This article contains spoilers from The Umbrella Academy season 4
Summary
The Umbrella Academyshowrunner Steve Blackman discusses how the story behind the death of Ben Hargreeves (Justin H. Min) was incorporated into the final season of the Netflix series. While Ben has always had a consistent presence in the series, as a ghost in seasons 1 and 2, and via the Sparrow Academy version of the character in seasons 3 and 4, how the original Ben died has always been a mystery. The truth finally comes to light in season 4, as the Hargreeves siblings learn about what happened duringthe Jennifer Incident.
In an interview withCollider,Blackman was asked why he chose to reveal the truth about what happened to the original Benand whether this was planned from the beginning. He shared the process that led to this reveal and the relationship between Ben and Jennifer (Victoria Sawal) being integral to the final season. Blackman also discussed the conversations he had withThe Umbrella Academycomics' writer Gerard Way about the storyline and how it would factor into the television adaptation. Check out Blackman’s comments below:
Yes. I talked early on with Gerard Way about a few versions of the Jennifer Incident and what Ben’s part was. Gerard may go in a slightly different direction as he goes on with the graphic novels, but this is something I said I’d like to try and he thought it was a good idea. We knew we had to resolve this storyline for the end of the show, and I thought this was a good way to go. We had discussed it in an earlier season, so I actually had a pretty good plan on how to get to this storyline for Ben.
[…]
[How Ben and Jennifer change] went through a lot of iterations. We toyed with the idea that they didn’t seem to notice what was happening to each other for a certain point. And then, it changed. It really was actually one of the harder things to make sense of for the season. Eventually, we landed on the idea that they’re changing together. Because they’re bonded through all timelines to come together, they would be affected in the same way. Like flies to a moth, they couldn’t not be together. One way or another, they were gonna find each other in every timeline, and they do in this timeline.
Was The Answer To Ben’s Death Satisfying?
Much Of Season 4 Hinges On This Reveal
WhileThe Umbrella Academyseason 4 has many narrative issues,revealing the answer to the original Ben’s death is one element that is mostly handled well. Instead of just being a loose end that needed to be tied up in the final season, the reason Ben died is integral to season 4’s main conflict, and still matters for the Sparrow Academy’s Ben. It explains the source of the impending apocalypse in the new timeline and why the original Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) was willing to kill innocent children.
As satisfying as it is to finally have an answer to the mystery of Ben’s death and have it meaningfully impact the rest of the season, the reveal does suffer from Klaus (Robert Sheehan) not being part of it.
Learning that Reginald was behind Ben’s death is also narratively effective because it proves to be a breaking point forthe powerful Viktor Hargreeves(Elliot Page), leading to one of season 4’s best scenes, in which Viktor finally confronts his father. Pairing Viktor and Reginald up after that culminates in one of the season’s better arcs, as Reginald grows to respect Viktor and gives Viktor a chance to handle matters in his own way.Reginald’s actions juxtaposed with the original Ben’s backstory emphasize the growth of this Reginald.
Every Hargreeves Sibling’s New Powers In The Umbrella Academy Season 4
The Umbrella Academy’s Hargreeves siblings regain their powers in season 4, but their returned abilities aren’t exactly the same as before.
As satisfying as it is to finally have an answer to the mystery of Ben’s death and have it meaningfully impact the rest of the season, the reveal does suffer from Klaus (Robert Sheehan) not being part of it. Klaus was closely bonded with Ben’s ghost over the years, allowing him to know Ben in a way the rest of his siblings never did.It is a disservice to Ben and Klaus' relationship that Klaus is absent when his siblings learn the truthand that it is never shared with him beforeThe Umbrella Academyends.
The Umbrella Academy
Cast
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.
