How Ritu Arya Really Feels About Her Umbrella Academy Character

For fans of Netflix's gonzo superhero romp "The Umbrella Academy," Season 3 of the series cannot make its way to Netflix soon enough. That's largely because the electrifying second season finale of "The Umbrella Academy" turned the series' already twisted narrative on its head via a string of shocking revelations and cliffhangers that raised far more questions than they answered. 

Chief among those questions is the fate of one Lila Pitts (Ritu Arya), who threw the world of the Hargreeves into serious flux in Season 2 when it was revealed she was not only one of the 43 special children born on that fateful day in 1989, but arguably more powerful than all them. Powers aside, after a few tragic secrets regarding how she came to be in the care of her "mother" the Handler (Kate Walsh) were revealed, she snagged one of the Commission's handy time-traveling cases and vamoosed into the unknown.

As it is, there's zero chance we'll find out where, or more accurately when, Lila went before Season 3 of "The Umbrella Academy" premieres. Still, thanks largely to the deft work of Arya, the wily, emotionally tangled character remains breathe of fresh air in the realm of "The Umbrella Academy," and we cannot wait to see what's in store for her. 

Yes, Lila will be back for Season 3 of "The Umbrella Academy," and Ritu Arya indeed has some very specific feelings about her gloriously unpredictable character.

Like most of her cast mates, "The Umbrella Academy" has proven a legit breakout moment for Ritu Arya. And per to the actor's 2020 comments to Brief Take, she knew Lila was something special the moment she read her, "When I read it the first time, she's this unhinged, playful, unpredictable, shocking character and I completely fell in love with her right away." Arya went on to praise the series' writers for helping make the role such a joy to play, stating, "I mean she's just written really well. I've got to give credit to the writers for that because she's just an incredible character that everything feels like a game for her and I think there's great power in that ... when you are coming in with a mindset like that, something shifts."

Given what was revealed about her relationship with the Handler in the Season 2 finale, however, Arya also believes the character may be far more damaged than "The Umbrella Academy" fans might've initially perceived. She even went so far as to tell ELLE she thinks Lila is more messed up than any of the Hargreeves', claiming "At least they had each other growing up! She has no one, and she's so lonely. I think the Handler's so much worse than their dad, in terms of her hunger for power and mistreatment." 

Arya is likely correct in that belief. And the character's emotional instability only makes her forthcoming return for Season 3 of "The Umbrella Academy" all the more exciting.