WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Umbrella Academy Season 2, streaming now on Netflix.
Netflix's The Umbrella Academy has dissected the romance between Luther and Allison with much more depth than the three volumes of the comics thus far. A lot more of their romantic feelings for each other have come to the surface since they were teens under Reginald Hargreeves' roof and we understand why they connected on such a level as a result.
However, two seasons into the TV series, following Allison's trip to the '60s, it's pretty obvious that their romance has to end in order to keep their dynamic and overall relationship fresh, as well as to allow for individual personal growth.
The pair's bond has been dragged on way too much with no resolve in sight, even feeling a bit like Dawson and Joey in Dawson's Creek. The "will they-won't they" angle works for a single season but two feels like overkill. It's clear they're much better charting their own courses, as seen with Allison as a civil rights leader and also marrying Ray.
Allison and Ray had an organic, love-filled marriage while Luther was off working with Five and Diego to figure out how to stop two apocalypses. While he was still pining after her, the independence both characters had still made them much more intriguing. Allison's nuanced arc helped fashion her as a leader while Luther also grew into the Number One role Reginald always envisioned -- things which wouldn't have happened had they been stuck together in their soap opera drama. It's just too much back and forth and really puts an emotional dampener on things, as seen when they're all reunited. Sure, their pairing made for the butt of a few jokes but hearing Diego wisecrack on it breaks the momentum and gravity of the bigger picture. It's like that forced romance between Batman and Wonder Woman in the Justice League cartoons. Some teases are nice, but overall it's a much better idea on paper than in practice. Just because they're in close proximity to each other, doesn't mean it has to happen.
That doesn't mean they can't be soul mates and there for each other, though. Having the couple as non-lovers yet confidantes and trustees would transcend romance and siblings, truly shaping them as best friends -- something Netflix did in The Half of It where the two leads weren't shoehorned into being together as heteronormative tradition dictates.
As it stands, Luther and Allison's romance serves as a mere distraction and not an especially interesting one after seeing her move on to Ray. In Season 1, there was some spice to it as Luther lost his virginity in a drunken one-night stand, but we're way past that now, and Allison has to tend to Claire, her daughter, and her ex-husband -- well, should they be alive in this timeline. She just has so much emotional baggage to clear and hurdles to overcome, it would feel like an injustice with her having to be with Luther. It'd come off more like a crutch than proper character development, as well as keep her away from her priorities, making up for when she used her power on Claire.
In addition, Luther doesn't need her to stand on his own two feet, which can precipitate something similar to the Dallas arc where he and Five are actually twins. Freeing Allison from these romantic shackles can also avoid the stereotype of her becoming a woman who just needs a man in her life to be "complete." Simply put, forcing them together feels unhealthy as they're still discovering things about themselves and growing in ways they never could under Reginald.
So, rather than letting Allison and Luther continue to hook up, which would feel clichéd and complicated, the best thing for The Umbrella Academy to do is let them continue to explore and experiment outside of their comfort zones. And who knows, maybe then, they'll find their way to each other when they've matured enough and attained their own identities; finally understanding the difference between want and need.
Streaming now on Netflix, The Umbrella Academy Season 2 stars Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Justin H. Min, with Ritu Arya, Yusuf Gatewood, Marin Ireland, Jordan Claire Robbins, Kate Walsh and Colm Feore.