel snafus) for Season 3. Interesting to note here is that Ritu Arya’s Lila seems to be an official part of the Umbrella Academy going forward. She’s taking the vacant slot that was formerly held by Justin H. Min’s Ben, whose death in the main timeline was reversed by the group messing about in Dallas during the early 1960s. So by all means, Lila’s continued existence technically serves as a difference from the comic book, but it’s not one that’ll be highlighted below.

The Umbrella Academy’s Hotel Oblivion Is Now…Hotel Obsidian?

The third six-issue arc of the Umbrella Academy comic series, which took nearly a decade to come together following the second arc’s publication, was dubbed Hotel Oblivion. The titular establishment definitely wasn’t a resort or anything quite so positive, but rather a mega-prison located in the middle of nowhere within an alternate dimension, with its purpose being to provide a justice-skewing purgatory-esque “home” for the world’s most dangerous criminals. Its name, in part, comes from its far-flung and solitary location, so it’s quite intriguing that these new posters reveal its name has apparently been changed to “The Hotel Obsidian.”

Nearly all of the characters’ suitcases feature a sticker referencing The Hotel Obsidian, with Aidan Gallagher’s Number Five as the lone holdout. (It could be presumed that the Hotel sticker could be on the front of his luggage, as we’re only seeing the side, but that seems like a weird choice.) It’s perhaps also worth noting that not everyone’s stickers actually say “The Hotel Obsidian,” with only Lila, David Castañeda’s Diego and Elliot Page’s Viktor rocking the full name on their cases. And the “O” that Emmy Raver-Lampman’s Allison has on hers could feasibly stand for something else, including the number 6, although probably not. 

Considering “Hotel Oblivion” presumably doesn’t require any special licensing issues outside of the Netflix series and comic book arc, the main question here is why the name changed in the first place. I can’t immediately think of why Obsidian would be so much better a moniker for the massive prison that changes would need to be made. Perhaps showrunner Steve Blackman set the prison inside a giant dormant volcano or something that’ll give the hotel a more literal meaning. Or maybe the point here is that The Hotel Obsidian is really just the alt-timeline’s version of the “real” world’s correctional facility, similar to the Sparrows themselves.

I also don’t think anyone would need any kind of luggage sticker or passport stamp to reach a prison that’s located in the vastness of nowhere, but that’s probably not the point. Though I do also wonder if there is any significance to the specific designs of the Hotel Obsidian stickers.

Luther And Number Five Apparently Aren’t Twins In The TV Series

Each of the characters’ suitcases also boast location-based stickers that aren’t related to the Hotel Obsidian, so it only makes sense that they would also be clues about what’s to come in Season 3. The comic series’ third arc starts off with the Hargreeves offspring still suffering from the ramifications of their Dallas shenanigans, with Luther off in Tokyo and Allison in Wisconsin, among others. Those particular sites aren’t noted in the new posters, but it does appear as if the various characters will be taking trips in the live-action adaptation, and the easiest theory to form is that the stickers reveal where each of the characters was born on that fateful October 1, 1989.

And if that’s the case, then the fact that Luthor’s Stockholm, Sweden sticker differs from Number Five’s Dublin, Ireland sticker is probably as clear a sign as any that the TV series won’t be introducing the comic twist that those two characters were actually twins. As it was stated in the source material, only one mother gave birth to twins, with Reginald Hargreeves snatching up both of them for his Umbrella Academy.

That’s obviously not a guarantee of anything, since nearly the entirety of Season 3 is still up in the air, plot-wise. Similar to the Hotel Obsidian sitch, it’s entirely possible that the group’s 1963 timeline changes led to its members’ births playing out differently, meaning perhaps Luthor and Five actually are twins in the prime timeline, but without audiences learning about that yet in the context of the live-action series. 

Or, again, those particular stickers may not mean birthplaces, and could be just as enigmatic as other details, such as Five and Lila being the only ones whose suitcases feature Paradox Protocols. Or why he’s the only one with a sideways case with a skewed umbrella sticker. Or why some of them are holding their luggage and some are sitting with it. Or what it means that not everyone is looking directly into the camera. Also, while Lila’s Berlin sticker likely somehow ties into the Berlin Wall set that was built for Season 3, Season 2 made it appear as if she was born in London. Remember when I said these posters weren’t complicated?

For now, speculation can run wild, as The Umbrella Academy Season 3 is set to introduce a slew of new characters — including one portrayed by Euphoria’s Javon Walton — to everyone with a Netflix subscription on Wednesday, June 22. 

While Netflix subscribers don’t always have the safety and comfort of knowing that their favorite shows are destined for future seasons — R.I.P. Archive 81 — fans of The Umbrella Academy have long known that a game-changing third season was on the way. We were already anticipating the alt-timeline in Season 3 introducing a new group of Hargreeves siblings dubbed the Sparrow Academy, but it appears as if there will be a big character change taking place for someone with the O.G. Umbrella squad, as revealed by star Elliot Page.

To be expected, that change is coming to Elliot Page’s character, and although the exact details aren’t smoothed out just yet, one could make the assumption that The Umbrella Academy’s narrative for Vanya will be reflective of Page’s transition journey off-screen. Check out his Twitter post below!

That’s right, Viktor Hargreeves has now joined the party, or reclaimed his particular role within the party, as it were. Since the first look at The Umbrella Academy Season 3 was essentially an immediate follow-up to the final scene of Season 2’s bonkers finale, Elliot Page’s Number Seven didn’t look any different in that preview. But it’s clear that some major switch-ups will occur for the apocalyptic violinist, assuming of course that Viktor is a transitioned Vanya and not a completely different character whose existence was manifested by the timeline changes in Dallas. 

That appears to be Emmy Raver-Lampman's Allison next to Viktor, though, so if Elliot Page's character is indeed someone new, he apparently doesn't waste time before getting to know the other Hargreeves. Unless that Allison — assuming it IS Allison, or even a woman to begin with — is also a new timeline artifact created by the Umbrella Academy's botched efforts in trying to stop JFK's assassination. But since this show already has enough conspiratorial plotlines and alien secrets in its sleeves, there's probably no reason to tack on additional suspicions.

As I’m sure most Umbrella Academy fans are well aware, Viktor Hargreeves’ arrival in Season 3 is a testament to Elliot Page coming out as a trans male in late 2020, which obviously played into the Netflix series’ production thereafter. Nothing had been announced regarding any changes to Number Seven’s on-screen persona, and while fans obviously hoped the series would reflect Page’s life respectfully, it wasn’t exactly a sure thing. Now, the actor’s fans at least know that it’ll be addressed in upcoming episodes, even if we don’t know the full capacity. 

Interestingly, the main villainous threat in Season 3 is presumed to be Sissy’s son Harlan Cooper, who was revealed in Season 2’s finale to still have some of Number Seven’s powers as a result of his resurrection. It’s suspected that his powers will grow to the point where he becomes a doomsday device unto himself, though which Academy team will be the one to step up and stop him, it’s unclear. But while it’s possible Elliot Page’s character opted for a different look and persona as a way to hide from Harlan, let’s hope the change is more meaningful than that. 

Thankfully, we won’t have to wait for years in the past due to Five’s junky coordinating in order to see The Umbrella Academy Season 3, as it will debut for Netflix subscribers on Wednesday, June 22. But since there is still time to go between now and Viktor Hargreeves’ arrival, check out some of Netflix’s best shows that you can stream right now!

Back in the summer of 2020, as our real world timeline was wholly invested in coming to grips with a global pandemic, the core members of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy had their own timeline issues, to put it extremely lightly. Season 2 capped off with the team’s 1963 adventure having gone completely awry, and they returned to the present to find that not only was their father Reginald Hargreeves alive again, but also that he formed a completely (almost) different squad dubbed The Sparrow Academy. Now, we finally know when that cliffhanger will be explained, as Netflix unveiled new footage at SXSW and announced The Umbrella Academy Season 3 will premiere in June!

To be more specific, The Umbrella Academy’s Hargreeves kids will initially face off against their new Sparrow Academy rivals when Season 3 debuts on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. It’s an interesting choice for a date, since Netflix still tends to give its marquee releases a weekend bow, but that just means the most fanatical viewers will already be rewatching the new episodes by the time Saturday and Sunday come around. 

Our Newest (And Cubest) Look At Umbrella Academy Season 3

To be inferred by both the video teaser below and new image above, Netflix and The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman are clearly keeping things close to the vest when it comes to giving fans too much too soon. 

Everything seems to have come directly from the Season 3 premiere, focusing on the immediate aftermath of the Umbrella siblings first coming face to face with the Sparrow siblings. Although that terminology might not be completely correct, seeing as how one member of the new squad, Christopher Hargreeves, doesn’t so much have a “face” as he has six flat sides of equal size and shape.

Because Christopher is actually a psykronium cube with extremely dangerous telekinetic powers. And I cannot wait to see how this character’s evolution, as it were, plays out in the Umbrella Academy’s quirky universe. We still don’t have much to go on as far as what to expect from the cube in action, but at least the teaser provides a close-up that we didn’t get in the Season 2 finale.

You might not think such a mild-mannered and normal-looking cube would be capable of paralyzing others with fear, but that’s definitely in this guy’s bag of tricks. Not that he needs an actual bag, or the hands to hold it. His existence might be that much stranger had The Umbrella Academy not also fully confirmed in the same episode that Reginald is actually an extra-terrestrial being. Once you have an alien whose closest companions were a brilliant talking chimp and a robot version of an ex-girlfriend, a fear-inducing cube is less of a sideshow attraction.

The Umbrella Academy’s Season 3 Synopsis

Adding to the mystery of the new season is the fact that while the Sparrow Academy itself was previously introduced in the Hotel Oblivion arc of Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comic book series, they won’t be explored in full until the fourth volume, which still doesn’t have a release window locked down. As such, we don’t know much about Justin Cornwell’s No. 1, Marcus, or what to expect from Justin H. Min’s alt-version of Ben, or how things will play out between the two sibling groups. But the newly unveiled Season 3 synopsis provides some insights while addressing some of the same questions we’ve been asking. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, everything starts off with a violent clash, even though one has to assume the O.G. Hargreeves are exhausted from disrupting the time stream in Dallas. And then it sounds like the group will have to fend off another potential apocalypse scenario due to that mysterious and destructive entity. (I think we can safely assume this will end up being a grown-up Harlan, who gained telekinetic powers after being saved by Vanya.) But how will the show go about correcting the team’s past wrongs? It does seem like the show is already willing to subvert the idea of once again going back in time to fix the past, since they’ve already botched things in that respect. 

So will there be some other kind of universe reset possible, due to one of the Sparrow Academy members’ powers? Or, as that last line in the synopsis implies, is it possible there are no revisions possible here, and that this will be a permanent new reality for everyone? And will Klaus accept that turnout without loads of complaining and protest? Pffft, yeah right.

The Umbrella Academy will finally return to Netflix for Season 3 on Wednesday, June 22, so be sure to catch back up on the first two seasons, which are currently streaming for those with a streaming subscription. While waiting, check out other shows that Umbrella Academy fans would enjoy, and head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see all the other new and returning shows that are on the way.

Some spoilers below for Euphoria's Season 2 finale, so be warned if you haven't yet watched!

The super-powered and sci-fi alt-universe of Netflix's The Umbrella Academy just got a little bigger. After the critical and viewership successes earned by Season 2, the hit comic book adaptation has added a Euphoria star to the mix - and if their Twitter reactions are any indication, it’s going to be a rip-roaring good time. 

Javon “Wanna” Walton is making the jump from the glitter-fueled world of Euphoria — which also had a huge second season — to a decidedly more fantastical setting. After starring on Zendaya’s Emmy-winning HBO series as the fan-favorite Ashtray, the fifteen-year-old actor has officially joined the cast of The Umbrella Academy for its impending third season on Netflix. And he sounds ready enough, though more exclamation points couldn't have hurt. Check out his reaction below: 

Let’s go, indeed! Javon Walton provided a healthy dose of comic relief to the melodrama of Euphoria, at least for a while, and it will be fun to see how the actor's sense of comedic timing translates to the wacky world of The Umbrella Academy. The show shared a sweet message on Twitter to congratulate him: 

• welcome to the brellyverse @onwardwanna 🖤

The last few years have been a little rough, to say the least, both in the real world and in the timeline-twisted world of the Hargreeves family, and it seems like Javon Walton’s casting is providing a much-needed light in the dark. Fans had no trouble getting on board, but the Umbrella Academy Twitter account really went above and beyond, definitely putting forth some Sparrow Academy vibes in saying: 

They were so excited, they appeared to have completely revamped their online presence. The Umbrella Academy Twitter? I don’t know her. This is now a space for Javon Walton stans only: 

The Umbrella Academy Twitter account’s subdued-on-brand reaction is far from unwarranted. Javon Walton’s Ashtray was huge with viewers on Euphoria, and fans were devastated when the Season 2 finale found him staring down the wrong end of a sniper rifle. News of his character’s death quickly made the rounds on social media, with #RIPAshtray trending for a full day after the episode aired. 

While there’s no word on whether or not Javon Walton will return for Season 3 of Euphoria in any way, his stint on The Umbrella Academy is sure to please. The season 2 finale found the Hargreeves siblings face-to-face with the Sparrow Academy, a skewed version of the Umbrella Academy that was inadvertently spawned when our heroes created an alternate timeline. The Umbrella Academy vet Justin H. Min will play a new and more antagonistic version of his character Ben, while other new cast members will portray the new ‘students.’ Javon Walton’s role is being kept under wraps, so we’ll just have to wait for Season 3 to find out whether or not Ashtray’s face tattoos will live on. 

You can stream the first two seasons of The Umbrella Academy now with your Netflix subscription. There’s no set release date yet, but Season 3 is scheduled to drop on the streaming service sometime this year. In the meantime, check out these other exciting TV releases to tide you over until the Hargreeves siblings return to the small screen. 

In 2019, The Umbrella Academy stormed onto the Netflix scene. Since its release, it’s been one of Netflix’s biggest hits. The second season of The Umbrella Academy not only proved that the TV series would remain popular but it could cleverly expand on Gerard Way and  Gabriel Bá’s graphic novels. The Umbrella Academy ended its second season on a major cliffhanger that left fans anxious to know what happens next. It may be nearly two years since we last checked in with the Hargreeves siblings, but hopefully, it’s worth the wait. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait another year for The Umbrella Academy Season 3 to stream on Netflix.  

While details about the upcoming season of Netflix’s hit TV show are scarce, enough is known to make us very excited to watch the next chapter in The Umbrella Academy. Let’s take a look at what we know so far about The Umbrella Academy Season 3. 

Warning: The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Spoilers Ahead. Proceed With Caution. 

Netflix Plans To Release The Umbrella Academy Season 3 In 2022

Netflix has yet to disclose an official release date for The Umbrella Academy Season 3 but we do know that it will premiere in 2022. The first season of The Umbrella Academy premiered on February 15, 2019. Netflix released The Umbrella Academy Season 2 on July 31, 2020. If this pattern continues, The Umbrella Academy could premiere anywhere between February and August 2022. 

It’s unlikely that The Umbrella Academy premieres in January or February 2022 because many of the January and February Netflix TV premiere dates have been announced. The earliest The Umbrella Academy fans might be able to expect the third season is March 2022. I suspect, however, that Netflix will wait to launch the new season until early Spring or early summer of 2022, but we'll have to wait and see. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 began filming in February 2021 and appeared to be wrapping up filming in August 2021. Therefore, The Umbrella Academy Season 3 production team should have plenty of time to edit and perform any reshoots if Netflix plans to release the new season in the first six months of 2022. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Has 10 Episodes

When Netflix announced the renewal of The Umbrella Academy for Season 3, they mentioned that the new season would have 10 hourlong episodes. The other previous seasons of The Umbrella Academy had 10 episodes, so Season 3 continues the pattern. 

Ten episodes should be enough to get everyone back addicted to The Umbrella Academy, and then get them to have immediate regret from binge-watching all ten episodes in one or two days. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Episode Titles Have Been Released

Netflix took it a step further by disclosing the titles of each of the 10 episodes. The Umbrella Academy Season 3 episode titles are as followed:

During the Netflix fan event, GEEKED WEEK, The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman discussed the episode titles a little more. He mentioned that The Umbrella Academy Season 3, Episode 4, “Kugelblitz” is a real word, but he refused to explain the meaning of the word. According to Space.com, Kugleblitz has something to do with black holes, so that seems on-brand for The Umbrella Academy. 

Blackman also mentioned that superfans of The Umbrella Academy graphic novels would recognize and be excited about an episode being titled “Marigold.” Project Runway fans would recognize the phrase “Auf Wiedersehen” as German for goodbye. Blackman also noted that The Umbrella Academy Season 3, Episode 8 “Wedding at the End of the World” will “be a big one.” The final episode title for The Umbrella Academy Season 3 being “Oblivion'' is a huge nod to what fans should expect in the upcoming season. Many of The Umbrella Academy Season 3 titles are very intriguing, which makes me even more excited to see where this season takes viewers. 

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Introduces The Sparrow Academy

The Umbrella Academy Season 2 ended with a tease about The Sparrow Academy. The audience witnessed the Hargreeves’ siblings returning to 2019 only to discover a world where The Umbrella Academy doesn’t exist. Instead, it’s all about The Sparrow Academy, which includes their formerly dead sibling Ben (Justin H. Min). This means there will be six new characters to replace the former six siblings. The Umbrella Academy Season 3 cast has a few familiar faces and voices playing unfamiliar characters. 

Justin Cornwell plays Marcus, Britne Oldford plays Fei, Jake Epstein plays Alphonso, Genesis Rodriguez plays Sloane, Cazzie David plays Jayme, and the final sibling will be a cube named Christopher. Many of The Sparrow Academy characters’ descriptions kind of foreshadow which characters may become enemies or friends because they sort of mirror The Umbrella Academy characters. 

Elliot Page And The Rest Of The Umbrella Academy Main Characters Return

Vanya (Elliot Page), Luther (Tom Hooper), Five (Aidan Gallagher), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Diego (David Castaneda), and of course Ben, will all be back for The Umbrella Academy Season 3. Sir Reginald (Colm Feore) will also likely have a bigger role in The Umbrella Academy Season 3, and Lila (Ritu Arya) will also return in The Umbrella Academy Season 3.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Explores Hotel Oblivion Storylines

The first two seasons of The Umbrella Academy contain storylines from the first two volumes of The Umbrella Academy graphic novels. Therefore, it makes sense that The Umbrella Academy Season 3 uses some storylines from the third volume of the graphic novels. However, the early introduction of The Sparrow Academy, which is supposed to be addressed more in a yet-to-be-released The Umbrella Academy volume 4, makes it appear that Blackman and team are not following the Hotel Oblivion storyline exactly like in the graphic novels. 

When Cinemablend interviewed Steve Blackman in 2020, he had this to say when asked about the Sparrow Academy and Hotel Oblivion diverging storyline.

As cryptic as Blackman was about the upcoming season, with The Umbrella Academy Season 3, Episode 10 being titled “Oblivion,” the Season 3 finale will at least be related to the Hotel Oblivion story-arc in some way. 

The Umbrella Academy Showrunner Teased “Growth” For The Hargreeves 

During the GEEKED WEEK presentation with Steve Blackman, he was asked to tease a little about the upcoming season. He mentioned that the emotional foundation of the family gets built even more in The Umbrella Academy Season 3. He also said that there are some big surprises with the family and some major changes. Blackman concluded his season 3 teaser by saying this:

Every season, the Hargreeves siblings seem to overcome some trauma by working it out together, so I’m excited to see this continue in The Umbrella Academy Season 3. 

We’ll be greatly monitoring Netflix for any The Umbrella Academy Season 3 release date announcements, and updating our winter and spring 2022 TV schedule for all upcoming TV releases. Hopefully, we’ll all be able to meet the new Hargreeves siblings and reunite with the original ones soon. 

Depending on how you look at it, it's either been just over twelve months or more than 50 years since The Umbrella Academy's core squad tried to reverse JFK's assassination in Season 2. Given all things COVID-related, the long wait for Season 3 was somewhat expected, but news about the upcoming season has been sporadic at best. Thankfully, star Elliot Page dropped a pretty major update that could indicate when we might see new episodes. And it looks like co-star David Castañeda has signed on for a new streaming TV show, so what does that mean?

Elliot Page's Umbrella Academy Season 3 Update

For everyone who can't wait to get back into wacky adventures with both the old school Hargreeves squad and the finale-revealed Team Sparrow Academy and all of those cast additions, take some comfort in knowing that Season 3 is quite possibly on the cusp of wrapping up the filming stages of the production. Here's what Elliot Page had to say, which admittedly isn't overflowing by way of details:

C'mon, Elliot! At least give us a cap logo or some T-shirt imagery that probably doesn't have anything to do with The Umbrella Academy's third season, but can still be used as mindless speculation! This is all we have to survive on in these desperate times! Okay, so maybe it's not quite that dire just yet, since there's no lack of superhero action both on the small screen and in theaters.

Of course, it's entirely possible that just because Elliot Page will soon be finished with his time filming The Umbrella Academy Season 3, that doesn't mean every other cast member will also be done when Page will. There might be a particularly complicated scene being saved for last that doesn't involve Vanya. Or perhaps Page's character doesn't make it to the end of the season alive. Which, by all means, is the same kind of fate that could explain this next bit.

David Castañeda Has Joined Another TV Show

While David Castañeda hasn't offered fans any updates about Season 3 in the immediate past, the actor did find himself another starring role on a heightened streaming drama. In this case, we're talking about Emmy-nominated short-form thriller The Most Dangerous Game, which was formerly a Quibi original series before the company folded and sold its IP to Roku. The Most Dangerous Game joins the previously renewed Reno 911 and Die Hart within Roku's now-growing lineup of exclusive content, with Castañeda joining Season 1 co-star Christoph Waltz in a lead role, with Liam Hemsworth having starred in the prior season.

Like the story its name is derived from, The Most Dangerous Game features Christoph Waltz's dubious Miles Sellers giving someone a chance to secure riches if they're able to survive a day of being hunted down. According to Roku's announcement, Season 2 will feature David Castañeda as a hard-luck fighter named Victor Suero, whose brotherly instincts kick in hardcore when he finds out his sister is in trouble. As one probably guessed, Victor will be the one agreeing to Miles' cold-blooded offer, although one can probably also assume that creator Nick Santora will find ways to subvert expectations to keep things interesting in Season 2. The first change viewers can expect is for the action to shift from Detroit to New York City.

It's unclear at this point whether Roku will keep The Most Dangerous Game as a short-form series, or the company plans to expand the episodic runtimes for Season 2. Considering David Castañeda is a busy actor on the film side of things as well as the streaming TV side, Umbrella Academy fans should start hoping for the shortest season possible, at least for the sake of Diego Hargreeves' chances of surviving to Season 4 and beyond.

Will we get to see The Umbrella Academy Season 3 by Spring 2022? Will Elliot Page and David Castañeda's characters survive the introduction of the Sparrow Academy? Will Colm Feore's extraterrestrial Reginald Hargreeves ever remember his alt-timeline children? As it went with Season 2, we'll just have to give it some time before we find out. In the meanTIME, check out all the awesome 2021 Fall TV shows popping up in the coming months.

When The Umbrella Academy returns to Netflix on June 22 for Season 3, audiences will finally get to know the new Sparrow Academy, first introduced (in live-action) in that time-bending twist that closed out the Season 2 finale. Fans can hardly wait to see what the gobsmacked Hargreeves super-siblings have in store for the newly introduced super-siblings after altering reality while stuck in the 1960s. In the new timeline, Colm Feore's Reginald Hargreeves is still alive, and his new Sparrow squad is headed up by Justin H. Min's also-still-alive Ben, whose Sparrow #2 is completely different than the ghostly one fans came to know in the first two seasons.

The incredibly popular comic book series will still feature its Season 2 regulars, including Elliot Page, Aidan Gallagher, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castañeda, Robert Sheehan, and Ritu Arya, along with the aforementioned Colm Feore. But for The Umbrella Academy's third season, a host of new actors will join the newly turned Justin H. Min as part of The Sparrow Academy, and of course a telekinetic cube named Christopher is involved. So now that the wait is almost over for fans to see what those Season 3 teasers were all about, let's take a look the actors who will be joining The Umbrella Academy's already stacked cast when it returns.

Justin Cornwell (Marcus)

As the confident and calculated leader of the altered siblings, Marcus will be portrayed by Justin Cornwell, who is arguably best known at this point for the Netflix movie Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Cornwell also starred opposite Bill Paxton in the CBS drama Training Day, as also starred on NBC's The InBetween. Also boasting guest appearances on Chicago PD and Empire, Cornwell got his start in the theater, and It'll be fun to watch him bring that stage presence to the role of the (reportedly) charming Sparrow #1.

Britne Oldford (Fei)

The smart-but-lonely Fei (Sparrow #3) will be played by Britne Oldford, who is no stranger to sci-fi twists. She was abducted by aliens as Alma Walker on American Horror Story: Asylum, and was later inducted into not-quite-a-cult on Hulu's The Path. Oldford brought her villainous side to the Arrowverse as Shawna "Peek-a-Boo" Baez on The Flash, and also factored into the main cast of the perplexing Pretty Little Liars spinoff Ravenswood and the Syfy series Hunters. More recently, Oldford played MI6 agent Claudia Murphy on NBC's Blindspot.

Jake Epstein (Alphonso)

On both the stage or screen, Jake Epstein has gravitated toward characters with internal struggles, and that seems to also be true for his role as Alphonso on The Umbrella Academy. Sparrow #4's battle scars fuel his dark sense of humor, which fits nicely with Epstein's range of work. Epstein started acting as a teenager, notably for the role of Craig Manning on Degrassi: The New Generation, and made his Broadway debut in 2012 with Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Less than a year after leaving that troubled production, Epstein landed Broadway's Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. More recently, Epstein played Brian Altman on Suits and computer whiz Chuck Russink on Designated Survivor.

Genesis Rodriguez (Sloane)

Genesis Rodriguez, known for voicing Honey Lemon in Marvel and Disney's superhero flick Big Hero 6, will take her superhero talents to live-action as Sloane on The Umbrella Academy in Season 3. Beyond reprising her role on Big Hero 6: The Series, Rodriguez also leant her voice to Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power as Perfuma. Getting her start on Telemundo's telenovelas, Rodriguez is at home in the dramatic setting. She starred in the 2020 chiller Centigrade and starred opposite Paul Walker in 2013's Hours. Sparrow #5 is described as a dreamer with a higher calling, and Rodriguez will likely take her character and viewers to lofty places.

Cazzie David (Jayme)

Cazzie David doesn't yet have a host of acting credits to her name, beyond a guest appearance on Miley Cyrus' show Hannah Montana in 2007, which I definitely count in full. Maybe that mystique will mirror her portrayal of Sparrow #6 Jayme on The Umbrella Academy, who is described as a quick-thinking loner (and for good reason). The daughter of Larry David, the famed creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Cazzie starred in the mini-series Eighty-Sixed, which she wrote and directed. Her book of essays Nobody Asked For This was published in 2020 and is a New York Times Best Seller. I'm excited to see the ferocity Cazzie David brings to the Sparrow Academy dynamic.

Sparrow #7 rounds out the new group of Season 3 characters. The origin of Christopher, a telekinetic cube, is unknown, so we'll just have to wait until June 22 to learn what that's all about. 

In the meantime, you can get caught up on (or rewatch) the first two seasons of The Umbrella Academy, which are both available to Netflix subscribers. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon to television and streaming, and find your next binge by looking at the best shows on Netflix. 

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There is no way to get around it, there are an insane number of great Netflix TV shows, with something for literally everyone (at least everyone who loves critically acclaimed series from a myriad of genres). Keeping track of them all, however, is a task that is easier said than done.

From entertaining and enchanting sci-fi adventure stories like Stranger Things, to hilarious and disturbing dark comedies like Dead to Me, the library of originals keeps growing by the year, so much so that sometimes we find ourselves forgetting about all the awesome movies on Netflix, which, as we should remember, was what brought us all to the streamer way back when. But, before we get too sidetracked, let’s break down the best original Netflix shows. There’s a lot, so buckle up…

Stranger Things (2016 - Present)

Whether you’re obsessed with all things ‘80s (the culture, the style, Dungeons & Dragons), a longtime horror-hound, or simply someone who loves superbly written television, Stranger Things is right for you. As we look toward the show’s highly anticipated return with Stranger Things Season 4, now is the perfect time to go back and see how it all started for Eleven, Hopper (and how he ended up in Russia), and the rest of the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, and all their adventures.

Stream Stranger Things on Netflix.

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

The 2020 limited series The Queen’s Gambit is hands down one of the best shows, not only on Netflix, but anywhere to come out in the past few years. From Beth Harmon’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) days learning to play chess in the basement of an orphanage to becoming the top player in the world by the show’s fulfilling ending, there isn’t a dull moment. Hell, you don’t even have to love the game of chess (or know anything about it) to get wrapped up in this binge-worthy drama.

Stream The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.

The Crown (2016 - Present)

There is a reason (multiple reasons, actually) why The Crown is one of the best shows on television right now, but for the sake of brevity we’ll only dive into a couple of them here. First, the cast (which has taken home acting awards in each of its four seasons), no matter who’s playing whom, has been amazing from the beginning and only continues to get better with each iteration of the royal family. Then you have Peter Morgan’s attention to detail and dedication to treating his subjects with respect but also not holding back his portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II and the world around her. Add those together with the music and the show’s ability to make the audience care about every single character and you have a recipe for greatness.

Stream The Crown on Netflix.

Bridgerton (2020 - Present)

There are still plenty of questions after the whirlwind that was the first season of Bridgerton, but the scandalous Netflix period drama, with its fair share of sex, drama, and sexy drama did breathe new life into the genre upon its release in late 2020. With its outstanding ensemble cast that is as talented as it is diverse, the incorporation of modern songs into England’s Regency era, and all those fanciful costumes, there are plenty of reasons why Bridgerton grabbed a hold of its audience and never let go.

Stream Bridgerton on Netflix.

Mindhunter (2017 - 2019?)

Who knows if we’ll ever get to see Mindhunter Season 3, but let’s not dwell on things like that right now. Instead, let’s look back on the two amazing seasons David Fincher gave us in his drama about the formation of the FBI’s criminal psychology department led by Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), and Wendy Carr (Anna Torv). From engaging personal dramas involving the central cast to all those great interviews with the likes of Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) to the dramatization of the Atlanta Child Murders, this show has (had?) it all.

Stream Mindhunter on Netflix.

Ozark (2017 - Present)

The Netflix family crime drama Ozark is one of the TV shows ending in 2021, with its fourth and final season being split up into two parts. This just means you have a little more time to rewatch the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series or start it for the first time before the final chapter. Anchored by a cast that includes Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner as people embroiled in criminal enterprises, Ozark is dark, twisted, and no surprise here, a rather enjoyable experience.

Stream Ozark on Netflix.

Dear White People (2017 - Present)

Anytime an Ivy League university claims to be “post-racial,” you know it is going to be anything but, and the characters in Dear White People, the long-running Netflix dramedy know that all too well. Based on the 2014 film of the same name, the show doesn’t hold back in its handling of issues such as race, class, and social justice in this gripping and biting critique of the modern educational system. With enough humor to balance out some of the more dramatic elements, Dear White People will have you on an emotional roller coaster throughout.

Stream Dear White People on Netflix.

Russian Doll (2019 - Present)

We’re currently living in the golden age of time loop stories, and the Netflix series Russian Doll is proof of that. The show follows Nadia (Natasha Lyonne, who also co-created the show with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler), a woman who keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday party as she attempts to make sense of the madness around her. With clever writing, direction, and performances from its central cast, Russian Doll sinks its teeth into its premise from the first scene and doesn’t let go until the season finale. Don’t worry, there’s more on the way.

Stream Russian Doll on Netflix.

The Umbrella Academy (2019 - Present)

Fans of quirky superhero adventure stories will surely love The Umbrella Academy, the Netflix original series about a group of estranged siblings with some truly amazing powers who are brought together by their father’s death and end up banding together to save the world. There is already a great deal of speculation surrounding Season 3, so why not go back and start it again so you’re more than ready when The Umbrella Academy makes its eventual return.

Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

GLOW (2017 - 2019)

One of the Netflix cancellations fans were most upset to see go, GLOW was truly something special. One part history lesson about one of the most notorious promotions in the ‘80s and one part drama about a struggling actress finding a place for herself in the world, the wrestling-based Netflix comedy was a slobberknocker of a good time. The wrestling, writing, acting, and general feel of the show were all top notch, and it’s a bummer that we’ll never get a proper conclusion for the glorious ladies of wrestling.

Stream GLOW on Netflix.

Dead To Me (2019 - Present)

Dead to Me Season 3 will the end of the road for this dark comedy about two California women with one hell of a way of bonding, but at least Liz Feldman’s series starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini will be going out on its own terms. Over the course of the show’s first two seasons, we watched as Jen Harding (Applegate) and Judy Hale (Cardellini) met in a grief support group and form a rather unique bond, considering their situations. Cleverly written and brilliantly acted, this refreshing take on the grieving process is shockingly fun to watch.

Stream Dead To Me on Netflix.

Daredevil (2015 - 2018)

Long before Disney+ came around and starting launching a slew of Marvel TV shows, Netflix produced several series centering on some of the comic book publisher’s more grounded characters. The first of the bunch, Daredevil, landed in 2015 and brought a level of grit and believability to the genre and introduced its fair share of memorable characters (and spinoffs) along the way. Even though the show was cancelled after only three seasons, it’s still one of the best superhero options on Netflix.

Stream Daredevil on Netflix.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017 - 2019)

Zombie shows typically focus more on the horror elements than any humor, but Santa Clarita Diet isn’t your traditional show about the undead; hell, it’s not even a traditional comedy. Despite that, the horror-comedy starring Drew Barrymore as a suburban real estate agent with an appetite for human flesh and Timothy Olyphant as her husband stuck in the middle of the whole mess, was one of the most clever spins on the genre during it’s three-season run on Netflix.

Stream Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix.

Lupin (2021 - Present)

There have been countless adaptations of the classic French thief Arsène Lupin over the years, but the most recent take, Lupin, is honestly one of the best and most inventive of the bunch. Set in modern-day France, the Netflix crime thriller follows Assane Diop (Omar Sy), a man on a mission to get back at a wealthy and well-established family for an injustice they inflicted against his father. With more adventures on the way, now’s the perfect time to check out the first five chapters of the remarkable title.

Stream Lupin on Netflix.

Unbelievable (2019)

Based on the real-life story of a sexual assault victim and the local authorities who didn’t buy her story, 2019’s Unbelievable is a riveting, if not maddening, drama following a young woman in her darkest moments. One of the best true crime series streaming on Netflix, Unbelievable is a truly remarkable piece of television and should be revisited for its lessons just as much, if not more than the drama that unfolds over the course of its narrative.

Stream Unbelievable on Netflix.

Master Of None (2015 - Present)

One of the best shows you can binge over a single weekend, Master of None is honestly one of the best titles on Netflix. Created by star Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, the show’s two seasons (with more on the way) make for some of the best television in recent memory, including the iconic episode “Thanksgiving” which earned Ansari and co-writer/co-star Lena Waithe a Primetime Emmy in 2017. Seriously, go back and watch that Season 2 barn burner of an episode.

Stream Master Of None on Netflix.

Black Mirror (2011 - 2019)

Being one of the few shows to be praised by Stephen King should be enough to sell anyone on Black Mirror, but some could use more convincing. The long-running anthology horror/sci-fi series literally has something for everyone. From episodes that play out like unused Twilight Zone episodes to those that seem like twisted versions of Star Trek, each installment is amazing in its own, unique way. The show also served as a launching pad for some of today’s biggest stars.

Stream Black Mirror on Netflix.

The Narcos Franchise (2015 - Present)

The gritty crime dramas Narcos and Narcos: Mexico are sprawling shows set in Colombia and Mexico, respectively, and follow some of television and history’s most notorious drug-lords. Fans of series like Breaking Bad and movies like Sicario will feel right at home with the franchise’s unapologetic approach to the subject matter.

Stream Narcos on Netflix.

Stream Narcos: Mexico on Netflix.

The Haunting Franchise (2018 - 2020)

Mike Flanagan has been making a strong case for being one of the greatest horror minds of all time with Doctor Sleep and his two Netflix supernatural stories The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Both of these two horror shows gave fans of the genre some of the best scares and family drama in recent memory, making everyone more than excited to see where Flanagan’s career goes from here.

Stream The Haunting Of Hill House on Netflix.

Stream The Haunting Of Bly Manor on Netflix

BoJack Horseman (2014 - 2020)

Netflix has had its fair share of hits in the world of adult animation, but few compare to the Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s BoJack Horseman and its story about a humanoid horse (Will Arnett) who, despite being one of the biggest sitcom stars of all time, struggles to find a steady gig and his way in life all these years later. Who would have ever thought a cartoon about a self-loathing horse would be this much fun (or so heavy)?

Stream BoJack Horseman on Netflix.

Easy (2016 - 2020)

Created by writer/director Joe Swanberg, Easy was an anthology series focusing on a diverse cast of characters in and around the greater Chicago area. Over the course of three seasons, the oftentimes hilarious, but always real, show touched on some of life’s most delicate topics and situations, as told by an all-star cast that included everyone from Dave Franco to Aubrey Plaza. Anyone familiar with Swanberg’s previous work (Drinking Buddies, Happy Christmas) knows what to expect here.

Stream Easy on Netflix.

Orange Is The New Black (2013 - 2019)

One of the first big Netflix originals, Orange is the New Black broke a lot of ground for the streaming service and its push for original content upon its release in 2013. Over the years, the dramedy about life in a women’s prison introduced the world to some of TV’s most iconic characters and voices, including Laverne Cox, who stole every scene with her portrayal of Sophia Burset.

Stream Orange Is The New Black on Netflix.

This was just around 20 of the best Netflix original shows you can stream right now and there are plenty more where that came from. With countless other series premiering in 2021, it is only a matter of time before we have make even more additions to this list.

If 2020 taught us anything, it's that it would be awesome to have the power to go back into the past and change things for the better. Of course, if we learned anything from The Umbrella Academy Season 2, it's that going pack into the past to change things is a terrible idea that is destined to blow up in everyone's faces. The season ended with the Hargreeves siblings arriving back in the present, only to realize that their actions in the past resulted in the creation of an alternate group dubbed The Sparrow Academy. Their impact on the show is front and center for star Elliot Page's first shot from the Season 3 set.

Elliot Page, who came out as transgender during the hiatus between seasons, took to Instagram to get fans pumped for the impending arrival of The Umbrella Academy's third (and presumably very popular) season on Netflix, sharing the following post, which coupled its sparrow visual with an excellent callback to one of Season 2's most bizarro musical moments.

Backstreet's back, all right, but soon, the same can be said for Netflix's most dysfunctional bunch of superheroes; or if not heroes, then at least super-powered people who occasionally do heroic things. Certainly, saving the world from an apocalypse is heroic, even if the group doing the saving happens to be responsible for creating that apocalypse in the first place.

But even though Aidan Gallagher's Number Five was able to fend off paradox psychosis and take on his older self, and even though Elliot Page's Vanya seemingly made peace with her situation with Sissy and Harlan (despite their complicated situation still existing in the past), their problems are far from over in the present. After all, if The Umbrella Academy only planned on using the Sparrow characters for a limited time, the show likely wouldn't have ordered up chair backings that specifically refer to the Sparrows' presence in Season 3. Fans will likely see things get pretty complicated between the two groups early on, especially since Colm Feore's not-so-human Reginald Hargreeves is still alive in the revised present.

Comic fans are aware that The Umbrella Academy unveiled the Sparrow members in the third volume of comics, titled Hotel Oblivion, although their origins were not explored on the page just yet, with that likely happening in the fourth volume, which creator Gerard Way revealed will be subtitled Sparrow Academy. Are we going to see more musical fight scenes set to Backstreet Boys tunes whenever Justin Lin's alt-Ben Hargreeves takes over? One can only hope.

Considering this is only Elliot Page's first look from the Season 3 set, fans can be sure to expect a lot more hype is on the way as the Netflix production continues. I'm hoping we get to learn a bit more about the Sparrow Academy's members, even though we know quite a bit already.

Netflix's Umbrella Academy Season 2 ended on a magnificent head-scratcher, as the Hargreeves family returned to the present to learn that their respective actions back to the 1960s had completely altered the timeline. The finale's final moments introduced the mysterious Sparrow Academy, as headed up by Justin H. Min's Ben, who totes didn't die in this version of events. Fans have had major questions about how the show will follow up on that shocker in Season 3, and Netflix has finally delivered some answers in the form of major casting news and Sparrow Academy character breakdowns.

It's already known that The Umbrella Academy will welcome back all of the series regulars from the first two seasons, including Elliot Page, Aidan Gallagher, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castañeda, Robert Sheehan, Ritu Arya, Adam Godley, and Colm Feore. To be expected, Justin H. Min is also returning, but this version of Ben is going to be completely different from the ghostly entity that fans said farewell to in Season 2. Take a peek at the new stars below and keep reading to find out more.

To match some actor names (and character names) to the faces and cubes above, check out the full cast list below.

Let's start off with a few details about this new Ben before discussing the other actors and characters. Justin H. Min's Sparrow Academy iteration will be a "machiavellian tactician," according to Netflix's announcement, and his main goal is to become the leader of the group, in whatever vicious and vigilant way necessary. It sounds like we'll get a bigger hint at the character's inner creature, The Horror, as the character description definitely mentions Ben's "rumbling inner-squid." Yum!

As Marcus, Jingle Jangle's Justin Cornwell will play a Luther-esque character in that he's a big ol' muscular charmer who works hard to keep this timeline-altered family together. He does sound a bit smarter than Luther, though, and he maintains his leadership discipline without ever getting worked up, which is the kind of calmness that will probably work the nerves of the Umbrella Academy members in Season 3.

Hunters' Britne Oldford will also play a pretty genius character, as her Fei is often the smartest person in the room, even if she's often the only person in the room. Fei is something of a hermit, even though she secretly wishes she shared a kinship with someone. But whether she wants it or not, anyone who crosses her path becomes her enemy, and she doesn't seem very focused on forgiving and forgetting.

Suits vet Jake Epstein will likely go through a lot of makeup-chair work as Alphonso, whose body serves as a map of all the fights and battles he's been through. But rather than being jaded by such things, Alphonso rocks a dark sense of humor and is a lover of pizza, beer, and verbally tearing his enemies a new one. He'll probably get along with Klaus like aces.

After years of voicing an animated superhero for the Big Hero 6 franchise, Genesis Rodriquez finally gets to play a superhero in live-action as The Umbrella Academy's Sloane. This character's storyline seems destined for bigger than than Reginald Hargreeves' Academy, as she feels a "higher cosmic calling." However, she is also very hesitant to go against her family in order to live out her big plans, though her big plans may one day become too big to deny.

Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David's daughter Cazzie David, a writer and actress in her own right, will take on the role of the quick-thinking Jayme, another loner within the Sparrows. She's friendly only with Alphonso, in part because she boasts a snarl that sends fear into the hearts of those she feels deserve to hear it, and it's often the last thing they hear.

And finally, we have Christopher, a "telekinetic cube of unknown origin" that's played by...a telekinetic cube, naturally. (A big high-five to Netflix and showrunner Steve Blackman for playing up this casting in such a joyfully surreal way.) To be expected, perhaps, Christopher has many different roles within the group, serving as a consult, an advisor, a mediator, and whatever the word is for a thing that can paralyze someone with fear. While he is a loyal member of the Sparrow Academy, Christopher does not take kindly to those who mess with his siblings.

I don't know about you guys, but I cannot WAIT to see what all of these new characters bring to the narrative table for Season 3, which looks like it'll center on a storyline that won't necessarily involve avoiding global annihilation. At least until they bring up the part about global annihilation. And my money is on Christopher being responsible.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 is set to start filming in Toronto in February, so here's hoping nothing stops that from happening, such as more time travel shenanigans. (Also hoping to see more from Mom and Pogo, because why not?) While waiting to hear more, head to our Winter and Spring TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way soon.

2020 was a crazy year for television as many productions were forced to shut down, halt, or even cut their planned seasons short to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Despite those hiccups, it was still an impressive year for shocking character exits and deaths, with some shows' biggest characters being dropped without warning.

Some of these characters had it coming, and of course, there are others we wished would live on eternally in their fictional universes. In no particular order, this list contains a healthy mixture of both in addition to some entries that were just straight-up baffling to witness. Let's dive in and relive some of the most shocking character exits in 2020. If it wasn't obvious already, major SPOILERS ahead for a variety of different shows airing in 2020.

Oliver Queen/Spectre - Crisis On Infinite Earths

Oliver Queen was technically killed off in 2019, though that first death was something people more or less saw coming. Once Stephen Amell's character was re-introduced as The Spectre, it seemed The CW found a way to keep the actor on retainer for future crossover events should they need him. Then they went and had Spectre obliterate himself to help out Barry. It was something I never expected, and it low-key set the tone for the entire vibe of 2020 way back in January.

Star Trek: Picard - Data

I swear this list isn't going to be me continually pointing out technical deaths because we know Data "died" in Star Trek: Nemesis, but Star Trek: Picard revealed that the mind of the Synth commander was still intact. Data's consciousness remained inside a file that Picard visited with as his consciousness lay in limbo, and granted one final wish to his old friend. Data wanted to die, and while unplugging his consciousness wasn't a truly human way to die, I'm not going to rain on his parade.

Helen Pierce - Ozark

Ozark was in its final moments of Season 3 when it seemed like Helen Pierce was about to become the Byrde family's greatest enemy to date. That moment was quickly stolen by Omar Navarro, who had his top lawyer in the States shot in the head. It was quite a jarring final scene, as well as quite a way to hear 2020's new Run The Jewels single "Ooh La La," for the first time.

The Haunting Of Bly Manor - Hannah

Given The Haunting franchise's tone, it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise to see someone die. What may have been more surprising is the realization that Hannah was dead through most of the series and that she died after a fall headfirst down a well. I half-expected her to survive, but she was definitively dead... if not necessarily gone from Bly.

The Boys - Becca

Becca isn't alive in the source material of The Boys, so one can technically consider all her scenes in the Amazon Prime series as bonus time. Her ride came to an end in Season 2 when Ryan's attempt to save her got a little out of control. Ironically, in trying to prevent Homelander's son from being like him, his inexperience with his powers ended up killing her.

The 100 - Bellamy

Bellamy's death in The 100 was a shock for several reasons. It was a shock that Bellamy was shot by Clarke, of all people, and the move confused fans greatly when it went down. When a showrunner feels prompted to make a statement on the storyline on social media, you know there was real shock that fans were dealing with.

Outlander - Murtagh

If you're someone who read the Outlander books, you knew that Murtagh's number would be up eventually. The television version of the character far outlived his book counterpart but ended up being killed while saving Jamie's life during the Battle of Alamance. Jamie begged Claire to save him, but there's only so much one can do for a bullet wound to the chest even in modern times.

Legacies - Kai

Malachai “Kai” Parker's death was a long time coming, and it finally happened in Legacies in a somewhat shocking way. The shocking bit was that Alaric executed the villain with relative ease and difficulty, and that was that. The death wasn't even really the focal point of the episode, and the end of a character who has been around since The Vampire Diaries should, I would think, be a bit more relevant than the exit ultimately was.

I Am Not Okay With This - Brad

Brad's death in I Am Not Okay With This may be my favorite brutal teen formal death scene, and there's some stiff competition there with Carrie and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Brad's head exploding at the height of his unhinged and taunting rant was some great karma, though I'm not completely sure Sydney felt the same way. Unfortunately, we may never know since Netflix canceled the series, and its prospects of returning to television don't look good at the moment.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Enoch

Enoch's death scene was a rather sad one, so don't rewatch it unless you want to relive his monologue on the lonely feeling of experiencing death. Apparently, that's something that hits you whether you've had a regular human life, or you're a Chronicom that had lived for tens of thousands of years. He gave his life to save his human friends, and ultimately went out a hero.

The Walking Dead - Alpha

There used to be a time when Negan killing someone was considered a terrible thing, but that changed in Season 10 when he put an end to the villain by luring her out to a location and slitting her throat. It was a pretty gross scene, though arguably nothing will ever top Glenn's death in terms of brutality, so I suppose we should be grateful The Walking Dead didn't try to go quite as extreme with Alpha's exit.

Stargirl - Henry Jr.

Henry Jr. was a pretty shocking exit for Stargirl, so much so that there was some measure of doubt that he actually died when it happened. The jury is still out for some, though our own Laura Hurley thinks Season 1 confirmed it happened. The only thing I can say is that no one is necessarily gone forever when it comes to the superhero genre.

Big Sky - Cody

I went back and forth on whether or not it was shocking that Ryan Phillippe's character died in the first episode of the ABC primetime drama, and it was the books Big Sky is based on that ultimately swung me to yes. Cody's fate in the show was death, but considering his character was in the first two books, it was shocking to see him exit that quickly.

Vikings - Lagertha

This is the only death on the list where the person killed forgave her killer with her dying breath. Lagertha's exit via Hvitserk mistaking her for a horrific creature was pretty shocking, though, as the character pointed out in her final moments, set in stone by the Seer.

Utopia - Sam

It's not often that shows kill off the character they make out to be their leader, and when they do, it certainly doesn't happen in Episode 2 of Season 1. Samantha had all the knowledge and skills to lead the teens in Utopia, and unfortunately, that very thing led to her downfall. Jessica wanted to be the leader, and for that to happen, she had to take out the one person capable of doing it ahead of her.

Katarina Rostova - The Blacklist

When Liz told Red their relationship would be done if he harmed her mother, one would've thought the last thing he'd do is put a bullet through Katarina Rostova. Of course, The Blacklist is full of twists and turns to the point that things are seldom entirely what they seem, so Red had to have a good reason for doing this. He better have, anyway, because that shocker set up a huge fallout between the two otherwise.

Lovecraft Country - George Freeman

If there was a reward for best reactions to a character's death in a series for 2020, the cast of Lovecraft Country would win it for his final episode. The devastation on every character's face around the dead body of George Freeman was apparent, and so well done that it can unleash the tears of viewers as well.

Supernatural - Dean

As if 2020 wasn't gut-wrenching enough, Supernatural had to end 15 seasons with a big hit to fans' emotions in the form of Dean's sudden death early in the finale. Seriously, it wasn't possible for both the Winchester brothers to escape the series unscathed? It was pretty heartbreaking to see Dean's bloody death, especially when Sam got to live a full life.

The Umbrella Academy - Ben

While one could feasibly call shenanigans here, based on the fact that Justin H. Min's Ben Hargreeves was a ghost throughout most of The Umbrella Academy's first two seasons, viewers can't deny that he died two times over when his ghostly form disintegrated, which made it that much more shocking! That he was cool with it all was also be a bit of jolt. But fans were likely okay with his exist, too, but only after that alternate timeline version of a still-living Ben was revealed as the head of "The Sparrow Academy." Also shocking, just not a death.

Any big deaths that were left off the list? Throw them down in the comments below, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest news in television and movies.

Elliot Page has long been an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and, after the actor came out as a non-binary, transgender person earlier this month, he received a wave of support from across the web. Kind words came from a number of stars, including his castmates from Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. Now, Page has taken to social media to share his gratitude for the support, while stars like Jennifer Garner continue to reach out.

In a recent Instagram post, Elliot Page took the time to share a selfie and thank those who have shown their support since he came out. The actor also used the opportunity to encourage his followers to support TranSanta, an initiative that seeks to provide gifts for transgender youth in need, and Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline that provides support for transgender people. Check out his post down below:

The amount of positive energy surrounding Elliot Page’s announcement was nice to see, and it’s still going strong. Sometime after he posted the message, Jennifer Garner, who worked with Page on 2007’s Juno, lent her support to her former co-star saying, “Major, huge love to you, Elliot.”

Garner’s comment would be the first of a few positive comments that would follow. Page’s Freeheld co-star, Julianne Moore, also chimed in with a short and sweet, “Love u.” Sharon Stone also commented, wishing Page “the happiest and safest life journey with every blessing, filled with love and joy.”

Elliot Page has been a well-known and well-loved actor for years now, having starred alongside a variety of stars in films ranging from Juno and Super to Inception and Whip It. But as mentioned, the actor has always used his platform to show support for others.

During his career, Page has done work with The Human Rights Campaign and actually came out as a gay woman when during the organization’s THRIVE conference back in 2014. By doing this, Page may have helped those who could have been having a hard time coming to terms with their sexuality.

The actor has also been a vocal supporter for those who have experienced abuse, especially within the entertainment industry. Page did so by detailing his experiences with X-Men: The Last Stand director, Brett Ratner, who outed his sexual preference while he was working on set. Others like Page’s X-Men co-star, Anna Paquin, came to his defense and corroborated the claims, which helped to spark a serious conversation about the industry.

With all that Elliot Page has done for so many over the years, it’s truly fitting that he receives that same measure of love. The actor has a bright future ahead of him, and we’ll be waiting intently for his upcoming projects, including the third season of The Umbrella Academy.

Keep it here at CinemaBlend for more news from the world of TV and movies.

When it comes to underrated actors, Vincent D’Onofrio is definitely one of them. The veteran actor has been working for a while, but one could argue that his performances haven’t always drawn the attention they deserve. This changed in a big way, though, when he entered the Marvel realm in the role of Wilson Fisk a.k.a Kingpin. D’Onofrio was lauded by both critics and fans but, above all else, he just enjoyed working on Daredevil. It’s for this reason that he would love to see it revived, yet he’s also revealed that there are two other hit genre shows that he would love to be a part of.

A fan recently reached out to Vincent D’Onofrio on Twitter, asking to start a thread of TV shows and movies that they would love to see him in. That particular user expressed interest in seeing the actor star in Fargo. D’Onofrio later retweeted the post and listed Daredevil, along with two other massive projects:

So it would appear that aside from a return to Daredevil, D’Onofrio would also love to appear on The Umbrella Academy and The Mandalorian. I mean… can we actually make both of these collaborations a reality?

First of all, it’s cool to know that D’Onofrio is a fan of both shows. Should Marvel Studios choose not to do anything more with Daredevil, The Umbrella Academy would be a nice return to the genre for him. The show’s strong group of performers, led by Elliot Page, have helped the niche comic book adaptation reach new heights, and bringing in D’Onofrio would only be another feather in its cap.

And I don’t know about anyone else, but I can absolutely see D’Onofrio making an appearance on The Mandalorian. Throughout its first two seasons, producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have done an excellent job of securing talent. The second season alone has seen stars like Timothy Olyphant, Katee Sackhoff and Rosario Dawson enter the critically acclaimed show. Based on the way Favreau and Filoni are adding to the Star Wars mythology, they could certainly find a role for D’Onofrio.

Of course, before Umbrella Academy or Mandalorian, it definitely appears that Vincent D’Onofrio’s primary goal is to once again play Wilson Fisk on Daredevil. Now, that the moratorium is up and Marvel Studios has the rights back from Netflix, there is a possibility that the show could return. Some fans would even love to see it on Hulu, rather than FX or Disney+. But despite their pleas, neither Disney nor Marvel have given any indication as to what they’re planning for the property.

Regardless of what happens with Daredevil, seeing Vincent D’Onofrio on The Umbrella Academy and/or The Mandalorian would be a real treat. They may not have the level of brutality that led him to the Marvel show, but they’d still be perfect fits for him.

Netflix's The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page, has come out as a non-binary, transgender person, as of Tuesday morning. The Oscar-nominated actor also known for their roles in Juno, Inception and the X-Men films shared the news with a heartfelt message in tribute to the trans community that has "endlessly inspired" them and so many others. Page also took a moment to bring to attention the still prevalent hate, “jokes” and violence transgender people around the world face everyday.

Following their announcement on Twitter and Instagram, Elliot Page received an outpouring of support, including from Netflix, Umbrella Academy co-stars and a slew of other notable names. The 33-year-old actor uses both he/him and they/them pronouns. Check out what Page said in their announcement:

Netflix commented on Elliot Page’s announcement with a sweet response confirming that the actor would continue to reprise their role in Umbrella Academy, which was officially renewed for a third season last month. The superhero series’ second season came out over the summer to big numbers. Here’s Page’s full letter and Netflix’s response:

Netflix jumped to assure fans Umbrella Academy will live on with Elliot Page! Some of the The Umbrella Academy cast also tweeted out their support, including the show’s Diego Hargreeves, David Castañeda. He shared this:

Umbrella Academy’s Ben actor, Justin H. Min, shared the announcement with a message as well. He echoed David Castañeda's positive sentiments and elaborated, saying:

The news also reached Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad filmmaker James Gunn. The writer/director said this:

A number of other big names responded to Elliot Page’s announcement with love, including Happiest Season’s Dan Levy and writer/director Clea DuVall who sent hearts their way. Patricia Arquette sent out “Sending you love and support," and legendary Rosemary’s Baby actress Mia Farrow wrote this:

We certainly can’t wait to see what Elliot Page does next, especially in their Umbrella Academy role following the series finale and considering how badass and powerful Vanya has been on the show. Elliot Page has long been an LGBTQ+ advocate and will continue to be an important figure in Hollywood as as a non-binary trans person. You can find Page on the small screen with the first two seasons of The Umbrella Academy streaming on Netflix now.

In the face of this bizarro-world that 2020 hath spawned, Netflix's The Umbrella Academy gave audiences a head-scratching release via the time-jaunting Season 2, which boasted a tighter story, shorter episodes and a revived sense of fun and excitement, the second set of episodes brought the eccentric Hargreeves family closer together while also making their lives ever more complicated upon their return to the present. The season finale ended on the whopper-sized cliffhanger reveal of the still-alive Reginald Hargreeves' Sparrow Academy, as led by Justin H. Min's also-still-alive Ben. And now we have our first confirmed detail about Season 3!

It was only recently that fans learned The Umbrella Academy is heading back into production in February, meaning showrunner Steve Blackman and the rest of the creative team are hard at work figuring out what to do with Vayna, Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Ben and Five for the upcoming arc(s). Blackman took to Instagram to kick off Thanksgiving weekend by giving fans something to be thankful and speculative about. Check it out!

So let's start digging way too deep into this relatively simple reveal, shall we? It's what Five would want us to do, or at least one timeline's version of Five, anyway. First, if not foremost, is the fact that the Season 3 premiere will be Steve Blackman's first shared writing credit on an Umbrella Academy episode. He penned this opener with former Lost Girl and Killjoys writer/producer Michelle Lovretta, who held a consulting producer role for Season 2's debut episode. Not a whole lot to pull out from that particular detail, but it's awesome for Lovretta all the same.

Now to focus on the meatiest detail, the Season 3 premiere title: "Meet the Family." That title could have a few different specific meanings that Umbrella Academy fans will no doubt grasp. Perhaps the most obvious takeaway here is that both the Umbrella Academy characters and the show's viewers will be meeting Reginald Hargreeve's "new" family (as it were) with the Sparrow Academy squad. This updated group clearly came together due to some timeline rift caused by the O.G. group's actions in Dallas in 1963, and I suspect it had a bit to do with everyone introducing themselves to Colm Feore's Reginald many years before he went found them all on his baby-attaining mission. It should be quite interesting to see how everyone gets along with this new iteration of Ben, too.

The second way to read into that episode title is to consider that not only will the Umbrella Academy siblings be meeting the Sparrow students, but the Sparrows will be meeting the Umbrella peeps. That may sound overtly simplistic, but it's a fully different situation for Reginald's alt-timeline group to cross paths with other Academy students that they'd never met before and didn't even know existed. As opposed to Five and the rest returning to what they thought was a familiar location, only to realize their existences have been warped.

The third way to read into "Meet the Family" is also quite literal. What if the Umbrella Academy siblings' timeline changes made it so that Jordan Claire Robbins' human version of Grace was still both alive and also romantically involved with Reginald Hargreeves. It's possible that the couple had their own biological children in the intervening years, and THAT is the actual "family" represented in the Season 3 premiere title.

While comic book fans already have an idea for where Umbrella Academy's story might be heading in Season 3, Steve Blackman & Co. have expanded upon the source material in a plethora of ways that makes me think they're going to go to some truly unpredictable places with "Meet The Family" and beyond. While we likely won't know any further details in the nearest future, let's all celebrate The Umbrella Academy's plan to return to production in early 2021.

The first two hyper-popular seasons of The Umbrella Academy are available to stream in full on Netflix. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more Season 3 updates, and check out our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way soon.

Netflix has cancelled a lot of shows this year, including GLOW and The Society, both of which had previously received season renewals. Even beyond just 2020, however, the streaming service has garnered a reputation for cancelling series after only one season — I Am Not Okay with This, Spinning Out, and Away were among the ones to get cut this year alone. Thankfully, at least in theory, Netflix’s Global Head of TV Bela Bajaria has explained why the streamer cancels freshman series at such a high rate.

When compared to network and cable TV channels, Netflix comes off as an enigma of sorts. Whereas viewers can easily check up on, for example, CBS and NBC shows' ratings to predict chances of renewal, Netflix doesn’t release the viewing numbers for every one of its shows (and the way in which the views are counted has been called into question). In addition, Netflix execs tend to greenlight a lot more series than traditional networks without the traditional pilot process, which Bela Bajaria says plays a role in the number of cancellations. Here’s what she said during the Paley International Council Summit (via Deadline):

Netflix making straight-to-series orders for every original show was already an unusual tactic when it began, since TV networks have historically ordered test pilots before making decisions to pick up more episodes of particular series. In that vein, Netflix does greenlight a lot more original series per year compared to any single broadcast network or cable channel, which, as Bela Bajaria says, results in more cancellations after just one season.

Bela Bajaria added that the renewal rate for Netflix shows after two or more seasons is reportedly 67%. She cited The Crown and the comedy Grace and Frankie as examples of Netflix series that have been renewed for multiple seasons. That said, I’d argue that the number of series that actually get to have two seasons or more seems to be increasingly rare, and that Bajaria’s response doesn't directly address criticisms of the growing number of Netflix’s one-and-done series.

I also don’t think it helps that some Netflix subscribers have grown wary of becoming too attached to the service's original series in their first seasons, since the fear of cancellation always seems to be hanging in the air. Despite all of this, Netflix boss Ted Saranados cited the reason the streamer is judged so often by its cancellations is because it’s being “measured against the old way of doing things.” He, on the other hand, believes a show can be successful even if it only got one season.

While the list of cancellations continues to grow at Netflix, The Umbrella Academy and Emily in Paris were both renewed recently for third and second seasons, respectively. There are still plenty of shows coming soon to Netflix, so be sure to check out our 2020 premiere schedule.

After the wild ending of Locke and Key’s first season, you probably had an increased urge to continue on to the second season. But, as you might know by now, Season 2 has yet to come out; though it’s on the way. Fortunately, there are plenty of other great TV shows on Netflix that are pretty similar to Locke and Key, and should hold you over until Locke and Key Season 2 comes around. So, let’s dive in!

The Umbrella Academy

Based on the Dark Horse comic books of the same name, The Umbrella Academy is a dark comedy about a group of children adopted by a billionaire in an attempt to turn them into superheroes. Years later, they reunite to solve their father’s mysterious death and to also save the world from the apocalypse. This TV show is a bit more quirky and silly than Locke and Key, but it has some of the same themes of family, powers, and mystery that bring the characters together.

Perhaps the two most notable actors in the show are Juno’s Ellen Page and Black Sail’s Tom Hopper. But, it features an ensemble cast of actors playing eccentric, comedic, and heroic characters as one big dysfunctional family. It has received warm reviews from critics and audiences. Season 2 just released this July, so there’s never been a better time than now to jump in and catch up.

Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix here.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is based on the Archie comic of the same name. Developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and starring Kiernan Shipka as the titular lead, it follows Sabrina as she turns sixteen and lives a dual life of human and witch, having to reconcile the two and fight the forces of darkness in the process.

While Chilling Adventures of Sabrina leans more heavily on horror and witchcraft than Locke and Key, the two still have a lot in common, including compelling coming-of-age narratives, mystery, magic, and strong characters. It’s likely if you’re a Locke and Key fan, you’ll find something to like here, too.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina currently has three seasons and a fourth season is on the way. So, if you’re looking for a show to sink your teeth into, this will give you plenty to devour.

Stream Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix here.

The Haunting of Hill House

Loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting of Hill House is a TV series developed by Doctor Sleep director Mike Flanagan. It’s about the Crain family moving into Hill House to renovate and quickly flip it to build their own house, but they’re forced to stay because of unexpected issues with the house. During their stay, they experience scary paranormal activity that leads to a disastrous end. Each episode flips between past and present, telling parallel stories of the young children dealing with the terrors of Hill House and the adults they have become as a result.

The Haunting of Hill House deals with much more mature content, scary themes, and horror, but the unraveling mystery with their family, the kids’ struggle with their father, and some of the coming-of-age story may intrigue Locke and Key fans.

It also has a large ensemble cast of mostly unknowns, but you might recognize Gerald’s Game’s Carla Gugino and Game of Throne’s Michiel Huisman. Right now, it only has one season in the bank, but Mike Flanagan is working on a Season 2, of sorts, in The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Stream The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix here.

I Am Not Okay With This

If you liked some of the coming-of-age, teenage angst in Locke and Key, then you’re sure to love I Am Not Okay With This. Starring IT’s Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff, I Am Not Okay With This is about a teenage girl dealing with high school, family, friends, her sexuality, and her newfound superpowers. It’s a mature, quirky comedy with familiar callbacks to the horror movie Carrie.

While Locke and Key fans will probably find something to like with this TV show, they won’t be able to get too invested in the show. It was announced earlier this year that I Am Not Okay With This was canceled and won’t be getting a Season 2. Still, it's worth the watch.

Stream I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix here.

The Magicians

Magic! The Magicians has plenty of it, which is sure to delight all you Locke and Key fans out there. Based on the novels by Lev Grossman, this TV show is about Quentin Coldwater going to Brakebills University to study magic and ends up finding a magical land like the one he reads about in his favorite novels. It’s kind of like Harry Potter meets The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe but for grown-ups due to its use of alcohol, profanity, and sexual content.

Jason Ralph, who recently appeared in Netflix’s latest film I’m Thinking of Ending Things, plays the lead role of Quentin Coldwater and does a solid job leading you down the magical rabbit hole. In many ways, The Magicians is a kindred spirit to Locke and Key for its use of wonder, magic, and dealing with coming-of-age themes and topics. So, if you’re favorite part about Locke and Key was the magical abilities, then this is a must-see. Right now, The Magicians has five seasons, but there are only four seasons currently on Netflix.

Stream The Magicians on Netflix here.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

It doesn’t take much to see how reminiscent A Series of Unfortunate Events is to Locke and Key. In A Series of Unfortunate Events, the Baudelaire children are sent to their distant relative Count Olaf’s house after their house fire kills their parents. Count Olaf’s house is particularly gothic and his intentions to take custody of the children are less than innocent. The children try to solve the mystery of their parents' past while simultaneously avoiding their uncle.

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a much more family-friendly TV show and doesn’t have as much teenage angst as Locke and Key, but it still deals with children dealing with growing up in a rather extraordinary situation and having to fight an incredible evil. Unfortunately, A Series of Unfortunate Events ended after three seasons. But that might be just enough to tide you over until Locke and Key’s second season arrives.

Stream A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix here.

Stranger Things

If you liked Locke and Key but haven’t seen Stranger Things yet, then you need to put it at the top of your list, post haste. Stranger Things is another coming-of-age story set in the 80s about three boys that discover their fourth friend, Will Byers, has disappeared. In a panic to find him, they discover something dark lurks underneath the town of Hawkins, Indiana.

Stranger Things has a lot of what Locke and Key has, including paranormal activity, supernatural powers, scary and horror themes with callbacks to Steven Spielberg and Stephen King stories, and so much more. And just like Locke and Key, it has a gripping story that doesn’t let go.

As of now, Stranger Things has three seasons on Netflix. But, it has been renewed for a fourth season, but it just might take a bit longer for it to premiere.

Stream Stranger Things on Netflix here.

Of course, nothing can replace Locke and Key, but it doesn’t hurt to try out a new TV show now and again. These are just a few of the TV shows that bear a resemblance to Locke and Key, but I don’t doubt there are plenty of others. So, which of these are you going to try out first? Let us know in the comments!

In the past, Netflix has occasionally reported on its own streaming numbers, changing up the rules of what counts as a view along the way. Meanwhile, Nielsen began tracking the ratings for Netflix in recent years, offsetting the streamer's tendency to keep viewership largely under wraps. Now, the U.S. ratings data provider has added its first weekly top ten ratings for TV shows on streaming and it reveals exactly how popular The Umbrella Academy is with viewers.

For the week of August 3 to August 9, viewers watched a whopping 3+ billion minutes of The Umbrella Academy’s first two seasons. That’s well ahead of the number of minutes viewers watched Shameless and Grey’s Anatomy. According to Nielsen, the comic book adaptation is the only original Netflix series on the list. It’s also worth noting that the entire top ten is made of shows streaming on Netflix, with no Amazon series on the list at all for the week listed. Take a look at the full top ten below!

That’s 3.011 billion minutes of The Umbrella Academy that viewers collectively watched in one week, and that number is based solely on U.S. subscribers. Netflix has around 190 million subscribers worldwide, and my guess is that the superhero series would see an increase if global data were to be added.

With so many viewers tuning in to watch The Umbrella Academy, I’m honestly surprised that it hasn’t been renewed yet for Season 3. The series is obviously popular, with great characters and a fun plot, and my two cents is that Season 2 was even better than Season 1. The fact that The Umbrella Academy is in the number one spot amongst evergreen binges like The Office and Parks and Recreation is pretty impressive, and proves that it can hold its own.

Speaking of The Office and Parks and Rec, both NBC sitcoms will be headed to Peacock and we’ll have to see what Nielsen’s top ten streaming list looks like after the move. Of course, now I’m wondering how Nielsen’s weekly top ten will compare to Netflix’s top ten feature, which lists the most popular movies and shows for the day, and whether there will be any major differences. But, that's a discussion for another time.

For more on what TV shows to binge, be sure to check out our 2020 Netflix premiere schedule. Be sure to also swing by our fall TV premiere guide for additional options.