The initial decision by The Umbrella Academy to disperse its characters at the dawn of the season has birthed a mounting frustration: It seems an eternity away from reuniting them under the same roof again. The inaugural season flourished on the eccentric chemistry and the innate frictions that ignited whenever this eccentric family was confined within the confines of a single space. However, season two chose to disintegrate them once more, and so far, each solitary narrative struggles to captivate independently for an extended period.
The reason "The Swedish Job" kicks off with a fleeting, breathless montage tracing Klaus' globe-spanning ascension to cult leadership over years is evident: This comedic fodder, though amusing, barely sustains the audience's attention beyond fleeting moments. Every storyline in this episode teeters on the brink of exhaustion, brimming with activity yet advancing the plot at a snail's pace.
Vanya bravely wards off a trio of Swedish assassins, rediscovering her latent superpower in the process. Klaus orchestrates a daring prison break to free Allison's husband, Ray. Luther endeavors to reconnect with Allison only to be met with the revelation of her marriage, plunging him into a deeper abyss of despair. Diego and Lila finally embark on a romantic entanglement.
Yet, amidst this melee, "The Swedish Job" weaves a tale imbued with an extra emotional depth. Klaus embarks on a quest to reconnect with his former comrade, David, now toiling at a local hardware store. Recall David from season one, where their bond blossomed amidst the chaos of Vietnam. David's demise left Klaus reeling, haunted by the PTSD of a life few could comprehend.
Thanks to the capricious nature of time travel, Klaus and David are granted a second chance at reunion. But this encounter probes the tragic intricacies of temporal manipulation: the relentless urge to rectify past mistakes. Their love blossomed amidst war's fury. Now, in this prelude to conflict, Klaus harbors the hope of dissuading David from enlisting, thereby saving his life – albeit at the risk of erasing the very foundation of their love.
The Hargreeves siblings have adapted surprisingly well to Dallas life, but this narrative exposes the poignant paradox of time travel: the yearning to mend what's broken, even if it means altering the very fabric of their shared history.
Regrettably, one of the oddities inherent in crafting Umbrella Academy's second season around yet another impending apocalypse (eight days and the countdown continues!) is that it renders the intricate, personal storylines largely inconsequential. The fate of Klaus's endeavor to dissuade David from enlisting pales in comparison when both are destined for oblivion, the latter via a nuclear holocaust that would've swallowed Vietnam whole. In the hierarchy of priorities, averting the annihilation of humanity holds an unassailable trump card.
Then comes the harrowing scene of Allison and Ray's sit-in at the segregated diner, a moment we've been anticipating with trepidation for several episodes. The tension is palpable, the air thick with resentment as employees viciously retaliate against peaceful Black protesters, fully aware that the police's arrival could herald their doom.
Yet, this episode stumbles by inexplicably alternating between this poignant reality and Luther's frivolous brawl in the fighting pit. Luther, consumed by grief over Allison's newfound love, seeks solace in self-inflicted pain, begging his opponent to pound him into oblivion. This juxtaposition of a brutal police brutality incident—a national scourge that America is still grappling with, painfully and openly—with the absurd spectacle of a dejected superhero inviting blows, is jarring and insensitive.
I had pondered how a seemingly frivolous show like Umbrella Academy would navigate such a poignant subject, and alas, the execution mirrors my worst fears. While genre narratives can indeed delve into complex social and cultural issues with nuance (as evidenced by HBO's Watchmen), Umbrella Academy, despite its episodic charm, lacks the depth and sophistication to imbue this narrative with the gravity it merits. Its "solution," Allison employing her superpower to halt the cop's assault on her husband, feels like a superficial appropriation of a grave social issue, devoid of meaningful commentary.
The episode offers no closure for the myriad Black Americans being assaulted by diner patrons and police officers, a stark reminder that in Umbrella Academy's narrative, they are but footnotes in a tale centered around the evolving tensions between Allison and Ray, who is slowly uncovering the depths of his wife's hidden secrets.
This convoluted, underdeveloped sequence has me pondering the true aspirations of Umbrella Academy's sophomore season and the bounds of its capabilities. It's challenging to fault the series for its lofty ambitions, yet I find myself speculating that Umbrella Academy might thrive more in realms of exhilarating escapism, thrilling spectacles, and mind-bending twists. And indeed, that's precisely what the episode culminates in – Lila's entwinement with Diego, followed by her sly escape to a hotel rendezvous with The Handler, who is none other than... her mother! It seems the pursuit of the Umbrella Academy members extends beyond mere Swedish assassins. With Lila now deeply entrenched in Diego's trust, I anticipate her subtle machinations to yield significant dividends.
