After a year-long hiatus, Netflix’s hit TV show The Umbrella Academy debuted its second season in July.
The first season, which came out in 2019, followed the six members of The Umbrella Academy, an adoptive family of seven siblings overseen by an absent father, a robot mother, and an ape caretaker as they fought to save the world from its impending end.
The first season revolved around one of the main characters, Vanya, unlocking her distempered powers, which had been moderated for almost her entire life, and causing the end of the world to go into effect. In the final moments, the family ensemble clasped hands and zapped into a different time period just as a meteoroid destroyed their world.
The second season takes place in Dallas, Texas, between 1961 and 1963. Each character was strewn across the years as they catapulted into this new world, each one living a new life on their own.
Once again, Number 5, as he’s only referred to throughout the series, learns that the end of the world is only a few days away. Since the expected last day of human existence coincided with the assasination of President John F. Kennedy, it’s a race against time to prevent his assassination from transpiring.
Luther became a fighter named King Kong while working as a bodyguard for a nightclub owner named Ruby. In exchange, he received housing at a unit for ‘solitary men.’ He is mostly alone until Number 5 finds him, and they venture on together to find the rest of the siblings as a pair.
Diego was committed to a mental institution shortly after his arrival in Dallas due to being perceived as a threat to society, with his abundance of knives and crazy conspiracy that the President was going to be assassinated. It was there that he met, and fell in love with, fellow inmate Lila.
Allison started working at a black hair salon shortly after her arrival – there, she met her future husband, Raymond Chestnut. Due to the last season’s events, Allison revealed that she couldn’t speak for an entire year, something that taught her how to use her powers of persuasion properly. Shortly after meeting Raymond, Allison joined his effort by becoming a civil rights activist.
Vanya, still distraught from her actions last season, is promptly hit by a car in the beginning of this season, completely erasing her memory and leading her to her future soulmate, Sissy, and her son Harlan. Throughout the season she takes a 180-degree turn from who she used to be, growing from being powerless to a fearless young woman.
Klaus, the only person able to see and communicate with his deceased brother Ben, mistakenly but gladly becomes a cult leader. Intent on finding the love of his life, Dave, Klaus develops his cult as he travels throughout the world, preaching inspiration and spirituality to people who decide to follow him. Ben unearths his ability to possess people, which he utilizes when he falls in love with one of the female cult members.
Number 5, who has the ability to travel between different time dimensions, strikes a deal with a woman known as The Handler, in which he gets to rescue his family in exchange for murdering the group of people that oversee all forms of time travel. His actions lead to The Handler assuming the role of Director, basically making her the most powerful woman of all time (literally).
It’s only when Number 5 bounces between the timelines, bringing the other five all together, that the Umbrella Academy learns how to function as a family for the first time. Together they band together to save the world once again, bringing about new and very personal challenges for each of them.
What makes this season much more fulfilling than the first is the personal growth that each character endures throughout the ten episodes. Last season, the characters seemed to have led separate lives despite their growing up together; in this season, their differences are finally put aside, and The Umbrella Academy becomes a true family.
This is definitely a must-watch TV series for those who are interested in exciting yet feel-good shows. It currently holds the number one spot on Netflix’s “Top 10 in the U.S.” list.
