‘The Umbrella Academy’: Is The Commission Really Evil? Here’s What the Showrunner Says
Have you finished breezing through season 2 of The Umbrella Academy yet? At the close of season 1, viewers knew the Hargreeves siblings would jump through time loops, but their experiences in 1960s Dallas changed them forever. It’s possible their destinies have changed too forever too.
As fans theorize about The Sparrow Academy and wish for a Hotel Oblivion storyline for season 3, other questions are coming up about The Commission.
The underground outfit governs time management but does so with a spiked iron fist. Torture, murder, and mess is their hallmark. The Hargreeves will certainly cross paths with the group in the future, but are they really all that bad?
The Commission carries out a lot of wet work in ‘The Umbrella Academy’
Season 1 introduced fans to The Commission’s assassins, Hazel and Cha-Cha. We also learned that Number Five used to work for the agency as one of their best. The three of them were all killers, as were season 2’s Swedish triplets. Casual viewers may question if The Commission is actually good or evil.
It should be mentioned that in Gerard Way’s original comics, The Commission is called Temps Aeternalis. At one point, they did experiments on Number Five to alter his DNA and physical appearance. That’s what enhanced his killing abilities. The group’s function is the same in both series, which is to maintain the timeline and watch out for anomalies.
Based on what viewers have seen in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, it feels like it’s a shadow organization whose main objective is to carry out bloody, violent hits. Historical figures aren’t immune either and it all feels a bit sinister, right?
The Commission isn’t as nefarious as it seems
When it comes to the show, The Commission is doing its job. During an interview for Behind The Scenes: The Umbrella Academy 2 podcast, showrunner Steve Blackman said the organization is not one of the villians.
“Oh no, they’re not an evil organization in my mind,” he said. “The Commission itself does this great role. It’s sort of a stabilizing role in the existence of the universe. It’s a good place — The Commission — not a bad place.” Blackman added the group is trying to do good by monitoring time.
Under Carmichael’s watch — and later Kate Walsh’s Handler — The Commission did everything in its power to eliminate anomalies. That doesn’t mean everyone who works there will do whatever it takes without listening to reason.
Herb could change the direction of The Commission
While having trained killers on staff is par for the course for The Commission, season 3 of the show could have Herb turn things around.
He’s one of a few good-natured employees who rebelled against the Handler, and maybe fans will see more briefcases and less Commission-sanctioned bloodshed in future seasons. Maybe.
As Blackman pointed out, “This big corporation’s sole job is to make sure time isn’t messed up. Just a working class place where people go to work and they just happen to monitor time. Time isn’t perfect. So, this organization has to watch over it.”
