Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘The Umbrella Academy’ series finale.
The fourth and final season ofThe Umbrella Academyis finally on Netflix, and true to form, it ends with one last apocalypse — and plenty of family drama along the way. WhenSeason 3 ofThe Umbrella Academyended, the Hargreeves siblings found themselves in another reality sans superpowers. But Five (Aidan Gallagher) soon learns of a mysterious organization seeking to restore the original timeline,which will cause an apocalypse that resonates through time and space.
Luther (Tom Hopper), Viktor (Elliot Page), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Diego (David Castañeda), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Ben (Justin H. Min)and Five soon reunite to stop the Keepers — the secret organization that’s aiming to bring the Cleanse about. In the process, they learn more about the circumstances behind their birth,a secret hovering overThe Umbrella Academysince its inception, andanothersecret that puts two Hargreeves siblings at odds. So how doesThe Umbrella Academyend?
The Umbrella Academy
A dysfunctional family of adopted superhero siblings reunites to solve the mystery of their father’s death and prevent an impending apocalypse. As they confront their past and battle external threats, their fractured relationships and unique powers drive a mix of action, drama, and dark humor.
The Secret of Ben’s Death Is Finally Revealed
One of the biggest mysteries aboutThe Umbrella Academyconcerns Ben’s death; before the events of the show and theDark Horse comic byGerard WayandGabriel Báthat serves as its inspiration, he perished on a mysterious mission. The Season 4 episode “The Cleanse” finally unpacks what happened to Ben, revealing that on a mission, he formed a connection with a girl named Jennifer (Victoria Sawal). But their proximity to each other is what triggered the Cleanse. Ben, like the rest of his siblings, has an element called marigold in his body which gave him his powers. This causes durango, another element within Jennifer’s body, to have a chain reaction that sets off the Cleanse, so the Hargreeves' adoptive father Reginald (Colm Feore)fatally shoots Ben and Jennifer to prevent the apocalypse.
In the current timeline, Jennifer is kidnapped by the Keepers to try and trigger the Cleanse. Reginald’s wife Abigail is revealed to be behind the Keepers, having disguised herself as one of their leaders, Gene (Nick Offerman); she also took the form of Jennifer’s father, Sy Grossman (David Cross), to set the Umbrella Academy on a collision course with the Keepers. Abigail also reveals that she created the marigold and durango particles, andwants to trigger the Cleanse to set things right with the universe.
‘The Umbrella Academy’ Season 4 Has One of the Weirdest Relationships in the Show’s History
During the Hargreeves' quest, Five and Diego’s wife Lila (Ritu Arya) discover a subway that can travel through time; when they return, there’s a tension that Diego immediately picks up on. The Season 4 episode “Six Years, Five Months, and Two Days” reveals thatFive and Lila were stuck at a certain point in time for close to seven years, and developed a romantic relationship. While this choice has divided fans ofThe Umbrella Academy, showrunnerSteve Blackmanfelt it made perfect sense and elaborated on the decisionduring a video interview with TVLine:
“Lila and Five are so much more similar than they want to give each other credit for…They’re constantly fighting and bickering, but they’re the most alike. So seven years together — it made sense that something would have happened… It seemed like it was worth trying, and I thought it paid off.”
But that isn’t the only time that Five uses the time-traveling subway. In the series finale, “End of the Beginning,” he takes another ride andencounters alternate versions of himselfwho tell him that there’s only one way to stop the latest apocalypse.
When To Watch ‘The Umbrella Academy’s Final Season: Premiere Date, Episode Schedule, and More
A superpowered finale lies ahead.
‘The Umbrella Academy’ Ends With the Hargreeves Family Making the Ultimate Sacrifice
The alternate Fives tell Prime Five that the very presence of marigold is what causes time to splinter andtrigger the various apocalypses the Hargreeves encountered. Five then tells his siblings thatthey have to let the Cleanse happen in order to restore the timeline to its original state. After saying goodbye to their families, the Hargreeves join the Cleanse and restore the timeline to normal. “End is the Beginning” ends, appropriately enough, with the Hargreeves' loved ones — including Diego and Lila’s children as well as their mothers — sitting at a park while “I Think We’re Alone Now” byTiffanyplays.
Blackman says that he knew he wanted to end the show with the Hargreeves giving up their lives to save the world. “I thought there was an interesting idea of ceasing to exist, to never have been known.What is a superhero if no one knows you exist?That was the philosophical question. Can you be a superhero if no one ever knew you were a superhero? What does it mean to them? And I also thought it was an incredible sacrifice,“he toldThe Hollywood Reporter. Though this is the end for the show,Umbrella Academyfans will be happy to know that a wealth of tie-in material is slated to hit shelves, including more comics from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá.
The Umbrella Academyis available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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