By Robert Ernest (@thatRobster | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
After four seasons, multiple timelines, unforgettable dance routines and a heap of fun and frolics, the time has come for us to say goodbye to The Hargreeves – and boy do they bow out on a high!
Season 4 is noticeably shorter with just 6 episodes but that allows for each episode to be punchy and jam-packed and for the story to progress steadily, leading up to a highly emotional ending.
We start with another time jump as we catch up with Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Five, Ben, Viktor and Lila 6 years after the events at the Hotel Oblivion, which led them all to lose their powers. Some of them are happy with living the mundane life and others clearly need more and the absolute highlight of their initial return is seeing Luther in his new role as an exotic dancer.
As the season progresses many loose ends are tied up. There are answers for many things we have seen during the show’s run which makes Season 4 a bit more satisfying. The cast has such great chemistry on screen which has only grown even further in these episodes. Their chemistry has to be one of The Umbrella Academy’s biggest draws as we’ve become invested in the spectacular results due to the dysfunction of this family and connected with these characters who are layered yet loveable.
The addition of power couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman as Drs Jean and Gene Thibodeau is absolute genius casting. Obviously, they are great to watch the entire time and should be applauded for bringing Cher’s Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves to a whole new audience in a way that only The Umbrella Academy can pull off.
It’s difficult to pinpoint a stand-out character because on the whole, they all get a moment to shine – and with their powers evolving there are plenty of great scenes where they get to show these off. Tom Hopper as Luther and David Castañada as Diego were who I enjoyed watching the most though. There were so many funny moments with Luther and I really feel that Diego’s character progression has been joyous to watch. In addition, Emmy Raver-Lampman is 100% badass as Allison this season.
We’ve seen so many TV shows disappoint with their finales. The last episode felt true to everything we enjoy about The Umbrella Academy. Of course, there’s a race to stop the end of the world from occurring but its final moments are special. There’s humour, healing and deep emotion which brings it all back to the fundamentals … this has always been a story about complicated family dynamics, yet they will always show up for each other. It just so happened that they had superpowers.
For me, Season 4 ends on the same high that Season 1 started on. It’s fast-paced, it’s action-packed and it felt like a very fitting end. I’m going to miss The Umbrella Academy a lot but I will be waiting patiently for the announcement of a Jean and Gene Thibodeau spin-off.
What did you think of the final season of The Umbrella Academy? Let us know in the comments or find us on social media.
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