My Rating: 2.5 out of 5
This is more of a general review of the show because Season 4 only ties up loose ends. I really wanted to like Season 4 and The Umbrella Academy in general, but it’s really challenging to do so. When the first season came out, I knew it was a comic adaptation, but that was it. The showrunners did a good job pulling you into this universe of madness with its weird and edgy characters. But after watching the series finale, I felt like Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory when Amy told him that Indiana Jones had zero impact on the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark — without Indy, the outcome would have been the same. Spoiler: it’s similar to The Umbrella Academy — the world is better off without them, which is a bummer.
However, there is one great thing the show achieved: thanks to its edgy and weird characters, Ellen Page’s transformation to Elliot Page, and thus the evolution from Vanya to Victor, was no big deal at all. And I really like that this young man could become a young man literally.
But aside from the personal development of the actor, I’m not so happy with the development of the characters overall. While Five and Klaus (kind of) grow personally, the other characters are trapped in a back and forth. That makes Five and Klaus the stars of the show for me. Aidan Gallagher (Five) and Robert Sheehan (Klaus) did an impressive job. While I knew Robert Sheehan already from Misfits, Aidan Gallagher was a new face to me. I hope to see both of them in big roles soon. Unpopular opinion: I can even imagine Robert Sheehan as a new James Bond. At least he’s Irish.
While the first two seasons of the show were pretty good and convinced me, the third season had trouble maintaining the quality of its predecessors. Still, by the end of Season 3, I was curious to see where this was going and eagerly awaiting Season 4.
I enjoyed watching Season 4, but it’s for the best that the show is ending — unless you end it the way the showrunners did in the season finale. This ending was a slap in the face for anyone who likes the show. I couldn’t think of a more uncreative and predictable conclusion. For me, the last two episodes got their excitement solely from the question: you won’t end the show that badly, will you? And yep, they did. I mean, watzefack, there could have been a multiverse of better options. And the unnecessary post-credit scene? A goofy move to say, “Yeah, we could add more seasons or create a new version from here.” But please, don’t.
In general, I really liked the show and grew attached to it, but the ending is just unlikable.
Leave a Reply