“At the twelfth hour of the eighth day of August 2024, absolutely nothing unusual happened.”
It’s been quite a wait for the release of the final season of the Netflix original series The Umbrella Academy, with a bittersweet ending: the end of the world… again. Do the Hargreeves have what it takes to make things right one last time?
“A litter of child superheroes in shorts”
The first episode begins with an effortless montage. In this final season, we meet our heroes six years in the future since we last saw them, giving us that Umbrella Academy vibe we all love so much. As we go through each character’s life and new beginnings, we see how they’ve come to terms with and said goodbye to their superhero lives. A bartender, a convict, a germaphobe, and a stripper aren’t our usual encounters when it comes to the Umbrellas, and that assumption remains as the emotions dissipate.
This wasn’t the only surprise while watching this new season. We’re introduced to new characters: Jean (Megan Mullally) and Gene (Nick Offerman), our new dynamic duo behind the doomsday plot. I have to say, this storyline was over pretty quickly and I wish we had more time with our new characters. But buckle up, because there’s a lot more of that.
Mission to Maine
“The Cleanse,” the plot of Gene and Jean’s cult, The Keepers, has an astronomical connection to the Umbrellas and the misadventures of their past. They have saved the world time and time again, leading to this finale that is the ultimate test for our jittery heroes. Without their powers and trust, it’s hard to see this family trying to come together once again to save humanity.
In the next episode, it’s not long before the Umbrellas get a chance to regain their powers. I was hoping to see a different take on our powerless family and their way of taking over the world this time. There’s an intense undertone as we watch each character try to gain control of their stronger power.
But there’s also plenty of room for comedy. The production team does a good job of mixing these strong emotions and creating some wonderfully memorable scenes. One of them is when each of the heroes vomits their guts out on the way to Maine to see “Baby Shark.” I can guarantee there are plenty more laughs to come.
Within this overarching plot of saving the world, several subplots emerge as the team begins to split up, giving the audience a break and insight into the characters’ lives. This has been done a lot in past seasons, but since the story is shorter in the six-episode season, there were definitely moments where I was left yearning for more.
In Ben’s (Justin H. Min) storyline, we are introduced to a new character, Jennifer (Victoria Sawal). She is a mystery to the audience, but as we get to know her, things start to unravel pretty quickly, maybe even too quickly, as we sit on the edge of our seats wondering what will happen next. Suspense comes easily to The Umbrella Academy. The attention to detail is so precise and thrilling to watch as the audience discovers every step along the way.
The finale is finally here
This season was a satisfying but brutal ending for this family in many ways and definitely a shock. Obviously the narrative was messy and had its ups and downs as the writers followed the patterns of previous seasons. Overall, it gave audiences the closure we needed from our beloved superheroes.
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