Top 10 Best Moments From The Umbrella Academy Season 1
#10: The Ice Cream Truck
“Number Five”
Top 10 Darkest Umbrella Academy Moments
The Umbrella Academy gets a lot of things right, but what really sets this series apart is its willingness to inject silliness at the most unexpected times. Even during the most dramatic of sequences, it's only a matter of time until viewers are given a reason to smile. Towards the end of Episode 5, Luther and Number Five meet with Agents Cha-Cha and Hazel for a tense exchange. Everyone’s understandably on edge...that is until Diego and Klaus make their grand entrance. With Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” playing in jingle form, they crash the scene in an ice cream truck, mowing down the assassins. Klaus is clearly loving the absurdity of the whole thing, but it’s Ben’s “wheeeee” that really makes this such a standout moment.
#9: The Funeral
"We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals"
Top 10 Umbrella Academy Moments That Made Us Cry
As the title of this first episode suggests, the Hargreeves family is a rather dysfunctional one. It takes the death of their adoptive father to finally bring them all back together, and most of them make little effort to hide the fact that the reunion is a begrudging one. This moment, in particular, works as a perfect introduction to the series’ dark sense of humor. When Luther pours out their father’s ashes, the lack of wind, coupled with the rain, makes the whole thing painfully underwhelming, eliciting cringes all around. It's painful, but you can’t help but laugh at just how uncomfortable the moment is. As if that’s not enough, a fight ensues, resulting in the decapitation of the statue commemorating their brother. Meet the Hargreeves!
#8: Hazel vs. Cha-Cha
“Changes”
When we first meet this pair of agents, they seem like a good team… if somewhat prone to error. But when Hazel falls for a local woman working at Griddy’s Doughnuts, he attempts to start a new life. And to say that Cha-Cha feels betrayed is an understatement. She kidnaps Agnes and dangles her in front of Hazel - literally. It’s one of the tensest moments in the Umbrella Academy’s first season and a real testament to the character development. Hazel is technically one of the bad guys, but his romance with Agnes is so pure that you totally forget his past misdeeds in the moment. With Agnes’ life precariously hanging in the balance, this makes for an emotionally-charged and tense scene.
#7: Ben Helps Klaus
“Man on the Moon”
The Umbrella Academy Cast Interview
Sadly, not all of the Hargreeves children made it to adulthood. Thanks to Klaus’ unique ability, however, Ben is still very much around - even if his siblings can’t see him. As it turns out, Klaus’ drug addiction largely stems from an attempt to block out the spirits that follow him, including his brother. Their history might be complicated, but Ben remains Klaus’ biggest ally and supporter. He blends tough love and genuine affection in that distinctly brotherly way, and nowhere is this more evident than when Klaus is kidnapped. As the latter goes through withdrawal, Ben is right there by his side, giving him encouragement, love and support. It’s a unique sibling dynamic, but arguably also among the show’s most compelling relationships.
#6: Trashing Griddy’s
"We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals"
Hazel and Cha-Cha are many things, but subtle is not one of them. Only someone as disconnected as Klaus could remain blissfully ignorant to their trademark trigger-happy approach. Though the shootout in the Hargreeves home is a great moment, our favorite straightforward action sequence from the first season remains the throwdown at Griddy’s in the first episode. Number Five finds himself utterly surrounded by heavily armed men. But here’s the thing, while he might not look old enough to order coffee, Number Five has got decades worth of experience. Everything he touches turns into a weapon, and using his abilities, he absolutely wrecks the henchmen as they wreck Griddy’s. Consider yourself warned, these scene’s not for the squeamish.
#5: Vanya vs. Allison
"I Heard a Rumor"
Okay, so remember how we all thought that Vanya was this big disappointment to Mr. Hargreeves, who never manifested powers? Well, turns out that she does have powers and that she was forced to forget that fact for the safety of herself, her family and the world. It was actually Allison who executed the mind-wipe using her powers as “The Rumor.” And after Vanya learns the truth, things go from bad to worse real quick; Allison probably should’ve limited herself to one life-changing revelation. From the moment Allison arrives at the cabin, one could cut the tension with a knife. But in the end, it’s Vanya who does the cutting...with her bow. It’s a shocking turn of events.
#4: Vanya Destroys the Mansion
"The White Violin"
Vanya naturally feels awful about nearly killing her own sister. But she feels even worse when she realizes that Allison was telling her the truth about Leonard. Or should we say… Harold Jenkins! Suffice it to say, her manipulative boyfriend is made to suffer for his misdeeds; it’s the sort of scene that’s hard to watch but also impossible to look away from. Though it's quite the show of power, Vanya murdering Harold is just an appetizer. Vanya turns herself over to her siblings only to break out of her isolation chamber and really show them what she’s capable of. As Vanya tears apart the family home, it’s more just an act of wanton destruction. It’s an explosive and cathartic trip down memory lane for this emotionally-scarred odd child out.
#3: The Dance
"We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals"
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When a family is squabbling, mourning the death of their father, and there’s dramatic classical music playing, an upbeat dance party is just about the last thing you expect. But hey, this is a series that takes great pleasure in defying expectations! The Hargreeves might not be very good at communicating with one another, but after having all retreated to different rooms of the house, they indirectly bond by rocking out to “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany. They all cut loose and they do NOT hold back; the typically self-serious Diego showcases some especially surprising moves. But as is so often the case, it’s Klaus who steals the show by dancing with their dad’s urn. Seriously, feel good moments don’t get much better.
#2: Vanya’s Solo
“The White Violin”
Vanya might not think of herself as gifted, but it's clear from the outset that she’s an incredible violinist. When her musical ability is paired with her newly rediscovered superhuman powers, however, the results are awe-inspiring and downright terrifying to behold. Her siblings ambush her mid-performance, which goes just about as badly as you’d expect. With masked goons gunning for everyone involved and Vanya seemingly poised to bring about the end of the world, the theater scene makes for a truly edge-of-your-seat viewing experience. Yes, there’s a lot on the line, but there’s always an undercurrent of sibling love that brings an emotional resonance to this epic finale. And as the cherry on top, Ben comes to the rescue in epic fashion.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Department Store Melee & Saving Dolores
“Run Boy Run”
Introducing the Academy
"We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals"
The Other Dance
"The Day That Wasn't"
The Bowling Alley
“The White Violin”
An Interesting Development...and Klaus Being Klaus
"We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals"
#1: Dave
"The Day That Wasn't"
Top 10 Dave Chappelle Moments
Umbrella Academy manages to balance oddball comedy with heavy subject matter - and boy, is this episode ever a doozy. Klaus, for all his irreverent, nihilistic ways, is an incredibly sensitive and tortured soul. Though he often acts like he lives exclusively to get high, when he’s unwittingly sent back in time to the Vietnam War, he finds love and genuine happiness with a man named Dave. Unfortunately, this only leads Klaus to discover a new low when Dave is shot. There are a number of powerful moments throughout season 1, but watching Klaus react to Dave’s death is devastating. The scene in the trenches is tough, but it's Klaus’ ongoing pain, and his attempt to see Dave by getting clean, that really hits home.
