7 reasons to binge Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy

The music

A solid soundtrack is always a bonus when it comes to good movies and TV shows, but in The Umbrella Academy, the music feels almost like it’s a character itself. In fact, if you are anything like me, you will instantly notice tunes as they begin playing.

From hits like “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” to “Run Boy Run” and “Happy Together,” each song seems to have been specially chosen to have the most impact on the scene it is playing for. If you look up the actual soundtrack to the show, you won’t necessarily see all of the songs that made it into each episode. But, even the soundtrack makes an impact when you listen to it.

With how well this show selected songs for each episode and how each of them works for the scene it’s used in, it’s easy to tell why music is a critical component to the storyline.

The dance sequence

Perhaps it has one of the best dance sequences we have ever seen on TV (and I am not the only one saying this, as there have been whole articles dedicated to this scene). But, watching the five remaining siblings dealing with their grief through dance is truly magical. We’re not sure if they’re truly grieving the loss of their father, or perhaps the idea of what could have been.

Watching these siblings dance to “I Think We’re Alone Now” as each of them dance in their designated part of the house offers a chance to see a private side of them that’s enriching for us as the audience. This is their chance to be themselves without anyone watching or judging. Here is their chance to be vulnerable and free, and they take it and dance with it!

As I mentioned before, music is like its own entity in this show, and that holds especially true in this dance sequence. The song title is perfect for what the siblings are feeling in this moment. It doesn’t matter that they have each other, because they don’t really think they do. They were raised by a father who didn’t give them love and affection, and because of it, they all have their issues. But, in this moment, with this song, they are getting a chance to let the music speak for them.

Not only does the whole scene start with the character you would least expect it to, Luther, but each of the characters makes this moment their own. From stiff to silly, each move by each character complements who they are, and blends the family as a strange but loving unit.

Overall, this scene gives a glimpse as to who these characters are on a private level. And when the camera pans back to give us the dollhouse view, it becomes clear that they are all in their own world, dealing with life as it comes their way.

There have been plenty of amazing dances on TV, but this was such an unexpected moment from characters that needed this moment of levity, and that is what makes it one of the best ever.