Why does no one seem to own a cellphone in The Umbrella Academy? Similarly to the original comic book series, Netflix's The Umbrella Academy is set in a world very much like our own present day. The year is specifically pinned down to 2019, the story is very clearly taking place on Earth as viewers know it and there is plenty of cultural crossover with superhero action figures, retro-style diners and first dates in coffee shops. Where The Umbrella Academy begins to deviate from the real world is in its depiction of technology.
On the surface, everything is as it should be; there are cars, neon motel lights, and bustling urban landscapes with bowling alleys and medical labs. Looking a little closer, however, the modern conveniences of The Umbrella Academy are decades behind what they should be, taking on a more retro vibe compared to the sleek gadgets the audience will likely be using to watch the series. TVs are bulky and dated, Allison uses a library microfiche to research Leonard Peabody instead of just entering his name into the almighty Google and messages are left via answering machine instead of e-mail. Perhaps The Umbrella Academy's most notable technological absence, however, is the lack of cellphones in the series, with characters forced to use a more ancient contraption - a landline.
It's quite curious that The Umbrella Academy should be set in 2019, on an Earth with no apparent timeline alterations, and yet have such a massive discrepancy from real life, but there are creative motivations behind this decision. Despite its setting, The Umbrella Academy takes on a distinctly gothic visual style and tone, leaning more into Victorian England in terms of its design and dimly-lit interiors. This artistic approach is borrowed directly from the comic series, which in turn derives from franchise creator Gerard Way's background as the singer of My Chemical Romance, a band renowned for their goth-inspired look and lyrics. The Umbrella Academy needs to be set in 2019 to avoid being labelled a historical piece but the presence of modern gadgets and cutting-edge tech would ruin the aesthetic, which is pretty much a dark, 19th century, almost Steampunk-esque ambiance colliding with grimy 1960s Americana.
The Umbrella Academy's showrunner, Steve Blackman, has previously compared the show's balance of realism to the 2006 movie Children of Men, in which the story clearly takes place in the real world, but there are subtle differences creeping below the surface. Blackman confirmed the intention was to create an odd, off-kilter sensation for the audience. Number 5 actor, Aiden Gallagher, has hinted at a different interpretation on his Twitter account, suggesting that The Umbrella Academy could be taking place in a different timeline to our own, and this could play into the inevitable time travel antics of season 2.
Away from the visuals, The Umbrella Academy's cellphone-free zone does have a measurable impact on the plot. Rapid advances in communication technology have played havoc with storytelling in the modern era, with phones and tablets able to instantly connect individuals across the world. Films and TV shows are becoming increasingly reliant on the "low battery" and "no signal" excuses in order to work around the existence of cellphones and maintain some semblance of dramatic tension. Now, writers are evidently finding ways to erase cellphones out of existence altogether, as seen elsewhere in HBO's Watchmen. Ellen Page discussed this very issue in a Screen Rant interview earlier this year, claiming "cell phones are just ruining narrative."
In The Umbrella Academy's case, the entire climax would've played out very differently if the Hargreeves siblings had smartphones to hand. Allison embarks on a cat-and-mouse chase trying to warn Vanya that her new boyfriend is a murderer, relying on her own investigative skills and meeting face-to-face, when a cellphone would've allowed her to convey the message instantly. In the same vein, the rest of the Academy launch a panicked attempt to catch up with Allison when they discover she's left, only to find her near death. Once again, a simple text message could've saved everyone the trouble.
The Umbrella Academy season 2 is expected to release in 2020. More news as it arrives.