It’s obvious that a season was a flop when half of the show’s audience tried to forget that it ever existed. That’s the case for the fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy with its unexpected and widely hated plot lines. However, the season as a whole was really not as bad as critics claim.
One of the main critiques of the season focused on out-of-character decisions and unnecessary plot lines. This refers to a seven-year montage in which characters Lila and Five are stuck in a multi-dimensional subway system and inevitably fall in love.
The concept itself doesn’t seem too bad, but in the context of the other three seasons, this was very questionable.
For starters, Five’s actor, Aiden Gallagher, was 14 in the first season, yet was thrown into a relationship with the character Lila, played by Ritu Arya, when he was 20 and she was 36. This happened seemingly as soon as it became socially acceptable to throw Gallagher into an on-screen kiss.
This plot line also demolished the fan-favorite relationship between the characters Lila and Diego, who were married and had three children together.
This entire plotline was a train wreck, from being out of character to being messier than it should have been. Yes, it was icky to those who have been watching the show since Gallagher was a child, and yes, it added absolutely nothing to the plot.
However, this one-episode montage can be separated from the rest of the season.
The subway system concept itself was honestly really smart and on theme with the show’s overall vibe. Different train lines leading to different timelines practically encapsulate the whole premise of the show and fall in line with the other seasons.
Another great addition to the season was the answering of many recurring questions. For instance, the constant references to “The Jennifer Incident” mentioned throughout the show and the comics are finally explained.
Another explanation is how the character Ben had died along with giving him a larger part in the show. Ben had been dead since season one and was shown only through his ghost, which would appear in a scene every so often. It was generally assumed by the audience that this was just one of many mysteries that would “never be solved.” However, the show spends multiple scenes filling plot holes such as this one.
Overall, the season shouldn’t be deleted or forgotten about just because of a distasteful plot line. It answers so many questions and wraps up the show with an ending that wouldn’t require another season. That is something many other shows should follow – rather than creating seven seasons of bad storytelling or ending a show prematurely.
