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The Umbrella Academy’s second season shifted its focus a bit from the first season, as it was set in an entirely new time period. That said, fans of the show seemed to still enjoy seeing the characters they came to know and love in another era.

For anyone who enjoyed that season, there’s another show set during that time frame you may also enjoy. Let’s take a closer look at what happened in season two of The Umbrella Academy, what that era of the country looked like historically, and the HBO sci-fi series set in the same time period that fans will definitely like as well. 

The actors from 'Umbrella Academy' speaking at an event
Laura Prudom, Ellen Page, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Aidan Gallagher, Tom Hopper, Robert Sheehan, Mary J. Blige, and Cameron Britton speak onstage at Netflix’s Umbrella Academy screening | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix

What happens in season two of ‘The Umbrella Academy?’ 

At the conclusion of season one, we find our heroes traveling back in time to avoid the impending apocalypse. They attempt to alter the course of events to avoid this cataclysmic fate, but they find themselves doing even more damage: they’re transported back to the early ’60s and have caused yet another apocalypse. 

The season is set against the backdrop of the early ’60s, which contrasts with the more modern setting for season one. At the end of season two, they return to the present to a completely altered timeline. Nothing is as it was before, and our heroes are left to deal with the consequences of their time traveling actions. 

What the U.S. was like during the historical setting of this season

What made the second season of The Umbrella Academy so effective was that it took the characters the audience had grown to care for and placed them in another historical setting.

After the first season takes place in 2019, the characters are swept back to the ’60s, which meant the characters had to adapt based on the standards and expectations of society at the time. Needless to say, much has changed since then. 

The early ’60s was an incredibly tumultuous time in the United States. Consider what was happening in that era: 

  • The U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War, with the end of that conflict well over a decade away. 
  • Tensions with Russia were at an all-time high, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the ongoing development of the Cold War.
  • President Kennedy was assassinated.

Of course, while all these historical events were occurring, the U.S. was mired in the beginnings of the Civil Rights era. This is a time when Black people were fighting for equal rights in the country, often forced to peacefully protest their grave mistreatment.

This led to much progress, but not without plenty of social turmoil. There were immense sacrifices made and continued injustices visited on the Black community even after that time frame. 

The HBO sci-fi series ‘The Umbrella Academy’ season two fans will love

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If you enjoyed the second season of The Umbrella Academy, there’s another show you might also like: Lovecraft Country. The HBO sci-fi drama doesn’t have the same type of plot, but it is set in a similar era.

According to the HBO website, the show’s main character is a Black man named Atticus Freeman who reconnects with an old friend named Letitia as well as his Uncle George.

The trio embarks on a cross-country trek across the U.S. in the ’50s, when racial tensions were at a fever pitch. Their trip has them encountering plenty of monsters, both those seemingly lifted out of a Lovecraft novel, and others that may be more human but are no less sinister. 

The show has plenty of social commentary to go along with gripping action and edge-of-your-seat plot lines. It’s impossible to look back at that time in this country without thinking about the social justice implications of what happened both before and after it. 

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