Five warned his family (so, so many times) that using his powers to escape from Vanya’s 2019 apocalypse was risky. Well, he was right – the time jump scatters the siblings in time in and around Dallas, Texas. Over a three-year period. Starting in 1960. Some, having been stuck in the past for years, have built lives and moved on, certain they’re the only ones who survived. Five is the last to land, smack dab in the middle of a nuclear doomsday, which – spoiler alert! – turns out is a result of the group’s disruption of the timeline (deja vu, anyone?). Now the Umbrella Academy must find a way to reunite, figure out what caused doomsday, put a stop to it, and return to the present timeline to stop that other apocalypse. All while being hunted by a trio of ruthless Swedish assassins. But seriously, no pressure or anything.
For in-depth thoughts on The Umbrella Academy: The Complete Second Season, please see my colleague Kelly Kantrowitz’s review from its original streaming release here.
Video Quality
The Umbrella Academy: The Complete Second Season comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Universal Home Entertainment with a rich AVC-encoded 1080p transfer. This season consists of ten episodes spread across three discs, allowing plenty of room for episodes to excel and avoid nearly all instances of compression artifacts and aliasing. This HD presentation reveals a world of texture that is more difficult to appreciate in the compressed streaming version of the series.
This season takes us back to the past where we delight in elements of the production design, clothing, and unique lighting choices. The series provides a steady supply of unforgettable nuance and depth. Skin tones appear consistent and detailed across the ensemble. Black levels are strong and provide a substantial amount of detail in shadows. Highlights never get too hot or veer into blooming in this presentation. Every episode maintains an admirable stability which reinforces why physical media is preferred over streaming. Universal has delivered a respectable release for fans to add to their collection.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a standout DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that deftly executes the sonic intentions without issue. Dialogue emanates without being overshadowed by the music or any sound effects. The soundtrack is so important to the show’s identity as it realizes a creative spirit for the series which is presented with standout fidelity within the mix. Kinetic moments stand out in the more action-forward scenes that provide a jolt. The track works well when digging deep to deliver some texture in the lower registers. The track spotlights environmental sounds in a way that feels genuine and immersive. The audio presentation is wonderful. There are English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this release.
Final Thoughts
The Umbrella Academy had a lot of potential going into its debut season, but the execution was somewhat uneven as the show tried to discover itself throughout the initial arc. This second season of the series takes anything that was lacking in the first season and improves upon it tenfold. The characters seem a bit more fleshed out and the escalation in the narrative is thrilling. The series delivers laugh-out-loud hilarity, shocking developments, and memorable music moments – and somehow it all works. This series is on the right path, and hopefully, it will come to a satisfying conclusion later this summer. Universal Home Entertainment has delivered a Blu-Ray that offers a fantastic A/V presentation but no special features. This is a fun one to add to your collection. Recommended
The Umbrella Academy: The Complete Second Season can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
