Netflix’s new show “The Umbrella Academy” is based off the comic book series of the same name, created by Gerard Way, famously known as the frontman for My Chemical Romance. The Netflix adaptation, developed by Steve Blackman and Jeremy Slater, is about a group of kids born around the same time who are taken under the care of billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves. He trains the children to become a super-powered, crime-fighting group known as the Umbrella Academy.

While the show starts out strong, it becomes drawn out as it tries to both fill an episode quota and keep your attention. The first episode makes the characters likeable as you understand their motives. Unfortunately, the show becomes a detective drama toward the episode’s end and leaves no time to get close to the characters.

The show finds humor within the flaws of Number Five, played by Aidan Gallagher. It then moves on to introduce Allison and Vanya, who are played by Emmy Raver-Lampman and Ellen Page respectively. Their story lines are fantastic as off-shoot pieces, but do not quite fit within the overarching narrative. For instance, it isn’t until the fifth episode when viewers start to understand Allison. Their storylines are as if the writers are trying to squeeze more in to make up for the lackluster content in the rest of the season.

Number Five has the ability to time travel, so one would think that he would be the main focus of the show, but he takes a backseat for most of the season’s second half. In addition, while the developing love story between Allison and another team member, Luther, was compelling, it felt like it happened too soon. I would have loved to see the buildup of a gradual attraction.

“The Umbrella Academy” plays out like a slow-motion fight scene in a superhero movie. Each episode is about an hour long. Some of the show’s best parts are the flashback scenes set in 1989, where the show was able to create a sense of nostalgia as if you have always known these characters.

The comic book origin of the show gives a lot of room to work out a great story for a second season. By establishing time travel, the possibilities are endless. The story introduces both the audience and the characters to the beginning of a futuristic world.

Despite the show’s chaotic pacing, “The Umbrella Academy” is still worth a watch for its style and color palette. The team plays well off of each other, and there is never a truly dull moment until they stop fighting. My advice for a second season would be to not stop the action!