The Umbrella Academy has been a critical success since its debut on Netflix in 2019. It manages to successfully blend the superhero genre and world-ending scenarios with an exploration of family drama and all of the emotions that it entails. While the series strays from the source material from time to time, it stays true to its origins, and fans of the Dark Horse comic have enjoyed it. Unlike season two, which came out a year after the first season, season three didn't come out for two years after season two due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Season two of The Umbrella Academy followed the Hargreeves family traversing Dallas, Texas, in the 1960s in an attempt to avert the apocalypse. Once their mission was complete, they were able to return to the present time. However, when they returned to their home in New York City, things were not what they expected. In fact, most was not as they left it.

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What was Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy About?

After the family's adventures in 1963, one would think it would be a breath of fresh air for everyone to be back in the present time. Unfortunately, with the Umbrella Academy, things are never that simple. When the remaining members of the family return home, they find their dear old dad is alive and well, which is unnerving since he died in the first season. That wasn't the only shock for Viktor (Elliott Page) and the others.

The Umbrellas find themselves replaced by the Sparrows, a different group of super-powered individuals. The only familiar member among them is Ben (Justin H. Min), who the Umbrellas thought had said his final goodbye in season two. In this altered timeline, Ben is also alive and well, but he comes with a vastly different personality from the original Ben. He's cold, harsh, and pragmatic now.

After a brief bout throughout the mansion, where the Umbrella family learns the Sparrows outclass them, the Umbrellas retreat to Hotel Obsidian in downtown Manhatten. Five determines that the timeline they're in now is fine and dandy since there's no world-ending scenario taking place, and they'll just have to adjust. That doesn't sit right with anyone else, especially Allison, who no longer has a daughter or husband.

During a preemptive attack from the Sparrows in the hotel, a mysterious man saves the Umbrellas with an ability that looks eerily familiar to Viktor's energy blast. This attack kills all but three of the Sparrows. The man reveals himself to be Harlan, the child whom Viktor helped in season two. Around the same time, both families discover the existence of a kugelblitz in the basement of the Hargreeves mansion. A kugelblitz is a universe-ending ball of energy that sucks everything into it until there's nothing left. Both families resolve to stop the kugelblitz together.

How did The Umbrella Academy Season 3 End?

Unfortunately, there's no stopping the Kugelblitz per se. Luckily, Reginald Hargreeves has a plan. He reveals to the group that he actually owns Hotel Obsidian and built it around a portal that leads to a mirror version of itself called Hotel Oblivion. Within this mirror hotel, there's a way to reset the universe, but it requires seven of the family members and defeating the guardians within.

Unfortunately, less than seven agree to venture through the portal to undertake a potentially suicidal mission and instead resolve to enjoy their last few hours on Earth while it exists. This forces Reginald to resort to drastic actions, including killing Luther in an attempt to unite the family behind the cause. His plan works, and everyone follows him through the portal.

The newly formed team struggles to dispatch the guardians at first, but the real trouble comes when they find a sigil that will help them reset the universe. Once the seven necessary individuals are in place, Reginald uses the hotel to drain them of the energy within them. This process, once complete, would kill them all. A temporarily revived Luther stops him, but Allison presses the red blinking button after asking the others to trust her. Fade to black.

Everyone wakes up in the Obsidian Memorial Park, dazed and confused. At the center of the park is a small bust of Hargreeves as well as numerous buildings around them branded with the Hargreeves name. Just as the group gets their bearings, they see Luther no longer has his gorilla torso. That's when they realize none of them have any of their powers. Feelings are divided on the matter, with Diego and his lover Lila running off to live their life. Allison goes off to find her daughter and the others split up as well.

What to Expect in The Umbrella Academy Season 4

There's a lot for season four of The Umbrella Academy to cover. For starters, nobody has their powers anymore, which is going to make it difficult for the family to set things right. Season three revealed Reginald had slightly nefarious reasons for adopting and raising the children. He wanted to reset the universe to his liking and needed their powers to do so. The final scene of the finale not only reveals him to be alive and well in an office at the top of a skyscraper, but he seems to own the majority of New York City.

A post-credit scene shows Ben, not the Sparrow Ben, getting on a subway train in Korea. It's a train that looks eerily similar to the one on which his mother spontaneously gave birth to him. This implies that there are two Bens in this new universe, which is likely to have some unfortunate ramifications. It's possible that the family will never regain their powers, but they're likely going to try. It's also possible they decide the new universe is satisfactory, so they live their lives out there.

No matter where the story goes, season four of The Umbrella Academy premieres on August 8, 2024.

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