Life Lessons you can learn from The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Episodes 3 and 4

What a pleasant surprise watching The Umbrella Academy has been. It really is a charming twist on the crowded superhero genre with a story that ends up getting you much more invested than you initially think. Throw in a bit of time travel and I’m obviously hooked It teaches you some lessons that you can (obviously) apply to your own life. In the third and fourth episodes of season 3 alone you learn…

1. No matter how many times you tell them, some people will still give you god damn peas!
2. Don’t be an Elmar.
3. There is a time and place for karate.
4. Some people have an itch only an apocalypse can scratch.
5. Squirting lotion in a person’s eye is a good way to end a fight with a naked person.
6. Just because you don’t have what someone wants, doesn’t mean you can’t still make a deal with them.
7. You have to care about someone enough to lie to them.
8. Even if you’re 99% sure something won’t work, let someone try it…especially if you don’t like them.
9. Lionel Richie can’t just waltz his way onto a romantic mixed tape like he used to.
10. Never turn your back, especially not to your children. Even then, that doesn’t guarantee you a visit.
11. Some people just hate tiny sandwiches.
12. Garlic is for winners.
13. If you’ve got a live Molotov cocktail, don’t just drop it on the floor next to you!
14. Don’t take it too personally if a rabbit bites you.
15. Heavens to Betsy works as a good substitute for bloody hell.
16. Some people really don’t want to tell the truth.
17. Make sure that when you say you’ve lost someone, you make it clear if you actually mean lost or dead.
18. If you are going to be known as the idea guy, you need to be able to regularly come up with at least decent ideas.
19. Someone can be not not with you without being with you.
20. You might not be able to trust an email from a Nigerian Prince but one from a Nigerian King who was unjustly deposed is completely trustworthy.
21. Do not disrespect the slushie, you can always liven it up with a bit of alcohol.
22. People can flip between being a maverick and being a company man.
23. Be careful when holding a harpoon gun. Keep your finger off the trigger!

Life Lessons you can learn from The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Episodes 1 and 2

What a pleasant surprise watching The Umbrella Academy has been. It really is a charming twist on the crowded superhero genre with a story that ends up getting you much more invested than you initially think. Throw in a bit of time travel and I’m obviously hooked It teaches you some lessons that you can (obviously) apply to your own life. In the premiere episodes of season 3 alone you learn…

1. That “squelching” and “flesh tearing” are wince-inducing subtitles to use to describe the sound of giving birth.
2. Some people think it is socially acceptable to lovingly skip around one another on a moving train.
3. You’ve got to poke a baby before you try to buy.
4. People aren’t saying no to you, they are just a “spirited negotiator”.
5. Why fight when you can have a dance off.
6. If you are paying for the rights to “Footloose” then you are going to play more than a few seconds.
7. Birds can peck their way through a wooden door if they are angry enough.
8. You can refer to an old building as a “slutty old dame”.
9. You and your siblings need your own treadmills and all run on them in a room next to each other.
10. High ceilings create a sense of space.
11. Everywhere has multiple bathrooms if you count nature’s bathroom.
12. A swarm of bees is considered a relaxing sound by some people.
13. There’s two types of superheroes: world enders and meat in spandex.
14. You know when you might find your mum scrawling ancient symbols on the floor in your basement.
15. Too many birds in the park can be a sign of trouble.
16. You don’t even notice the box you’re in until someone comes along and lets you out.
17. Don’t trust people who try to “homicide” you!
18. Birds are going to do whatever the hell birds do.
19. If you have ear medicine, it is your own responsibility to bring it with you.
20. Just because you are number one in something, doesn’t mean you know everything.
21. Hitting something that doesn’t work against a bench probably isn’t going to help matters.
22. Family is like a giant ball of untangleable twine.
23. If there’s a chance that you’ll need an inhaler mid-fight, think about how much trash talking and moving about you’re doing.
24. The Amish all being friendly is a misconception…of course it is; everywhere has idiots.
25. No paper for a tricky equation? Use a car window instead!
26. There are levels to the paradox game.

Five Things From: Echo episode 3, Tuklo

Hello everyone and welcome to the latest edition of Five Things From. This time we are looking at episode 3 of the MCU Disney Plus show Echo, Tuklo. Which five things stood out and for what reasons? Let’s take a closer look…

1. Out of their Depth

I don’t know why but I found it quite amusing when Maya woke up to see the villainous staff of the roller-disco walking towards her. The three worked well as small-time criminals way out of their league. They weren’t too comedic either but they worked well to show how much of a legitimate danger Fisk’s group was. I felt sorry for the guy who got killed, and the image of him coughing up blood and draped over the barricade must be up there as one of the MCU’s goriest visuals.

2. Sign Language

Sign language is incorporated very well into this show but I like how they use it as a storyline tool too. The locals who know it make use of it to pass secret messages and dangers that the villains won’t pick up on. I wonder though how hard it is to be saying one thing in sign language while having a completely different conversation verbally at the same time!

3. Arcade Violence

The whole arcade scene was really fun and for the most part, well put together (I thought cutting to the flashbacks on moments of impact took away from the moments of impact but I understood that they wanted to show the connection between Maya and her ancestors). The highlight was definitely using the wires from arcade guns as whips as Maya was able to cause a surprising amount of damage with them.

4. Fault

I am not saying this as a criticism to the show but Maya’s reluctance to take blame and responsibility can be hard to stomach. She is incredibly selfish in dragging other people into her mess, especially the owner of the roller disco. She wont accept that she is putting innocent people in danger by being here, at least not to a degree where she is actually willing to change her plans to try and prevent it.

5. Fisk

Fisk is back complete with an eye patch and he cut such an intimidating presence as always. This confrontation with Maya should be a good one and having him appear in multiple episodes and not just the finale really helps to elevate the show as a whole.

Five Things From: Loki Season 2 Finale

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Five Things From. This time we are looking at the season 2 finale of the MCU Disney Plus series, Loki. Which five things stood out and for what reasons? Let’s take a closer look…

1. Leading Man

Tom Hiddleston deserves immense credit for his masterful performance in this episode. He was both subdued and captivating as he very much carried the majority of the episode on his shoulders. Loki’s journey to that of a hero is now complete and Hiddleston conveyed so much with just facial expressions and the look in his eye. No matter, what else is said here about the episode, season or show, the quality of Hiddleston’s performance is never in doubt.

2. Powers

Loki had now mastered his time slipping powers which seemed to mean he could now appear anywhere he wanted within his own timeline. This was a very clever idea and made for a great storyline tool. The time pausing however seemed a little bit more convenient. He Who Remains could do it and then Loki learnt too. The former doing it as almighty time god or whatever was fine but I felt giving it to Loki too was a bit much.

3. A Trip Down Memory Lane

As previously mentioned, the time slipping was used to go back to keep moments in the show’s history which was played to great dramatic effect. They genuinely had you believe at one point that changing the show’s season 1 finale was the only answer and that Loki would have to kill Sylvi before she killed He Who Remains. The emotion created by the music and sheer repetition of key moments made for a very engaging middle chunk of the episode.

4. Wrapping Things Up

The ending while visually stunning, was not the easiest to comprehend. Loki is a time god now but I won’t even pretend to understand how he did it. He swanned down the comically large walk way to the loom and then a lot of stuff happened with his green magic that can seem to do all sorts. It looked nice though.

5. Ant Man

I caught the cheeky reference to Antman Quantamania at the end as the TVA mentioned that they had defeated a Kang variant. In hindsight, they could have put any villain in that movie though.

Five Things From: Loki Season 2 Episode 5: Science/Fiction

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Five Things From. This time we are looking at season 2 episode 5 of Loki; Science/Fiction. Which five things stood out and for what reasons? Let’s take a closer look…

1. Alcatraz

Loki had to go around and gather up all of his team who for the most part, had no memory of him or any idea who he was. The most out-there variant was Casey who was revealed to be Frank Morris, one of the criminals who escaped from Alcatraz prison in the 60s and were never found. This isn’t the first time that the show has done something like this as they revealed a Loki variant to be famous mystery plane hijacker D.B Cooper in the show’s first season.

2. Jet Skis

We got a look at a Mobius variant and he turned out to be a jet ski seller who was also a down on his luck single dad. He had his hands full too as one of his sons seemed to have the unfortunate hobby of setting fire to things. One could argue that having him be a jet ski seller was lazy while others could say it was the perfect fit. This can’t be the jet ski pay off though; he needs to have a proper vacation on one when his full TVA memories are intact.

3. Books

OB was a wannabee sci-fi author who didn’t appear to have much success in selling his books. He had the unique plan to sneak his books into book stores so that people would by them. This was a clever long-term way to build up a fanbase and get his material out there but a failure if you look at it from a financial standpoint. He won’t get any royalties or share in the profit as the books aren’t registered on the till systems and him trying to buy his own book actually made no sense whatsoever!

4. Spaghetti

The spaghettification is quickly becoming the show’s version of the snap! People were getting wiped out of existence left, right and centre. As they were all various alternate timelines, it does make you wonder if this is reversible or all of these people and world are gone forever and it would be new and different world taking their place when things get presumably fixed.

5. Time Skipping

Loki finally seemed to get a grip with his time skipping and looked to go back to the end of the previous episode at the end of this one. This does make this episode feel like a bit of a waste of time, although it did provide a viewpoint of how bad things are going to get if it isn’t sorted out. Your mileage on this kind of thing can vary and it will really depend on if you think seeing a set of variants of the main cast was worth your time.

Life Lessons the Umbrella Academy 2×6 and 2×7 teaches you

One must always be open to learning new things and taking lessons from everything you can do, see or watch. For example, the Umbrella Academy has taught me many an important life lesson such as…

1. People will question the non-violent option.
2. You can have anything you want on a Christmas bauble.
3. Some would rather lick a cheese grater than listen to jazz.
4. There is little more painful than seeing a man left hanging for a fist bump by two people at the same time.
5. The worst type of fraud you can be is a fraud to yourself.
6. In any coup, you need a scapegoat.
7. Shouting “Bingo, you old shitbags” may cause some offense.
8. You need to just your hill to die on but not literally.
9. Be careful who you square up to while naked. There are plenty of things they can grab on to to “force your hand”.
10. Some people are sticklers for a pesky little thing called evidence.
11. One of man’s greatest flaws is the illusion of control.
12. Awful characters can still provide you with many good quotes.
13. Axes were too easily accessible in the sixties.
14. Sometimes you need to just ignore the craziness you and walk back the way you came.
15. Nothing’s impossible, although time limits can make it feel that way.
16. Any awkward telephone conversation by claiming it is the wrong number, telling them to having a lovely day and then hanging up immediately.
17. Just because you ask for any questions, it doesn’t mean you have to answer or even listen to any of them.
18. Making dirt angels is a thing.
19. Don’t tug on your ear lobe too much; you might need to get a cream for it.
20. You don’t want your security outfits to be too pansy-ass.
21. No one is insignificant.
22. The Backstreet Boys can be used for backing music in a variety of situations.
23. Never take your eyes off an armed officer confronting you.

Life Lessons Umbrella Academy 1×6 and 1×7 teaches you.

One must always be open to learning new things and taking lessons from everything you can do, see or watch. For example, the Umbrella Academy has taught me many an important life lesson such as…

1. Mud in your ears can affect your hearing.
2. Shouting “busy” won’t necessarily stop someone from coming into your bathroom while you’re in it.
3. There could be way more than food in a fridge.
4. Vainglorious is a word.
5. Some people don’t make the cut for family pictures.
6. You’d be surprised what some people are cool with.
7. The completion of some tasks rely on utter silence.
8. Netflix will subtitle urinating.
9. You don’t want to burn your rugae.
10. Sometimes you need to ask the cuckoo bananas question.
11. Fun does not have to be confined to Saturdays between noon and half past noon.
12. You may as well log in some quality bro time before the end of the world.
13. Pee before you get tied up.
14. People grow, tents don’t.
15. If you don’t like something you read on a piece of paper, just burn it.
16. You can dance anywhere.
17. Always hide the body.
18. Not everyone can be powerful.
19. Chasing something unattainable is a recipe for a lifetime of disappointment and resentment.
20. Just because it is in a dumpster, it doesn’t mean you can’t still help yourself.
21. Not everyone has the same “yesterday”.
22. Leaders lead.
23. Just because you’ve sent something to someone, it doesn’t mean that they’ve looked at it.
24. Some people are just ass holes, right til the end.
25. Pileated woodpeckers mate for life.
26. Never presume people are going to just stick to the plan.
27. A murder shrine in your attic may raise questions.
28. A person’s overinvestment can be a big hint to an ulterior motive.
29. There is no “5 second rule” for pills you find on the floor.
30. Screaming threats at someone while helplessly handcuffed to a radiator is not a good look.

Life Lessons Umbrella Academy 1×4 and 1×5 teaches you.

One must always be open to learning new things and taking lessons from everything you can do, see or watch. For example, the Umbrella Academy has taught me many an important life lesson such as…

1. If your house is big enough, you can ride a bike indoors.
2. You don’t need to use a number to describe something if you only have one left.
3. A place doesn’t have to be on your way to walk someone there.
4. There’s nothing like a little strangling to get the blood flowing.
5. Have an excuse ready if you are caught in someone’s house. Beware though, a bathroom-related one might not cut it.
6. Want to go into the prosthetics business? Eyeballs are a big seller.
7. You’re okay to have a little dance while you’re burning something.
8. Sometimes it is about why people leave but sometimes it is about why you stay.
9. Men can be unredeemable shits.
10. Some people are scarier without masks.
11. There are ways other muffled screams to get yourself noticed if you’ve been gagged.
12. Never presume that a person is working alone.
13. No matter how much of a state you look, they’ll still let you on the bus.
14. You’d be surprised how much stuff has a serial number on the back.
15. Be careful who’s contract you break.
16. Time changes everything.
17. When something seems too perfect it is usually anything but.
18. You know someone means business if they have a briefcase full of knives.
19. Someone who usually doesn’t shut up not speaking speaks volumes.
20. Nobody at the bar? Just help yourself to a shot!
21. Bird Watchers call each other twitchers.
22. The secret to life is to keep things simple.
23. Everyone has something you can use to threaten them with.
24. Everyone should have a trail.
25. Licking a nine volt battery will not help you to grow pubes.
26. You can save someone’s life and they’ll still think you’re an idiot.
27. You can be good at something and take pride in it without enjoying it or it giving you pleasure.
28. An ice cream truck can play “Ride of the Valkyries”.

Life Lessons you learn from episodes 2 and 3 of Umbrella Academy season 1 (Run Boy Run and The Extra Ordinary)

One must always be open to learning new things and taking lessons from everything you can do, see or watch. For example, the Umbrella Academy has taught me many an important life lesson such as…

1. It’s not just music you can get on vinyl. You can get mountaineering advice on it too.
2. Knowledge is an admirable goal…but not at mealtimes.
3. If you don’t get it then you’re probably not ready.
4. Twinkies do not have an endless shelf life.
5. You can still be dumb, even if you are a professional.
6. It is never too late at night to buy an ice cream cone.
7. You can’t smoke eggs.
8. Be careful who you call “young man”.
9. You always need a cover story.
10. You’d be surprised what you can clamp to someone’s nipples and ears.
11. As an adult, you don’t get to blame your problems on anyone but yourself.
12. Never try and reason with a man who is willing to smash a snow globe over their own head.
13. It’s easier to learn music when you’re young; like a second language.
14. One grows used to things even if sometimes, one shouldn’t.
15. Installing CCTV in your house is useful in case you forget to record your kids doing stuff growing up.
16. Don’t feel limited in any way when selecting your robbery/assassination mask.
17. If you’re raised to be believe that nothing about you is special and if the benchmark is extraordinary, it leaves with no motivation whatsoever.
18. Don’t confuse spandex with leather.
19. At a certain point it is no longer about practice, it is about whether you have something special and some people just don’t.
20. Sometimes there is beauty in the mundane.
21. Even a machine can lose their mind.
22. Some things just take time while other things just stay broken.
23. Don’t wax your ass with chocolate pudding: it’s painful…apparently.
24. Everybody deserves a vote.
25. Be careful what you daydream about in the bath.
26. You’d be surprised what people don’t hear.
27. There is always time to stop for a jelly donut.

Five Things From: Secret Invasion Episode 1

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Five Things From. This time we are taking a look at the first episode of the latest MCU Disney Plus offering, Secret Invasion. Which five things stood out from the premiere and for what reasons? Let’s take a closer looks…

1. Everett Ross

The whole premise of this show is going to rely on who is a Skrull and who isn’t, with you never being able to be 100% sure of anyone’s identity. While we will have to wait and see if the novelty of that will spread effectively across the entire season, they demonstrated the tension and drama the scenario can create early on. Martin Freeman seemingly reprised his role as the likeable Everett Ross but was in fact a Skrull in disguise. It was a shame the conspiracy guy who knew all about the Skrulls was killed off so early though as he could have been an interesting new character.

2. Opening Credits?

The fact that this show had opening credits (that were very well designed with a smoky green aesthetic to represent the Skrulls) really threw me off! Is this the first MCU show to have opening credits rather than at the end? In hindsight, I guess it was done to make the end (which I will get onto in a moment) more impactful so this may have just been a one off. Either way, it caught me off guard.

3. Olivia Colman

While only appearing in a couple of scenes, Olivia Colman managed to create a big enough sense of intrigue that it made me want to find out more about her. Her alignments were blurry but a history between her and Fury was more than teased. She also injected the right amount of humour which was also used as an attempt to intimidate Fury with a demonstration of her power and resources.

4. Safe Haven

Of course something dodgy was going on in the Skrull compound where Skrulls can live safely and in peace. They had lots of people strapped up to machines which kept them unconscious while the Skrulls masqueraded as them. The machines also seemingly allowed the Skrulls to take their memories but does the person need to remain in the machine (or alive) for the memories to remain in the Skrull?

5. Maria

The episode came to an explosive end which seemingly saw the death of long-time MCU character Maria Hill. Now Hill is a character who I feel has always struggled to make a truly meaningful impact on the franchise, struggling for relevance since the MCU moved into Phase 3.  Her death didn’t hit as hard as it could have and felt slightly underwhelming. They didn’t give us enough time to properly love the character again (or at all) before killing her off. If this had happened at the end of episode 4 or 5 then it would have had a much bigger impact.