I've watched the first episode, but haven't gotten back to it yet.

I mean...Umbrella Academy even opened with a Kinks song! ("Picture Book")

Yup! Always a point in favor.

I have loved the music. I like the series too, but I would have appreciated a little bit more concentration on Allison's ability. It felt like it was revealed as an afterthought.

I have some squick re: Allison and Luther. but I feel like maybe if I had read the comic book I wouldn't.

It's jarring that they don't use * cell phones .

The Mary Sue was more bent out of shape about that (and communication in general) than I am, but I get it. I still haven't finished season 1 yet. Have you?

I still haven't finished season 1 yet. Have you?

Not yet! But I am prompted to return to it.

Though Umbrella Academy was great fun and the music really helped.

I can hardly believe no one has been saying that either the writers or the actor playing Diego are going for some Dean Winchester vibes. There's just something about how he walks and gets gruff when the plot turns serious.

Huh. I'll have to keep an eye out for that. At some point, all fictional angry young men have a Dean Winchester vibe, for me, and the sad young men have a Winchester brothers' vibe.

Songs I knew and loved, long before Supernatural existed, now evoke SPN associations before they remind me of events in my real life. I think I'm so Winchestered up, that noticing that stuff would be like noticing air.

In one of the season 1 key art posters, Diego's skin is lighter and he's wearing the mask, and he reminds me of a young Xander (just in the photo, not in the show). My brain keeps trying to trick me that James Franco is playing Klaus, even though I know it's Robert Sheehan.

Have you read the comic, Katerina, or did you go in canon-free, like me?

Canon-free, that's me. I've seen some of the comics since binging the show. Those make it very clear about just who will be the Big Bad, which I will not say in case there are a few folks out there who have not enjoyed UA yet.

I just keep imagining that Diego happened because Dean met a lovely senorita who found the way to his heart by taking him to her favorite burrito restaurant. If I see Diego chowing down in Season Two I will laugh and poke DH and tell him I knew it all along.

Well, I definitely loved Russian Doll. That was great.

Canon-free, that's me. I've seen some of the comics since binging the show. Those make it very clear about just who will be the Big Bad, which I will not say in case there are a few folks out there who have not enjoyed UA yet.

We finished The Umbrella Academy last night. I wasn't surprised by the reveal. I think I've watched enough fantasy genre series, that I was always pretty sure * what the sitch was with the pills, and that Vanya would be instrumental in the apocalypse, in one way or another. *

Narrative-wise, I do wish the story had unfolded in say the 1990s, when cell phones weren't so ubiquitous. I mean, I can accept that in the show's universe, they're not a thing, but that doesn't mean when characters didn't try to call or text each other, or when they used pay phones, that it didn't take me out of the story.

Character-wise, I'm still frustrated that Allison's power wasn't better fleshed out and that use of it was always seen as negative. Before I realized the apocalypse was still going to happen, I figured she would have an opportunity to redeem the use of her power in the right situations. *

For example, since Reginald Hargreeves * made young Allison use her power to convince Vanya she wasn't special/didn't have abilities, I was thinking/hoping adult Allison would finally break out the power to use it in a positive way, like, "I heard a rumor you can control your power and use it for good." *

And, from a feminist perspective, * I'm disappointed in the realization of both Allison and Vanya. The two women's powers are somehow bad and they misuse or can't control them, so they must abstain (or be drugged, locked up, etc). *

Since Luther * really seemed to screw the pooch with every decision he made regarding Vanya, I'm hoping this suppression of the women's power is addressed in the second season. It seems like it should be, but it also seemed like it would have been (by the S1 finale), after he initially choked her until she passed out.

I was also frustrated as hell that Allison literally had no voice at the end of the season. If that's the set up for a big payoff, that's okay. I just don't know whether I should have faith in this show or not. *

At any rate, I'll definitely check out season two.

Do the comics continue the story past what's shown in season one?

Well, I definitely loved Russian Doll. That was great.

When I covered Russian Doll before the premiere, I was afraid it would depress or disturb me. Maybe I'll give it a shot next. Everyone seems to be raving about it

I was afraid it would depress or disturb me.

I didn't find it depressing at all. It was very hopeful, I thought.

I loved it. I think it's a masterpiece. Emotionally and intellectually satisfying.

I second the hopefulness of it--it's tremendously rough and rude and some of the characters (including the lead) are painfully self-destructive, but it has great hope and generosity as well. Using very, very different techniques, it's exploring many of the same themes as The Good Place.