The first season of The Umbrella Academy saw the titular family of former child heroes reunite after their adopted father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, died. While it’s evident once reunited at their father’s funeral none are the closest of siblings, perhaps the most estranged of them all is Vanya, the one presumed to be without powers.
Over the course of Season 1, Vanya endures a plethora of hardships: From her father’s verbal abuse and passiveness, to her siblings disregard for her. All of this eventually leads Vanya to embrace her dark side and become "The White Violin," which results in her ending the world. Now, with Season 2 on the horizon and the family back together, Vanya deserves a much needed break, and the show should give it to her.
Calm, kind and timid, Vanya treats everyone with respect after seeing them again at their father's funeral, a sentiment they don’t really return. Allison is, perhaps, the only exception, though even she has her moments. Through flashbacks, it becomes evident her siblings disregard for her is deep rooted, as Reginald treated Vanya more like a secretary than a member of the family. From a young age she was treated as worthless and less-than, a feeling she was never able to shake. This is what makes her susceptible to Leonard Peabody, who gives her the attention she's never been given. However, his intentions aren't pure, as he's playing Vanya for a fool in hopes of using her for his own means. The one person she feels actually believes in her and thinks she is special manipulated her, purposefully unleashing "The White Violin" in ignorance of what that would mean.
If being treated like nothing, looked-over, insulted, and used wasn’t enough, Vanya was also lied to. Reginald led her to believe Vanya wasn't special, and thus normal and a disappointment. However, this turns out to be false, as her powers have been repressed against her will and knowledge. Vanya never intended to turn evil; she lost control. Even when she slits open Allison’s throat, it's clear she immediately regrets the action. In fact, her love for Allison is part of what helps get her to stop playing her violin in the Season finale, albeit too late.
Season 1 of The Umbrella Academy saw Vanya take blow after blow. Her father was abusive, her siblings besides Allison didn't care about her, she was treated as useless and and was barely considered a part of the family. Vanya was manipulated, lied to, and used by people she trusted and cared for. The emotional beating didn't let up in Season 1. Instead, tragedy begets tragedy, and Vanya's family molds her into an instrument of doom, bringing about the apocalypse Number Five fought hard to stop.
Vanya went through a lot in Season 1, so she deserves a break in Season 2. Anything more bad happening to Vanya would feel redundant and frustrating, as we've already seen her down-trodden, helpless and villainous. It's time to to show a more heroically resilient, less abused and more accepted Vanya. With new villains sure to come, Vanya should be able to follow a more positive path of redemption, no longer the victim turned villain, but a hero in her own right.
Based on the Dark Horse Comics series created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy stars Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Justin Min. Season 1 of The Umbrella Academy is currently available on Netflix and Season 2 will be released on July 31.