The Umbrella Academy Recap: Time Enough at Last

As a seasoned cinephile with over three decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that the penultimate episode of The Umbrella Academy has left me both captivated and slightly disheartened. While the love story between Five and Lila was beautifully executed in the compressed timeline, it left me yearning for more – a sentiment echoed by the comparison to “Long, Long Time” from The Last of Us.

What is the typical duration for falling in love? According to the penultimate episode of The Umbrella Academy, it can take approximately six years, five months, and two days. This was the time spent by Five and Lila in navigating the endless network of subway tunnels before their feelings for each other became reciprocal. During this period, they temporarily halted their mission to prevent an apocalypse to enjoy a happy hideaway for about two.

Indeed, we’re privy to a compressed version of those six years in The Umbrella Academy, condensed into roughly four minutes. This montage shows Five and Lila wandering, bickering, and playing checkers; they dine on roasted Subway rats, perform minor surgeries, and give each other haircuts; finally, they cuddle in the subway car before waking up together in the same bed.

It’s not really shocking, given the hints throughout the season on The Umbrella Academy about a potential romantic connection between these two characters. In fact, it seems quite likely that they could develop feelings for each other, especially considering their unique circumstances – they are essentially each other’s only constant in the ever-changing landscape of various universes.

As a supporter, I can confidently say that the potency of this narrative sequence is undeniably powerful. Neville Kidd, our trusted cinematographer from The Umbrella Academy, skillfully conveys this heartwarming love story within a condensed timeline. A poignant song selection, “Ahead by a Century” by The Tragically Hip, plays an essential role in amplifying the emotional depth. Remarkably, Aidan Gallagher and Ritu Arya, two of our show’s most gifted actors, beautifully portray this love story through subtle glances and genuine smiles.

While I found the elaborate part quite captivating, it’s tough not to ponder: How could a more rhythmic portrayal of this narrative have unfolded? For instance, “Long, Long Time,” the critically praised third episode of HBO’s The Last of Us, might serve as a useful comparison. This storyline in “Six Years, Five Months, and Two Days” shares many similarities with it, such as the delightful scene where characters savor strawberries together in a post-apocalyptic setting.

One effective rephrasing could be: “One reason ‘Long, Long Time’ resonated so deeply is because The Last of Us took the time to devote an entire episode to it. Conversely, I believe that the condensed episode count for The Umbrella Academy‘s last season might be hindering its potential. For instance, Five momentarily reflects on the diverse universes they’ve traversed together throughout the years, including those inhabited by secret police and feral pigs. However, the emotional weight of their love story would likely be amplified if we were able to witness these adventures firsthand. Additionally, the gravity of Five’s choice to keep the escape route a secret from Lila would be more profound if we had additional time to ponder over it. Lastly, the poignancy of Lila’s parting words to Five – that their love affair was merely “survival, nothing more” – and her departure back to Diego and their offspring would undoubtedly be more heart-wrenching if we had spent more time with them.”

Rather than stretching the final season across multiple episodes, the compact six-episode run of The Umbrella Academy necessitates wrapping up various storylines. A minor reconciliation occurs between Viktor and Reginald – this version of Reginald, at least – where he gives Viktor the long-denied affirmation. The offbeat CIA adventure involving Diego and Luther takes an unexpected twist when Deputy CIA Director Lance Ribbons is revealed as a deep-cover Keeper, leading to a chaotic, largely humorous fight scene accompanied by the fitting tune “Secret Agent Man.”

Additionally, we delve into the peculiar subplot involving Klaus, who ended up buried in a pet cemetery at the end of the previous episode. In this installment, he spends his time amusing himself with a lighter, crooning “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall,” and striking up a friendship with a spectral canine companion. Fortunately, Allison and Claire manage to locate him and rescue him from his unusual predicament.

The subplot isn’t necessarily poor, but I find myself puzzled about its relevance, particularly given the condensed final season where every minute on screen is valuable. From a few recent episodes onwards, Klaus finds himself in a predicament of his own creation; we encounter a host of secondary characters who seem unrelated to the broader storyline, and Klaus, having risen from the dead, seems largely unchanged since then.

As a longtime fan of the show, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension as we approach the grand finale. Having grown up with these characters, their stories have become a significant part of my own life journey. The impending end of the world that Ben and Jennifer’s love story seems to be bringing about only adds to the intensity of the emotions I’ve invested in this series.

So, who’s actually manipulating the situation? The shocking revelation in this episode is that the person we first encountered as Sy Grossman was actually Abigail Hargreeves in disguise! Throughout the episode, Gene had been menacing Sy, but it turns out that Sy didn’t respond with threats. Instead, Sy (or rather, Abigail) chose to kill Gene and then shed her own skin because she wasn’t truly Sy. The real twist is that Abigail seems destined to be the main antagonist for this season, having taken over Gene’s body to seize control of the militia.

There’s more mystery than clarity in this situation. What exactly is Abigail plotting? Is Reginald privy to her secret scheme? Is she malevolent or does she have a noble purpose hidden beneath the violence we see? At the moment, we don’t have many facts, and the series doesn’t appear to have much time for revelations. However, the deception seems unlikely to last long—at the very least, Jean and Gene seem to share an intimate understanding that might not take Jean long to recognize that someone is impersonating her husband.

However, that’s merely one of several unanswered questions lingering in the series finale. As the curtain falls, Jean instructs her fellow Keepers to “play the tune,” and considering this show’s knack for strategic music choices, it seems likely we’ll be greeted with a fitting selection at the start of the last episode.

Raindrops

Five crafted a bracelet for Lila – a seemingly trivial fact unless it’s through this gesture that Diego discovers her infidelity with Five.

• A rough one for alt-comedy fans: We lost Nick Offerman and David Cross within the same episode.

• But not before we learn that mint chocolate chip ice cream gives Gene the squirts.

• At least Klaus acknowledges he’s borrowing a bit from Kill Bill.

• “I would strangle a kitten for a hot bath.”

2024-08-09 02:54

The Umbrella Academy Recap: Time Enough at Last

Raindrops

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