The Opening Scene Of The Umbrella Academy Season 2 Is Here, And It's Intense
Netflix promised that it would continue releasing teaser content in anticipation of Umbrella Academy season 2, set to debut on July 31; so far, it's definitely made good on that promise. After tweeting out a buzz-worthy photo of Baby Pogo, the company's official Twitter account raised the ante by posting the first scene of episode 1 in its entirety.
Fans expecting some kind of cryptic scene that makes no sense out of context will be pleasantly surprised by the meaty content drop. The first scene is nearly three minutes long, and it features every member of the Hargreeves clan in full superhero mode. Even more significantly, the action-packed intro offers a sneak peak into the shocking temporal setting for at least some significant portion of season 2. It certainly appears that Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) and his siblings are about to get a harsh lesson in the repercussions of attempting to mess around with the space-time continuum.
The scene opens with the shimmery effects of a recent time jump looming over the familiar urban façade outside the Academy. The scene follows Number Five's perspective as he wanders out from the safety of an alley into a deadly scene of military chaos. The date is superimposed on the screen: November 25, 1963. Fighter jets streak by, raining payload down on familiar skyscrapers. As Five reckons with the Russian tanks rolling through the city streets, a jettisoned newspaper cover caught in a pile of rubble reveals that the Soviet Union has invaded the United States.
Are you piqued yet?
The Umbrella Academy messed with time
Season 2 apparently picks up right where season 1 left off, and the repercussions of last season's epic finale are, well, pretty severe — for the Hargreeves and the rest of the world.
As the action in the streets heats up, we get a quick sighting of each member of the Umbrella Academy — and they all seem much more in control of their powers than in season 1. Even Vanya (Ellen Page), recently awakened to her scary White Violin abilities, has mastered them to the point that she can redirect massive tank munitions. Fan favorite Klaus Hargreeves' (Robert Sheehan) ability didn't seem like it might have significant martial applications in season 1, but here we see him, sober and long-haired, commanding an army of the dead to do his bidding in combat. Even the somewhat reluctant Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman) uses her power of suggestion to plant a rumor that she's going to blow the Soviet soldiers' minds — which of course leads to their literal minds exploding inside their skulls. It all happens pretty quickly, and certainly rewards a re-watch (or two).
The very last moments of the scene are the least frenetic, but perhaps the most important. A gray-haired Hazel (Cameron Britton) appears in the middle of the action and tells Five, "If you want to live, come with me." He gestures at missile trails in the sky and draws Five's attention to the fact they are nukes. The two teleport off together to ... somewhere? Or, rather, somewhen — presumably to prevent the terrible past playing out before them.
Short of dropping the new episodes a day early, It's hard to imagine what more Netflix could provide to get fans pumped for season 2. The streamer promised additional reveals throughout the week, however, so it sure seems like it has a few more content aces up its digital sleeve.
The Umbrella Academy season 2 hits Netflix on July 31.