DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Umbrella Academy episode “Auf Wiedersehen” has spoilers. Prepare for the apocalypse, and proceed at your peril.
Welcome back, Hargreeves enthusiasts! “Auf Wiedersehen,” The Umbrella Academy‘s seventh episode, kicks things into high gear. This outing is, undoubtedly, the strongest of the season thus far, jam-packed with high-octane action, juicy dramatic scenes, heartfelt moments, darkly comedic bits and top-tier performances. It’s the quintessential Umbrella Academy installment, perfectly encapsulating this show’s essence.
Ready to delve into “Auf Wiedersehen”? Let’s get to it.
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We open at the Commission in 1953, with Lila (Ritu Arya) watching the moment the Handler killed her on a loop. A trail of bodies lies in her wake. The Commission claims they’ll send her wherever she wants to go now that the Handler’s gone. Lila wishes to travel to 1989 West Berlin.
While smashing the Berlin Wall, Lila procures a briefcase containing a letter from the Handler. Then, Lila joins a punk band as a drummer. Fun fact: Ritu Arya plays drums in an indie alt-pop band called KIN.
After a rocking show, Lila wakes the following day to Stan (Javon “Wanna” Walton) sitting at the table behind her. His mom is the lead singer of Lila’s band. She asks him where his mother is, but he has no clue. Then, Lila persuades Stan to travel with her to America to pester Diego.
Meanwhile, in the present, Reginald (Colm Feore) drives into the countryside while singing Nelly’s “Ride Wit Me,” a visual I never knew I needed until now. He opens the trunk, wherein Klaus (Robert Sheehan) resides. Remember when Daddy Hargreeves shocked Klaus in the previous episode? Klaus died and resurrected himself about 20-some minutes later. Reginald hopes to train Klaus to harness his abilities.
Luther (Tom Hopper) confronts Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman) after she kills Harlan. She refers to him as “Brutus,” signifying his betrayal of the family. Um, remember that time when you assaulted Luther in episode five?
Season 3 is very Shakespearean, from Luther and Sloane’s Romeo and Juliet love story to, well, Luther stabbing his family in the back à la Brutus in Julius Caesar. Okay, so maybe Luther is Shakespearean this season.
Sloane (Genesis Rodriguez) informs the pair that Ben wishes to call a family meeting with the Sparrows and Umbrellas. They need to eradicate the Kugelblitz together.
Next, Ben (Justin H. Min) brings most of the clans together, including Fei (Britne Oldford), Lila, Diego (David Castañeda), Five (Aidan Gallagher), Luther, Sloane, Allison and Christopher. Grace (Jordan Claire Robbins) provides cookies, looking more like a scary sci-fi robot by the day, especially with her missing eye.
Then, Viktor (Elliot Page) enters the fray, wondering where Harlan went. Allison nonchalantly tells him she murdered Harlan. She’s furious with Viktor for withholding a massive secret from the family: Harlan killed their mothers in 1989. Allison lets loose her frustrations on Viktor, reminding him that everyone “coddled” him after he ended the world and continues to clean up his mess. She’s tired of getting shelved and suffering the consequences of his actions. Allison has lost so much already.
Suddenly, Allison tells Viktor to shut up without saying, “I heard a rumor.” If you recall, Allison stepped into the energy bubble created by Harlan and Viktor during the power transfer. Thus, she absorbed some of Harlan’s residual abilities. Not gonna lie; as much as it hurt seeing these two fight, this was a pretty badass moment. I understand why she’s irate, but I also comprehend Viktor’s side. I want my babies to hug it out!
Viktor storms out.
Meanwhile, Reginald and Klaus initiate their training. Daddy Hargreeves tosses a ball to Klaus, which he must run into the road to catch. The faster he catches it, the more he minimizes his risk of death. I love that “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin plays during this montage. It cracks me up.
Amid said montage, we see Klaus is struck by vehicle after vehicle, dying instantly each time. Reginald keeps track of how long it takes Klaus to resurrect. Klaus whittles down his “dead time” significantly, with the final count at only a few minutes. Impressive!
Later, the gang enters the basement to view the Kugelblitz in all its black hole glory. Sloane, Christopher, Lila and Viktor will contain the Kugelblitz with their powers, eventually shrinking it so Christopher can store it.
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Daddy Hargreeves takes Klaus to a cemetery at night and urges the latter to face his literal demons. Klaus still fears his powers. I would, too, if my dad locked me in a box with ghosts. Reggie gives Klaus a pep talk, reminding him that he’s stronger than he realizes.
Lila chats with Allison after the explosive argument between her and Viktor. Lila explains that people need an anchor, a tether to reality. A focal point. Allison’s tether was Claire, so Lila encourages her to find a new anchor.
Next, our heroes begin decreasing the size of the Kugelblitz. Unfortunately, Grace barrels into the basement, armed and dangerous. It’s like something out of The Terminator. She sabotages their mission, claiming they want to cage God. It’s downright blasphemous! Thankfully, Five saves the day, teleporting Grace upstairs and snapping her neck.
Klaus marches onward into the night, facing a slew of formidable ghosts. He lifts his arms and screams, his body emitting a luminous blue light, evaporating the spirits in its blast. Damn!
Finally, our fave siblings completely contain the Kugelblitz inside Christopher, so it’s time to party. Luther wanders to the roof, and we see the destruction wrought by the Kugelblitz — burning buildings, debris and missing people. The apocalypse should feel like home to the Umbrellas.
Sloane finds Luther perched on the roof, and our Number 1 proposes to her in the most adorkable way imaginable. He fashioned Sloane an engagement ring with a stone he found on the moon and buried it in her travel book. She says “yes,” and the smooch with the world on fire as their backdrop. Admittedly, if nobody proposes to me in this manner, I don’t want it.
Lila confesses her true feelings to Diego, revealing that she’s legitimately pregnant. She urges Diego to flee despite her wanting him to stay. Lila wants a family with him. Arya crushes this scene, imbuing Lila with searing, visceral vulnerability. Diego tells her he’ll think about it.
Meanwhile, Five chats with Viktor about the Harlan incident. Five explains that Viktor’s world-ending abilities make him a force to be reckoned with, and a superhero that goes rogue is a villain. He doesn’t want Viktor to become the enemy, so he urges his brother to stay the course. Otherwise, Five will kill Viktor himself. Oof. There are so many layers to this scene.
Fei, Ben and Christopher lounge next to a roaring fire, winding down after a successful mission. Fei wants to kill the Umbrellas the following day, but Ben has another task for them per Daddy Hargreeves’ wishes. Project Oblivion, perhaps? Fei claims Ben’s no longer in charge. However, before she can dethrone him, Christopher explodes, his cube form no longer able to contain the Kugelblitz.
Suddenly, the blast incinerates Fei and Christopher. Everyone flees the building, with Five teleporting into the living room area to save Ben. The Kugelblitz increases tenfold in size, threatening to swallow the universe whole.
Well, sh*t.
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“Auf Wiedersehen” allows Raver-Lampman and Arya to stretch their acting wings, making them the episodic MVPs in my eyes. The series gives us more than a bird’s eye view (RIP Fei) of their inner turmoil — we see it up close as these titan performers mine the depths of Allison and Lila. It’s a masterclass.
Klaus’s journey is so intriguing this season. I’m glad he’s essentially resolving his daddy issues with this version of Reginald and coming into his own regarding his powers. That said, Reggie’s sudden interest in Klaus gives me pause. I hope there’s no insidious meaning concealed in Daddy Hargreeves’ actions.
Since the first attempt to contain the Kugelblitz didn’t work, how will our heroes save the world this time? Will Allison and Viktor mend fences before the season ends? How many more fingers will Diego lose (hopefully none)? Join me while I continue recapping The Umbrella Academy, only on Geek Girl Authority.
The Umbrella Academy Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
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