Netflix
Umbrella Academy Review – Reunited & It Feels Not So Good (2 x 05)
In episode 205, “Valhalla,” of Umbrella Academy, the Hargreeves siblings have finally reunited once again, but each of them has personal issues they need to resolve before they can work together as a team. The Handler sets a trap for the Swedes, and Lila blows her cover.
This episode is a pleasure to watch for a lot of reasons, but the main draw is the excellent choice of music throughout.
From the opening sequence highlighting Pogo and human Grace’s backstory with the song “Major Tom (Coming Home)” by Peter Schilling, the incorporation of music into the narrative was taken to another level, and rather than become a distraction, most of the song choices add a pleasantly surprising element into the mix.
In one instance, The Interrupters’ rendition of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” plays as Five fights with Lila.
In this fight, it seems that Lila has teleportation-like superpowers, which would make sense because she could possibly one of the children born in 1989 (like the members of the Umbrella Academy were) as she’s shown to be a young girl in 1992 in the last episode.
Meanwhile, the episode is generally geared to a more positive tone that’s both funny and uplifting at numerous points.
Except maybe during the Viking funeral when one of the Swedes was killed by the trap set by the Handler.
Hargreeves Family Reunion
The team gets back together in Elliott’s residence as they discuss what to do about the coming apocalypse.
Diego insists it involves their father, Reginald, and suggests they hunt him down and kill him. But Five disagrees and only wants to interrogate him.
In one particularly hilarious dialogue between the siblings, Vanya says the most sensible thing when she asks the question:
“Has anyone done anything to screw up the timeline?”
At first, everyone falls silent, but then start pointing things out that each of them has done during their time apart and blame each other since any of them could have jump-started the apocalypse.
Their involvement in the timeline certainly suggests this because Diego stalked Lee Harvey Oswald, Luther associated with Jack Ruby, Klaus started a cult, and Alison got involved in the local civil rights movement.
Vanya rules herself out because she’s become a nanny at a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, but the team doesn’t write her off since she started the original apocalypse in the first place.
As Klaus hilariously put it “Is it because of Vanya?” he asks getting dirty looks from everyone, “What? It’s always Vanya.”
The meeting ends when Luther walks out and declares they shouldn’t do anything about it because they might be the ones responsible for actually pursuing a solution in preventing the apocalypse.
Twisting the Night Away
After their family meeting goes awry, Klaus, Alison, and Vanya go to the parlor to unwind, drink, and dance as they discuss their respective love lives.
They come to the disturbing conclusion that every member of the Hargreeves family sucks at love, and the healthiest relationship any of the siblings have had is Five and his mannequin girlfriend, Dolores, in season 1. Which is a pretty low bar, to say the least.
So after an uplifting music montage to the tune of “Twisting The Night Away” by Sam Cooke, Klaus decides to go back to his cult to release them from his influence, and both Alison and Vanya go to their respective newfound love interests to repair and resolve them.
Meanwhile, Luther and Diego receive an ominous invitation from Reginald for a “light” supper. So things are about to get real since Reginald seems to have tracked the siblings down, and plans to confront them head-on.
Viking Funeral
One of the Swedes dies as a result of the Handler’s trap, which she framed to look like Diego had done it by using one of his knives as bait, which Lila had taken from him when they slept together two episodes prior.
The highlight of this story arc, however, is the use of a Swedish version of Adele’s “Hello” which plays during the Viking funeral scene where the two remaining Swedes pay their respects to their fallen brother.
The result is awesome because, despite no lines from the stoic Swedes, the scene is somber yet hilarious at the same time.
VERDICT: 9.5/10
As mentioned before in this article, Umbrella Academy raised the bar when it comes to incorporating music into their stories, and “Valhalla” certainly did a masterful job in evoking a lot of comedy and meaning into scenes simply by picking the right song to underscore the tone they were going for.
Stranger Things Season 4 was quite a bloodbath, but we haven’t seen anything yet.
While Vecna claimed a handful of victims in the first eight episodes of the season, none of them were part of the core cast.
That’s all about to change come Season 4B, which does not go easy on our Hawkins best and brightest.
The final two episodes — both feature-length in duration, clocking in at over two hours a piece — have been teased by Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson) as absolute “carnage.”
Noah Schnapp (Will Byers) has been doing the press rounds and hinting at a major character death, and truthfully, all signs point to Steve Harrington.
Think about it: His death would have the largest emotional impact. He’s a fan favorite, he’s the “dad” of the group often taking on the protector role and keeping the kids safe when their parents are literally nowhere to be found, he’s an overall good guy, and he has so much momentum and chemistry with Nancy right now, it’s insane.
Per Insider, Joe Keery’s character wasn’t supposed to survive the first season in the Duffer Brother’s original plan, but they simply couldn’t let him go.
And it’s exactly why his death would destroy a whole fandom, crumbling them at the core. It’s a death that will hit both fans and characters equally as hard. Some might argue that Steve is the glue that holds it all together, never taking himself too seriously but also going boldly right into the danger zone.
Matt Duffer didn’t exactly confirm that Steve would be the big death of the season, but he also didn’t deny it either.
“If he’s going to die, it’s not going to be from the bat bite,” Matt told Variety, which is almost reassuring. He did acknowledge everyone is “worried about Steve,” so maybe his death is too obvious.
If we’re all prepared for it, it won’t be as effective, right?
STRANGER THINGS. (L to R) Eduardo Franco as Argyle, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, and Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers in STRANGER THINGS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
In that case, could it be Nancy Wheeler? At the end of season 4, Nancy is stuck in the Upside Down in a trance as Vecna explains his origin story to her. It’s unclear why he chose to be honest with Nancy, but that’s a good journalist for you — getting the story even when it could cost her her life.
Of course, Steve is in the Upside Down with Nancy, so I don’t think she’ll die there just yet. There’s no way he’d leave her behind without bringing her to safety. But if Nancy is already connected to Vecna, that means she’s running out of time and unless she can find a foothold in the real world to keep her safe a la Max’s “Running Up That Hill,” she might just be his next victim.
Other possibilities:
Dr. Benner or Dr. Owens — Both of them care for Eleven and want to help restore her powers so that she can defeat this evil once and for all. But the FBI is coming for them, and they don’t take kindly to betrayal. I can see them sacrificing themselves to help Eleven escape for the greater good. Owens would be slightly more upsetting because Brenner might just deserve it.
Eddie — Eddie is a fan favorite, and if look at the show’s track record of killing off the lovable, new guy, well, it doesn’t bode well for the newcomer. He’s already been to the Upside Down, and based on the teaser, we know he returns there for some epic guitar solo. Maybe that’s his triumphant moment before death?
Jonathan — The only way that Nancy and Steve could work is if Jonathan is out of the picture. And while it’s cruel to kill him off for the sake of another relationship, there’s also not much that Jonathan is actually contributing to the storyline anymore aside from getting high with his friend Argyle. His death, however, would shake the core group as he’s Will’s brother and rock.
Eleven — It’s unlikely that the series would risk killing their biggest asset, but she is gearing up for her biggest battle yet. It’s going to take everything that she has. Some might say, you don’t make it out alive after using up all that power. And Eleven loves her friends deeply, so we know she would sacrifice everything for them.
STRANGER THINGS. (L to R) Tom Wlaschiha as Dmitrti, Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, and David Harbour as Jim Hopper in STRANGER THINGS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
Joyce, Murray, Dmitri, and Hopper are in a dangerous situation in Russia, but considering that they’ve managed to survive a plane crash, Siberia, imprisonment, and a Demogorgon, I have full faith in them!
Who do you think is going to die on Stranger Things Season 4B?
The latest true-crime series on Netflix that’s gripping/disturbing audiences everywhere? Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.
The four-part series is based on the polygamous religious section known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). It examines the rise of leader Warren Jeffs, who, at one point (prior to his arrest), had about 69 wives, some as young as 12.
If you find the synopsis disturbing, you’re pretty much on the same page as viewers who recalled feeling quite “traumatized” and “sic” after watching the show.
Here are some of the tweets and reactions about Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey:
just finished “keep sweet: pray and obey”. I don’t have the words. need everyone to try and watch this, it’s so sickening.
kids getting married off to men old enough to be their grandfathers. pic.twitter.com/dTOEkEHJfg
— Menks (@choplifexo) June 9, 2022
https://twitter.com/Rachel_Andrews/status/1534644130634244099?s=20&t=mGy6HiJYfutUpVJ-y_4Mgw
Watched Keep sweet , pray and obey on #Netflix mmmm I don't even know what to say
— . (@snatched_fire) June 9, 2022
https://twitter.com/SpaaceWitch666/status/1534952940695437319?s=20&t=mGy6HiJYfutUpVJ-y_4Mgw
I thought the new season of Stranger things season was dark… then I watched Keep Sweet; Pray and Obey and it made me physically nauseous lol. I hope Warren Jeffs gets beat up in prison every day for the rest of his life
— Brax (@byu_homer) June 9, 2022
Well, all I can say after watching that, is that the women who escaped from the FLDS and have built new lives for themselves are incredibly brave and deserve a heap of cash from all the millions held by the ‘church’. #KeepSweetPrayAndObey
— Ian McClellan (@ianmac67_SE) June 9, 2022
I nominate Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey for horror movie of the year
— emma ✨ (@e_graceful) June 10, 2022
#keepsweetprayandobey documentary on Netflix is crazy. The things that happen in society under the name of religion and faith is just filthy.
— Clarette Waithera (@ClaretteWaithe1) June 8, 2022
https://twitter.com/ClaretteWaithe1/status/1534545816442097665?s=20&t=mGy6HiJYfutUpVJ-y_4Mgw
https://twitter.com/KimMannix/status/1534947655909904384?s=20&t=mGy6HiJYfutUpVJ-y_4Mgw
https://twitter.com/oucrimsongirl/status/1535261255686148098?s=20&t=mGy6HiJYfutUpVJ-y_4Mgw
If you told me Heaven was a ranch in Texas where I had to do chores and make lunch for a bunch of old dudes, I’d be making accommodations to reach Hell as soon as possible. #keepsweetprayandobey #keepsweet
— Tyler’s sense of shame (@TchtJustine) June 11, 2022
The fourth and final season of Manifest is on the horizon!
As part of Geeked Week, Netflix gave fans a first look and the upcoming season.
The clip features Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), who takes an unsolicited trip to the docks to locate a shipping container decked out in images of cherry blossom.
The shipping container that she needed to locate is glowing, so it’s likely that a vision brought her here.
But when she opens that bad boy up, it doesn’t seem like she knows what she’s looking for at all. In fact, she’s terrified to find a hand reaching for her. The man, who doesn’t seem to be doing well at all, has “Stone 828” carved into his hand. I really hope they aren’t introducing zombies into the mix.
Netflix knew that they would pique our interest with this snippet, but since we have no other context about the scene, there’s not much to theorize or go off of in terms of what’s happening.
All we truly know is that the Stone family is doing their best to crack the mystery of what happened to Flight 828 before time officially runs out.
What do you think about the sneak peek?
There is no season premiere date just yet, but according to Netflix the final season is “coming soon.” And it was confirmed that it will be released in two batches of 10 episodes.
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