In the absence of a grandiose Hargreeves family reunion, the second season of The Umbrella Academy meticulously weaves the individual threads of each character's narrative, painting a poignant portrait of their solitary struggles – prelude, presumably, to the inevitable reckoning that will draw them back together once more. While the show undeniably thrives when it unites the Hargreeves siblings, allowing their lifelong tensions to propel the narrative, "The Majestic 12" ingeniously crafts an alternative path: it pairs our heroes with unsung, non-superpowered characters, uncovering surprising and deeply rewarding connections along the way.
Moments within these sequences pierce the heart. David's brutal confrontation with Klaus, orchestrated by his homophobic uncle, is not unforeseen, yet Klaus's rare display of genuine emotion, as he grapples with the loss of a love that never materialized in this timeline, sends him spiraling back into the abyss of alcohol. Allison's reluctance to confide in Ray, on the other hand, threatens to unravel their marriage; her silence on the whispered words to the policeman leads Ray to erroneously believe she's conspiring with Dallas PD against the city's civil rights, abruptly ending their trust.
Yet, amidst the weight of these emotional burdens, there are moments of grace. Luther finds solace in sharing a laugh, albeit tinged with the looming apocalypse, with the eccentric conspiracy theorist Elliot. Diego, undercover at a Mexican consulate gala, stumbles upon Grace – the human muse behind their robotic mother – granting him a semblance of closure he was denied when he terminated Robo-Grace in season's past. This encounter echoes a Back to the Future-like nostalgia, as the Hargreeves children fleetingly cross paths with youthful versions of their enigmatic father and the prototype mother they could never fully comprehend as children.
At the consulate, Five briefly eavesdrops on Reginald Hargreeves as he convenes with the shadowy Majestic-12 cabal, setting the stage for chaos as Swedish assassins strike, the entire sequence underscored by the anthemic "I Was Made For Lovin' You" by KISS – a testament to The Umbrella Academy's unapologetic embrace of its eclectic, iconic self.
While I admittedly find the show's predilection for peppering every combat sequence with clichéd pop/rock anthems somewhat wearying, there are glimmering signs that 'The Umbrella Academy' is poised to propel its narrative forward. It could have easily prolonged Diego's oblivion to Lila's duplicity for several episodes more, yet her choice to abandon him to safeguard Five, at the Handler's bidding, ought to elicit a heartfelt discourse about Lila's true motivations the next time their paths cross.
Yet, amidst the exhilaration and spectacle of the battles, the episode's true crescendo lies in a more serene narrative thread, where Sissy and Vanya's palpable chemistry finally blossoms into intimacy. Recall from season one that Vanya's yearning for a genuine family bond was her paramount struggle, and even amidst her amnesia, that longing persists. When Harlan flees and perilously nears drowning, Vanya's latent superpowers surge, enabling her to save him—a testament to how her formidable abilities could've salvaged the world, had she received proper mentorship.
After the tumultuous relationship with Harold Jenkins (alias Leonard Peabody) in season one, it's a breath of fresh air to witness Vanya in a seemingly healthier union with Sissy. As Sissy confides her feelings of invisibility within her marriage and estrangement from her son—echoing Vanya's own familial strife—she pours her soul out to Vanya: "You never notice the cage you're in until someone unlocks the door and sets you free." Her words are figurative, yet Vanya's experience was quite literal: confined in solitude by a family ill-equipped to embrace her authentic self, manipulating her into suppression.
There lies a pivotal distinction. In season one, Vanya wasn't liberated by the hand of love; she fiercely shattered her own cage. As Vanya and Sissy finally embrace their feelings, it underscores that there existed an alternative, kinder path Vanya deserved. Perhaps this fresh start is precisely what she's been yearning for.
