The Big Mistake Fans Think Diego Made In The Umbrella Academy Season 2
Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, based on the graphic novel series of the same name, is about a family of superheroes, but to say they're a work-in-progress would be putting it lightly. With unique superhero abilities and a boatload of family trauma, the adult siblings do their best to try and stop the upcoming apocalypse — and they don't quite succeed. In season 2, the Hargreeves siblings must now stop another apocalypse, this time in the 1960s.
As Five (Aidan Gallagher) works hard to gather his family back together, Diego (David Castañeda), also known as Number Two, has given himself his own mission: To stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. His way of going about this? Killing Lee Harvey Oswald. Arriving in Dallas before the fated event, Diego ends up arrested — with all his knives — outside of Oswald's house and put in a psychiatric hospital. You'd think that would be enough to convince him to give up, but as the days count down, it only gets worse.
While Diego's obsession with the JFK assassination may lead you to think that he knows a lot about the event, it's likely that he only remembers the big details, like where it happens and the key figures involved. Because of this, and his desire to be the big hero, Diego misses out on a much easier way to stop the assassination from happening, one that could've saved him a lot of trouble.
Diego could've simply gotten rid of Oswald's gun and stopped JFK's assassination
Through a Reddit thread, user metalinsides pointed out that Diego could've just gotten rid of Lee Harvey Oswald's gun, as "Lee had been training on that gun for years and probably couldn't make the shot without it." The fact that Oswald kept the rifle wrapped in a blanket in the Paine family's garage in the weeks leading up to the event was revealed in the Warren Commission Hearings by his wife, Marina. Oswald didn't even spend weeknights at the house, making it the perfect time to go and get rid of the weapon. Deigo could've also tried to get rid of the weapon earlier, when the Oswalds had their own apartment, likely the same one Diego is arrested in front of.
Of course, Diego may have had an ulterior motive for stopping the assassination, which would explain why he wouldn't take the easier route. This was suggested by user aimingblades, who wrote, "but remember the reason why he tried so hard. he wanted to prove himself and show everyone that he's a hero. by simply taking the gun, there wouldn't have been a big scene, he wouldn't have looked like a hero. nobody would've even cared." This is a good point. As a result of his childhood trauma, Diego frequently feels forgotten, always one step below Luther and his other siblings in his father's eyes. When Diego arrives in the sixties, he saw it as his chance to right a wrong of history, while possibly gaining the approval of his father Reginald (Colm Feore) — who is still alive in this time — and his siblings. Though he might not admit it, Diego has a big hero complex, and the chance to stop the assassination of President Kennedy is too big to pass up.
Alternatively, user mshcat thought that maybe it was just an oversight on Diego's part. "lmao. All Diego probably knew of the event was the Oswald shot JFK. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would pay attention in history class."