9 Spoilery Things about Umbrella Academy that I just have to get out!

Now that some time has passed, I feel comfortable sharing some of my more spoilery thoughts on Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. On the off chance that you are reading this and are actually interested in watching the series, but have your doubts, then stop reading this and check out this non-spoilery review. Of course, after you have checked out the series, please do come back to this post and share with me if you too had some of the same opinions.

1. Umbrella Academy is Not Derivative

The obvious comparisons have been made to the X-Men and Teen Titans with The Umbrella Academy, because it is a group of children superheroes, especially with Dark Phoenix on the horizon. I have even seen a lot of comparison made between Vanya Hargreeves and Jean Grey, referencing their uncontrollable powers. Besides the obvious difference in powers, I find that Vanya is not driven or cajoled to “the dark side” by good intentions handled poorly, but is forced into her powers by a misguided sense of self-preservation. Vanya feels ill equipped to handle her new found powers, whereas Jean Grey already had her known powers in grip and turned down a path of destruction after discovering her hidden powers. Most of the negative effects of Vanya’s powers were purely accidental.

2. Vulnerable is vulnerable for a reason.

I don’t know if this is covered in the comics at all, but I actually love that fact that we have no idea how Ben Hargreeves died, only that it must have been tragic for them to build a statue of him in their courtyard. I believe it was also the straw that broke the camel’s back, finally breaking up the team. Initially, you think that Diego would have been the first to go, seeing as he’s just really good at throwing sharp pointy objects, unlike Ben would could morph (grow?) strong tentacles capable of tearing people apart. It’s not until later that you realize there is a lot more to Diego than good aim. Ben also was the most hesitant about their profession, compared to the rest of the children, possibly making him the most vulnerable. Hence the first to go.

3. Klaus the Ghost Avoider

My favorite of the Hargreeves super children would have to be Klaus or Number 4. First, I love his name, secondly, I find the actor is really talented, and thirdly, I would most like to have his power. Initially, Klaus comes off as a damaged, drug-addicted, selfish flake. But once you find out more about his childhood under the tutelage of Sir Hargreeves, you can hardly blame the guy. Toss in the fact that their little family fell apart when they all went their separate ways, it’s easy to understand why Klaus uses drugs. It’s not at all for recreation but to dull his powers and keep from being bombarded by the spirits of the dead. Klaus’ gift is the ability to speak with and be a living conduit for the dead. This is represented throughout the series by the interactions Klaus has with his deceased brother, Ben.

While I can certainly see how it could be difficult to deal with the recently departed, as someone who recently lost both maternal grandparents, I would love to be able to speak with loved ones no longer with us.

4. Luther does what now?

I do have to say that I really didn’t understand the extent of Luther’s power, Number 1. Maybe it’s something that a rewatch could resolve. But I got the sense that he was just really strong...and a good leader? Or at least the most willing to follow orders. Later, it’s more obvious that his strength is his power, with his massive body size and gorilla chest (literally). I guess I just didn’t find his power that impressive, given what the others can do. But I did like his relationship with Allison. Their puppy love as children which sprouted into romance despite their separation was sweet.

5. Poor nameless Number 5 

Now, let’s get to Number 5 and the apocalypse. He had the misfortune to disappear before the children were all named by their android mother Grace, played by Jordan Claire Robbins. Number 5’s power is teleportation but he quickly figures out that this could also lead to time travel. In a moment of defiance and to show it to Sir Reginald, 5 jumps ahead to the moment after the world ends and gets stuck there. He later explains that he messed up the math equation, and that’s why it’s important to stay in school kids. So you don’t wind up accidentally stranding yourself in a future apocalypse.

Number 5 is easily my second favorite character of the group, and possibly the most entertaining. He figures out a way back, but only after having spent decades by himself in the desolate future. And again, due to a miscalculation, he returns as a child with all the wisdom and sarcasm of a middle-aged man. We see the effects of his isolation and his profession as a time assassin, in the form of his relationship with Dolores, the bust of a department store mannequin. 

6. Siblings be siblings but Assassins be assassins

With how fractured the Hargreeves siblings are at the beginning of this series, it makes sense that Number 5 initially refuses to accept the help of his siblings, in order to stop the end of the world. He is set to correct things on his own, because that’s what he was used to. But because of his obsession to save the world, he’s now at the top of the hit list of his “former” employer, and the target of fellow time assassins Hazel and Cha Cha, played by Cameron Britton and Mary J. Blige respectively. 

What was supposed to be an easy hit for Cha Cha and Hazel, turns into a botched job, and they spend most of the time searching for their lost time travel briefcase and fighting each other. The two of them make for some funny scenes throughout the show, both with each other and various secondary characters. Although,when stuff hits the fan, you end up caring more about the coming together of the siblings and the fallout with Vanya than anything having to do with the weird Time Agency that Number 5 was recruited to work at. I didn’t really care much for that part of the plot. The show could have easily just been about 5 finding out about the end of the world and trying to figure out how to stop it, without the mysterious organization that wishes for the end to happen. Who would want that? In the grand scheme of things the assassins and their organization were the least necessary things in the series.

7. Unnecessary Tech

Another thing that was apparently unnecessary to the series, was any sort of modern technology. I’m not sure if that was on purpose and if that is the same in the comic, but I thought it was odd that the timeline of the show would place it in modern times (if all the children were born in 1989), and yet no one has a cell phone. There were no laptops, or tablets either. Twice in the show a payphone was used, even inside the Umbrella Academy HQ! It seems like a lot of things could have been resolved with the use of modern technology. Then again, maybe that was the point?

8. Who broke my heart?

A talking chimpanzee with a British accent.

In addition to their robo-mom, the children also grew up with a talking chimpanzee named Pogo, voiced by British actor Adam Godley. Part caretaker and part butler, Pogo assisted Sir Reginald with various things. You really get the sense that Pogo loves the children like a father, or like their father probably should have, and he would do just about anything for them. Unfortunately, he was also very loyal to Sir Reginald and was ordered to keep secrets from the children. One such secret being Vanya’s powers. Of course, this leads to a heartbreaking scene, where Pogo is killed by Vanya in a moment of uncontrolled rage, impaled on Sir Reginald’s stuffed horned animal. I gasped in shock, the moment it happened, clutching my hand to my mouth. Not poor Pogo! My least favorite scene, not because it was a bad scene, it was well done, just so sad!

9. Not Constantinople

It’s Istanbul, not Constantinople. This is the musical history lesson we learn from They Might Be Giants. This is also the song that plays at the end of the first episode, during a fight scene between Number 5 and a squad sent to kill him. It’s upbeat and fun, with some great lyrics and just really meshes well with the chaos and rhythm of the fight. But They Might Be Giants is only the tip of the music iceberg for this show. The soundtrack is fantastic and well chosen. Also in the first episode, you have “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany playing during a scene that focuses on the odd and funky dance moves of the Hargreeves children. You also get “Saturday Night” by the Bay City Rollers, “One” by Three Dog Night, and “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, to name a few. This show is easily worth it for the soundtrack alone, and to make things even better, Netflix created a Spotify playlist of 20 songs from the show!

If you agree with some of my musings, or disagree, let me know, I would love to hear about it. Mostly, I think we can all agree it is an entertaining show despite or because of it’s short comings.

Get Right Into the Fight with The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan

The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan is a unique piece of Urban Fiction. I have read other pieces of Urban Fiction, and it is almost unfair to limit this novel to only that genre. The book is worthy of its own genre, although, I am not entirely sure what that genre is. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read. It’s fantasy, science fiction, urban fiction, and an abundance of pop culture. So, I guess it would be the Claybourne Genre.

With that being said, I enjoyed every moment of this book. Every twist and turn, every jump and jive, every...single...reference.

How did I come to this book and it’s author Zig Zag Claybourne? It all started with a podcast and a series of erotic novellas. Yes, you read that correctly. The podcast in question was the Shot of History podcast. They are located in Detroit, MI, as is Mr. Claybourne, and while they primarily discuss historical content they also record live every year from the local comic convention.

It was at this convention that they invited Zig Zag Claybourne onto the podcast to talk with them about his work as an author and independent content creator.

From there, my co-host Henno heard about the Agnes Reign erotic fiction series and arranged to read and discuss them with my boyfriend. Our regular Gotham/Orville content was on break during the summer, and they thought it would be fun to get together and chat while I was away on vacation. I joined them for the second and third recordings after catching up and reading all three novellas, and it really was a lot of fun discussing them. You can listen to our discussions and reviews of “It’s Turning Purple, I Think We Should Quit,” “Orange: Peeled and Seeded,” and “Red Rover: Come Over” on the podcast.

You’re probably wondering what erotic fiction has to do with a novel I described as “fantasy, science fiction, and urban fiction”, and I can tell you that the Agnes Reign series is similar in that it is a unique series packed full of great pop culture references. They also both share Claybourne’s refreshing writing style and cleverness. The only thing they don’t share, besides story content, is the author’s name. The Agnes Reign series is written under a different nom de plume, Thor M.F. Jones.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if it had not been for a podcast in Michigan, my co-host, and my boyfriend, I may not have found and read The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan.

So let’s get into it then shall we?

The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan is about exactly that, brothers Milo and Ramses Jetstream and a giant ocean dwelling leviathan. While the brothers are the main characters of the novel, you also have a villain, and literally a wide assortment of characters. There are angels, vampires, djinn, psychics, shadowy organizations, whales, dragoons and even Adam and Eve. Then there are the different locations or settings for the book, from Detroit and a cruise ship, to the Philippines and even Atlantis. Yes, the mythical lost city of Atlantis, only in this book, Atlantis is not lost and not composed of just one city.

The main plotline of the story revolves around the brothers’ (and more specifically Milo’s) goal at hunting down the False Prophet Buford. You get the history of a previous fight gone wrong where Buford managed to escape from the brothers and their team, and they have been searching the world to find him. But it’s so much more than that, you get the sense that the brothers have spent their lives fighting the evils of the world (not unlike another pair of attractive supernatural brothers), like Buford, using their powers and those of their friends.

Some of their known associates include the Brothers Grimm, Bruce Weyne and Tony Sterk. And yes, those last two are misspelled on purpose. When I came across the first one, I reached out to the author on twitter to confirm. What a clever way to reference popular characters without incurring the wrath of copyright infringement. And yes, Zig Zag Claybourne is very active on twitter and is wonderfully nice, just a really cool guy.

Throughout the book the brothers are searching, not only for Buford, but for various members of their group, the Agents of Change. And because of the various locations and characters, you as the reader can find yourself crisscrossing the globe and jumping around from chapter to chapter. I read a review online where one person found this to be confusing, but I enjoyed the chaos of it. It felt true to the characters and their mystical abilities. I am not going to give away what powers the brothers or their friends possess, but suffice to say, with all the evil in the world you can’t blame them for not sticking with consumer air travel.

I could also appreciate that the book did not take time introducing a backstory for all of the characters. You receive a brief introduction to the Agents of Change and get introduced to them all along the way, as they meet up throughout the book. You understand who’s friend or foe without needing to know the details of how and when they met the brothers and how they came to their powers or abilities. You just get thrown right into the fight, just like the characters. I have read books in the past that spend so much time character building and setting the scene, you begin to wonder if and when it will get to the point. Not the case with a Claybourne novel, it gets you straight to the point.

Along the way you get introduced to two characters who are new to the world the brothers belong to, and through them you do get certain introductions and explanations, so the book is not completely without. These two characters do not completely represent the reader but you find yourself relating to them as an outsider in the lives of the Brothers Jetstream. But the great thing is that you also do not find yourself inundated by exposition from these two characters either.

Another fun thing worth mentioning about this book, are the interims.  I’ve not seen an interim used in a book before. Between chapters 19 and 20, there is a two part Interim, almost like an intermission in a play. Only these interims pertain to the story. Then later, you are treated to Interims 3,4,5 all together on two pages, between chapters 24 and 25, giving you a short and simple check-in on three of the characters. They are all too short to be chapters, but separate enough from what is going on in the story at that point to warrant their own section.

So to wrap things up, just in case you need further incentive, here are some of the references that I loved:

“‘We are the champions,’ she said, ‘...of the world.’”

“...and the parties headed out split per vehicle toward the first star they saw on the right, which was the setting sun, and straight on till morning.”

“You know the song where Bowie says, ‘This ain’t rock and roll, this is genocide’?”

“Neon inventoried: she was in a parking lot holding a modified white Beretta off a priest, which she’d used to shoot at some shiftless mofos while this cute broheem from the Department of Homeland Security went all medieval on Ann Coulter’s sister…”

“He faced Aileen Stone (not her last name) with the bravado of seven Six Sigma completions, albeit humbling his eye contact with the proper conciliation.” A book that can find a way to reference Six Sigma in an accurate business sense, both surprises and amuses me. It’s just so unexpected, I didn’t even think Six Sigma was that big anymore.

“It was rather fun interrupting Leviathan, like playing a mental game of Words with Friends.”

“We might have needed a bigger boat, thought Eve.”

Now, I know I have not given away very much, and purposefully so. But if anything of what I said has intrigued you in the slightest, pick up this novel and give it a try. It truly was a fun read.

Murder, Science, and President Roosevelt: A Review of The Alienist by Caleb Carr

I decided to read The Alienist by author Caleb Carr, after a recommendation from a friend, Annaleis. She had not only mentioned the book, one of her favorite murder mystery books, on her podcast Dark Angels and Pretty Freaks but she had also sent a personal message urging me to check out the book. Since we have a similar taste in murder/mystery books, I bought the book and found time to read it.

The book was originally published in 1994, republished with a new Afterward in 2006, and then taken to the screen as a TV Series in 2018. I purchased it before the series was due to premier, with the intention of reading the book well beforehand. I make an effort to try to read the books that a series or movie is based off of, sometimes before watching the visual adaptation and often afterwards. Novels afford an author the ability to be very detailed in their works, so you tend to receive a lot more information about settings and characters, which may be left out of movie or TV adaptations because there just isn’t enough time or an easy way to represent those details in a visual medium. So I like to get that extra detail from a novel whenever I can. Now, let’s get into some of those details...

Before the story even starts, there's a note: Prior to the twentieth century, persons suffering from mental illness were thought to be "alienated," not only from the rest of society but from their own true natures. Those experts who studied mental pathologies were therefore known as alienists.

This note provides you a little background on the profession of alienist, prior to modern medicine and science when this profession transformed into what we now know as a psychologist.

The story is set in New York City in 1896, a time where the study of psychology used as a way to
determine the sanity of criminals as a science was not yet a thing. Also, criminal profiling and the use of fingerprinting were also not considered scientifically proven processes that would hold up in the courts of the time. Our characters, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (the Alienist) and John Schuyler Moore (a university friend of Kreizler’s), are brought together when a boy prostitute dressed in women's clothing is found brutally murdered atop a bridge. They are assigned to the case by Theodore Roosevelt, yes the 26th President of the United States. When more boys are found it becomes a race to catch a killer they know nothing about. Along with the help of Detectives Lucius & Marcus Isaccson and Sara Howard, they use what they do know and attempt to put together a profile of their Killer, hopefully, solving their mystery by digging into the killer's past.

I don’t want to give away more than that, I’d rather you discover the suspense and thrill of the
chase and experience this story first hand. The Alienist is a fantastic psychological
thriller and fascinating work of historical fiction that you will not want to put down.

Now, since I can’t give away any more about the plot, I thought I would point out some interesting things about the novel and the author, that do not spoil any plot points of the story. The novel is split into three parts. Each part has two quotes starting it; quotes from an actual work of science and/or the arts.

Part One:

            Whilst part of what we perceive comes through our 

senses from the object before us, another part (and it may be

the larger part) always comes out of our own mind. 

                                      William James, 

                         The Principles of Psychology 

These bloody thoughts 

from what are they born? 

Piave, 

                                      from Verdi's Macbeth. 

Part Two:

            The same outer object may suggest either of many realities 

formerly associated with it - for in the vicissitudes of our outer experience 

we are constantly liable to meet the same thing in the midst of

            differing companions. 

                

                                  William James, 

                      The Principles of Psychology 

       Whatever I thought right seemed bad to others,

       whatever seemed wrong to me,

       others approved of.

       I ran into feuds wherever I found myself,

       I met disfavor wherever I went;

       if I longed for happiness, I only stirred up misery;

       so I had to be called "woeful":

       Woe is all I possess.

Wagner,

                          Die Walküre

Part Three:

           The fons et origo of all reality, whether from the absolute or the practical 

point of view, is thus subjective, is ourselves. As bare logical thinkers, 

without emotional reaction, we give reality to whatever

 objects we think of, for they are really Phenomena, or objects of our 

passing thought, if nothing more. But, as thinkers with emotional reaction, 

we give what seems to us a still higher degree of reality to whatever things 

we select and emphasize and turn to with a will.

                       

                                   William James,

                           The Principles of Psychology

               Don Giovanni, you invited me to sup with you:

           I have come.

       

    Da Ponte

                                             from Mozart's Don Giovanni

All three scientific quotes have a direct link to the subject matter represented in the book. While it may be a work of fiction, the science of Psychology (or it’s early predecessor of the time) is well researched and direct inspiration drawn from the real William James. These quotes were specifically chosen by the author to partner well with his story, one which revolves around mental health and the birth of Psychological Profiling. The arts are added in due to the fact that our main characters Kreizler and Moore enjoy a night out at the opera, as written by the author in this book.

Author Caleb Carr was originally a military and diplomatic historian who wrote historical nonfiction. After not achieving continued success with that genre, he decided to switch to writing fiction. But not just any fiction, a genre similar to his previous works, one he knew best, historical fiction. “From the first, I was, like most authors, interested in creating something different;  in my case, a "whydunit", a story that could raise hackles even and especially if you know who the killer was from early on."

When it came to The Alienist, Carr started with selecting a time in history where he could accurately represent the use of early forensic psychology and pinpointed the time when the first psychological laboratory was established by William James. This was at Harvard in the 1870s.

Next, Carr chose the 1890s, to allow for the story to be set in New York City (where he was born and raised) during the time Theodore Roosevelt was president of the city's board of police commissioners. There actually was a legitimate historical connection between William James and Roosevelt, who attended a class taught by James at Harvard: comparative anatomy. Carr was excited and felt lucky for the coincidence, as he had always found Roosevelt to be “the American leader who had always fascinated me most.” It was then just the point of coming up with the fictional connection to alienist Dr. Kreizler, and the rest is... history.

Fun fact, Carr managed to get this work published by tricking his manager and editor into thinking the work was nonfiction by pasting together photos of a fake Dr. Kreizler together with an actual photo of Roosevelt at his desk in the White House. He fooled them so well that they helped him bring his first foray into Fiction into reality, after they were told truth of course.

The Alienist has a sequel, The Angel of Darkness. I can't wait to get my hands on this next piece of historical mystery work from Caleb Carr. But first, I urge you to pick up from the beginning, as I did, with The Alienist. If you also find murder mysteries interesting, especially ones with suspense and historical real life settings, then this is the book for you.