Umbrella Academy Soars into Season 4 with Epic Thrills and Emotional Depth!

Historically, when TV shows based on adaptations no longer have any material to work off of, the result isn’t that great. Although The Umbrella Academy’s third season was already pretty far off-book by going beyond the introduction of the Sparrows, its latest proves that without Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comic backbone, the story loses all the charm that made it so fun. Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy picks up with an immediate six-year time jump where we are dropped back into the story, but the kids are not alright.

Left without powers after the universe reset, the Hargreeves have had to adjust to a normal life, and aside from Viktor (Elliot Page), who is happily running a bar in Canada where he seems to be dating his way through all the women in town, the rest of the Umbrellas aren’t exactly flourishing. The season introduces a new group called The Keepers, a group led by Nick Offerman’s Gene and Megan Mullally’s Jean Thibedeau, who believe that they are living in the wrong timeline and a great “cleanse” is coming.

The issue with Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy is that it might work if this was Season 2, or if we knew there was another season or two coming in the future. But as far as endings go, The Umbrella Academy Season 4 offers so little in the form of closure, and instead of bringing the characters together, it scatters them apart into odd pairings, forgets about the events of the past, and feels painfully disjointed, relying on the talent of the actors and the chemistry they have together to keep it going. And although the cast certainly still has its charm, The Umbrella Academy fails to stick the landing with the series finale and struggles with an even smaller episode count than usual.

You would think that when a show knows that it’s ending, the final season would revolve around tying up loose plots and generally bringing the story together, maybe indulging in a little nostalgia and a few reunions. Yet, Season 4 is the least cohesive of the seasons of The Umbrella Academy. Rather than revisit some of the old bonds between the Hargreeves, it tosses the characters into completely new pair-ups that they are trapped with for the majority of the season, while other character interactions become awkward and forced.

Many of these issues seem to stem from one prevailing thought I had while watching this show and then rewatching it to make sure I wasn’t being unfair with my criticism: The Umbrella Academy doesn’t seem interested in telling its own story — or rather, the writers of this show and creator Steve Blackman aren’t interested in telling a cohesive story. Just past the halfway point, the show answers the biggest question of all: How did Ben actually die? The answer links directly to the season, but unlike many of the other new plot points brought up, this one is actually interesting. Learning the truth about what happened to Ben is a shocking twist, but one that’s been telegraphed, in some ways, since the beginning. It doesn’t feel like it comes out of nowhere. But rather than spend the season around this idea, it’s seemingly an episodic conflict, one that is almost forgotten by the time we reach the final third of the story.

In the end, The Umbrella Academy’s latest season fails to deliver the satisfying conclusion we deserved. While there are still moments of great dialogue and wonderful performances from the cast, the narrative as a whole feels disjointed and unsatisfying. With such an uncertain future ahead for this beloved franchise, it’s a shame to see it go out with a whimper instead of a bang.

The Umbrella Academy: 5 FAQs

* Is The Umbrella Academy cancelled? No, The Umbrella Academy is not cancelled. It has simply ended with its fourth season.
* Who created The Umbrella Academy? The Umbrella Academy was created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, and developed by Steve Blackman.
* Can I still watch The Umbrella Academy on Netflix? Yes, you can still watch all four seasons of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.
* How many episodes are in The Umbrella Academy’s fourth season? The Umbrella Academy’s fourth and final season consists of 10 episodes.
* What is The Umbrella Academy’s ranking on Rotten Tomatoes? The Umbrella Academy’s fourth season has a rating of 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 144 reviews.

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