"The Swedish Job" is the third episode of The Umbrella Academy's second season.
Klaus's past is revealed: after being taken in by a rich woman, he used Ben to perform mystical-looking feats, and eventually became a famous "prophet"/cult leader. He broke away after feeling stifled by the attention.
Diego awakens to find Lila treating his stab wound at Elliot's. Lila admits that her parents died similarly in a home invasion, and the two sleep together.
Vanya takes the car to return to Dallas, but runs into the Swedes on the way. When they have her cornered in a corn field, her powers kick in. Five finds her after tracking the sound waves, and explains the oncoming nuclear doomsday to her. Luther has his boss track down Allison, but misses her and meets Raymond instead. Following a reunion with Allison, Klaus and Ben get Raymond out of prison, and Klaus goes to a hardware store, where he meets a young Dave. Klaus tells Ben that Dave enlisted the day Kennedy was killed.
The sit-in proceeds, and quickly escalates to the black patrons being subject to verbal abuse and harassment by the staff and customers, and then an outright rally. Raymond is arrested and beaten, but Allison Rumors the cop into walking away. However, Ray is also shaken by meeting Klaus and Luther, and is visibly discomfited by her before Klaus drags Allison away.
Five brings Vanya to one of Luther's fights, but their brother is distracted by the knowledge that Allison is married, and loses on purpose. Later, Lila sneaks out, and meets a woman she calls "mum"... the Handler.
Tropes for this episode include:
- After-Action Patch-Up: Lila patches up Diego after his fight with his father.
- Anachronistic Clue: Lila claiming her parents died in a 'home invasion' sounds incredibly out of place in the 1960s, since this term didn't come into common usage until many decades later.
- Behind Every Great Man: A member of the activist group mentions this line after Allison's Rousing Speech.
- Bring My Brown Pants: The Handler tells a little boy something that makes him pee his pants and scurry away.
- Call-Back: The malt shop the sit-in takes place in is the same one Allison tried to find help when she arrived to Dallas.
- Come with Me If You Want to Live: Five to Vanya: "You can stay here and wait for the IKEA mafia to kill you, or you can come with me."
- Defence Mechanism Superpower: Because she is amnesiac, Vanya's strong energy wave powers kick in while the Swedes have her at gunpoint.
- Exact Words: When Vanya asks what exactly causes the apocalypse, Five tactfully says "asteroid impact", leaving out the fact that she caused said impact.
- Feet-First Introduction: Klaus first meets his wealthy benefactor after being thrown out of a diner, so he (and the audience) see her feet first before the camera pans upwards.Klaus: Chanel...
- Gory Discretion Shot: Two adorable cats are murdered. The actual murders aren't shown; instead, it jump-cuts to the killers in their white clothes newly stained with blood.
- History Repeats: Allison once again drives her husband away after he sees her Rumor someone.
- Hit Me, Dammit!: Luther asks his opponent to continue hitting him so he can feel all the pain.
- Lost in the Maize: Vanya runs into a cornfield with three assassins chasing after her.
- Modesty Bedsheet: After they have sex, Lila is shown lying beside Diego with the covers carefully wrapped around her chest, which she even holds in place before getting up.
- Mythology Gag: During the montage of Klaus becoming a cult leader, he demonstrates the ability to levitate. This was a power his comic-book counterpart actually possessed, but here he's just being lifted by Ben, who clearly isn't happy about the situation (and ends up dropping him).
- Oblivious Janitor Cut: Lila and Diego begin having sex; the scene then cuts to Elliot on the other side of the wall, focused on his food and miffed at the occasional thumping.
- Police Brutality: The cops who manhandle Raymond are beating him within an inch of his life before Allison Rumors them into stopping.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Luther's manager is seen working with a sewing machine.
- Rousing Speech: Allison gives an inspiring speech to the activists she's working with who are reluctant to continue their sit-in without Ray. It works, and they vote to continue the sit-in.Allison: Now is the time to show the world what it is really like for us down here. And to show the police that we will not be bullied into submission. We will continue to fight for equality, even in the face of persecution.
- Sexy Discretion Shot: As they start to undress before having sex, the shot cuts away from Diego and Lila, showing them only behind some tinted glass indistinctly.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: A result of Diego and Lila's UST. He tries to kiss her and gets slapped for it. Then Lila changes her mind and returns the kiss.
- Slow-Motion Fall: When Luther gets hit hard by his opponent and falls backwards.
- Synchronized Swarming: The episode's umbrella symbol at the title card is formed by birds swarming to form the symbol.
- Toplessness from the Back: Lila is shown naked to the waist from behind as she gets up after having sex with Diego.
- Trauma Button: Lila is shaken by finding Diego lying facedown after his stabbing because it reminded her of her parents' deaths.
- Undressing the Unconscious: After waking up naked, Diego asks Lila where his clothes are.
- Wham Shot: After Lila Diego leaves post-coitus, she walks into the pet shop The Handler was in earlier, retrieves a hotel room key from the fish tank, enters said hotel room, and asks its occupant if she can order room service. Cue The Handler emerging from the bathroom.The Handler: Of course! You deserve it.Lila: Thanks, Mum.
