Love 'em or leave 'em, fan theories run rampant for twisty, nonlinear, time-wimey series like Netflix's adaptation of "The Umbrella Academy." With the team disrupting the past and returning to an apocalypse-free 2019 at the end of Season 2, anything and everything is on the table for what's changed, what to expect, and how the Umbrella Academy will fit into this new timeline.
Fan theories abound, but aside from who survived to the new timeline, who didn't, and who the heck those Sparrows are, the most interesting theories are the ones that seriously impact our favorite characters and do something to expand and change the world. Whether you're counting Sparrows that appeared in Season 2, skimming the pages of the "Hotel Oblivion" storyline penned by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, or are trying to patiently wait for a trailer to drop, gather around the table and indulge in some fan theories that could change the game in Season 3 of "The Umbrella Academy."
The Sparrows Are The Tactical Challenge That Will Unify The Umbrella Academy
Following the disastrous dinner in "A Light Supper," it's clear that Reginald Hargreeves went out of his way to ensure that his team of superpowered infants would grow up to be nothing like the Umbrella Academy (he even forsakes his DS Umbrella Manufacturing Company name, eschewing anything that would connect the two teams).
The Sparrows may have been adopted by the same man and live in the same sprawling mansion, but they were raised in opposition to everything that is the Umbrella Academy. They are the saviors Hargreeves meant to create, achieved by raising them as a team rather than a family (a mistake Hargreeves discovered when Luther, Diego, and others called him "Dad"). Being trained and raised first and foremost as a tactical unit, the Sparrows may not have the same connections to (or hang-ups about) their super-teammates, allowing them to function more as a whole, creating a more technical and strategic challenge for the Umbrella Academy.
This competent set of superpowered foes, living the life the Umbrella Academy had always been told would be theirs, may be the game-changing competition needed to pull the Umbrella Academy together, making them the team we glimpsed in the opening of Season 2, when they combined their powers to fend off a Soviet attack on American soil. We know the Umbrella Academy can function as that unit. We're just waiting for a threat big enough (and personal enough) to make it happen.
Five And Luther Hargreeves Are Twins ... Sort Of
One of the big twists in the "Dallas" storyline in the "Umbrella Academy" comic is that Five and Luther are twins. While that revelation seems unlikely to change their relationship in the Netflix series (Luther and Five spent quite a bit of time together when Five encountered his younger-older self at the end of Season 2, as well as while negotiating with Hazel and Cha-Cha in Season 1), a different sort of biological connection could exist between all 43 of the spontaneously-birthed children.
Hints in Seasons 1 and 2 imply that the glowing embers Reginald released prior to showing up in the late 1800s (as seen in "The White Violin") are what give the Umbrella Academy their superpowers. When Vanya resuscitates Harlan in Season 2, some of those golden globes pass from her into him, and end up passing on her powers. She removes Harlan's powers by reabsorbing the radiant marigold ("marigold," by the way, is the canonical name of those iridescent dust motes, as evidenced by the episode title of Season 3, Episode 6).
Potentially, the marigold could reveal a genetic link between all the children -- Umbrellas, Sparrows, and unaffiliated alike. While this might not make the kids biological siblings, they could be distant cousins, or all part of the same nearly-extinct race that was evacuating from Reginald Hargreeves' original home. All of the members of the Umbrella Academy are actually aliens? That feels like a game changer.
Pogo Is Alive And Willing To Compromise In Season 3
Without Vanya around to skewer Pogo for his part in isolating and manipulating her, let's assume Pogo is alive and well in the Sparrows' timeline. While Pogo won't have the same relationship with the Umbrellas (including his close BFF, Luther), it's unlikely that Reginald Hargreeves will treat Pogo any better than he did previously.
The friendship Pogo experiences with good ol' Reggie is built on gratitude for the experimental serum that saved Pogo's life and gave him advanced intelligence. That is not a great foundation for a healthy relationship, and it's certainly not a basis for equality, given that Pogo professes at Reginald's funeral that he will forever be in Hargreeves' debt.
Luther and the other Umbrellas have experienced a world without Pogo, meaning that they're unlikely to take his reappearance lightly. They could be welcoming, greeting him with open arms and willing to treat him as an equal. While Pogo may feel gratitude towards Hargreeves and a reluctance to betray him, kindness is a strong motivator. Pogo's inside information about the Sparrows and Hargreeves' plans could be just what the Umbrella Academy needs to get back on top -- or to cause another apocalypse. Who can really say?
Harlan Cooper Will Be A Villain In Season 3
While Vanya reabsorbed her powers at the end of Season 2, the final shot of Harlan Cooper shows he still has some telekinesis. Combined with his speculative side-eye at the camera and the fact that he's responsible for his father's death, it all seems like a villain's origin story.
Despite the sparrow toy that Harlan is holding in that same scene, it seems unlikely that he will be connected to the Sparrow Academy, mostly because Reginald Hargreeves is not one who thrives among equals. His allegiance with the Majestic 12 (and their gruesome parting) may be the last time he colludes with his peers. But Harlan (who would be roughly 70 years old in 2019) could be an independent threat, or he could form his own team of superpowered kiddos. With only 14 babies identified, there are still 29 children whom Harlan could train as a third, as yet unseen team.
Harlan would be an interesting choice for an antagonist, particularly when pitted against the White Violin, aka Number Seven. Vanya Hargreeves would have a tough time going head-to-head with her surrogate son, even though she might be the only one who can reach him --physically even, as shown in "The End of Something," when she was the only person who could penetrate Harlan's force field. Pitting Vanya against Harlan, or even just Harlan's team, could be the emotional obstacle that leaves Vanya questioning her familial loyalties.
Reginald Hargreeves' Spaceship, The Minerva, Expands The Umbrella Academy Universe
During Netflix's Geeked Week livestream, when Steve Blackman released the episode titles of "The Umbrella Academy" Season 3, he suggested that fans look up the word "kugelblitz" (the title of Episode 4). For anyone waiting for someone else to leaf through a German-to-English dictionary, it is a word that translates to "ball lightning" (which is a pretty interesting and rare natural phenomenon on its own). It is also an astrophysics term that refers to a black hole formed from radiation that could theoretically power a new type of interstellar spacecraft. And hey, you know who in "The Umbrella Academy" has an interstellar spacecraft? (Hint: he was unequivocally revealed as an alien during Season 2.)
In the comics' "Hotel Oblivion" storyline, Dr. Zoo, a friend of Reginald Hargreeves, has been experimenting with Hargreeves' spaceship, the Minerva. During that arc, Dr. Zoo uses the Minerva's negative drive to explore afterspace, a newborn region of space which, turns out, is where Hargreeves constructed the Hotel Oblivion (more on that destination in a minute).
While Hargreeves' alien origin isn't new information to viewers, it is to the Umbrella Academy, who, as a result of discovering that their dad owns a spaceship, might discover something new about Hargreeves and themselves. Regardless of what the Umbrellas know about Reggie's mysterious past, finding out that he has a spaceship seems like it would be big news.
Eudora Patch Is Alive And Can Supply A Functioning Brain Cell To Diego Hargreeves And His Siblings
With the events of the 2019 apocalypse undone, we can safely say that Diego Hargreeves' ex-flame Detective Eudora Patch lives in the new timeline. Her survival could mean everything to the Umbrella Academy. As much as we love the Umbrella Academy, they tend to think with things that are not their brains. Diego somersaults through windows when the door is unlocked. Vanya follows her heart and collects Sissy and Harlan instead of booking it back to 2019. Five makes deals with the Handler, even though she will absolutely double-cross him. Klaus is gonna Klaus.
Eudora, though, thinks before she acts. Bringing Detective Patch back into the mix could provide the Umbrella Academy with a smart ally who can direct the team and won't be immediately distracted by interpersonal conflicts. Even when dealing with Diego, she knew how to cut through their history and focus on the crime scene. If the Umbrella Academy can hook up with this cunning detective again, they will have an ally with a power so missing from their arsenal: common sense.
The Televator Will Be The Sparrow Academy's Main Mode Of Transportation
One signature piece of Umbrella Academy paraphernalia missing from the Netflix adaptation is the Televator, a teleporting elevator that is the Umbrella Academy's main method of transport in comic. Comic fans received a tingle of anticipation during the Season 2 episode "The Seven Stages," when we caught a glimpse of the Televator designs in Hargreeves' office. "The next great mode of transportation," indeed!
It's not difficult to imagine that, in this alternate timeline, Hargreeves poured more effort into his inventions. Grace walked away from him after discovering his connection to Kennedy's assassination. Even if Hargreeves wasn't the trigger man, as Diego suggested, his pals the Majestic 12 were involved. It's difficult to overlook that complicity. With Hargreeves' dance card clear, he may have spent more time tinkering with the Televator, rather than painstakingly recreating Grace as an android mother for his charges (oof, imagine living with Reggie and not having access to Mom's care and compassion).
With the Televator in play, the Sparrow Academy would have a reliable method of transportation, transforming them from a local team into an international one. The Televator also carries a mysterious allure, allowing the team to appear in a flash with a level of panache usually reserved for elite heroes. Just imagine the grumbling when the Umbrellas discover that their replacements can skip around the world while they're stuck taking public transportation.
An Alternate Timeline Means Twice The Hargreeves
Season 3, Episode 2 is titled "World's Biggest Ball of Twine," a reminder that all time travel is just one big (tangled) ball of timey-wimey stuff. This will come into play as it becomes clearer that the Umbrella Academy has left their original timeline and crossed into an alternate one in which their own histories are unfamiliar.
We know from seeing Sparrow Ben that the Umbrella Academy entered an alternate timeline at the end of Season 2. Ben is no longer the brother they loved and lost, and this version of the character doesn't share any of their past memories. Knowing that there's another Ben in the Sparrows' timeline means that alternate versions of the other Hargreeves siblings could also be running around this new 2019.
We know who these characters are under the cold care of Reginald Hargreeves, but who will they be without Grace and Pogo? Without the regimented structure that taught them to use their powers? Without the stress of being numbered, measured, and weighed against their siblings? Regardless of who they are as people, doppelgangers mean twice as many powers, and an opportunity to double-up on any foes (also, the possibility that all six siblings will be itching and farting their way through paradox psychosis, which could be a form of biological warfare). It also provides more opportunities for bickering, although we're willing to bet that, if they pull it together, a 12-member version of the Umbrella Academy will have no trouble taking down the Sparrows.
Allison Hargreeves' Daughter Claire Doesn't Exist ...
Allison's daughter Claire may not exist in this new 2019. Allison's life would be radically different if she wasn't raised and trained in the Umbrella Academy, meaning that she didn't become a teenage heartthrob, and didn't meet her ex-husband, Patrick. As a result, Claire may never have been born.
While this isn't a game changer for any of the other siblings, Allison's desire to get back to Claire has been her main motivation since Season 1. Entering a timeline where her daughter doesn't exist will drive Allison to "fix" the timeline and return to the Umbrella Academy's original past. Having a character with an obsessive motivation has been central to the other seasons of "The Umbrella Academy," although the previous fixations (Luther and the Moon in Season 1, and Diego and JFK in Season 2) have mostly been played for laughs. A mother trying to get back to her daughter is more in the realm of a tragedy than a comedy, but it could be a reemphasized central note for Allison and provide a real reason to return to the original timeline.
... But Cellphones Do!
While Claire might not exist, it would be an absolute game changer for "The Umbrella Academy" if cellphones did. The original Umbrella timeline was already embracing an alternate, much less digital version of 2019, in which our heroes had to find pay phones, leave messages on answering machines, and dig up information on Vanya's homicidal boyfriend, Leonard Peabody, by checking microfiche at the library. But with Reginald Hargreeves spending more time on technology, surely this timeline can make the leap to cellular.
Imagine how quickly Allison could have revealed Leonard's suspicious past as Harold Jenkins with a Google search. Or how easily she could have warned Vanya about his intentions if Vanya had a cellphone (or even a pager). And -- to harp on another great loss in Season 1 -- how easy it would have been for Diego and Patch to unite before she fell prey to Hazel and Cha-Cha.
Regardless of the fact that Klaus's cellphone will never be charged, Luther will constantly have a broken screen, and Diego will probably keep his GPS turned off, cellphones could easily be the difference between the Umbrella Academy sharing important information or starting the end of the world
Bizarro Ben Will Join The Umbrella Academy To Usurp The Sparrows' Leadership
While many fans assume that Ben will eventually rejoin the Umbrella Academy, Justin Min and the writers have made it clear that this new Ben is not the same character we've come to know over the last two seasons. The character has been described as vicious, pragmatic, and Machiavellian, to give an idea of just who the new Number Two is (oh, right, and Ben is Number Two, not Number Six, in this new timeline). Netflix also noted in the release of the character descriptions that this new Ben shares something in common with Diego: a desire to be the leader. That may prove to be Bizarro Ben's Achilles' heel, and something the Umbrella Academy can exploit to sway him to their side.
Following Season 2, Luther and Diego buried the hatchet regarding the Umbrella Academy leadership, forming "Team Zero," their way of putting both Hargreeves' rankings and their sibling rivalry to rest. We're just going to pretend that sticks. If Luther and Diego can stop bickering over who gets to lead the team, they might be able to make a tantalizing offer, providing Ben a different team of superpowered siblings to lead. Handing the reins to their alternate-universe brother might secure his loyalty, which could be enough to give them the edge over the Sparrows.
The Umbrella Academy Will End The Season Imprisoned In The Hotel Oblivion
As penned by Gerard Way and drawn by Gabriel Bá, the Hotel Oblivion is an interdimensional prison for the Umbrella Academy's foes. Don't expect the same kind of self-healing, reality-folding Hotel Oblivion in the Netflix adaptation, however, because the Umbrella Academy hasn't been shown fighting superpowered villains like the Murder Magician and Zombie-Robot Gustave Eiffel. Instead, like the Televator, Reginald Hargreeves has been using the last 56 years to prepare for when his original failures show up, and will have constructed the Hotel Oblivion to imprison the Umbrella Academy.
The two modes of transportation into the Hotel Oblivion used in the comics are the Minerva's negative drive (which seems to be how Hargreeves originally found the afterspace planet where he built the hotel) and the Televator (which is how Hargreeves deposits the criminals in their forever home). With some breadcrumbs indicating that one or both of these devices will appear in the third season, as well as the fact that the final episode of the season is titled "Oblivion," it seems likely a version of the hotel will appear. Since it's not until the final episode that the Oblivion bombshell is dropped, it seems that the season will be focused on luring the Umbrellas into the trap and then springing it, leaving our dysfunctional family maybe not in another dimension, but at least in a prison designed specifically to confine them.
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The post Umbrella Academy Fan Theories That Could Change the Game in Season 3 appeared first on /Film.
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