The Umbrella Academy season 4 is the wild, uncanny, and chaotic ending we were hoping for

As I sat down to watch the fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy, I found myself wondering: where, when, and how did things leave off in the season 3 finale? If you're like me, watching that recap before the season begins was incredibly crucial, and the reminder got me hyped for what would be a fitting end to a show that dealt with multiple apocalypses, strange and wild characters, and a family unlike any other.

While sitting down to watch the final season, I was reminded that the Hargreeves clan ended season 3 on a rather interesting note. Daddy Hargreeves (Colm Feore), or some version of him anyway, attempted to obliterate all the Hargreeves children (and did technically kill one of them) after reneging on a plan he made with Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman). After seemingly betraying her family, Allison stepped in and made a decision that would shake the familiy to its core.

The push of a button sent the Hargreeves family back to 2019 without any of their powers, including Luther (Tom Hopper), who was seemingly dead. The family parts ways as they come to realize life is about to change in a very dramatic way, and all we see as they walk away from one another is Reginald and his wife Abigail (didn't she die or was dying back in season 1?!) watching from the heights of a building nearby.

There were a lot of unanswered questions as the fourth season began. Things pick up six years later, and from that point on, it gets pretty interesting. As a fan of The Umbrella Academy, I quite enjoyed the chaotic nature of its final season because it remained true to what this series has always been. The sendoff was filled with a bittersweet melancholy that somehow still leaves you with a smile on your face.

A lot was at stake going into the final season, especially with the family losing its powers and the future of their lives unknown and mysterious. Things come together in the most Umbrella Academy way possible, and even if this wasn't my favorite season of the four, I think it was a job well done for a story that somehow burrowed its way into our hearts.

We will miss you, The Umbrella Academy, and the many, many timelines you gave us.

On that note, we present you with my thoughts on the final season episode by episode. If you have not seen the series yet, please be aware that there are SPOILERS ahead!

Season 4, Episode 1: "The Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want"

One of my favorite parts of this season is surely the introduction of Nick Offerman as Dr. Gene Thibedeau, Megan Mullally as Dr. Jean Thibedeau, and David Cross as Sy Grossman. Their involvement within this wrap-up season makes for some hilariously dark and emotional moments. Their presence is certainly welcomed from the get-go and I'm sure fans will love seeing how they play into the storyline this season.

The season 4 premiere picks up with each member of the Hargreeves family managing in their own way. The part of this episode that I found myself drawn to was the idea that there are a group of people known as the Keepers that reject the current timeline. They were are aware that something was reset, and they're on a mission to cleanse the world of all the timelines but the true one. Did I mention that Gene and Jean lead the Keepers? Pretty perfect if you ask me.

Meanwhile, the Hargreeves family finds themselves back in the company of one another. They're handed a mission by someone they don't know in order to save one of their own. What they are unaware of is what this rescue mission will lead to, including the return of their powers...

Season 4, Episode 2: "Jean and Gene"

Let's just say Ben (Justin H. Min) isn't off to a great start with his fellow Hargreeves siblings when this episode kicks off. Unbeknownst to them, he snuck marigold into their drinks and ensured each of them would get their powers back. They awake the following day to learn that their powers are indeed back, and now they have to contend with what life will be like as their powers return.

Siblings can just be so pesky can't they?!

This episode is perhaps the more mediocre of the six, but it does set up the rest of the season. I appreciated seeing the Hargreeves siblings come together as a group again and solve a mystery, even if it's not what any of them wanted. This show has always been special because of their strange and unique bond, so I loved seeing that dynamic return as they set off to locate Jennifer (Victoria Sawal). Once they do, Gene and Jean snag her away. Nothing like crashing into a van to let it be known you are not messing around!

What does this mean for the siblings? And what bond is this series pointing to between Ben and Jennifer? Well, I won't tell you that here because I want to avoid spoilers, but let's just say, for a mediocre episode, it did set the stage in a very frightening way.

Season 4, Episode 3: "The Squid and the Girl"

While we won't get into specific spoilers about Jennifer in this review, there is one thing that the third episode does for us: tell us her purpose and ties to the Umbrella Academy. This episode dives into Jennifer's origins and gives us a more solid understanding of who she is and why she matters, explaining things about the Keepers, the impending Cleanse, and why Gene and Jean are so motivated to get their hands on Jennifer. The Hargreeves family learns that the Keepers is actually is onto something. Whether they like it or not, there is a push to return to the timeline, and they realize they're right at the center of it.

May I take a break here and just say that the chemistry between Victoria Sawal (Jennifer) and Justin H. Min (Ben) is *chef's kiss*? Everytime they were in a scene together, it was magnetic, magical, and left you wanting more.

Anyway, as the mystery of Jennifer and an unexplainable connection to Ben emerges, there is only one person who may have the answers they are looking for: Dear 'old Daddy Hargreeves.

Season 4, Episode 4: "The Cleanse"

As the Hargreeves sublings learn that there is more to Ben's story, and his death (in the other timeline), they are also keen to get info from Daddy Hargreeves. What they learn doesn't exactly earn him a Dad of the Year award, but then again, this is a different Reginald than the one they knew.

This episode digs deeper into the events that took place the night of Ben's death and how that may have tied him to Jennifer. Again, no spoilers on that level, but what you learn is really the heart of this final season.

The mystery of the season thickens at this midpoint because not only is it revealing what the deal is between Ben and Jennifer, but it splits up the Hargreeves siblings to do their own investigating. What they didn't expect is that two of the group members may be lost to time forever...

Season 4, Episode 5: "Six Years, Five Months, and Two Days"

The penultimate episode of the series has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Of the six episodes, this one was my favorite. You can sense the tension in the storyline, you can feel the stakes rising to a point of no return, and there is this sense that things are going to come to an end even if we don't know how. I think this episode has it all, including a bit of romance that you may not see coming.

The quest to find Ben and Jennifer continues as Viktor (Elliot Page) and Reginald come across their last location along with a group of Keepers who try to take them down. Then we've got Luther and Diego (David Castañeda) trying to rummage up what they can at the CIA, but they run into their own issues. Meanwhile, Allison hopes to track down Klaus (Robert Sheehan), who returns to his old ways upon gaining his powers back. Five (Adrian Gallagher) and Lila (Nitu Arya) are up to their shenanigans, infiltrating the Keepers to learn more about their motives and the Cleanse. Unfortunately, they don't end up in the best of places...

Safe to say at this point in the season, everything and I mean everything is up in the air, leaving one to think...how is it all going to end with the final episode?

Season 4, Episode 6: "End of the Beginning"

The ending of this season tugs at your heartstrings in a way I didn't quite expect. It is a very typical The Umbrella Academy ending, but somehow, I didn't see it coming.

The season-long journey with the Keepers, Jennifer, and Ben comes to a head in the series finale, and it once again places the Hargreeves siblings in a vulnerable position. They are left to make a huge decision that will impact the world as they know it, and they have to come together to make that call.

What I absolutely adored about this ending is that it makes sense, in the most Umbrella Academy type of way. It will make you laugh, cry, and feel the feelings because the journey is over. The writing of the season, and particularly the final episode, shines through and gives us the conclusion we didn't imagine, but most certainly wanted even if we did not realize it.

The emotional journey of this series, and especially the final season, comes to a chaotic conclusion, and will leave you with a strange and fuzzy feeling in your heart that only the Hargreeves family could produce.

You may be over, The Umbrella Academy, but we will never forget your weird, strange, and heartfelt story.

Season Grade: B+

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