Marigold
In the present, Pogo is still helping out the Sparrows with their training. He has helped them out in 2014, when he was still a student at the Academy. However, things have changed since then. Ben has taken over as leader of the Sparrows and is working to make sure that they stay on top. Jayme is still trying to figure out her place in this new world and how to fit in. Only, Reginald refuses to allow it, which gives Jayme an edge in their sparring match.
Pogo disagrees with this “tough love” stance and as a result, Reginald kicks him to the curb. Before he goes, Pogo hands over a concoction of pills – the same ones we know he uses on Reginald – to Marcus and the Sparrows.
Pogo looks down at the tattoo and shrugs it off. “It doesn’t really matter,” he says. “I’m just a person now.” But Five isn’t content with that answer and asks him more questions, asking about his past and what it means to him. Pogo tells Five everything he knows, from his earliest memories to the day he was born. And as they talk, the tattoo on Pogo’s skin starts to make sense.
Pogo admits that he’s still working on Project Oblivion, which is why the chimp says the Sparrows and their training are related.
Klaus has given the pills to Reginald to subdue him and stop this from going ahead, but now that he’s sober, Pogo warns that this means trouble. To keep the timeline in order, he tattoos the mark on Five’s chest.
Meanwhile, Allison looks after Harlan, who admits that each of the kids have a different “frequency.” When Allison asks what hers sound like, he simply replies “wrong.” Viktor shows up and decides they should work together in order to transfer those powers Harlan has back to Viktor.
Meanwhile, Diego and Lila work together to try and find Stan, who has gone missing. Up in the Buffalo room, they find a strange room hidden behind the wall. Together, they head inside the “murder hole” and find themselves on the other side, for some reason. Everything here is different; the buffalo head is the rear end, the snacks are different… and the door slams shut. ..
Lila and Stan head downstairs to eat sushi in the secluded atrium. It looks the same as the Hotel Obsidian, but everything feels wrong. Lila admits that Stan is not actually her kid, she borrowed him from her friend Trudy for a week as part of an experiment to see how good of a dad Diego would make. And worse, Stan is in on it! ..
Diego is annoyed and decides to get some help from the receptionist. However, all of the lights turn off and a growling noise emanates. A monstrous form starts chasing them and two of Diego’s fingers are cut off from a scythe blow. They make it back through the door and keep it shut as the monster tries to get through. And Stan’s whereabouts? Well, he just happens to be waltzing around the room when another shockwave from the Kugelblitz wipes him out completely. ..
Luther speaks to Ben over at the Sparrow academy. He’s convinced that the old Ben is somewhere inside him. Interestingly, Ben throws a curveball - that coming from joining the Sparrows. This is Luther’s biggest choice and it’s playing to his one desire - to be part of a team. Fei senses as much, asking Ben what he’s doing in confidence but he smirks, uttering “wouldn’t you like to know.” ..
Klaus and Reginald discuss the White Buffalo Suite and their experiences in purgatory. Interestingly, a picture of the White Buffalo hangs on the wall. As they sit together and talk, it could well spell bad news for this Project Oblivion we’ve been hearing about.
As Harlan and Viktor blast their powers, they knock down Allison on her backside. This causes Allison to learn what Harlan has done in the past and she serves him up to the Sparrows on a plate. Inside, Allison scoffs at seeing Luther dressed in a Sparrow outfit.
The Episode Review
We learn that Pogo is a mysterious figure who has been involved in the Project Oblivion, and that he is the key to understanding all of this. We also learn about Reginald Hargreeves, who is responsible for all of this.
The White Buffalo motif is a key part of this mystery, and whatever is behind the door could be a crucial component to the puzzle. It seems like an alternate reality, but that’s just a guess at this point.
The Umbrella Academy is starting to get interesting now, with Harlan gone, Viktor back with his full power and the Kugelblitz spiraling out of control, the door is left wide open for where this one may go next.
