The kooky superhero romp returns for an abbreviated final season of explosive action and intimate family dramatics
Stripped of their powers and facing new foes that want them dead, the Hargreeves siblings are back in the fourth and final chapter of The Umbrella Academy. The critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated superhero series returns for a highly anticipated six-episode season that tells the final chapter of the siblings’ story, but also introduces some new characters.
Stuck — for now, at least — as mere mortals with no supernatural abilities, and feeling enemies encroaching upon them, there’s no telling just what is about to happen to the Hargreeves in this farewell outing. Past time jumps and their resulting paradoxes affect the timeline our heroes now find themselves in. Now, a new group calling themselves The Keepers question this rewritten reality, and see a day of reckoning on the horizon.
The formerly estranged brothers and sisters, first brought together by the apparent death of their father, are now just strange, as they have spent the past three seasons joined at the hip, taking on a world out to get them. Spontaneously born on the same day to different mothers all over the world and adopted and raised by mad scientist Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) at The Umbrella Academy, each of the seven possesses a unique, miraculous power. Elliot Page (Juno) is Viktor, who can control soundwaves; Tom Hopper (Space Cadet) is Luther, an astronaut with super strength; David Castañeda (Most Dangerous Game) is the telekinetic Diego; Emmy Raver-Lampman (The Beekeeper) is Allison, who shapes reality with her well-placed rumours; Robert Sheehan (Misfits) is Klaus, who is able to speak to the dead; Aidan Gallagher (Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn) is the time-jumping Five; and Justin H. Min (Beef) is Ben, whose trusty tentacles are always at the ready.
Joining this season is Arrested Development alum David Cross as Sy Grossman, a family man on a desperate hunt for his daughter. Returning is Ritu Arya (Feel Good) as Lila Pitts, another superhuman with the ability to mirror anyone else’s power. Lila wasn’t raised with the Hargreeves, but she’s become found family in adulthood.
Another development: Ben is back from the dead. First appearing in season one as a ghost only Klaus could see, the rest of the Hargreeves encountered him again in an alternate timeline where he was a member of a different superhero family at The Sparrow Academy. In this final season, all of the siblings are reunited on the same timeline, though Ben still has no memory of The Umbrella Academy, and it was revealed in a trailer that the siblings cannot recall any concrete memories about Ben’s death.
They all have a lot to catch up on while some new enemies are hot on their tails. New cast members include a real-life married couple, portraying what else but an onscreen married couple. Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) are Drs. Gene and Jean Thibedeau, two seemingly normal Midwestern community professors teaching a radical curriculum.
Somehow, the Thibedeaus have pieced together the puzzle constructed by the Hargreeves’ time-jumping chaos and are keen to share their theories with others who are open to believing that reality is a lie. “That tentacle boy is the key to understanding all the timelines,” Gene lectures in the trailer for the upcoming season, training all eyes on Ben.
Netflix has teased fans with Easter egg-filled posters, a full set of episode titles, thrilling trailers and even a peek at a page of the season premiere’s script. But so far, cast and crew have remained tight-lipped about what’s to come during the show’s final season. In an interview with Radio Times in March, Nova Scotia-born star Page shared all he could, saying, “I’m not allowed to say anything, but it’s gonna be, as per usual, very fun, classic Hargreeves chaos and hijinks.”
In a Netflix featurette filmed during a table read, Hopper said about the action-packed final season, “We hit the ground running pretty quickly, put the siblings through the usual amount of mayhem.” Feeling sentimental about the series coming to a close, Castañeda said, “I feel personally that this is my favourite season” — giving viewers a lot to look forward to with three lauded seasons in the rearview mirror.
The Umbrella Academy begins streaming Thursday, August 9 on Netflix