The Umbrella Academy season 2, episode 3 recap – “The Swedish Job”

By Daniel Hart
Published: July 31, 2020 (Last updated: December 4, 2023)
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Netflix series The Umbrella Academy season 2, episode 3 - The Swedish Job
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Summary

Episode 3 is proving that Season 2 is heading towards a consistent and lively story as the characters slowly come together.

This recap of Netflix series The Umbrella Academy season 2, episode 3, “The Swedish Job” contains significant spoilers.

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How does The Umbrella Academy season 2, episode 3, ‘The Swedish Job” open?

Klaus is at a cafe but he’s thrown out for not paying his bills. A wealthy woman named Chanel offers to help him. He’s adored by wealthy people for being able to float but it’s really Ben lifting him up. In 1961, he ends up en route to Mexico. In 1962, Klaus ends up in India — he seems to have developed a cult and he’s become a prophet. He’s engrained himself into society as a popular figure. It’s typical Klaus and his ever strange behaviour.

Vanya activated

Diego is alive because Lila saved him. She tends to his knife wound caused by his father. Five returns to Elliot’s place as well. Meanwhile, Vanya is chased down by the three blonde men and she has to flee into a crop field. As one of the men shoot her point-blank, her powers activate that disintegrates the bullet. Five finds Vanya in the crop field the next day. Her powers have made a huge circle in the field — this is merely a reminder to the audience of how powerful this character is.

Reunited

Allison finds Klaus in the swimming pool at the mansion and they are excited to see each other. The pair catch up on their lives. Klaus asks why she didn’t use her powers to free her husband but she explains how it’s felt good not using them.

Voting on the protest

Allison holds a meeting with the Civil Rights Activists and they do not want to do their sit-down protest with Raymond — she insists that this movement is bigger than Raymond. She argues her points and puts it down to a vote and she wins — the protest will be going ahead. Meanwhile, Ben freaks out one of the police officers at the station by typing on his typewriter — “Free Raymond or die”. Raymond is freed and of course, Klaus takes the credit.

The apocalypse follows us

Five tells Vanya her past and how she ended up in the 1960s. She is curious about what causes the apocalypse. Five explains that it was an asteroid impact and that the apocalypse follows them — he noticeably misses out the part where Vanya was instrumental to the world ending. Vanya rings Sissy but Five puts the phone down and explains that her friend is not more important than the end of the world.

Diego and Lila

As suspected, The Umbrella Academy season 2, episode 3 sees Lila and Diego become closer — the previous chapters provided a tinge of tension between them both.

Lila tells Diego about her parents — how they were victims of a home invasion when she was 4. Diego tells her she can stay longer if she wants to. Diego kisses her; she slaps him and then she kisses him.

We’d like to be served, please

Jack has found Allison for Luther and gives him an address. Luther heads over to the house and bumps into Allison’s husband. The pair have a chat — Luther asks Ray how long he and Allison have been married but he’s clearly hurt. He tells Raymond to leave a message for Allison: that he needs to talk to her. Meanwhile, Allison walks into a white-only cafe. Then the rest of the activist group walks into the cafe and they asked to be served. This was a powerful moment and well-played by the director and writers for pulling this off in a non-intrusive way — it works within the story.

Meeting Dave

Klaus meets Dave and he’s taken back. Ben tells Klaus this is his dumbest idea ever — Klaus asks David for paint. And then Klaus experiences flashbacks of serving in the Vietnam war with Dave before leaving with his paint. Ben is furious that Klaus brought him all this way to see Dave but Klaus is trying to save his life.

Ben wants Klaus to promise him that he can handle this. There’s a feeling that he can’t in “The Swedish Job”.

The white only cafe

At the sit-in protest, it’s getting aggressive with the white people getting angry at Allison and co. Meanwhile, Vanya and Five visit Luther who is partaking in underground fighting — he seems impacted by the news that Allison is married and continues to allow himself to be hit. At the protest, Raymond tells Allison her brother-in-law and brother showed up and he’s confused as he didn’t know she had these family members. Raymond is arrested and Allison chases after the officer who is beating him up. She uses her powers to stop the officer from beating up Raymond — for the first time, Raymond witnesses Allison’s powers, and he is alarmed — this does not bode well for their marriage. It was never going to be simple anyway — not with Luther snooping around.

How does The Umbrella Academy season 2, episode 3, ‘The Swedish Job” end?

Luther loses the fight on purpose because he wanted to feel the pain. He looks up at the sky and sees the moon. As the episode nears an end, Lila leaves Diego in bed and heads to the pet store that The Handler was in. She grabs a key from the fish tank with 217 inscribed on it. She enters a hotel room and asks if she can have room service. The Handler comes out of the bathroom and says she can — Lila says “Thanks, mum.” This is a good, effective twist that puts Diego in danger. Episode 3 is proving that Season 2 is heading towards a consistent and lively story as the characters slowly come together.

Additional points
  • Harlan has some mental issues and Sissy struggles to deal with his episodes.

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