The Umbrella Academy Season 2: What about our boy Hazel?
The new season of Umbrella Academy has finally graced us with its debut on Netflix. We finally see where the family was teleported out of the Avon movie theatre just before the moon came crashing down and destroying the earth. I’m guessing that George Bailey was literal when he talked to Mary, hey guys?
Kicking off directly after season one, the Academy has landed in the early 1960’s, Dallas Texas. Where peace & love are a pipe dream and the cold war is heating up the tension in America. Once again we are pushed into another apocalypse where Kennedy didn’t die, the Russians invade the USA and nuke America. So in a major deus ex-machina Hazel saves Five and teleports him 10 days before the nuclear holocaust. During which I had so many questions.
What had hazel done? Why was he so old? How did he get past the rest of the commission? This was swiftly answered with a good ol’shotty to the chest by some Die Hard level villains. But unlike my boy Hazel who, like team rocket, blasted off again, the series got me to stay on the edge of my seat ’til the end.
Umbrella Academy Season 2 shows the siblings being thrown back in time; separated by 3 years with all of the them tirelessly tying to find each other and return to….. I just joking they all just abandon everyone as soon as they get into the 60’s. So with all this family comradery, Number 5 must gather everyone up, stop another holocaust and return to the right timeline… which was also in the middle of another world ending event.
This season follows each of the siblings and their respective new lives in the situation they’ve been put in. Luther becomes a body man for a mobster, Alison finds herself in the movement for black lives, Klaus and Ben start a cult, Vayna recalls nothing of her past as she is on a farm, while Diego tries to save Kennedy and gets put in a Psych ward.
I am amazed at how, with only 10 episodes, they tie the plots with all of the Umbrella Academy. If this wasn’t enough then the addition to a plot line with the handler, her adopted daughter and corporate sabotage to put her to the top is also a major plot device in the new season. The show writers balanced all these plots pretty evenly whilst making sure that it wasn’t severely lacking.
The writers did well with weaving the family into the time setting, making sure it was a more realistic take on what 1960’s America looked like. Especially with Alison; we see her struggle with the racial discrimination that came with laws to belittle African Americans. But she finds another husband and participates in peaceful sit ins to protest the prejudice that was common in this time.
Without any major spoilers the second… No, first? I mean its the second apocalypse to the Umbrella Academy but the first one won’t happen if this one does… Time travel is weird, I can see why Justin Rolland and Dan Harmon stay far away from it. Any who, this next apocalypse is again caused by Vayna due to true love. And who said romance isn’t dead ay? To stop this they all go to their father for advice. Unsurprisingly Sir Reginald uninspired everyone except for Number 5 where we see a genuine bond between this philanthropist and a 60 year old man child.
Another part about this season that I enjoyed was with Klaus and Ben time, we see more into their relationship and also the comedic gold mine of Klaus starting a cult with 90’s to 00’s references as part of their doctrine. But also seeing a genuine soft, passionate side of the selfish/ party boy Klaus; seeing his lost love from the Vietnam war drives him to try and save the man from his ultimate demise. But like most dark satire’s not everything pans out with a happy ending.
One thing I do have beef with is the death of Hazel. My beautiful big, time travelling assassin with a heart of gold. A man who defied all odds and defeated his enemies and got the girl; only to come back looking like Santa return from wall street and be blasted away by the swedes brothers. Come one guys, this man deserved so much more! He was one of the only people who stood up against the handler and walk out of it alive.
Beside the tragedy of Hazel, the other thing that got me was how the family drifted away again. Season 1 showed the brothers and sisters bonding again and for a while it looked like they were becoming a family again. They survived through the moon nearly killing them and it they all just go their separate ways as soon as they are by themselves. I mean yes they where all separated by a couple of years. but wouldn’t at least one of them try and find each other? And with some of the plot points it was surprising that one of them ran into each other.
As a whole I enjoyed season 2 thoroughly and can’t wait for what’s instore for season 3.
Like Umbrella Academy Season 2? Read the Hazel friendly comic!!
