Spoilers are ahead for The Umbrella Academy season 4.
Summary
The Umbrella Academyseason 4 introduced us to a new version of Klaus Hargreeves (Robert Sheehan) — one who didn’t have his powers and, ultimately, was happier without the Marigold-induced abilities. Of all theHargreeves siblings' powers, I think Klaus' might be the most formidable. At first, Klaus has the ability to communicate with the dead, including the late Ben Hargreeves (Justin H. Min), who died under mysterious circumstances, and, temporarily, return the dead to their corporeal forms. Even afterUmbrella Academyseason 2’s ending,Klaus still relies on alcohol and drugs to numb himself to the ghostly voices.
I think one of the most tragic revelations about Klaus' powers comes inThe Umbrella Academyseason 3’s ending, when it becomes abundantly clear that Klaus is immortal. Able to heal his wounds, revive himself, and reform his physical body, Klaus views his immortality as a curse, mostly because he can’t escape his harrowing reality — one that sees Klaus walking between the worlds of the living and the dead. Tragically,Klaus' superhuman abilities, and the trauma they inflict, augment his substance-use disorder and dependence on vices, which is why I found Klaus' brief season-four reinvention so compelling.
I Really Loved The New Klaus At The Start Of The Umbrella Academy Season 4
Without His Powers, Klaus Hargreeves Is A Happier Person
After the Hargreeves siblings resetUmbrella Academy’s timelinein the season 3 finale, they discover that they no longer have powers. As a result, most of the Hargreeves siblings go their separate ways. Six years after resetting the universe, Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), who once had the ability to control minds and manipulate reality, pursues her acting career, all while raising her teenage daughter, Claire (Millie Davis).But Allison and Claire don’t live alone: Klaus has set up camp in the duo’s basement— and it’s one of my favorite dynamics inThe Umbrella Academyseason 4.
While some of Klaus' new behaviors are framed as eccentricities — and, frustratingly, played for laughs — I think it’s a very realistic fallout from the loss of immortality.
At season 4’s start, the absence ofKlaus’Umbrella Academypowershas pushed him to embrace sobriety. However, the loss has also made him extremely vigilant when it comes to evading death and its many causes. An overly cautious germaphobe,Klaus insists on wearing surgical gloves and a maskwhen leaving Allison’s house. While some of Klaus' new behaviors are framed as eccentricities — and, frustratingly, played for laughs — I think it’s a very realistic fallout from the loss of immortality. Not only did this shift progress Klaus' otherwise-stuck arc, but it refreshes the siblings' dynamics too.
How Old Every Hargreeves Sibling Is In The Umbrella Academy Season 4
The Umbrella Academy season 4’s many timelines has viewers wondering about the Hargreeves siblings' ages, especially as the plot gets more complex.
Klaus' Relapse Is Really Hard To Watch
The Hargreeves Siblings Give Klaus Marigold To Save His Life — But It Comes At A Cost
Klaus Hargreeves' trauma and relapse storyis incredibly difficult to watch and, in my opinion, a totally unnecessary addition to the story. Committed to being sober, Klaus tosses away the Marigold-spike sake that Ben slips to the rest of the Hargreeves. When the siblings arrive in New Grumpson, Maine, to save Jennifer (Victoria Sawal), Klaus is the only one without powers —by choice. During a shootout with Reginald Hargreeves' (Colm Feore) hired army,Klaus is fatally struck, prompting the siblings to pour the remaining Marigold into his chest wound in order to save Klaus' life, despite his protests.
The Umbrella Academy season 4’s ending brushes off Klaus' self-destructive tendencies and truly traumatic four-season journey.
While the infusion of Marigold saves Klaus' life and restores his haunting powers, the incident also pushes him to go on a bender. It’s incredibly difficult to watch Klaus fall into old patterns.In order to get a fix, Klaus steals from his niece, Claire, and refuses her help.For me, it was one ofUmbrella Academyseason 4’s more heartbreaking moments — partially because the show was retreading old ground and undoing some really important character development. To make matters worse,The Umbrella Academyseason 4’s endingbrushes off Klaus' self-destructive tendencies and truly traumatic four-season journey.
The Umbrella Academy: Biggest Plot Holes & Questions After Season 4
The fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy might have concluded the series, but it wasn’t without several absolutely glaring plot holes.
The “New Klaus” Confirms The Umbrella Academy’s Most Tragic Character
Klaus' Ending In The Umbrella Academy Series Finale Is Just Sad
It’s no secret thatproblems plagueUmbrella Academyseason 4’s ending, but the show’s treatment of Klaus is particularly infuriating. After his powers are restored without his consent, Klaus is essentially separated from the rest of his siblings. While slipping back into patterns of self-harm,Klaus is kidnapped and then forced into sex work and possession-prostitution by his abductors. Although he’s able to escape, Klaus winds up buried alive for a stretch of time. When he finally rejoins the Hargreeves in the finale, the show tries to make a joke about Klaus' tangential narrative.
It’s even sadder when Klaus tells Allison he was proud to be someone she could look up to when he was sans powers.
However, Klaus' season 4 journey is far from a “funny story,” and the show’s insistence on brushing it off and treating Klaus' ongoing (and past) trauma as comedic relief is terrible. Moreover, I think the decision to forcibly restore Klaus' powers is a glaring misstep. Ultimately,Klaus' powers serve no purpose in the final fight, which means their only function was to undo his character developmentand force him back into self-destructive, played-for-laughs patterns. It’s even sadder when Klaus tells Allison he was proud to be someone she could look up to when he was sans powers.
Randomly, Klaus gains the ability to fly during the siblings' final fight, but that doesn’t justify the restoration of his harmful powers.
The idea of Klaus finding the strength within to fight for himself rings incredibly hollow. Like most of the Hargreeves siblings' season-four journeys of self-reflection, Klaus' feels completely unrelated to the larger narrative at hand —Umbrella Academy’s Cleanse, caused byMarigold and Durango. Thanks to his pointless solo outing,Klaus never even learns why and how the original Ben died before he agrees to sacrifice himself, along with his surviving siblings and Lila Pitts (Ritu Arya), to saveUmbrella Academy’s timelines. Ultimately,The Umbrella Academyseason 4 did a massive disservice to Klaus Hargreeves' story.
All four seasons ofThe Umbrella Academyare 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.
