Full spoilers observe for The Umbrella Academy season 4.
The Umbrella Academy season 4 has lastly landed on Netflix – and, with it, the Hargreeves household’s story has come to an in depth. Greater than 5 years after its first season’s debut the hit sequence has formally ended, and I am positive you are as misty-eyed as I’m over its extremely bittersweet conclusion.
Unhappy although I’m to see one of many greatest Netflix exhibits finish for good, I can not get too upset simply but. I do know you have obtained large questions rattling round inside your head about The Umbrella Academy‘s remaining season, so I will do my greatest to reply them.
Full season 4 spoilers instantly observe, so learn my spoiler-light evaluate of The Umbrella Academy season 4 after which watch it on one of many world’s greatest streaming providers should you’re not caught up. In any other case, put together for a raft of superpowered spoilers proper about… now!
Who dies in The Umbrella Academy season 4?
Technically, lots of people. The Cleanse – the monstrous, blob-like entity born out of the merging of Ben Hargreeves and Jennifer’s our bodies – goes on a citywide rampage, killing anybody who will get in its method. Except the Hargreeves household stops it, it’s going to proceed to develop exponentially and eat the whole world.
To be extra particular, the present’s eight foremost characters – i.e., the superpowered Hargreeves siblings – are essentially the most noteworthy casualties. Ben however, the opposite seven make the last word sacrifice to not solely save the day for the fourth time, but additionally to revive the unique timeline that existed earlier than they had been born.
As 5 Hargreeves reveals to the group, they should die to cease the unending cycle of apocalyptic occasions and common resets. Basically, they’re timeline anomalies who should not have been created within the first place. Certainly, it was the substance generally known as marigold, which was launched into the universe by Sir Reginald Hargreeves – aka the extraterrestrial being who turns into their emotionally chilly surrogate father – that led to their supernatural births on October 1, 1989.
As we be taught in season 4 episode 4, marigold was created by Reginald’s spouse (and fellow alien) Abigail. Upon efficiently synthesizing the particle, although, Abigail additionally unknowingly created one other factor – known as durango – that, when combined with marigold, causes a bodily, irreparable chemical chain response and an inevitable extinction stage occasion. Consider them as this franchise’s variations of matter and anti-matter however, as an alternative of canceling one another out, combining them causes the destruction of life as we all know it.
It isn’t defined absolutely, however Jennifer is the one particular person whose physique incorporates durango. Regardless, it is her and Ben’s infatuation with each other that results in her durango and his marigold fusing to create The Cleanse.
Anyway, to cease The Cleanse and restore the unique timeline, the Hargreeves siblings should permit themselves to be consumed by the repulsive, fleshy monstrosity. In line with 5, their marigold will cancel out The Cleanse’s durango, thereby ending one other apocalyptic occasion and reinstating the unique universe, however at the price of their lives. No person will keep in mind their sacrifice, both, as a result of technically it by no means occurred.
Lila initially refuses to affix her brothers and sisters as a result of she needs to maintain her personal mother and father and children protected. Nevertheless, 5’s plan will solely work in the event that they’re all consumed by The Cleanse so, if Lila does not hand over her marigold and perish alongside her siblings, the timeline reset will not happen. She quickly realizes that that is the one solution to shield her kids, so she leaves them and her mother and father on one of many time-traveling subway trains (figuring out they will be protected within the course of) earlier than rejoining her siblings on the rundown Hargreeves household residence.
Standing in a circle, the group carry their marigold to the middle of their chests. As The Cleanse engulfs the household residence, they heart-breakingly (and humorously) bid farewell to 1 one other earlier than they’re consumed by The Cleanse.
Did the Hargreeves household restore the unique timeline in The Umbrella Academy season 4?
Sure. The unique timeline is just not solely restored, however The Umbrella Academy‘s in depth supporting solid of characters get their regular lives again.
Within the season 4 finale’s final scene, we see an entire host of acquainted faces partaking in quite a few actions in a sun-drenched park. Lila’s household and Allison’s daughter are seen taking part in with bubbles, kicking a soccer ball about, and having fun with a picnic. In the meantime, The Swedes – the blonde-haired assassins from season 2 – could be glimpsed throwing a frisbee between themselves.
In one other nook of the park, former Temps Fee agent Hazel and donut store employee Agnes stroll on a path with their pedal bikes, Grace – the Hargreeves household’s mother – tends to a child in a pram, and The Handler (The Temps Fee’s tyrannical chief) is limbering as much as go for a run as she takes a telephone name. Lastly, different Temps Fee workers Herb and Dot are taking part in backgammon on a park bench as somebody (I can not work out who that is) sketches their portrait on a notepad.
There are some notable people lacking from this heart-warming solid montage, together with Mary J Blige’s Cha-Cha, Ashley Madekwe’s Eudora Patch, Marin Eire’s Sissy Cooper, and Justin Paul Kelly/Callum Keith Rennie’s Harlan Cooper. Nonetheless, it is good to see that most of the present’s supporting solid returned to provide their very own characters a way of closure.
What occurred to Reginald and Abigail in The Umbrella Academy season 4?
The brief reply is that they died. We do not see them get devoured by The Cleanse on the finish of the season 4 finale’s center act – the digicam cuts away earlier than we see what occurs – nevertheless it’s protected to imagine that they are killed.
Nevertheless, as a result of the Hargreeves siblings revive the unique timeline, this does not really occur. What doubtless happens is that Reginald is shipped again to his residence world – to a time earlier than he releases marigold into the universe – the place he lives out the remainder of his days alone. As we all know from this season’s fourth episode (and beforehand alluded to in different seasons), Abigail died of an unknown illness. Consumed by grief, Reginald releases marigold into the wild, which units The Umbrella Academy‘s complete story in movement.
The pair aren’t seen once more after The Cleanse kills them, so it is extremely unlikely that the timeline reset gave them a cheerful ending the place Abigail has been resurrected. For that motive alone, I think she nonetheless succumbs to her sickness and Reginald lives out a lonely existence on his residence planet.
Why did not ‘Second Ben’ seem in The Umbrella Academy season 4?
I think this is likely one of the season 4’s greatest unanswered questions that many viewers will need a solution to.
To unravel it, we have to remind ourselves about what was proven in The Umbrella Academy season 3’s post-credits sequence. In it, we see what seems to be one other model of Ben Hargreeves, aka The Sparrow Academy’s Ben (let’s name him Sparrow Ben), who was in seasons 3 and 4, and Unique Ben, who was a member of The Umbrella Academy and existed as a ghost in seasons 1 and a couple of.
The Ben in season 3’s post-credits scene – for the sake of this rationalization, let’s name him Ben 3.0 – is just not solely seen studying a e-book about pottery on a Korean subway prepare, however can also be sporting a very completely different look to Sparrow Ben. Given the complicated nature of the present’s a number of timelines and alternate universes, followers instantly suspected Ben 3.0 was a special entity to Sparrow Ben, which led some viewers to theorize that we would see two Bens in season 4.
So, why did not Ben 3.0 present up? As a result of he and Sparrow Ben are the identical character. Talking to Netflix Tudum after season 3’s launch in July 2022, showrunner Steve Blackman mentioned of followers’ theories about Ben 3.0: “Let’s be clear – that’s Sparrow Ben”. So, there’s your reply.
After all, that poses one other query: why did not season 4 deal with why Sparrow Ben was in Korea studying a pottery e-book? From what we be taught all through this season, Sparrow Ben initially spent the six years (between season 3’s ending and its successor’s premier) being a cryptocurrency scammer earlier than he was caught and despatched to jail.
So, what’s that obtained to do with the place season 3’s post-credits stinger left him? I think Sparrow Ben was in Korea as a part of his world legal scheme. As for the novel, possibly he is only a secret pottery aficionado. Hey, do not choose him, all of us have quirky hobbies.
Does Sloane Hargreeves seem in The Umbrella Academy season 4?
Nope. Genesis Rodriguez, who performed Sloane Hargreeves – the one different Sparrow Academy member who made it to the season 3 finale – does not seem within the fourth and remaining season.
This poses one other large query. If Sparrow Ben survived the universe reset within the season 3 finale, why did not Sloane? And, if there are a number of variations of 5 (as seen within the cafe scene within the season finale’s third act), why do not different variations of Sloane exist within the multiverse?
The easy reply is: we do not know. It is doubtless that she solely existed within the season 3 timeline, whereas there was one other model of Ben – i.e., Unique Ben – who existed earlier than we had been launched to Sparrow Ben. It is both that, or showrunner Steve Blackman simply needed Justin H. Min, who performs Ben, to be a part of the present’s foremost solid all through its four-season run. That is one explicit free plot thread, then, that is not resolved earlier than the present ends.
Who’s The Phoenix Academy in The Umbrella Academy season 4?
Like The Sparrow Academy, The Phoenix Academy is simply one other universe’s model of The Umbrella Academy. It seems that they’re a few acquainted faces of their lineup – the blonde-haired chief seems to be like the identical actor who performed younger Luther in season 4 episode 4’s flashback, whereas the sunglasses-wearing particular person appears to be a younger model of Fei, i.e., certainly one of The Sparrow Academy’s members.
If nothing else, it is affirmation that Sir Reginald created one other superhero workforce in one other dimension. Sadly, given how season 4 ends, we cannot see this group star in a spin-off present, so that is the one glimpse we’ll ever get of The Phoenix Academy.
Is there a mid-credits or post-credits scene in The Umbrella Academy season 4?
There is a small, fantastically shot mid-credits scene however, contemplating that that is the tip of the whole sequence, there isn’t any post-credits scene that units up its subsequent season (extra on this shortly).
So, what does the mid-credits stinger present us? Because the digicam pans down from the white tree that featured within the season 4 finale’s closing shot, we see eight, beautiful marigold flowers unfurl their petals and launch their pollen into the air. It is a bittersweet nod to every of the Hargreeves siblings who’ve simply given their lives to avoid wasting the universe once more and appears to counsel that, whereas they by no means existed as superpowered human entities on the unique timeline, some a part of them did. We’re not crying, you might be.
When will The Umbrella Academy season 5 come out on Netflix?
It will not. The Umbrella Academy season 4 is the present’s remaining chapter, so – to make use of some subway terminology – the favored Netflix sequence has reached its remaining vacation spot.
In August 2022, we reported that The Umbrella Academy would meet its apocalyptic finish with a fourth and remaining entry. Talking to The Hollywood Reporter after the announcement was made, showrunner Steve Blackman revealed that he’d all the time had a four-season arc in thoughts for the TV adaptation, therefore why there will not be a fifth installment.
Given how season 4 ends, there isn’t any method {that a} fifth season might be surprisingly greenlit, both. The Hargreeves siblings by no means existed, the unique timeline has been restored, and the seemingly infinite cycle of world-ending occasions has been laid to relaxation. Case properly and actually closed.
