Why Umbrella Academy Fans Hate Pogo So Much

All characters in Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy have their strengths and weaknesses, and none of them is fully good or bad. Although season 1 had Harold Jenkins a.k.a. Leonard Peabody as main villain (among many baddies), fans have decided to direct their hate towards Pogo, the Hargreeves’ assistant, butler, and friend. Based on the comic book series of the same name created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy was one of Netflix’s biggest surprises of 2019, and was quickly renewed for a second season.

The Umbrella Academy follows the dysfunctional family of adopted siblings, the Hargreeves. All seven of them were born on the same day, under the same mysterious circumstances, and were later adopted by the equally mysterious billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves. Each kid developed a unique set of superpowers, so Reginald trained them and formed the “Umbrella Academy”. Though Reginald was their adoptive father, he didn’t play the role of parent well, and the kids could only rely on two beings: their robot nanny/mother Grace, and the family’s assistant, Pogo.

Nothing about the Hargreeves is normal, and Pogo was an advanced chimpanzee that served as Reginald’s closest assistant and a father figure to the Hargreeves children. Pogo was in the difficult position of looking after the siblings and being Reginald’s confidante, which has earned him the hate of many viewers.

The Reason Why Umbrella Academy Fans Hate Pogo

Pogo lived at the Hargreeves’ mansion with Reginald and Grace, and was the one who called all the siblings when Reginald passed away. He knew every secret passage in the house as well as every secret kept by Reginald, meaning that he always knew that Vanya wasn’t powerless – in fact, she was the most powerful and dangerous of the bunch. This, along with him being Reginald’s assistant, are the main reasons why viewers have come to hate the seemingly innocent chimpanzee.

Pogo worked closely with Reginald in the upbringing and training of the children, which is why many see him as a complicit in Reginald’s abuse and lies, especially when it comes to Vanya. Because of her power and lack of control of it, Reginald decided to make her believe (with the help of her sister Allison a.k.a. Rumor) that she was ordinary, and kept her under medication for years. This was the root of Vanya’s issues with her family and what made her snap and provoke the apocalypse. As Pogo knew everything, he could have told Vanya what she really was (and her siblings, too) in order to stop a major catastrophe – but instead, he chose to remain silent.

On the other hand, some viewers have pointed out that Pogo didn’t have much choice when it came to his loyalty towards Reginald, given that he was also his creator. What’s undeniable is that Pogo truly cared about the kids, but his closeness to Reginald put him in a very difficult position. Pogo died saving those who were still at the mansion when Vanya arrived to confront him, and it was a very brutal death. Love him or hate him, Pogo was the only father figure the Hargreeves siblings had, and very much like the rest of the characters of The Umbrella Academy, he’s neither black nor white.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3273 Articles Published)

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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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