Read This Before You Let Your Kids Binge Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy

Published on 8/17/2020 at 2:11 PM

If superheroes are your jam, then the second season of Netflix's The Umbrella Academy is a must-watch. Centered on six siblings who are meant to save the world from an impending nuclear apocalypse with their various powers, the dark comedy is chock-full of action and top-notch performances from actors like Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, and Kate Walsh.

Based on the comic series by the same name — written by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá — fans can't get enough of the highly dysfunctional Hargreeves family. While we're always eager to share our passions with our kids and we're no strangers to skirting a PG-13 rating every now and then, there are plenty of reasons Common Sense Media recommends The Umbrella Academy for kids ages 15 and up.

Ahead, get a look at some of the show's mature elements before queuing it up for the younger set.

There's a boatload of violence.

Like any series that involves superheroes, parents can expect a ton of epic fighting scenes that might not be suitable for little ones. From bar fights to throwing people out of windows to a close-up of a head that's stored in a freezer, there's no shortage of violence in season two of The Umbrella Academy.

If you saw the first season of the hit show, it's fair to say the number of knock-down-drag-out fights are par for the course. However, throw in scenes that involve a nuclear war in the first episode of season two, and you might be verging on nightmare territory.

There's significant racial strife in the second season.

Because the second season of The Umbrella Academy is set in Dallas during the 1960s, a major arc centers on racial justice. In particular, one of the siblings, Allison Hargreeves (played by Emmy Raver-Lampman), stands up to issues of racism that plague the Southern town alongside her activist husband, Ray Chestnut (Yusuf Gatewood).

Without question, parents should be making it a point to discuss racism with their kids, and the second season of The Umbrella Academy touches on topics like sit-ins, overt racism, and violence against Black people. Although some of the scenes include physical fights, they show the dark underbelly of American history, which is a topic that's certainly worth broaching with children.

You get a look at how psychiatric facilities were run in the 1960s.

While we've come a long way in treating mental health issues in the United States, the 1960s were an entirely different story. In the second season of The Umbrella Academy, Diego Hargreeves (David Castañeda) gets detained in a psychiatric institution after sharing his plans to preemptively stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Although Diego eventually manages to break out of the mental healthcare facility, viewers see how rough its employees are with Diego, going as far as dislocating his shoulder. Moreover, he eventually spends some time wearing a straight jacket in a padded room, which can make just about anyone watching feel pangs of claustrophobia.

Substance abuse issues are treated very casually.

For adults, the character of Klaus Hargreeves (Robert Sheehan) adds a hilarious twist to this dark comedy. However, his penchant for drugs and alcohol still raises some eyebrows. Although some of the imagery of his drug abuse is toned down compared to the first season, his reliance on illegal substances is still treated rather casually.

In season two, there are plenty of instances where Klaus is painfully hungover and several mentions of his drug and alcohol dependency. While he adds depth to the series as a whole, we wouldn't want our children to get the wrong idea about how dangerous substance abuse truly is.