Available for nearly a week on Netflix, the third season of Umbrella Academy features a somewhat shocking scene where Allison uses her power over Luther to make him desire her. A moment that the actors deciphered in an interview.
Warning, this article contains spoilers for the 3rd season of Umbrella Academy!
Between a new team of superheroes to face and a third apocalypse to avoid, the members of the Umbrella Academy have a lot to do in season 3 of the Netflix series. Not to mention their own morale to keep in good shape, which is not easy when we have lost the beings who are most dear to us, as is the case for Allison.
Indeed, in the new round of episodes, the character played by Emmy Raver-Lampman realizes that after leaving 1963 and her husband Raymond (Yusuf Gatewood), she fell into an alternate reality where her daughter Claire (Coco Assad) simply does not exist. What strongly darken his state of mind.
So when, in the fifth episode, Luther (Tom Hopper), to whom she has always been very (too?) close, pulls back when she tries to kiss him after an embrace, the one that can influence people’s feelings and actions thanks in his words pronounces this terrible sentence: “I heard you wanted me“. And this, even as her adoptive brother, who has found love elsewhere, begs her not to use her power on him.
A heartbreaking moment
A passionate kiss ensues between the two characters, which could have gone further if Allison had not ended up changing her mind and forcing Luther to stop. A scene that required a lot of rehearsals from the actors, as they revealed on the site’s microphone Decide.
“In the script, it was written that Allison approaches Luther, and that everything is physical… She invades him. But during rehearsals, we thought it was about his desire to regain power. She’s the one saying, ‘No, I want to take control of the situation, because I’m so out of control. I need to take control of something.’ And so she stands right there and she says it, having all the power over this big guy, which is Luther.“, recalls Tom Hopper. Before Emmy Raver-Lampman specifies:
This is a very big turning point for Allison. This is where you really see how far she’s fallen by letting her trauma and unstable emotional state take over.
Then to continue:Even when she doesn’t get along with the rest of the family, even when everything falls apart in the later seasons, she’s always had Luther. They’ve always had this understanding and connection that she doesn’t really have with anyone else. And so when she betrays him that way, it’s really, really heartbreaking.“
The end of a forbidden romance?
For the actors, the sequence also puts an end to the particular love story between Allison and Luther, developed since the first season. A relationship that Tom Hopper and Emmy Raver-Lampman never saw as incestuous, as they had assured it at Première in 2019but which still raises questions since the characters have been raised together since birth.
“In a way, this puts an end to their romance, because it means it shouldn’t really exist. It’s not right, and they felt it was wrong when it was happening, on many levels. But that’s not really what they both want. [Leur relation] it’s like some kind of strange crutch that they have, which manifests itself in other strange and abusive ways on both sides“, notes the interpreter of Luther during the interview with Decider.
And his on-screen partner added: “And I also think that they both found a deeper, more complete, more real love. The Luther/Allison thing was never a lustful relationship. It was just this really deep connection, but they actually found desire and love with other people, which is just different. They will always have a special connection, but the romance part is probably dead, and I think that might be Allison’s fault.“
A controversial scene
If the actors also underlined that the filming was done in a very healthy and secure environment with a listening team, it is surprising that this scene, which nevertheless resembles a sexual assault and which would have could easily turn into rape, is hardly mentioned again in the plot. But also that Luther forgives his adoptive sister so easily for his gesture.
We can also question the choice of rather romantic music to accompany this forced kiss. Moreover, on the social networks, the scene has done a lot of talking. Anthology:
“I like Umbrella Academy but Allison just tried to rape Luther and it looks like they expect us to feel bad for her, what the fuck?“
“God, I know Allison is in a lot of pain, but there’s no reason to force Luther to want her, especially when she sees he’s finally happy. I know she’s mentally unstable, but that’s no excuse for the abuse she’s committed. I am horrified.“
“That scene of Allison and Luther in episode 5…“
“I liked Allison, but the way they made her force Luther to kiss her just because she was grieving Ray and Claire, that’s a really sick thing to do. It’s not mourning and it doesn’t enhance her at all.“
“Holy shit, Allison almost raped Luther, that’s really disgusting. And she only stopped because he tried to resist and she couldn’t breathe?? What is this madness.“
“I was going to wait until I finished season 3 of Umbrella Academy before starting to comment but the character of Allison is irretrievable at this point, losing a child is sad and all but that does not justify murder and assault sexual. The only big complaint this season is Allison.“
To get your own idea of the scene, head over to Netflix where all 3 seasons of Umbrella Academy are available.