Umbrella Academy season 3 spoilers follow.
The Umbrella Academy has always been inherently queer, and not just because of LGBTQ+ characters like Klaus and Viktor.
As we pointed out back when season two dropped, "This is a story of outsiders, one where even straight, white cisgender men like Luther struggle to fit in," whether it's because of their mutated bodies, their off-putting powers, or even the colour of their skin.
Everyone on this show, regardless of their identity, is consistently "othered" by society at large, which means that everyone is experiencing this world in ways that are all too relatable for the LGBTQ+ community.
So, given Umbrella Academy's focus on pain and trauma, it would have been easy to assume that Elliot Page's real-life transition might end up rooted in something similar once translated to the show. But, thankfully, that's not been the case at all.
In fact, season three of Umbrella Academy goes out of its way to seamlessly incorporate Elliot's gender identity into the story without any of the usual suffering or prejudice that we see all-too-often onscreen.
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Viktor has always felt different, uncomfortable in his own skin, and that was true regardless of the name he chose to go by or the way he presented himself on the outside. So when Number Seven walks into a male hairdressers and decides to cut his hair short in episode two, it doesn't feel like something that's been forced on to the character out of nowhere.
As a voiceover from Sissy reminds us, "You don't even know the box you're in until someone lets you out," and that sentiment becomes tangible in the form of Viktor's new haircut, as well as the more masculine clothes that Viktor now chooses to wear.
All of Viktor's siblings come around to this revelation quite quickly too. When he steps in and says, "It's who I've always been," no one has an issue with Viktor's transition, and Five even goes out of his way to say, "I'm truly happy for you" before talk returns to the cosmic problems at hand.
A more involved coming out happens soon after with Allison, who Viktor's always been closest to. Somewhat selfishly, Allison asks him, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" although, to be fair, Viktor points out that she couldn't have known because he didn't know himself, not fully:
"Being with Sissy, she opened something in me. She showed me that I'd never be free hiding from who I really am. After losing her, I realised that I just can't live in that box anymore. I won't."
To which Allison replies, "Thank you for trusting me with this." Knowing that Elliot has gone through this same journey himself in real life, it feels as though he is also trusting the viewers with some insight into his own experience too.
"I always hate mirrors," adds Viktor during that same conversation. "I thought everyone always felt so strange in their skin. I guess that's not true, right?"
When Allison asks him what he sees now when he looks in the mirror, Viktor simply says, "Me. Just me." And the smile that beams across his face here feels so authentic in a way that few other shows could possibly hope to emulate.
The closest thing we get to conflict in this arc is just Luther being a bit awkward at first, but it all comes from a place of love, and by the end, he even asks Viktor to be his best man at the wedding.
Of course, that's worlds removed from the relentless bigotry that so many trans people face now more than ever in the real world, from their own families and wider society. And it's vital that stories onscreen reflect this. Otherwise, awareness of this struggle and any positive change that could follow would feel even further out of reach.
But equally, there's something to be said for a show like Umbrella Academy that presents a happier version of the trans coming-out story, even if it might be less relatable for some. Just like gay stories can't all end with suffering, it could be argued that the same must be true for trans storytelling as well.
And what better avenue is there for this than the superhero genre, which, despite its many darker moments, is ultimately about helping people and saving the day?
Crucially though, this story is still rooted in truth. It would have been far too easy for the writers to just rely on fantastical, sci-fi tropes that could explain away Viktor's transition without creating direct parallels to trans experiences in real life. But there's no parallel version of Viktor who replaces his former self, or any kind of random body transmogrification via magic or tech.
Viktor simply shares his true self here, and this feels like a very natural evolution for both the character and also the show at large.
Back in 2020, we suggested that, "If season one was defined by Vanya's pain, then season two is ultimately the story of Vanya's love, one which is intrinsically and inescapably queer."
Season three is still the story of Viktor's love, but this time around, it's a love for himself, one that finally moves beyond the pain and trauma that once defined his journey to give him a new kind of power beyond that of any actual superhero.
The Umbrella Academy season 3 is now available to stream on Netflix.
![The Umbrella Academy Season 1 [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1655392197-512W8y7EkPS._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Umbrella Academy Season 1 [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]")
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After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
