Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy came out swinging for its second season, producing a near flawless ten episodes of television goodness (with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes to boot). It’s also been breaking Netflix’s streaming records left and right.
So we get it, right? This season was good. But there were some highlights that stood out to us more than others — from Vanya’s glow-up to Ben somehow finding a way to die (again). Check out this edition of Basic Superlatives for The Umbrella Academy Season 2!
1. Best Duo
Diego and Five’s hero complexes team up.
While Diego (David Castañeda) is all heart and passion, Five (Aidan Gallagher) is brains and logic. Together they prove to be a formidable team-up and the Best Duo — Diego is always down to save the world, Five is always down to save the world. They also both have a bit of a hero complex, although Five just manifests his a little differently. These two managed to be in the thick of it throughout the season and, despite Five referring to him as “the village idiot,” in the end it was Diego who figured out the cause of this season’s apocalypse (t’was Vanya….again).
(We’d also like to take this time to give an extra shout out to Aidan Gallagher, who is unsettlingly good at playing a grumpy old man. While the entire main cast absolutely nails their roles, being a teenager — Gallagher turned 16 during the filming of this season — going toe-to-toe with a bunch of talented adults without hitting a single sour note can’t be easy. Kudos.)
2. Best Glow Up
Vanya living her best cottagecore life.
We almost gave Best Glow Up to Luther (Tom Hopper) who’s character benefited from being a bit softer and more comedic this season, but ultimately we felt that Vanya’s Season 2 transformation deserved it most. Vanya (Elliot Page) flexing her glowy sonic powers free of guilt, alongside her “haus frau” girlfriend, while living on a farm? Honestly, it’s the cottagecore mood of it all. It also didn’t escape our notice that once she no longer was running from her traumatic upbringing her control over her powers came to her much more naturally than we had seen in Season 1. Sure, she ended up losing control and triggering WW3 but seeing as she was being drugged and tortured we are gonna cut her some slack. Vanya has done nothing wrong in her life, ever.
3. Most Heartbreaking Scene
Ben dies. Again (seriously).
The Most Heartbreaking Scene definitely goes to Ben (Justin H. Min), who manages to find a way to be autonomous only to use that new found agency to die even though he was already dead. Great. It’s a touching and beautiful moment between Vanya (Elliot Page) and Ben, as he assures her she’s not a monster and has family who will fight for her. But still, “Hug me as I go?” How DARE you. This was quite possibly the Saddest Thing to Ever Happen Ever. This pivotal scene, beautifully performed by Min and Page, just helped cement what a blow Ben’s death was — he really was the heart of this family, no wonder it all fell apart after he died.
4. Best Twist
Anything you can do, Lila can do better.
You might be surprised that we didn’t give this to the “Daddy Hargreeves is an alien” reveal, but guys…we already learned that he was not of this world in Season 1! For us, the fact that we had spent the season with another superhero was the true Best Twist. We knew they couldn’t just drop the fact that there were 43 special children born that day and then never revisit it, but Lila Pitt’s (Ritu Arya) identity still took us by surprise. Upon rewatch it’s obvious when Lila is using her powers (pay attention during her first fight with Five) but it was a very satisfying plot twist and honestly badass to watch a different character’s take on (almost) everyone’s powers. Newcomer Ritu Arya meshed so well with the main cast, we are ready to make her an honorary member of the Umbrella Academy — so let’s hope this wasn’t the last we see of her. It also is worth mentioning that had she ever been in a room with Klaus, it would have been a dead give away (pun fully intended) as she would have been able to see Ben.
5. Best Sibling Moment
Allison, Klaus, and Vanya dance it out.
It wouldn’t be a season of The Umbrella Academy if there wasn’t at least one dance break. Allison, Klaus, and Vanya’s impromptu hangout sesh in the salon was absolutely a season highlight. Siblings drinking and dancing while dragging each other for their weirdass lives and loves? We loved every bit of it. It was also a treat to see Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman) get more interaction with Klaus (Robert Sheehan) this season, as this pairing was woefully under-explored in Season 1. Vanya said it best with, “This family’s amazing.” It really is, Vanya. It really is.
The Umbrella Academy Seasons 1 and 2 are available now on Netflix.
