eek hii I'm gray and all you need to know about me is that I am a h u g e simp for umbrella academy. (this may contain spoilers for the show so if you haven't watched/finished it, read with caution ^) I started umbrella academy a year after it came out in 2020 when covid was going on. maybe it's because the show was a solace and comfort for me in those desperate times that I loved it so much, but it will always hold a special place in my heart <3 there are countless reasons I love the show, one of which is the representation the representation is presented so beautifully in the show, as a pansexual Indian every time I'd see someone like me on the show I would literally scream. I think in most superhero movies/shows I'd watched prior to UA, I was so incredibly accustomed to seeing these white people in spandex who were so magnificent and perfect and just so incredibly unrelatable. I think that has changed over time however, and I'm not saying that UA is the only show to have it, but it's the first I had watched to have representation. this leads me to my next point being that the show is realistic(to an extent where time jumping boys and knives throwing guys coming). The characters are wonderfully crafted and each different, though I must admit that at the beginning there were so many of them I had difficulty to keep track of but by the last episode I had completely memorized not only their names but their mannerisms and personalities. These “superheroes” not only save the world, they destroy it first and then save it. I think it's so amazing the way they had executed it to show that the real journey to becoming a hero is not relied on the power or status you are born with and raised with, but the process of first breaking and then rebuilding yourself. all the characters went through incredible joruneys of self-identity and the character development, needless to say, was just chefs kiss. everyone's had their moments where they were so consumed by their trauma they had transformed completely into an identity opposite of their superhero one, almost villainous in some cases. superheros used to be people I looked up to because they were unbreakable, lovable and amazing. But the thing is, I knew I could never reach their level because it simply didn't exist. I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I was human. I had my moments where I'd break down, be despicable but so did everyone else. UA showed me that it's okay to be vulnerable at times, because sometimes we can't have everything in our control. What also made this show so lovable for me was that I was hooked every second I had watched it. The actors ability to become the characters I love and know so well is just impressive. The script people and the dialogues sometimes left me awestruck and confused and just on the ground laughing unctrollably. Overall the work and effort put into the show is so visible and just admirable. Next, the characters I'd already grazed over this reason slightly but it's just so important to have it mentioned twice. The characters first off, are all beautiful and hot and amazing. Their personalities are amazing, and although some are unlikable, they are relatable. Now, the character that I just have to rant about is Allison and warning what im about to talk about is spoilerszs so… Allison in season 1 was just an admirable character. She was an incredible mother, sister and overall person. She was the only one who had ever supported Viktor and included him. And in season 2 she becomes even better. After being tested through many trials of grief and sorrow, she finds the will to fight even without her voice. Through this she meets her husband Ray, who I have to say are THE ULTIMATE SHIP AND NOBODY CAN TELL OTHERWISE, she goes through a slight development in which she is much more snarky and loud (which is such a good look on her). It's a period of segregation and being a black woman, having these traits helps her fight. This all changes, however, when she is forced to say goodbye to that life and jumps forward in time in the future where her anchor and everything that was keeping her sane disappears. Her daughter Claire no longer exists, and Ray is dead. This is where it gets good because she starts unraveling and removing layers of sanity and calm and everything that held her together to become this depressed, desperate woman. She even went so far as to kill anybody who she saw evil, including Harlan who is so not evil. She even went so far as to make a deal with Reginald, which resulted in the death of her two brothers luth and Klaus. I was impressed by the end of the show how much the actor was able to make me aggravated. But truthfully, when I looked beyond her actions and facade, I could understand her. Villains are portayed simply as outright evil, but allsion was a character who we saw as a hero and turned into a villain. After watching what she'd went through I had suddenly, unconsciously made an emotional attachment to her that refused to let me see her as a villain. Allison is the best embodiment of how when our despair gets the best of us, we become somebody we and nobody else wants. Allison is just a fictional character, and the show is just a show, but truthfully if we allow ourselves to succumb to the reality in a fictional world, we might just learn a thing or two. I honestly started this as a rant abt how you should watch UA and definitely did not expect it to turn into a life lesson essay but hey If I worte 1013 words i did soo :p