The Umbrella Academy review: “Öga for Öga” is a predictable bloody mess

“Öga for Öga,” the seventh episode of The Umbrella Academy’s second season, fails on several fronts. Happily there’s still time to bounce back.

With the exception of a few good moments, including the hard-hitting opening sequence, the seventh episode of The Umbrella Academy season 2 falls flat, both because we can see a lot coming and because of a terrible song choice that blemishes the series’ so-far spotless record for music. It’s a good thing there are still three episodes left to give the series a chance to bounce back and finish strong.

Five starts things off by brutally murdering the Commission’s board of directors and throwing A.J. the fish in a bag for The Handler to keep as a pet on her desk. She gives The Boy a 90-minute window to get his siblings together and meet at the alleyway to enter the vortex and escape all of the apocalypses chasing them down.

Five returns to Elliot’s place to find him dead, and tells Luther and Diego they have a way out. They each put on their synchronized watches and head out to retrieve the rest of their siblings.

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY (L to R) AIDAN GALLAGHER as NUMBER FIVE and KATE WALSH as THE HANDLER in episode 207 of THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY Cr. CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX © 2020

Back at the cult compound, Ben discovers he can possess Klaus and gets some time rolling in the dirt with his cult crush Jill. Diego shows up, and he and Ben have a brief, touching reunion. Diego gives Ben time to say goodbye to his lady friend while he goes and buries Elliot. Lila shows up at the burial site, drugs him, takes him to the Commission, introduces him to her mother (who’s now in charge of the place), and announces that her first act as Head of Security will be to hire Diego.

Carl has Vanya drive him to work, where he tells her that he knows what she’s up to with Sissy: stop, he says, or he will send Harlan to an institution. Number Seven doesn’t want that, so she decides to run away with Sissy and Harlan instead. Five shows up and tells her she can’t, and the two almost throw down before Five lets his sister say goodbye before they rendezvous in the alley.

Luther tells Allison about the deadline, but she isn’t sure if she can go, and at least needs time to say goodbye to her husband. After Luther leaves, Allison and Raymond are attacked by the Swedes. Allison ends the fight by rumoring one brother to kill the other. Realizing what he has done, the last remaining Swede runs away.

Five, Luther and Klaus, who projectile vomits Ben out of his body, are the only ones to make it to the alleyway, thus squandering the plan Number Five literally killed for. To make matters worse, Vanya is taken into custody after Carl’s state trooper brother pulls them over, but not before The White Violin releasing a shock wave. Luckily for the cops, she gets distracted and knocked unconscious.

Getting to see Number Five in full assassin mode is the best part of the episode, but it goes downhill from there.

Ben’s ability to possess Klaus adds an interesting dynamic to their already interesting relationship. I’d love to see them do more with it, perhaps letting Ben possess another one of his siblings. Fingers crossed there’s more of this stuff.

Despite the bright spots, this episode failed to develop much suspense or tension: I found it hard to believe that any member of this dysfunctional squad would make the deadline. It felt like the story was getting fatigued, which can be hard to bounce back from.

The part I liked the least was the song by the Backstreet Boys that plays when the Swedes attack Allison and her husband. I know Klaus set it up with his funny line, but it doesn’t make the moment any less awful. It’s the worst song choice for a fight scene since “I’m Just a Girl” played over that Captain Marvel battle.

Dear Hollywood, never ever put a song by a boy band in a fight scene. They might as well play Chumbawaba during a passionate love scene if they’re going to be this careless. I swear to god if N’Sync or One Direction plays during the season finale showdown, I will never watch this series again. Shame on you, Umbrella Academy.

Overall, “Oga for Oga” was dull and several steps behind the six episodes that came before it. Let’s hope the final three aren’t this bad.

Episode Grade: C

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