Finally, the veil has been lifted on The Umbrella Academy's inaugural supervillain, and lo and behold, it's none other than one of their own – introducing Vanya, the White Violin, who has distilled decades of anguish and bitterness into a terrifyingly diabolical scheme: a concert that promises to usher in the apocalypse. Five's hunch was spot on; halting Leonard Peabody could've averted the end times, but alas, they were too late to the game. By the time the Academy deciphered the truth, Vanya had crossed the point of no return. The profound irony, and a burden Luther will inevitably grapple with, is that had he not imprisoned Vanya in that soundproof cocoon, the descent into full-fledged villainy might've been halted.
Thus, after a season-long crescendo, the world's doom arrives, orchestrated by Vanya, moving through the Umbrella Academy mansion in a trance-like state. Each chamber she traverses dredges up a fresh wave of childhood trauma, which she furiously dismisses by tearing down the very ceilings above. Her siblings manage to scatter, but Pogo confronts her, arguing that Hargreeves' intentions were pure – to safeguard Vanya from herself. This feeble justification is destined to falter, and Pogo, perhaps consciously buying time for the others' escape, launches his plea. Yet, the conversation is abruptly terminated as Vanya, fueled by rage at Pogo's complicity in her wretched past, hoists him aloft and skewers him on a pair of mounted antlers, sealing his fate. This tragic turn is heartrending for spectators but a financial boon for Netflix's accountants overseeing The Umbrella Academy's special effects budget. Grace too "perishes" amidst the crumbling mansion (albeit, a robot, meticulously crafted for resilience in the face of Vanya's wrath).
Yet, if there's any way to underscore the gravity of the stakes, The Umbrella Academy achieves it with the stunning demise of two pivotal characters and the destruction of their very home. This, the series subtly affirms, is a testament to the fact that – having utilized time travel to undo significant consequences in a prior episode – they are now all in for the real deal, playing for keeps.
The Umbrella Academy embarks on a mission to the vibrant Super Star Lanes bowling alley, where they devise a cunning strategy to locate and thwart Vanya before she unleashes her catastrophic plan to end the world. Locating her proves to be a mere formality, as a fortuitous newspaper advertisement conveniently alerts them of Vanya's maiden performance as the lead violinist at the esteemed Icarus Theater. With her supernatural abilities, she intends to harness the haunting melodies of her violin, transforming them into a series of devastating energy blasts that would rock the foundations of reality.
However, the question of how to halt her ominous intentions ignites a heated debate. Luther, solemnly, broaches the unthinkable option of terminating her, but Allison stands firm, her resolve unyielding, vowing never to resort to such extremities. Just as they grapple with this moral dilemma, their deliberations are abruptly cut short by the intervention of the Commission's relentless timecops, determined to ensure the apocalypse's inevitable course.
With quick wit and agility, the team eludes capture and races to the Icarus Theater, arriving just in time to witness the inception of Vanya's sinister scheme. The stage is set for the climactic battle, its backdrop a haunting symphony of Vanya's violin, a fitting, yet merciful, contrast to the expected bombast of overblown rock anthems.
Each member of the Umbrella Academy contributes their unique abilities to the fray, even Ben, summoned from the realm of the deceased by Klaus's cunning spell, using his sinuous tentacles to disarm armed adversaries. As Vanya's power seems unstoppable, reducing her siblings to incapacitation, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, resting solely on Allison's shoulders. Faced with the ultimate choice, she holds the gun steady, aimed at her sister's head, yet mercy prevails. Instead, she fires a bullet inches from Vanya's ear, disrupting her concentration and plunging her into a deep slumber.
For a fleeting instant, there is triumph, a collective sigh of relief as they believe they have saved the world. Yet, fate has one final, cruel twist in store. The accumulated energy from Vanya's concert unleashes a devastating beam that pierces the veil of space, colliding with the moon in a catastrophic collision. (Perhaps Luther's lunar base was not as futile as once thought!) The shattered lunar fragments plummet towards Earth, igniting a chain reaction of devastating craters and explosions, signaling the inevitable end.
As the world crumbles around them, Five, in a desperate act of desperation, unleashes an unforeseen power, engulfing all six of his siblings in a time-bending vortex. The seven of them vanish into the abyss of time, their ultimate destination unknown, as the flames of destruction engulf not just the Icarus Theater but the entire world. And so, the fate of the Umbrella Academy, and quite possibly the universe itself, hangs in the balance, suspended in the infinite expanse of time.
Just to clarify, if the preceding narrative wasn't crystal clear: According to our comprehensive understanding, virtually every other character in 'The Umbrella Academy' has met their demise, leaving a desolate landscape. Hazel, who treacherously turned on Cha-Cha, dispatched the Handler, and liberated Agnes, briefly basked in the glow of a fleeting happy ending, only for the world to be engulfed in a fiery cataclysm. [Postscript: Since this article's publication, keen-eyed viewers have pointed out that Hazel and Agnes miraculously teleported to safety as the apocalypse unleashed, securing a joyful conclusion amidst the chaos!]
Cha-Cha, wandering aimlessly with a cocked pistol, was doomed to forever yearn for vengeance against Hazel, a quest that went unfulfilled. Allison's estranged family, Diego's comrades in blue, and that innocent child celebrating their birthday amidst the chaos of the bowling alley during the Commission's assault—all vanished into the abyss of oblivion.
My sentiments towards this conclusion are ambivalent. On one hand, it's commendable for a series that relentlessly dangled the specter of global annihilation and, ultimately, against all odds, fulfilled that grim prophecy, despite our heroes' valiant struggles.
Yet, given that each and every member of the Umbrella Academy somehow evaded the apocalypse's grasp, the finality of it all feels elusive. In stark contrast to the comics, where the narrative boldly ventured to the precipice of destruction and forced the characters to live in its perpetual shadow, the television adaptation hints at a potential season dedicated to averting the impending doom once more. Such is the paradox of time travel; no matter how deeply you entangle yourself in calamity, redemption and another chance always linger within reach.
