"*Spoiler alert!!* This article is part one of a two-part series that will explore characters in The Umbrella Academy, a television show adapted from an original comic by Gerard Way. Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix. If you plan to watch the show, be warned! Here there be spoilers.
Question: What do a half-simian astronaut, a hothead vigilante, a successful actress, a drug-addicted party boy, a ghost, a time traveling smart-ass, and a meek and quiet violinist all have in common?
Answer: Gaping emotional wounds from growing up with a narcissist for a father.
We have talked before about how sibling dynamics, parent-child relationships, and other family connections can be marred and distorted by narcissism in families. We’ve explored sibling relationships in the MCU, parent-child dynamics in Disney’s Tangled, and the Black Knight in Monty Python. In this article, we will explore the effects of narcissistic parenting on the characters of The Umbrella Academy. You may find that some of this seems familiar."
Our therapist, Amy Marlow-MaCoy, wrote a two-part review of Netflix's new show The Umbrella Academy with a special focus on the effects of narcissistic parenting on adults.