The Umbrella Academy – Season 2 Episode 4 Recap & Review

The Majestic 12

The Handler

We begin episode 4 of The Umbrella Academy Season 2 in London during 1963 as a couple plead in vain not to be killed. An assassin shoots them both without hesitation as The Handler arrives and shrugs. “Shame,” She mutters nonchalantly as she turns her attention to a young girl, hidden in a secret compartment. She takes the girl under her wing and raises her. This, of course, is Lila.

Back in the present, Lila’s Mother tasks her with protecting Five no matter the cost, which certainly confuses her. When she turns her attention to the Swedes, The Handler reveals that this is The Commission – and by extension her. Despite Lila’s insistence that she narrowly avoided death, The Handler reminds her that if the Swedes wanted her dead she would be.

Luther, Vanya & Five

Luther awakens to find Vanya watching over him. She sits with her brother and finds out first-hand that she’s the reason the apocalypse started. Jack Ruby suddenly bursts in the room though and confronts Luther over throwing the fight. Despite his insistence, Ruby fires him on the spot.

After finding out the truth about her past, Vanya decides to leave and head back to the farm. With time ticking on doomsday, Vanya turns away from the family, matter-of-factly saying “New timeline, new me.”

Diego

Lila returns to Elliot’s and helps dress Diego’s wounds. When Five arrives, they discuss Hargreeve’s invitation – the same one we saw back in his office during episode 2. This links to a secret committee known as the Majestic 12. It turns out they’re a shadow government which Kennedy tried to expose back in the original timeline. With only 11 members in the picture, the 12th appears to point toward Hargreeves.

Dressed in suits, Five, Diego and Lila all team up together to infiltrate the Mexican Consulate. Before they head in however, Five sees straight through Lila’s facade and tells her he doesn’t trust her.

Klaus

Klaus finally plucks up the courage to speak to Dave about the future Vietnam war. Only, Brian happens to be sitting with Dave and hears Klaus talking. Eventually it’s too much for Dave, who stands up and smacks Klaus square in the jaw. It’s enough for Klaus to forego his 3 years sobriety and drink himself silly.

Hilariously, when he stumbles back to the mansion he finds the cultists there waiting for him. “Oh no,” He mutters before throwing the alcohol down and fleeing from the horde.

Vanya

Vanya heads home but she soon realizes that she can’t outrun her destiny and may need to leave after all. While she and Sissy discuss this, Harlan overhears and runs away. He runs straight into a lake, prompting Vanya to channel her inner-powers and causes a shock-wave to burst out from her chest. Raising the water up, she grabs the young boy and saves him from his fate.

Using her powers, Vanya manages to bring him back to life. After this near-death experience, Harlan is put to bed and Vanya winds up having a heart to heart with Sissy. This heart to heart naturally evolves into something more as the pair start to kiss.

Allison & Luther

Unable to get through to her husband, Allison heads to the beauty parlor and finds Ray leading a meeting without her. Stepping outside, he reveals the truth about what’s going on. He suspects she’s a spy being sent to disrupt their operation. Of course, this isn’t true but she’s unable to admit the truth about her powers and leaves.

As fate would have it, she runs into Luther while he’s barking orders and eating food. As she sits opposite him, thing are initially awkward. Eventually Allison admits that Ray gave her something to hold onto when she was all alone. As they talk and catch up over where everyone is, Allison learns for the first time about the doomsday that’s going to consume the world in 5 days.

As they part ways, Luther arrives at Elliot’s house and starts to use nitrous with him to get high. As they do, Elliot and Luther talk about their family problems.

The Mexican Consulate

Diego heads to the meeting but as fate would have it, he finds his Mother (the real one, not the robot) there waiting for Reginald. It’s something that immediately rattles him but he keeps up a brave face and smiles through their pleasantries.

In the kitchen however, the Swedes dress themselves as caterers and prepare to give out the food.

Five manages to teleport inside the room with the Majestic 12 and hears them talking about their plans for Kennedy. Realizing that he’s making a little too much noise in the closet, he teleports outside and finds himself face to face with the Swedes.

As Diego arrives too, the pair fight off the Swedes in a 3 on 2 fight. Given her strict instructions from The Handler to save Five, Lila arrives on the scene and hesitates. She looks from Five to Diego before charging straight toward Five and saving him.

With the Swedes stopped for now, Five heads outside just as Reginald gets into a car. Just before he steps inside, Five recites some Ancient Greek scripture to him that causes his Father to pause. These words happen to be the opening lines from Homer’s Odyssey. After a brief pause, Reginald drives away from the Consulate.

The Episode Review

With some slick camera work at the end and a wonderful fight sequence, The Umbrella Academy delivers one of its best set-pieces to date. The entire framing of the scenes within The Mexican Consulate are fantastic. On top of that, the main story is really starting to get interesting now.

The idea of a shadow government and Reginald wrapped up in the middle of this seems fitting for his character. On top of that, the show continues to deliver a decent amount of humour, this time in the form of Klaus and his drinking.

As we fast approach the halfway point of the series, big question marks remain over quite which direction this one is likely to turn next.