‘The Umbrella Academy’ season 4 review: Superhero series loses its powers in the end

This review of the final season of The Umbrella Academy contains spoilers

Despite a cataclysmic final shot, and many apocalypses before it, The Umbrella Academy goes out with a whimper. After four seasons, the washed-out superheroes finally decide to stop running away from their problems and save the world for real this time. A heroic act, for sure, but one that falls flat in the wake of an undercooked Season 4.

It’s six years after The Umbrella Academy loses their powers and everyone’s doing alright. Viktor (Elliot Page) owns a bar, then dumped by his girlfriend. Luther’s (Tom Hopper) killing it as a stripper, or at least, he looks really good. Diego (David Castañeda ) is a delivery driver but he has three kids and Lila (Ritu Arya), who enjoys book club. Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman) has Claire (Millie Davis) and acting in commercials though remains slightly estranged from the family after last season’s character assassination. Ben (Justin H. Min) just got out of prison and is not our Ben. Five (Aidan Gallagher) works for the CIA for some reason. And Klaus is sober, but also a germaphobe and agoraphobic. So, yeah — everyone’s living it up. 

But the timeline has changed one too many times and the effects are starting to show. Enter iconic husband-wife acting duo Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman as Jean and Gene, who go around collecting artefacts from different timelines and want to bring about The Cleanse. “The Cleanse” supposedly will reset the timelines and take us back to the original 2019 version. Hazel and Cha-Cha they are not, but Jean and Gene are worthy villains of the season. 

The first few episodes work well as the Hargreeves regain their powers and go on a road trip to save Jennifer (Victoria Sawal) in a small town in Maine. Stripping away some of the fantastical elements of the show heightens this part of the story. Without their powers, the Hargreeves are closer than ever (with only Allison estranged somewhat — progress, I guess). The scale of the story shrinks from Apocalyptic to one simple rescue mission, which makes for better character-focused beats. And when Sparrow Ben roofies everyone with marigold – the source of their powers — the team gets back on the horse at half-power. However, no explanation really given to why 1) some of them have new powers and 2) their powers are not as strong). 

These episodes focus on Sparrow Ben; necessary, especially since we don’t know Sparrow Ben as well as original Ben. His dynamic in the group is odd, considering he looks like their brother but the Hargreeves are also largely responsible for the death of Sparrow Ben’s family. Pairing him off with new character Jennifer gives the audience a chance to get to know them both better. Their escape from authorities turns this part of the season into a fun little on-the-run romp. 

Performance-wise, everyone’s at the top of their game. The Umbrella Academy has always had silly aspects to it, but the cast really runs with it at the start of this season. This is in large part because the Hargreeves are together most of the time; the cast’s chemistry in these group scenes elevate the script in numerous ways. A lot of the first couple of seasons had the siblings split off in different parts of the story; Season 4’s more streamlined approach means they stick together for the most part, though it’s eventually to the season’s detriment. 

But this final season goes off the rails mid-way through, and not in a fun way. Perhaps if the season had the usual 10 episodes there would have been time to explore Season 4’s concepts better. The time travel subway was particularly interesting, a way to revisit past seasons before saying goodbye to the show. Or, a way to solve this season’s crisis. Instead an ill-advised Lila/Five romance takes center stage when the the subway traps them for 7 years. There’s no story progress made here except to introduce a love triangle between Lila, Five, and Diego.

It’s particularly weird considering Aidan Gallagher is only recently no longer a minor. Even if this pairing made any sense, it’s introduction this late in a shortened final season hurts it more. Lila and Diego’s dynamic strengthend the past seasons. To see it flame out this way is disheartening and disrespects what came before and the work the actors have put into building that relationship across three seasons. Putting Five and Lila together is one thing; not giving Diego and Lila the time to reconcile is an insult. 

Klaus has been a frustration almost every season. As the character with the coolest powers, the show’s refusal to put any effort in exploring those powers continues to be a disappointment in this final season. Considering Klaus’ addiction is the result of his powers, his refusal to regain them is a great place to start him off this season. He’s got three years of sobriety under his belt at this point. When he’s force fed the marigold to save his life, however, the show reverts him right back to the Klaus of old. Refreshing to see him angry at his family, but sending him on another side plot where he’s pimped out for medium and sexual favors, with onscreen ghost rape, is another dark mark for this season. 

Klaus’ ability to talk to ghosts, hang out in the afterlife, and chat with God have intriguing lore implications for this world. How is it that after four seasons, there’s no meaningful exploration of these powers? He’s never allowed to master his powers, his addiction, or participate in the main plot with his family. A waste of a character, ultimately, one that had so much potential. The only satisfying conclusion that happened with Klaus was his relationship with Allison and Claire, and how someone finally came after him when he went missing. 

This issue with Klaus and his powers is present in all the other characters as well. From the start, Allison has struggled with the morality around her mind control abilities. Season 3 takes her to a very dark place, one that had audiences turning on her. She regains the ability, but her reluctance to use them only ever addressed in throwaway lines. She levels-up to glowing eyes and controlling people without verbal intentions, but never allowed to reflect on how she feels about using them. A disservice to a great character who deserved a chance to rectify her actions from last season. 

Lila can shoot lazers out of her eyes now, but her ability to mimic others’ powers is hardly remarked upon. Diego’s lack of powers and insecurity around being a leader in the beginning is resorted to fatphobic jokes. The return of the other’s powers offer up little fanfare. They start out as half-powered but there’s no follow-up there. A shame, since previous seasons teased how powerful the Hargreeves can be when they work together and are at full-power. But that battle scene at the end of Season 2 was never to be revisited in any other way. 

The narrative completely leaves Sparrow Ben and Jennifer behind, sacrificed by overarching plot priorities centering around another apocalypse and new lore that doesn’t make sense. They are the epicenter of “The Cleanse” and their connection will reset us to the original timeline, but the rest of the Hargreeves also have to be sacrificed. 

While the Hargreeves’ decision shows their growth as a family, it’s a shallow sacrifice considering all the loose threads left behind. A lot of The Umbrella Academy’s issues are summed up by an over-reliance on apocalyptic stakes. And Season 4 falls into the same trap, only now there’s less time to convince the audience the Hargreeves are ready to take this on for real. The first half of this season starts off well, but it paces itself like it has its usual 10 episodes; then things get lazy, a disappointing end to what has been a fun yet frustrating superhero series. RIP The Umbrella Academy, they would have loved four extra episodes and respectful writing. 

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Images courtesy of Netflix