10 Biggest Problems With The Umbrella Academy's Ending

Warning: This article contains spoilers from The Umbrella Academy season 4.

The Umbrella Academy ended on a divisive note, largely due to many narrative problems in the final season. After five years and four seasons, the popular Netflix series was expected to end in a more satisfying fashion that answered lingering mysteries and provided rewarding conclusions for each of the Hargreeves siblings. Instead, season 4 made a number of questionable decisions that made the ending far more disappointing than anticipated.

Some of these issues may have been inevitable due to the episode count being reduced to six as opposed to the standard 10, but not all the narrative pitfalls were due to this change. A lack of payoffs for many established threads proved to be a pervasive problem, which not only weakened The Umbrella Academy‘s ending, but also retroactively weakened aspects of seasons 1-3. The superhero series’ inability to stick the landing was even more disheartening given that it was one of the few Netflix original series to finish its story, an achievement undercut by season 4’s many problems.

10 The Umbrella Academy’s Final Villain Was An Unconvincing CGI Blob

Season 4 Followed A Superhero Story Cliché

Between the Commission, various apocalypses, and Reginald Hargreeves himself, the Umbrella Academy faced many formidable threats throughout the series, which made the Cleanse an even more lackluster villain. The marigold and durango in Ben and Jennifer led to them coalescing into a giant blob monster known as the Cleanse, whose CGI did not look convincing. The Cleanse seemed like a generic CGI monster who could have appeared in a number of superhero stories instead of being unique to The Umbrella Academy.

Despite Ben being part of the Cleanse, there was a lack of personal stakes compared to the Umbrella Academy’s past antagonists. The Sparrow Academy’s Ben that the Hargreeves knew was no more, as he was now just part of a mindless monster destroying the world. This paled in comparison with the Umbrella Academy facing Viktor in season 1 or Reginald in season 3, when Viktor and Reginald knew what they were doing to their family, which made those conflicts feel more personal.

9 The Hargreeves Siblings’ Deaths Rendered The Whole Show Pointless

Previous Seasons Lose Their Weight

The Umbrella Academy ended with the Hargreeves sacrificing themselves to save the universe, thereby putting an end to the broken timelines and apocalypses. While this was a noble decision they agreed on as a group, it made the entire series feel pointless in retrospect. With their existence and actions being the source of the broken timelines and apocalypses, the Hargreeves’ previous victories and development have become hollow, as they only contributed to further breaking the universe.

Most of what happened in the series did not need to happen for Five and his siblings to eventually realize the truth and sacrifice themselves. The additional seasons now feel unnecessary as they only prolonged the inevitable truth of what the Hargreeves had to do. With the Hargreeves’ lives, actions, and memories erased from history, nothing that happened in the previous seasons is remembered in the restored timeline.

8 The Lila & Five Romance Was Totally Unnecessary

It Was An Odd Narrative Choice

Much of season 4 revolved around an unexpected romance between Five and Lila when they were trapped in the multiversal subway and unable to find a way home for seven years. Five and Lila’s past dynamic was more of a brother-sister bond, which made the romantic shift in their relationship feel all the more jarring. While they spent seven years together, the development of their relationship was mostly shown in a montage that did not make the plot twist feel earned.

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WTF Was The Umbrella Academy Thinking With Five & Lila’s Story In Season 4?!

The Umbrella Academy season 4 serves as a somewhat disappointing send-off for the show, and Lila and Five’s baffling story makes it even worse.

The multiversal subway proved integral to the series’ endgame and Five’s realization of what he and the other Hargreeves needed to do. Nevertheless, Five and Lila’s relationship ultimately added little to the show’s endgame and did not significantly alter the story’s outcome. It mostly added unnecessary drama between Five, Lila, and Diego, hurting each of their arcs, and taking time away from storylines that deserved more attention in the final season.

7 The Abigail Hargreeves Twist Felt Underdeveloped

She Should Have Been In Season 4 More

Season 4 hinged on its Abigail Hargreeves plot twist, with Abigail disguising herself as Sy Grossman and triggering a final apocalypse in order to restore the main timeline. This twist had potential, but suffered from being underdeveloped, especially since Abigail was barely in seasons 1-3, and still had relatively limited screentime in season 4. Neither the audience nor most of the characters knew Abigail well, which prevented her deceptions and betrayal from being as emotionally impactful as intended.

If Abigail had been in season 4 or the overall series more, or if her backstory received more exploration, the reveal about her and the consequences that followed may have worked better. This development was made worse by Reginald being the only one to learn the truth, as the Hargreeves children never learned who Sy Grossman really was and why they were manipulated. Even Reginald and Abigail’s relationship felt underdeveloped, which made their final scene on the bench lose much of its intended weight.

6 Klaus Never Learned How The Original Ben Died

He Was The Only One Who Really Knew Ben As An Adult

While most of the Umbrella Academy learned how the original Ben died via the Jennifer Incident, Klaus was not present when this revelation came, and never learned the truth before he and his siblings were wiped from existence. Klaus ultimately knew the original Ben better than any of his siblings did, as they only knew Ben as a child, while Klaus spent years with the ghost of an adult Ben at his side. In this sense, Klaus was closer to Ben than any of his other siblings.

If anyone should have learned the truth about how Ben died, it should have been Klaus. Instead, Klaus spent much of season 4 trying to pay off his debts to Quinn, trying to escape Quinn, and later escaping a coffin. At the very least, the other Hargreeves siblings should have told Klaus the truth about how Ben died, as he had every right to know what happened, and the closure from this could have made Klaus’ decision to sacrifice himself alongside his siblings feel more earned.

5 Ben’s The Umbrella Academy Season 3 Mid-Credits Scene Was Never Addressed

There Was No Payoff For This Tease

The Umbrella Academy season 3 finale featured a mid-credits scene with a well-dressed Ben riding a subway, wearing glasses, and reading a book. At the time, it seemed like a tease for Ben’s season 4 story, especially since showrunner Steve Blackman teased that this was the Sparrow Academy’s Ben and not yet another version of the character. Instead, the scene was never addressed in season 4, and it remains unclear why it was included at the end of season 3, or what it was trying to set up.

The public transportation Ben was seen on was clearly different from season 4’s multiversal subway that Five and Lila frequented for seven years. The mid-credits scene could have been an indirect way to tease this for season 4, but this would be a confusing tease as Ben never spent any time on the subway that took Five and Lila between different timelines. The Umbrella Academy has been praised for feeling different from other superhero stories, but it fell into one of the genre’s most common pitfalls with a credits scene hinting at something that never came to fruition.

4 Many Umbrella Academy The Season 4 Character Arcs Had Little Impact On The Ending

The Journey Did Not Lead To The Final Destination

The Umbrella Academy‘s ending was partly divisive because it saw the beloved characters dying and being erased from existence. What made this ending worse was that most of the characters’ season 4 arcs had little to no impact on their heroic sacrifices. Five and Lila’s relationship, Klaus’ misadventures, Viktor accepting himself and being accepted by this version of Reginald, and Luther and Diego regaining their confidence after uncovering the conspiracy at the FBI had little to do with the show’s outcome.

The Hargreeves’ various arcs should have had more to do with building toward a point where their decision to sacrifice themselves felt more natural. After the largely positive development that Viktor and some of his siblings had, it felt cruel to suddenly cast all that aside. With or without their season 4 arcs, The Umbrella Academy‘s ending would not have been any different, making most of season 4 feel unnecessary and as if it was treading water before the finale.

3 Sloane’s Fate Was Never Revealed In The Umbrella Academy’s Final Season

Sloane’s Absence Hurts Seasons 3 And 4

Despite marrying Luther and being the only surviving member of the Sparrow Academy other than Ben, Sloane’s fate was never revealed in season 4. She was not with the Hargreeves when they found themselves in Reginald’s reset timeline at the end of season 3, and there were a few references in season 4 to Luther never finding her, but Sloane was otherwise ignored in the final episodes. Sloane’s glaring omission from season 4 was distracting due to the lack of resolution.

In retrospect, it made much of season 3 and her relationship with Luther feel somewhat meaningless. Luther’s Umbrella Academy season 4 story suffered from her absence as giving up on finding Sloane seemed inconsistent with his usually determined nature and considering how quickly and deeply he fell in love with Sloane. Like the other Hargreeves, any memory of her was wiped from existence in the end, but prior to this, her fate should have been clearly addressed.

2 The Umbrella Academy’s Ending Felt Rushed And Needed More Episodes

6 Episodes Didn’t Work

The effects of The Umbrella Academy‘s reduced episode count negatively impacted the final season as it led to poor pacing. All the storylines felt rushed and none had any narrative breathing room, which was usually not an issue when the series had 10 episodes per season. New characters like Jennifer, Dr. Gene Thibedeau, and Dr. Jean Thibedeau did not have time to be properly developed, making it difficult to be invested in them or their fates.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 needed to follow its predecessors with the standard 10 episodes. Six episodes was not enough time to show the Hargreeves without their powers, regaining their powers, going to rescue Jennifer in New Grumpson, then splitting off onto their own adventures, and then coming back together in the end to sacrifice themselves. Other narrative issues may have been negated with more episodes to finish the story.

1 The Umbrella Academy Season 4 Has Way Too Many Plot Holes

Certain Developments Didn’t Make Sense Based On Details From Previous Seasons

In addition to poor pacing and a lack of payoffs, The Umbrella Academy season 4 was riddled with plot holes. One of the most blatant plot holes was Luther regaining his ape body after drinking marigold. The marigold should only have restored his original powers of super strength and resilience, and logically should not have restored his ape body, which had nothing to do with the marigold, and only existed because of the serum Reginald injected Luther with to save his life.

Another major plot hole was that Ben did not recognize Jennifer, as even though the Sparrow Academy’s Ben did not die via the Jennifer Incident, he still had sketches of Jennifer in season 3. Ben should have recognized Jennifer when he first met her in New Grumpson, which would have drastically changed the trajectory of the season. The numerous plot holes and other issues, unfortunately, tainted the ending and legacy of The Umbrella Academy.

The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is based on the comic book of the same name created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The Hargreeves — collectively known as The Umbrella Academy — were born with superpowers, and their adoptive father utilized their abilities. However, as they grew older, the siblings grew apart as they dealt with their trauma. They are brought back together after their father dies and Five returns from the future with grave news: The world will end, and The Umbrella Academy has to stop it before it happens.

Cast

Colm Feore , Cazzie David , Genesis Rodriguez , Robert Sheehan , Aidan Gallagher , Elliot Page , Emmy Raver-Lampman , Jordan Claire Robbins , Jake Epstein , Mary J. Blige , David Castaneda , Justin Cornwell , Justin H. Min , Britne Oldford , Adam Godley , Tom Hopper , Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton , Ritu Arya , Cameron Britton , Sheila McCarthy

Release Date

February 15, 2019

Seasons

4

Writers

Steve Blackman

Directors

Jeremy Webb

Showrunner

Steve Blackman

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