Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy has finally arrived, marking an end to the inventive series and the intriguing spin creator/showrunner Steve Blackman gave to the popular comic books created and written by Gerard Way. It’s been a long road for the Hargreeves siblings, who have fought off the apocalypse more than once, a doomsday, in fact, that somehow they all played a part in. (Who would have thought?) Righting a horrible wrong is never easy, and that was part of the fun diving into Blackman’s timeline-jumping creation about a gaggle of mismatched souls with fabulous superpowers.
When the series dropped in 2019, it felt fresh and inventive, and the narrative lured you in and kept you interested. Season 4, short and sweet as it is with six episodes, feels out of place. More like a penultimate season of sorts. There are far too many new elements and characters to fully digest properly. The narrative and our favorite characters get lost in the mix. Like disparate timelines, suddenly an overused theme in so many sci-fi movies and series, the season drifts this way and that, and becomes somewhat of a headscratcher.
We’ll stay and see things through across these final episodes, of course, because we’ve come to love and appreciate the characters, their story arcs, and the journeys they’ve been on. But one cannot escape the feeling of “get on with it / get to the point” emanating from this creative beast which is literally on its last breath. But alas, can it be all that bad with Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) as the best scene stealers to hit the screen recently? Bless their hearts. But let’s unpack this bloated spectacle, which, while still enjoyable, ultimately deserved a better sendoff.
Let’s Time Jump, Shall We? The Umbrella Academy 6 Years Later
The Umbrella Academy – Season 4
3/5
On one day in 1989, 43 infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before. Seven are adopted by billionaire industrialist Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who creates the Umbrella Academy and prepares his “children” to save the world. In their teenage years, though, the family fractures and the team disbands. Fast forward to the present time, when the six surviving members of the clan reunite upon the news of Hargreeves’ passing. They work together to solve a mystery surrounding their father’s death, but divergent personalities and abilities again pull the estranged family apart, and a global apocalypse is another imminent threat. The series is based on a collection of comics and graphic novels created and written by My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way.
Release Date August 8, 2024
Showrunner Steve Blackman
Pros
- It’s great to see these characters again, and Elliot Page is better than ever, but Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally steal the show.
- The action sequences and soundtrack are superb as ever, and the dialogue packs a punch.
Cons
- Too many characters and plots are introduced for the final season.
- The Umbrella Academy simply doesn’t end some of the show’s storylines in fulfilling ways.
Remember the third season finale? You’ll be forgiven if you don’t, and the quick rewind before Episode 1 begins gives you enough of a refresher. There was a lot of fuss about Daddy Hargreeves’ (Colm Feore) obsession with entering the “Oblivion” and unlocking its secrets. The Hotel Oblivion showdown ultimately found Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman) rather keen on the idea of turning a magic key to reset the universe. Our gang appeared in another timeline intact, but without their powers. What to do?
In Season 4, we jump to six years later. Viktor (Elliot Page) is working in a diner in Nova Scotia. Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) is undercover for, well, watch and see! Diego and Lila (David Castañeda and Ritu Arya) are feeling challenged (read: bored) with conventional married/parental life. Luther (Tom Hopper) has become an exotic male dancer (nice pump, dude!) while Allison is an “actress” and lives with her daughter (Millie Davis).
Klaus (Robert Sheehan) gave up drugs only to become an obsessive compulsive germaphobe. Ben (Justin H. Min), always beleaguered, is constantly miffed. You’ll have to wait until Episode 2 to experience more superpower-related zing, and it’s thanks to Ben’s story arc that we get there. How the gang get their powers back is best to be experienced on your own.
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If you recall, The Commission, which oversaw that fickle space-time continuum, went bust by Season 3, and while the Hargreeves siblings have been getting on with their lives here, another dangerous, cultish group has emerged. They’ve dubbed themselves The Keepers, a wackadoo group of conspiracy theorists helmed by husband-and-wife duo Gene and Jean Thibodeau. It’s a delight to see real-life couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally in these roles. Mullally tends to steal the spotlight away from her husband with her take on Jean. But don’t be fooled by her sweet ol’ accent and calming presence. Jean and Gene — fun gag! — and their minions believe they’re in the wrong timeline, and they’ll stop at nothing to get back to their main one.
Related: Umbrella Academy Season 3 Ending, Explained
That’s a fine premise to work off of, and when the Hargreeves and those affiliated with them share scenes with the Thibodeaus, there’s some great fun to be had. But creatively, things get sidetracked early on. Blackman insists on splintering off the team. By Episode 3, there are far too many subplots to track. Though we do learn more about the Thibodeaus, which offers some of the best scenes of the season. Offerman and Mullally know how to work off of each other’s comedic strength. One hilarious bit finds the couple dancing to Cher’s “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves.” Brilliant.
Meanwhile, the Hargreeves are intent on uncovering what The Keepers are really up to. That said, Number Five and Lila find themselves in a precarious timeline-related drama, which boasts several predictable elements, yet ultimately satisfies. Diego and Luther connect with a CIA. Klaus always has funny storylines. This particular one will either force an eyeroll or make you slap your thighs in laughter. Viktor and Daddy Hargreeves (in this iteration — after all, another timeline, another daddy) embark on their own journey. It’s a lot to pack in in just six episodes.
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The Umbrella Sags but Elliot Page and the Show’s Action Still Impress
Look for Ben and newbie Jennifer’s (Victoria Sawal) connection to be the main thrust taking the series to its finale. David Cross also appears, fueling the intrigue. In the meantime, all that family bickering is back. But so are the superpowers. The scenes that feature them never disappoint. Something must be said, too, about Viktor here. There are several times when the character, so wonderfully embodied by Elliot Page, delivers heated monologues that just sizzle with intensity. They are raw, visceral, and packed with emotion, recalling the origins of the series — remember when this character didn’t have access to powers?
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Other notables: The final season does offer some closure on other creative threads left dangling — the true cause of Ben’s death, for instance — but there are far too many things that never get wrapped up. The action sequences tend to be extremely fun, as always. The slo-mo is in full effect, and the soundtrack is stellar, featuring Johnny Rivers, Guantanamo Baywatch, Fats Domino, Muse, and Talking Heads, among others.
The best things about the season are the quirky scenarios the characters once again find themselves in — and The Keepers arc, with Offerman and Mullally in fine form. Some end scenes may leave fans divided. Still, most viewers will appreciate this last, wild and zany ride. The umbrella isn’t quite broken. It just sags a bit. Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy is streaming on Netflix and you can watch it through the link below:
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