Well, now if I’m getting back into the flow of writing, no
point letting it go to waste, but this time let’s talk about something more
positive. The Umbrella Academy is a
show that is…flawed. Certain character arcs go unfulfilled, the choice in
soundtrack is hit or miss and often it seems to think it’s smarter than it is
when the writing relies too much on conventional storytelling as a shorthand in
place of actual development or ideas. Wait, this was supposed to be a positive
post-danggit! Despite all that, it is still a very good show with a fantastic
cast, top notch visuals and like I said, the soundtrack may be hit or miss, but
here we’re talking about a time where it hit the hardest, even if it is an easy pick.
In case you haven't seen the series here is a bit of
backstory to the scene in question for context. The Umbrella Academy pilot sees 5 siblings reunite as adults after
their estranged father has died, most of them have not seen each other in years
and have some have clearly lead difficult lives and gone down very different
paths, most of which can be led back to their father and his manipulative &
abusive methods. Oh, they’re also all super powered beings-but that is
important right now! This all leads to the 5 siblings having a falling out over
their different perspectives of their father now that he’s dead, and they all
sit in their house separately moping. That is until Luther the defacto “Leader”
of the group begins playing the 1987 hit ‘I
Think We’re Alone Now’ by Tiffany and the entire family starts dancing to
the song in their rooms.
So let’s dive in!
First of all is the very literal interpretation of the
lyrics that apply to the character’s situation. “Children behave, that's what
they say when we're together” the characters have never really progressed into
a real sense of adulthood considering the abuse they shared as youths that
effects them to this day, especially now that they’re back together, they all
seem to fall back into their defacto roles that they took on as kids.
Luther-The Jock, Diego-The Criminal, Allison-The Princess, Klaus-The
Basketcase, Vanya-The Brain…okay Vanya doesn’t really fit that role but we had
a good Breakfast Club thing going here - which leads me to my next point! The
series lives in somewhat of a timeless environment, the technology seems to be
a mixture of dated and modern, meaning given the context an 80s song is worked in
as somewhat of a nostalgia piece, seeing as Luther finds the record in his
childhood room. Everyone listening and dancing along with it enforces this idea
of childhood regression, but rather than one of repressed emotions, its one of
nostalgia, one of joy, one of freedom; to release themselves from the tension
and complications that have come with adulthood. It’s the only moment of the
pilot that gives the characters a break and a chance to feel something
positive, contrasting that with the dark and rather depressive tone for the
rest of the episode, it makes the moment impact all the harder.
Then there is of course the dancing itself, everyone dancing
in their rooms like no one’s watching, or as the song puts it “I think we’re
alone now”. It’s a humanising moment that honestly adds more dimension to these
characters than any number of scenes of them arguing ever could, they each have
their own styles and seeing their behaviour on their own shows up more of them as
people. Particularly the character of Diego who until this point was the gritty
& gruff anti-hero who is now dancing to an 80s bop from his childhood, it’d
be like seeing The Punisher do the moonwalk. Then it all comes to a climax with
a shot of the whole house and the 5 of them dancing together to the song. A representation
of how despite their differences, they are still a family and they still have a
connection, they all grew up here, they all suffered from the same person and
they all feel connected via this song.
It’s a beautiful moment that connects these characters and
develops them through the use of visual storytelling and a perfect choice in song
that reflects their emotions. As a series the use of music can clash between being
a great fit for the scene and the use of a cool song just for the sake of a
cool song. The pilot is clunky in its pacing, the characters don’t get many
opportunities to breathe. The series is flawed, I’d argue it’s greater than the
sum of its parts, as there are multiple moments where it’s a standout of a
series, then there are times where it feels rather generic or even dull, but if
each episode had a moment like this (And some do) then I’d call it one of the
better shows on TV nowadays. Regardless of the quality for the rest of the
series, it doesn’t take away from the impact of this scene, it’s perfect in its
storytelling and is one of the best single scenes I’ve ever seen in a
television show. If that doesn’t convince you to give this show a try…there’s
also a talking chimp named Pogo who acts as their butler, 10/10 best character
ever.
-Danny
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