Spoilers are ahead for The Umbrella Academy season 4’s ending.
Summary
The Umbrella Academyseason 4, episode 1, “The Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want,” reveals a major twist within the first few minutes of the show’s final outing, but it’s subtle enough that most viewers will miss the clue on their first watch. Picking up six years after the events ofThe Umbrella Academyseason 3’s ending, the fourth outing finds the Hargreeves siblings living their separate, mundane lives. Part of the big timeline reset at the end ofthe previous season required the Hargreeves and Lila (Ritu Arya) to forfeit their Marigold, the substance responsible for their superpowers.
In the fourth season, the mysterious Sy Grossman (David Cross) reaches out to the Hargreeves, who he hopes will rescue his daughter, Jennifer (Victoria Sawal), from a cult called The Keepers. Armed with a box of Jennifer’s cult-related artifacts,Sy explains that The Keepers believe they exist in the wrong timeline, which pushes them to collect evidence of the existence ofThe Umbrella Academy’s other timelines. In Jennifer’s possessions, Five (Aidan Gallagher) discovers a jar of Marigold particles, which, eventually, restore the Hargreeves' and Lila’s powers. However, season 4 teases where all this is going in its opening moments.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4, Episode 1’s Opening Minutes Confirm A Big Jennifer Twist
Gene & Jean’s Suitcase Reveals Jennifer’s Connection To The Cleanse
Before picking up with Lila and the Hargreeves siblings, the show introduces viewers to Dr. Jean Thibedeau (Megan Mullally) and Dr. Gene Thibedeau (Nick Offerman), the leaders ofThe Keepers inThe Umbrella Academyseason 4. It’s Jean and Gene’s opening sequence that reveals the series' endgame, even if it is a blink-you’ll-miss-it moment. The husband-wife duo meet up with a mysterious seller in a parking garage, who shows them a suitcase full of random items. It becomes clear thatthe artifacts are evidence of the show’s other timelines— and fodder for The Keepers' mission.
…the notations actually reveal very early on that Jennifer is the catalyst for The Cleanse.
As Jean and Gene inspect the suitcase’s contents, eagle-eyed viewers can catch a glimpse of a notepad. Scrawled on the paper, among other comments, are the phrases “The Cleanse” and “Jennifer,” with a line drawn between them. Far from random scribbles, the notations actually reveal very early on that Jennifer is the catalyst for The Cleanse.The Keepers want to fix the multiverse and restore the main timeline, which is why they attempt to instigate The Cleanse — even if they’re likely unaware that Jennifer’sDurango and the Marigold interactingwill be the cause of the apocalyptic event.
Breaking Down The Umbrella Academy Season 4’s Big Abigail Hargreeves Twist
The Umbrella Academy season 4 had a major twist regarding Abigail Hargreeves and her role in the apocalypse, as well as in the Hargreeves' past.
All Other Items In The Suitcase Explained
Gene & Jean Collect Artifacts From Other Umbrella Academy Timelines As “Evidence”
In order to preach theirUmbrella Academytimelinetheory, Jean and Gene coined the term “The Umbrella Effect” — a reference to the fact that many of the multiverse artifacts point to the existence of the Umbrella Academy. The suitcase is full of items that back up their claims, from a book about the Umbrella Effect to texts regarding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. In addition to “Re-elect Kennedy” buttons and a shirt from the 2000 Olympics in New York,the suitcase contains VHS tapes — variants of the same films with different stars— though none spell outThe Umbrella Academyseason 4’s endingas clearly as the notebook.
All four seasons ofThe Umbrella Academyare now streaming on Netflix.
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy is based on the comic book of the same name created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The Hargreeves — collectively known as The Umbrella Academy — were born with superpowers, and their adoptive father utilized their abilities. However, as they grew older, the siblings grew apart as they dealt with their trauma. They are brought back together after their father dies and Five returns from the future with grave news: The world will end, and The Umbrella Academy has to stop it before it happens.
