Ellen Page has been speaking about about LGBTQ issues since she came out herself. She co-hosted the Vice series Gaycation shedding light on LGBTQ stories around the world, and posted a revealing Pride month photo with her wife, Emma Portner, in 2019. Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy brings up LGBTQ issues in Vanya (Page)’s storyline too.
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for season 2 of The Umbrella Academy.]
Page was on a Television Critics Association panel for The Umbrella Academy on Aug. 4. She spoke about Vanya’s romance in season 2, in the ’60s no less. Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
Ellen Page says Vanya is feeling much better in season 2 of ‘The Umbrella Academy’
Season 1 of The Umbrella Academy was about the Hargreeves family trying to prevent the apocalypse. It turned out Vanya herself caused the apocalypse by repressing her powers for so long and letting them out. She’s feeling much better now, Page says.
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“Yes, the end of the first season, she lets out a lot of energy, a lot of repressed emotion, and memories,” Page said. “It doesn’t benefit the world, because she does blow up the moon. Where we find Vanya at the beginning of the second season, that release has actually helped her a lot in many ways. She’s much lighter. She’s much more able to connect with human beings in a real way.”
‘The Umbrella Academy’ explores LGBTQ relationships in season 2
At the beginning of season 2, The Umbrella Academy reveals that Five (Aiden Gallagher) sent all of his siblings into different years in the 1960s. That is a tumultuous time for all of them, but it also opens Vanya up to love.
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“She falls in love for the first time,” Page said. “She’s more able to be connected to and in control of her emotions. When we see everything sort of surge back up and her have the experience that she has, whilst on acid, you do see the realization of what she’s done overcome her and overwhelm her, in terms of the shame for what she did to the world, what she did to Allison, etc. But, for the most part, you know, Vanya in many ways is doing a lot better this season.”
Ellen Page was on board for her LGBTQ storyline
Page sees the benefits of Vanya’s season 2 storyline as twofold. One, it presents another positive portrayal of LGBTQ characters. Two, it can educate Umbrella Academy viewers on a difficult time in LGBTQ history.
“I think for me to have the opportunity to film a season where Vanya falls in love for the first time and has this experience and have it be with a woman was a really exciting opportunity,” Page said. “Especially since it takes place in the ‘60s, being able to show some of the obstacles at that time obviously in an era where it was illegal, considered a mental illness.”
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Since the audience for The Umbrella Academy tuned in to see a superhero show, Page hopes her storyline puts LGBTQ issues in front of new allies.
“Yes, to be able to do it in a show like this that has the reach that the show has, and to tell a story that I think hopefully shows the beauty and the joy that these women have together and then also reflects very realistic obstacles, that was the goal in order for it to be a positive representation in the world.”