The Umbrella Academy (Netflix, Season 2) - 1/5

This season is an unmitigated disaster. The first several episodes are great and set the show up with a lot of potential; unfortunately, the rest of the episodes just get dumber and dumber. Where the first season explained why the main characters made their bad decisions, here all of the main characters make bad decisions randomly, often directly contradicting previously established character traits with no explanation. By the middle of the season everything becomes drama for drama’s sake, dumb for tension’s sake, and needlessly obtuse. By the final few episodes the show drops all pretense of internal consistency, destroying all of the beautiful potential and adding layers upon layers of insult to injury. It’s not worth watching for anyone, especially fans of the show.

Closest comparison: It’s like Heroes Season 2, but so much worse.

Setting: Super Hero
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Family Drama

Terminator: Dark Fate - 3/5

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is this is the third best Terminator film to date. The bad news is it’s still pretty disposable. The action setpieces are big and iconic, the new terminator is well-conceived, and the returning combination of Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger is worth the price of admission alone. On the flipside, the acting is pretty bad in a few key places, the CGI is sometimes cringe-level rubbery, and the actions scenes each have several moments of dark lighting shaky cam that make them very hard to read. James Cameron’s presence is palpable, but it would have been a much better film if he’d directed it. If you’re a fan of the series this movie is a must-see, but beyond that it’s a pretty stock action flick.

Closest comparison: The Terminator franchise goes the route of The Fast and The Furious.

Setting: Sci-fi Action
Plot: Protect-the-girl Action
Tone: Sci-fi Action

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) - 4/5

This show is primarily about family drama, which I don’t usually appreciate, but here all the characters are not only vivid but intriguing. Their idiosyncrasies relate directly to the plot in crystal clear ways so their actions are always believable, even when completely inadvisable. Any political messages are toned down to the particulars and come naturally out of the characters and situations, where a lesser show would generalize. Netflix flexes its wallet by getting top-tier music in every episode and excellent tv-quality special effects when needed. The ending was good but not great, and even though it left me wanting another season it could have wrapped some things up better. Disclaimer: It’s a weird show, but watch the second episode before deciding whether to continue; that’s where things really kick off.

Closest Comparison: It’s like Heroes Season 1 (2006) by way of Watchmen (2009)

Setting: Family Drama
Plot: Sci-Fi
Tone: Drama/Action