There’s something just a little familiar about the way Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy ends with Season 4. Which feels apt, since the off-kilter superhero drama, based on the comics by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, has itself always felt close to other properties about super-powered individuals. Yet that lingering sense of deja vu doesn’t stop the six final episodes from being a fast-paced, often fun ride.
The fourth season honestly benefits from the shorter episode count, as it allows for just enough in the way of classic Umbrella Academy hijinks while also getting to the core of the story concisely. Things kick off by tackling the biggest twist from the Season 3 finale: After every Hargreeves, including Ben (Justin H. Min), survived that season’s looming doomsday scenario, they all lost their powers. The Season 4 premiere is thus focused largely on how they’ve adapted to their new lives… until, that is, another universe-shaking threat comes into play.
Before the end, we get some answers to long-lingering questions, a new take on the multiverse, multiple star-crossed love stories, and (of course) some off-kilter needle drops to accompany big action scenes. There are a few set pieces that are pretty remarkable in scale (though perhaps a bit lacking in VFX budget), though the demented nature of the violence doesn’t quite compare to other shows in the genre. (Say what you will about The Boys, but that show has yet to stop topping itself in this area.)
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Joining for Season 4 in a significant role is David Cross as Sy Grossman, a mysterious presence who always brings an unique energy to the screen, especially when he’s operating outside the realm of comedy; at times, he can be downright unsettling in the best way, which this show uses well.
Though Cross does get a bit outshone by the ever-delightful Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally as new villains Drs. Gene and Jean Thibedeau: Off-screen, Offerman and Mullally seem to be one of Hollywood’s most happily married couples (fun fact: when I interviewed Offerman last spring about his work in Alex Garland’s Civil War, his Zoom display name was “Mr. Megan Mullally”). And as a nefarious duo that’s also deeply in love, the pair are equally committed, delivering a delicious sort of weirdness that’s just a little bit scary when it needs to be. (Gene and Jean should not be “relationship goals.” And yet!)
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The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
