The final season of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix was four episodes shorter than the three seasons before it, much to the confusion of fans.
Based on the comics created by My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way, The Umbrella Academy ran for four seasons, the first three with 10 episodes each, and the fourth with six.
The six episodes of Season 4 hit Netflix on Aug. 8, ending the series after roughly five years since it first premiered.
[ Full Cast of Umbrella Academy Season 4 - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos) ]
Why Is Umbrella Academy Season 4 Only 6 Episodes?
In December 2022, The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman confirmed that Season 4 — the show's last — will only have six episodes.
In an X (then Twitter) post confirming that the rumors of a six-episode season (as oppose to the usual 10) were true, Blackman explained that though there would be fewer episodes, fans were "going to love them:"
@FIVES_KNIFE: "THERE IS NO WAY THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY S4 HAS 6 EPISODES STOP LYING THAT ISN'T TRUE STOP"
Steve Blackman: "It’s true. But you’re going to love them."
On Aug. 8 (the day the final season hit Netflix), RadioTimes.com shared quotes from a recent interview with Blackman about the topic. He revealed that "at one point" there had been plans "for more episodes," but ultimately the team "agreed with Netflix to do six:"
"We had planned, at one point, for more episodes and then we agreed with Netflix to do six."
He went into more detail in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he originally wanted "eight episodes" himself, but "Netflix wanted six:"
"The decision was made at a certain point that Netflix wanted six episodes. That was fine with me. I could have been happy with eight, but it really worked out well."
While he was sad to see some plot lines (including explaining "what happened to Sloane") go, Blackman said that being "forced to do a certain amount" of episodes helped him "titrate [the season] down to the things that are really important:"
"Some of the things we wanted to do, I think, got jettisoned along the way. I wanted to tell a little bit more story with Viktor and Hargreeves. I wanted to do a little bit more with [Luther] and what happened to Sloane. But at the end of the day, when you’re forced to do a certain amount, it forces you to say, what’s the most important? What are the things that really matter in the storytelling? So sometimes when you don’t get the luxury of 10, you really get to titrate it down to the things that are really important — not just to us as writers, producers, but to the fans. I hope we did justice to that for the fans."
[ Netflix's CEO Wanted Umbrella Academy to Last More Seasons Than It Did (Exclusive) ]
Was Six Episodes Enough For Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy?
Fan reaction to Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy has been overwhelmingly negative.
The final season earned a staggering 16% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to Season 1's 85% audience score and Season 2's 88%. There was a big dip with Season 3, dropping down to a 55% audience score for the penultimate season, but, nothing comes close to 16%.
Tomatometer scores for Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 clocked in at 77%, 91%, 91% again, and 61%, respectively. While critics were not as disappointed with the final season as viewers were, both camps agreed that it was far too short.
Alan French of FandomWire said that despite the show ending "on a mostly satisfying note" for him, "it feels like Netflix damaged what should be a cult classic" by making Season 4 shorter:
"The raw emotion of the finale and spending time with these characters allows 'The Umbrella Academy' to end on a mostly satisfying note. However, with a shortened final season, it feels like Netflix damaged what should be a cult classic for decades."
Dilber A said that "it really hurts" to see a show they love "botched," but that "everything felt rushed:"
"It makes me very sad that they botched the ending of such a special series like this, no one deserves this, not the fans or the cast. Everything felt rushed and it didn't give you much time to process all the things that happened. Also, in this season they've explained some of the plot holes, yes, but they've also created new ones. This series is and always will be my favorite so it really hurts me that they had to end it in such a botched way."
Movie Files' Elliott Collins called the six-episode count "the worst decision for this season," feeling like he "had zero time to actually sit and breathe" while watching:
"The 6 episode format was the worst decision for this season. [Characters'] arcs were rushed and forced. The stakes were never there because we had zero time to actually sit and breathe in scenes. The charm that was once there is nonexistent this season!"
One anonymous audience member repeatedly called the final season "lazy and rushed," feeling as though they "had missed a couple episodes:"
"The ending felt lazy and rushed and there was just overall so much context missing. It felt like I had missed a couple episodes and jumped in in the middle of the story. ... The conclusion was unsatisfying and, again, felt lazy and rushed."
Cynthia Vinney of Looper.com said that six episodes "was too short to do them [fans] justice:"
"After three amazing seasons, 'The Umbrella Academy' has an enormous amount of goodwill from fans, but the show's final season is just too short to do them justice."
All four seasons of The Umbrella Academy are available to stream on Netflix.
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Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
