As a seasoned cinephile with over three decades of binge-watching under my belt, I must say that “The Umbrella Academy” has always been a delightful rollercoaster ride for me – a blend of superheroes, time travel, and family drama. However, the fourth season seems to have lost its way in the labyrinth of parallel universes.
It’s been over two years since a fresh episode of “The Umbrella Academy” aired. The recap at the start of season four helps catch up on where our heroes were last, but it also implies that many events from the third season didn’t significantly impact the storyline. Essentially, here’s what you need to remember: The grown-up members of The Umbrella Academy have found themselves in a different timeline with two key changes. First, their demanding foster father, Reginald Hargreeves, appears to be even more potent, and second, all their superpowers seem to have vanished.
Once more, The Umbrella Academy uses a new season as an opportunity to reset the storyline, not just by introducing another parallel universe, but also by jumping ahead six years from where season three concluded. Consequently, we’re spending an entire premiere episode reacquainting ourselves with what each character has been up to in this fresh setting.
As a movie aficionado, I must say that after the loss of their extraordinary abilities, our beloved characters have plunged into the ordinary realm. Luther, once a formidable force, now dances in a seedy nightclub. Allison has found herself in front of cameras, peddling detergent products. Klaus, a reformed party animal, maintains an obsessive cleanliness routine. Viktor, the baron of broken hearts, runs a local tavern and seems to have left a trail of smitten women across Nova Scotia. Ben, fresh from prison, has left his crypto scam days behind, while Diego juggles family life with three children he shares with Lila, all while delivering packages on the side. As for Five, he’s trading in his super-spy antics for a covert CIA operation – as close to normalcy as he can get.
It’s always enjoyable to reconnect with long-time friends, and in typical fashion, The Umbrella Academy shines when it places these characters together – like a children’s birthday party in this instance – allowing their diverse personalities to bounce off one another. However, for my part, the repeated resets have fostered a sense of time-travel apathy: If the world is being reset anyway, what’s the point of the Umbrella Academy trying to save it? I wonder, at this stage, which world they would actually be preserving.
The solution for the show’s mystery manifests as a novel group, known as the Keepers, which appears to be a blend of a support group and a cult. Directed by Gene and Jean Thibodeau (portrayed by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally), this community-driven association is bonded by their shared faith in the Umbrella Effect, a clever reference to the Mandela Effect. Worldwide, individuals are gathering, bound together by fuzzy recollections that will resonate with viewers of The Umbrella Academy. The image of Hargreeves on the grassy knoll, Destiny’s Children cult, and a team of child superheroes in short pants might all seem familiar.
In their perspective, that’s the genuine sequence of events. The Keepers believe revisiting this timeline could lead to either a significant revival or the termination of the world, and Gene and Jean appear to be content with either scenario. This is the reason behind Five and Lila disguising themselves as “Jerome” and “Nancy” to infiltrate a Keepers gathering, although Five’s CIA superiors don’t seem too concerned about this supposed conspiracy.
However, despite his attempts to dismiss it, the mystery somehow finds its way to his front door. The laundromat owner, Sy Grossman (portrayed by David Cross), abducts Viktor, leading his siblings to launch a daring rescue operation. This mission concludes when Sy discloses that he sought their attention not out of malice, but because he believed they were the only ones capable of locating his missing daughter who was part of the Keepers group. He had come across some peculiar items in her trunk, including an article about the Umbrella Academy kids saving the Eiffel Tower, which led him to this conclusion.
As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but wonder, how on earth are they planning to pull this off without any supernatural abilities? Well, it seems that The Umbrella Academy is ready yet again to swiftly resolve the suspense left in season three. The leftover box from Sy Grossman’s daughter contains an intriguing item – a jar of “marigold” elixir, which when consumed, grants superpowers back. Though the team initially decides against using it, they didn’t consider Ben, our thoughtful bartender, who sneakily adds a shot of it to each of their drinks and says, “See you on the other side, jerks,” with a smirk. And just like that, we are back in the realm of superhero antics.
Raindrops
It’s important to mention that the final season of The Umbrella Academy, which might seem like a triumphant farewell, is shrouded in controversy. In June, a detailed article in Rolling Stone presented a strong argument against the showrunner Steve Blackman, claiming a pattern of abusive, bullying, manipulative, and retaliatory actions towards several team members. Blackman, who secured a significant deal with Netflix worth around $50 million due to The Umbrella Academy’s success, denies these allegations as “entirely false and outrageous.” You can find the full article here.
One indication that The Umbrella Academy may have experienced some creative changes between seasons is the fact that the premiere of season four fails to tackle the (already puzzling) mid-credits scene from the final episode of season three, which depicted Ben reading a book on a subway in Seoul.
Speculating on fan theories: Previous episodes of The Umbrella Academy have subtly hinted at an event called the “Jennifer Incident.” Might it be possible that the full account of this past catastrophe could somehow tie in with Sy Grossman’s child?
At Christmastime, I find myself immersed in an episode that seems to have been crafted as a delightful prelude, primarily to feature the enchanting voice of Eartha Kitt singing “Santa Baby.” It’s almost as if the creators were eager to kick off the festive season with her timeless Christmas classic.
Watch out for what you hope for: Although Allison might get her estranged daughter, Claire, back in this reality, their bond appears to be tense at the very least.
It seems Diego caught Five and Lila together, while Lila was meant to be at her “literary gathering.” Thus, it’s likely that a tense conversation about their supposed non-affair will unfold in the upcoming episodes.
Luther subtly mentions Sloane, his late wife from their departure at Hotel Oblivion, indicating that the Sparrow Academy still holds a place in his heart, not entirely forgotten.
One of the touching instances in the episode occurs as Klaus joins the Keepers meeting. “I’m not sure what’s true or false anymore,” he confesses, adding, “I can’t seem to trust anyone.” This statement, even though Klaus is supposed to be undercover and saying whatever necessary at the moment, echoes the feelings one might experience after traversing through numerous alternate realities and potential timelines.
In this series, several objects scattered throughout the timeline serve as hidden treasures for devoted viewers. Among these are: Hazel’s season one dog mask, Viktor’s book titled “Extra-Ordinary: My Life As Number Seven,” and a VHS tape of the second film in Allison’s unattractive movie series, “Love on Loan.”
Mentioning the event at the Eiffel Tower directly links back to the debut issue of the Umbrella Academy comic series.
• “East Side piñatas are notorious for their difficulty.”
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2024-08-08 15:54