Umbrella Academy Boss Explains Taking ‘Big Swing’ With Lila And Five’s Wild Romance Despite Knowing Fans Might Hate Him

Umbrella Academy Boss Explains Taking 'Big Swing' With Lila And Five's Wild Romance Despite Knowing Fans Might Hate Him

As a long-time fan of The Umbrella Academy, I have to say that the final season’s shocking romance between Five and Lila was both unexpected and intriguing. Although it took me a while to fully process the plot twist, I eventually came to appreciate the depth that their relationship added to these complex characters.


As a devoted fan of superhero stories who has binge-watched countless series, I must admit that The Umbrella Academy is one of my all-time favorites. With its unique blend of humor, action, and emotional depth, it quickly became a staple in my weekly viewing routine. So, when I heard about the final season, I knew I had to brace myself for an epic conclusion to this captivating tale.

Among the notable streaming premieres of late, the final season of “The Umbrella Academy” has undoubtedly stood out. Despite receiving some harsh criticisms from both critics and fans regarding its six episodes, it continues to be one of Netflix’s most compelling series for binge-watching. While the show, based on a comic book, unveiled the mystery of the Jennifer Incident in this season, with the Hargreeves siblings successfully safeguarding the purest timeline, this triumph was accompanied by what many consider to be “The Umbrella Academy’s” most surprising character exchanges.

I’m referring to the surprising and forbidden relationship between Aidan Gallagher’s character Five and Ritu Arya’s Lila, which is the basis for the title of the fifth episode, “Six Years, Five Months, and Two Days.” This episode was quite an adventure, figuratively and literally, as the two characters found themselves trapped within the subway system with no means to return to their common abode. Throughout this journey, their initial dislike for each other transformed into something deeper, filled with tension, desperation, and despair.

Despite the fact that Five and Lila’s eventual kiss appeared almost predestined earlier on, the reality of the moment and its immediate aftermath was still shocking to say the least. Interestingly enough, showrunner Steve Blackman anticipated that this plot point would spark debate amongst fans. Here’s how he expressed it in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum:

As a storyteller with years of experience under my belt, I’ve learned that every character needs a compelling narrative arc. In crafting the tale of Five, a man trapped in the body of a teenager, I felt compelled to weave an emotional connection through his journey – a love story.

As a fan, I find this aspect of the explanation rather acceptable, especially when considering it outside the broader context of other characters’ stories. However, I believe there’s a compelling argument that Five deserves a romantic storyline given his unique background filled with various emotional challenges. It seems unusual that he hasn’t experienced romance yet, considering his history of intense emotional experiences.

Additionally, I understand that The Umbrella Academy doesn’t have an abundance of youthful, suit-loving singles who are into time travel shenanigans. To clarify further, Blackman elaborated on this by explaining more about why the creative team made Lila a loving counterpart to Five:

Initially, I desired for him to kiss Lila because they’re polar opposites and harbor mutual disdain. However, in truth, they share striking similarities. They are both assassins who have been through the Commission, which means they comprehend each other on a deep level. So, I pondered, ‘How can I bring them together?’ It would take years to make them see eye-to-eye. But then I thought, ‘That’s what I’m going to do.’ I sent them off to be lost together for approximately seven and a half years to see if their bond might develop. And it did.

“The length of their shared experience seems to have played a significant role in Lila and Five’s kiss. Given their past confrontation, which occurred under unusual circumstances without any hint of romantic tension, it makes sense that their prolonged survival together could foster such intricate feelings. Over the years, it appears that even the most unforeseen connections can develop, especially when hope seems lost.”

They aimed to portray their kiss as if it were truly unexpected and perhaps a bit awkward.

By the time they shared their first kiss, it was evidently sweet and heartwarming, making it seem inevitable that they would stay together. We made sure not to coach them on the kiss itself; instead, we guided them up until the moment before the kiss. On the day itself, they took over and executed it flawlessly, resulting in a perfect moment.

Alright, I get where you’re coming from, but let me dive deeper into this, focusing on the core issue. Despite the overall clarity of your previous explanation, there are still potential pitfalls that might render it insufficient as a solid argument. Let’s explore those now.

The Big Issue With Five And Lila’s Romance

Although Steve Blackman effectively illustrates the camaraderie from Five’s standpoint, he fails to offer significant insights as to why it resonates with Lila. This is likely because crafting a convincing perspective for her character presents a considerable challenge.

In summary, the fourth season of “The Umbrella Academy” effectively conveys Lila’s tension as a family woman, primarily due to her marriage with Diego, but it seems unlikely that she would jeopardize their relationship, even after many years of challenging behaviors such as trapping rats and vandalizing public property. Despite the portrayal, I am not convinced by the depiction of Lila as someone who would endanger her bond with Five, given their shared history.

As a long-time fan of binge-watching TV shows, I must admit that I often find myself wishing for certain storylines to be stretched out over more than one episode. Having watched countless series that suffered from being compressed into too few episodes, I can’t help but feel a sense of disappointment when a promising plot is rushed through in just half an episode. In this particular case, it felt as though the whole arc was hastily wrapped up without giving us enough time to fully appreciate the nuances and intricacies that made it worth watching in the first place.

Indeed, the ending was filled with several equally peculiar decisions regarding Ben and Jennifer’s Cleanse monster, and I’m left with queries about the last scene in the park, as well as how certain characters fit into that particular reality. However, I guess I can simply mull over these thoughts for approximately the next six years, five months, and two days.

You can watch all four seasons of the show “The Umbrella Academy” streaming online, if you have a Netflix membership.

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2024-08-12 23:07