The Umbrella Academy: Season 1, Episode 6 “The Day That Wasn’t” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)
Five adjusts to middle management, secrets are revealed, we meet Dave, and Cha-Cha tries to kill Hazel!
Five adjusts to middle management, secrets are revealed, we meet Dave, and Cha-Cha tries to kill Hazel!
| Network | ||
| Netflix | ||
| Director(s) | Stephen Surjik | |
| Writer(s) | Sneha Koorse | |
| Air Date | 2/15/2019 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Dave | Cody Ray Thompson | |
For Love: Dave, Klaus, Vanya, Leonard
Perhaps the best thing to come from Five’s return is Klaus got to experience love. Granted, besides drugs, he may have had something with someone else before, but no one compares to Dave. He was strong, vulnerable, manly, and if he didn’t die, I’m sure Klaus would have spent the rest of the season searching for him.
But Klaus isn’t alone in the troughs of love! Vanya is basically at Leonard’s will right now and with her powers seemingly rules by her emotions, it puts Leonard into an interesting position. One which could mean him either becoming a puppet master or a victim.
I Thought It Was Real: Cha-Cha, Hazel, Vanya, Leonard, Handler, Five, Agnes
For some reason, The Commission says Hazel has to die. As usual, there is no why about the situation, so Cha-Cha is left to make a tough decision. After all, for however long she and Hazel have been working together, they have been together. Not to downplay how annoying he can get but has Cha-Cha even popped him upside the head or any notable act of violence? So killing him, at first, seemed like it’d be hard.
That is until she discovers that his hemming and hawing about work, talking about going rogue, isn’t because he wants to quit, maybe with Cha-Cha, but because of Agnes. Which isn’t to say Cha-Cha likes Hazel, but there is definitely a sense of betrayal there. Same thing comes into play for Vanya. She goes over Leonard’s house, after he tries to push her to reconcile with her family, and she discovers he took all the stuff Klaus threw in the trash, including Reginald’s book. One which noted Vanya has had powers since a child, but because they were far too unstable, he decided it would be best to medicate her than try to hone her abilities.
Leaving the Handler and Five. Based off how the Commission looks, it isn’t much to hoot or holler about. Rows of case managers, Five’s new job, try to figure ways to maintain the timeline the best they can. Some take days, weeks, years to come up for something and others, like Five, take hours. Him working so hard, quickly, and efficiently, impresses Handler and makes her proud of recruiting him and making a deal. But, the truth is, going into the commission, meeting the person who handles the Apocalypse case, it was all part of Five’s plan.
I Can’t Live A Lie: Allison, Luther, Five, Diego, Grace, Handler, Cha-Cha, Hazel
A plan which leads Five to destroy the commission. He destroys the tubes that send assassins their missions, all but one briefcase, but not before sending a note to Cha-Cha and Hazel to kill one another. Something that, considering Five goes back in time, you are left to wonder how that message got sent? But, that, alongside Vanya’s discover, aren’t the only things which might have been lost. There is also Luther and Allison having a romantic evening and making out, as well as Grace revealing to Diego what she has been asked to hide. Never mind her getting out of the house, off the premises, for the first time in her robotic life.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Does anyone know Klaus is in constant contact with Ben?
- How exactly are the timelines always in flux? Are other organizations combating The Commission? If not lone soldiers? Also, does their world operate on the idea multiple timelines exist? Are they trying to make them all the same? Lastly, since The Commission seems to be allowing just enough free-will to reach a specific event, do they not touch the timeline after the apocalypse? Is the world essentially over?
- Considering The Commission exists in 1955, do they even care about the end of the world?
Highlights
Klaus and Dave Were Cute
Robert Sheehan is a consistent ball of energy, and that has mostly backfired. Klaus, at first, was kind of funny, but if you’re familiar with Sheehan’s work, he just feels like a slightly tuned up version of past characters. However, Sheehan, despite his abilities to play eccentric, basically mad, characters, is often at his best when he reigns it in. Case in point, the scenes between Klaus and Dave which allowed us to see past the mania, past the class clown performance of “Look at me! Look at me!” as if the character is written to be a scene stealer. Which if Klaus was supposed to be, if not a hook for this series, well…
On The Fence
Luther and Allison
I’m starting to realize the main issue with this show is the foundation for most of these characters is so thin that it makes when good or bad things happen to them – it isn’t a big deal. Take Luther and Allison finally having their dance and making out. For this “couple” to surpass the grimace which comes from them being raised as siblings, her referring to him as her brother out loud, and as her daughter’s uncle, we would have needed their past to be far more beefed up. They would have to be a serious OTP for that moment to not be kind of weird.
Yet, the show hasn’t really done that. Similar to how Klaus is, everything is made to be shallow, commercial, and familiar in a way. Making it so when the show wants to be serious, explore real relationships, things fall flat.
Leonard
Hence why this Leonard thing isn’t all that pressing. Yeah, Vanya has been alone most of her life, and Ellen Page conveys that with every downward look and apology, but even at an hour, this show has the pace of flying through what is going on. Making it seem like every moment which should be special, loving, and monumental is anything but. Add in Leonard wasn’t made to be that sneaky and his truth was revealed so early, it makes the effects of him being a bad guy nil.
The Destruction of The Commission
Though the biggest issuer, though it could be a blessing, is Five somehow destroying the Commission so easily. On the one hand, him doing all that within a day or so is plain old ridiculous. Much less, considering the work that is done, the fact bullets and explosions were happening and yet there wasn’t any security of the likes of Cha-Cha or Hazel? Ridiculous.
Yet, we are halfway through the season, so this means a real villain could present themselves. One who isn’t a disappointment like everyone employed by The Commission. Someone who makes the apocalypse seem like nothing. One could hope, right?
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