In episode 203 of Umbrella Academy, “The Swedish Job,” Alison leads a sit-in to protest racial injustice, Klaus becomes a cult leader, and The Handler’s daughter is revealed to be Lila.
During episode 2, the Handler was revived from the brink of death, while Diego is fatally wounded by Reginald Hargreeves. This episode begins with Diego being nursed back to health by Lila, and in a game-changing plot twist at the end of the episode, she’s revealed to be the daughter of the Handler – whom she’s actively involved with.
The Handler has followed the Hargreeves in 1963 and hides in a secret base of operations with a pet store as a front. The implications of her presence at the same time and place as the Hargreeves siblings suggests that she has new machinations that will probably mean bad news.
As if that doesn’t complicate things enough, Diego decides to sleep with Lila, albeit in an awkwardly funny sex scene where Elliott, who’s in the other room, pretends to be oblivious.
Klaus Started A Cult
In the opening montage sequence of the episode, Klaus is shown to become a messianic figure for a cult he hilariously calls “Destiny’s Children.”
For the past two years, Klaus traveled to Mexico, India, and San Francisco to spread his message, which he mostly made up as he went. But his status proves useful as he’s managed to survive and bide his time to eventually encounter his siblings whom he thought were all dead.
Alison manages to find Klaus in his mansion where the two reunite joyously and have a great dialogue, the highlight of which was as follows:
“You started a cult,” Alison says.
To which Klaus replied, “We prefer to call it an alternative spiritual community.”
The two share a laugh, and after realizing that Klaus met Alison’s husband Ray when he was incarcerated, he vows to free him.
He does so by using Ben to scare the police into releasing Ray by haunting the station. (Apparently, that’s what it takes to combat police injustice.)
Also in the episode, Klaus tries to convince a younger Dave, the Vietnam veteran he fell in love with in season 1, not to sign up for the military in order to save his life.
Alison Leads A Civil Rights Protest
Alison convinces the rest of the civil rights activist group she’s involved in to go through the sit-in protests despite the absence of Ray, who was wrongfully jailed – he eventually joins the protest after being freed by Klaus.
Alison has a powerful dialogue that empowers the discouraged civil rights activists when they begin to have doubts and fears about their plans to protest.
Their protest, of course, causes chaos at the local diner where they organized the sit-in, which is underscored by the racism and police brutality against African-Americans during those times.
The scene shows disturbing and sickening acts of prejudice by the local population, and it’s an intense scene to watch that’s apropos to the racial tensions happening in the country.
Eventually, Alison is forced to use her powers to save his husband, who was getting beaten with a baton by a Caucasian policeman. Ray, however, is shocked as to why a white officer would ever listen to a black woman and runs away confused and frightened.
Earlier in the episode, Alison revealed to Klaus that she has not used her powers since arriving in 1961 because of the incident with Vanya, who slit her throat and rendered Alison incapable of speaking for a year.
So using it in a desperate situation definitely caused her some emotional turmoil as well.
Other Noteworthy Events:
Vanya is hunted down by The Swedes but manages to fend them off by instinctively using her powers. As a result of the power surge, Five was able to locate Vanya and informs her of her forgotten past, and the current situation they must deal with regarding the coming apocalypse.
Luther tracks Alison’s home address with the help of Jack Ruby, but only finds Ray at home. He’s saddened to find out that Alison has been married for a year, and he hilariously eats the box of chocolates he brought as a gift for Alison. Emotionally distraught, Luther later lets his opponent in the underground fighting ring to knock him out, so he can “feel all the pain.”
The show depicts a gripping scene with Harlan, the autistic mute son of Sissy, throwing a tantrum where he bites his mother.
Verdict: 9.5 / 10
The most political episode of the season yet, the racial undertones of the show reach an apex in this episode, and it’s a beautifully weaved sequence of events that delivers a powerful albeit uncomfortable reminder of our country’s problematic past. Even so, Umbrella Academy retains the humor within the chaos and simultaneously sets up intriguing storylines to follow while delivering an important message about social change.
Lorenz Bacani is a pop-culture enthusiast who's trying to watch as many good comic-book movies and TV shows as superhumanly possible.
He received a bachelor's degree in Journalism and New Media at California Baptist University. Wrote for a news tabloid, worked for a couple of non-profits, and dabbled in some photography (mostly for Instagram purposes).
He is probably currently binge-watching an old TV show for nostalgia.
Spanish drama Elite has been renewed for a fifth season at Netflix!
The news isn’t all that shocking considering the drama, set in the ritzy private school of Las Encinas in Spain, is one of the streamer’s best performing Spanish originals.
Not only is the cast incredible, the first few seasons were hinged around an intoxicating murder mystery and plenty of steamy love scenes.
It’s possible the series will return in the spring/summer of 2021.
The upcoming season will see a handful of familiar faces including Samu (Itzan Escamilla), Guzman (Miguel Bernardeau), Omar (Omar Ayuso), Rebeca (Claudia Salas), and Ander (Aron Piper) as they were held back due to their shenanigans. The drama will also welcome new students Manu Ríos , Carla Díaz , Martina Cariddi and Pol Granch to shake things up.
Deadline also reports that the fifth season has added Argentinan actress Valentina Zenere (Soy Luna) and Brazilan actor André Lamoglia (Juacas) to its cast.
2021 is flying by, and I have to credit the fact that there has been so much good television available!
Despite COVID-19 still holding a grasp on the world, plenty of our favorite TV shows were able to return to production and deliver outstanding seasons that are keeping us entertained every single day of the week.
March sees a return of some favorites on primetime along with some new additions to streaming.
Here’s everything to watch on March 2021:
TV
Debris – NBC (March 1)
Calling all sci-fi fans! Two international agents are tasked with investigating mysterious wreckage that falls from the sky. As British agent Finola Jones and American agent Bryan Beneventi lead the charge to track down all the debris scattered across the Western Hemisphere, they realize it’s a race against time!
The Voice – NBC (March 1)
The singing competition returns for season 20 with Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas, John Legend, and Kelly Clarkson at the helm!
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell – Netflix (March 1)
The documentary on famed rapper The Notorious B.I.G. celebrates his life and tracks his journey to rap king alongside rare footage and in-depth interviews.
New Amsterdam – NBC (March 2)
With the pandemic still in full-swing, season 3 kicks off with a plane crash in the East River.
Wandavision – Disney Plus (March 5)
One of the longest episodes of the season marks the season finale of the series as it embarks into full MCU territory.
GoodGirls – NBC (March 7)
Your favorite suburban criminals are back for season 4! Beth, Ruby, and Annie continue their life of crime by pouring themselves into Boland Bubbles to wash money for “homeboy.” With the FBI hot on their trail, will they find a way to stay above water?
Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy – ABC (March 11)
After going on hiatus in December, the Shondaland shows return with a crossover that tackles the issue of human trafficking.
A Million Little Things – ABC (March 11)
After a nearly three-month wait, A Million Little Things is finally getting new episodes and it’s going to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Per the synopsis: “As [the virus] becomes more widespread across the U.S., Boston goes into lockdown putting Rome’s movie in jeopardy and forcing Maggie to return home from Oxford. Because the hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, Eddie’s back surgery is cancelled, leading him to take desperate measures to cope with the severe pain.
Love Alarm – Netflix (March 12)
The popular K-drama about an app that alerts people if someone in the area likes them returns for its second season on Netflix!
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal – Netflix (March 17)
You’re familiar with the college bribery scandal that brought down Aunt Becky and other wealthy parents who stopped at nothing to get their children into top-tier universities. The documentary synopsis reads: “Using an innovative combination of interviews and narrative recreations of the FBI’s wiretapped conversations between Singer and his clients, Operation Varsity Blues offers a rare glimpse into the enigmatic figure behind a scheme that exposed the lengths wealthy families would go to for admission into elite colleges, and angered a nation already grappling with the effects of widespread inequality.”
Everything you’ve heard is true. But you haven’t heard everything. Using real conversations recreated from FBI wiretaps the filmmaker behind Fyre brings you Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal pic.twitter.com/kwsqTCSkqq
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Episode 1 and 2 – Disney Plus (March 19)
The highly-anticipated Marvel action series brings together Falcon and the Winter Soldier, who “team up for a global adventure that will test their survival skills — as well as their patience.” Starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, the action picks up after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” with the first two episodes airing on the streamer on March 19 and March 26, respectively.
The Irregulars – Netflix (March 26)
The Sherlock Holmes spin-off series follows a group of “troubled street teens” who are wrapped into solving crimes and saving London from supernatural elements by the “sinister Doctor Watson.”
Pooch Perfect – ABC (March 30)
Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson is set to host this dog grooming reality competition that’s based on a UK competition of the same name (also hosted by Wilson). The episodes will spotlight 10 dog groomers around the country competing in challenges.
Comedic geniuses Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall reunite as Akeem and Semmi to take audiences back to Zamunda, the royal country made popular in the 80s. It’s worth the watch if only for nostalgia’s sake.
Raya and the Last Dragon – Disney Plus (March 5)
After being delayed the coronavirus pandemic, the film will finally debut months later. It’ll premiere simultaneously on Disney+ Premier Access and in theaters on the same day! Per the synopsis: ” Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it’s up to a lone warrior to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good.”
Moxie – Netflix (March 3)
Amy Poehler lends her talents to a second Netflix original about a shy 16-year-old who is inspired by her mom’s rebellious past and publishes an anonymous zine to tackle sexism inside the high school hallways.
Yes Day – Netflix (March 12)
Saying “no” to your kids can be difficult, so parents Allison (played by Jennifer Garner) and Carlos give their kids one day where they say “yes” to all their requests.
Paper Lives(Kağıttan Hayatlar) – Netflix (March 15)
The Turkish drama finds warehouse worker Mehmet (starring Çağatay Ulusoy) working in an impoverished neighborhood where he becomes responsible for a small boy.
It’s no secret that the cast of Schitt’s Creek genuinely likes each other.
It seems to be one of the few shows where there’s no bad blood or animosity between the cast, which speaks to their greatness.
The series, which swept the Emmys in 2020 and was nominated for five Golden Globes in 2021, is a bonafide hit as it provides plenty of laughs alongside heartfelt and even groundbreaking TV moments.
But after wrapping up its sixth and final season last year, many fans have found themselves wondering if that’s really it.
What are the chances of a spinoff, reboot, or movie? It’s not entirely out of the question yet.
Dan Levy, the show’s co-creator who also starred as David Rose, has hinted at the possibility.
Now, Emily Hampshire, who played deadpan receptionist and David’s eventual BFF, spoke with Good Morning America and weighed in with her thoughts.
“I cannot share any details, ’cause I want to do it and I wouldn’t be asked back,” she explained, which doesn’t exactly sound like a “no.”
“I would be down for all of that,” she continued. “Usually when you’re on a show you don’t want to spend another day with your entire cast and we did. We loved it — I would do anything with that group of people.”
She added that it felt “extra special” to end the series on such a high note.
“Even though none of us wanted to end, I was glad we were done because I would never want the pressure of going for another season after you’ve swept the Emmys, it’s all downhill from there,” she explained.
And something tells us, the brilliant minds of the Levy’s — Eugene and Dan — could come up with a good reason to return to the small or big screen.
For now, however, we have to settle for seeing Dan and Emily in their own respective Super Bowl commercials.
Dan is starring in the upcoming M&M’s commercial that will air during the big game, while Emily is set to appear in Cutwater Spirits’ upcoming and first 30-second Super Bowl Sunday spot.
Emily also imagined what each character’s go-to Super Bowl cocktail would be, and well, it’s eerily on-point.
“Stevie Budd would be a fan of the Long Island iced tea I would say, because of its dive-bar vibes. She might also like a spicy bloody Mary or two on a Sunday — that’s Stevie vibes,” she said.
“David would most likely go for anything with tequila — he would love the new mango marg ’cause he would just want to say ‘marg’ all the time,” she said in her best David Rose voice.
“Johnny is a classic man so he would love any mule — Alexis would love the vodka soda cause it’s like zero sugar, zero carbs — she’d probably also gravitate towards cucumber because it’s like fancy spa water, but with vodka.” Finally, she said O’Hara’s character would choose the Tiki Rum Mai Tai, “’cause I would make her just to hear her say it in her Moira Rose accent.”
