Diego and Lila were one of the best parts of Umbrella Academy Season 2.
The Umbrella Academy Season 2 was an incredible sophomore season for the superhero series adapted from the Gerard Way comics of the same name. Since most of us have binge-watched the ten new episodes (and are eagerly hoping for a Season 3 renewal), we thought we’d pay tribute to one of the best new developments of the season: the relationship between Diego Hargreeves and Lila Pitts. Beware of spoilers if you have not finished watching the new season!
Lila and Diego first meet while inside of a sanatorium. Committed after stalking Lee Harvey Oswald in his attempt to keep John F. Kennedy from being assassinated, Diego meets Lila, a gem hidden among the other patients. Of course, we don’t learn her real origins until about midway through the season.
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We’re taking a look at the five sweetest moments between the two characters, who became a fan-favorite couple, thanks, in part, to David Castañeda and newcomer Ritu Arya‘s sizzling chemistry.
5. Umbrella Academy Season 2: Their escape from the sanitorium.
It doesn’t take long for the show to introduce the give-and-take relationship between Diego and Lila.
They bicker, they banter, they tease each other, and ultimately they seem to have become a source of comfort to one another while stuck inside the hospital. Of course, it also doesn’t take long for Diego to plan his big escape, and Lila is right by his side, even facing off against the formidable Swedes with him.
When they do finally get out, their troubles aren’t over, as they have to avoid the cops looking for them and find a safe place to lay low. The writing and performances quickly establish their natural banter, even as they’re running for their lives. It’s instantly apparent sparks are flying between the two, and it’s incredibly fun to watch them on-screen.
4. Umbrella Academy Season 2: Diego comforts Lila in the darkroom.
When Diego and Lila regroup with Five and another new character, Elliott, they finally start digging into the new doomsday, Reginald, JFK’s assassination, and the implications regarding how all of these things might be interconnected.
Five gets his hands on something called the Frankel Footage, which appears to show Reginald Hargreeves on the grassy knoll three days later, on the fateful day of Kennedy’s murder. Watching a futuristic tape would be jarring for seemingly anyone, and, understandably, it disconcerts Lila, who takes refuge in Elliott’s darkroom while gathering her thoughts.
Finding her inside, Diego comforts her and offers her some stability in the — literal — darkness. The irony of Lila finding safety in a darkroom is that it’s a place people go to seek clarity and make something appear from nothing — to develop an image, similar to how Lila is struggling to keep her grasp on reality.
She starts to wonder if maybe things aren’t what they appear and whether she’s actually crazy. Now some of these might be a ruse to pull Diego closer, given what we later discover about her relationship with The Handler, but to me, it felt like it was coming from a real place emotionally. We also get some golden lines from both of them, like Lila wondering how yogurt knows how to stop being yogurt and then asking for Diego to pinky swear with her, “the pinkiest,” he responds.
3. Umbrella Academy Season 2: Lila takes care of Diego.
When Diego and Five go searching for their dad, they find him. Unfortunately, after a well-choreographed but intense fight, Diego escapes looking worse for the wear after getting shanked by his own father. Luckily, Lila is there to get him back to Elliott’s and help him recuperate.
It eventually leads to the two sleeping together. Still, the buildup to that moment is better than the ending (although the two of them throwing clothes at the window while Elliott attempted to make a Jell-O mold was hilarious in its own right as well).
For starters, the scene brings them closer together emotionally, with Lila telling Diego her parents were murdered when she was just a kid. Again, that’s something we learn more about later, but at that moment, Lila lets him into a genuine, vulnerable moment. One that ends somewhat fast when Diego goes in for a kiss, and she slaps him.
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU,” he yells. But then Lila is all gungho for something more and Diego’s like, okay, I do still have a knife wound so please be gentle.
“Never,” Lila smirks.
2. Umbrella Academy Season 2: Diego helps Lila understand the truth.
There are so many great Diego and Lila moments throughout the second season, it’s hard to choose just five, but I think their final moments together are some of the most profound. Diego comes so close to convincing Lila that the people in the room around them will love and protect her. He knows the Hargreeves will accept her into the fold once she embraces the fact The Handler was only using her for nefarious purposes.
Diego understands what that feels like, perhaps more than anyone. He’s also one of the most sensitive of the bunch when you consider his love for his mother, his siblings, and even people like Elliott — who he dug a grave for with only minutes to spare before he had to go back to 2019 despite only knowing him for a little while!
Unfortunately, the tender scene is interrupted by The Handler waltzing in and killing everyone. When Five rewinds time, Lila takes her chance to escape with the briefcase — after Diego stops Luther from grabbing her.
And why did he do that? “I love her,” he says.
Too bad he didn’t get a chance to hear Lila tell Herb she loves Diego in the previous episode.
1. Umbrella Academy Season 2: The dance scene at the Mexican consulate.
What cemented the love of Diego and Lila for a lot of people was witnessing them dancing together at the Mexican consulate. The scene itself was a nice break in the episode and provided something sexy, entertaining, and just plain charming to watch.
Castañeda is a pretty talented dancer in real life, and we’ve gotten to see many Umbrella Academy characters bust a move on the show before, but not necessarily in an intimate setting such as this one. Despite being in a room full of people Diego and Lila commanded the dance floor while everything else melted away.
What were your favorite Diego and Lila moments from The Umbrella Academy Season 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The Umbrella Academy Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.