Netflix's 4-Part Dark Fantasy Series Went Fully Lovecraftian In Its Final Season

Published Sep 18, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.

Netflix is home to a four-part dark fantasy series that is still one of its best original shows, and for its final season, it decided to go fully Lovecraftian. The list of Netflix original shows has a bit of everything as the streamer has explored a variety of genres, but it has found the most success in the world of fantasy. Shows like Arcane, Stranger Things, and Wednesday are now regarded among the best TV shows of all time, but there are also some underrated gems overshadowed by Netflix’s biggest hits.

Among Netflix’s most underrated but great fantasy shows are Shadow and Bone, Warrior Nun, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, all of them covering different styles and topics within the genre. The fantasy branch also houses some superhero shows, though very different from those in the universes of Marvel and DC, and Netflix’s best is definitely The Umbrella Academy, based on the comic book series of the same name by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá.

The Umbrella Academy debuted on Netflix in 2019 and was an instant hit, being one of the most-streamed TV shows of the year. The success and popularity of The Umbrella Academy led it to continue for three more seasons, ending in 2024. However, for its final season, The Umbrella Academy went on a different route and went fully Lovecraftian, which would have been great had the season been handled better.

The Umbrella Academy Season 4's Ben & Jennifer Story Went Fully Lovecraftian

The Umbrella Academy tells the story of the title team, formed by seven adopted siblings, each of them with unique superpowers. The Umbrellas, along with 36 other kids around the world, were born on the same day, at the same time, and to women who weren’t pregnant when the day started. Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), an eccentric billionaire and scientist, set out to adopt as many of these children as he could, but he could only adopt seven.

Reginald trained these kids and formed the superhero team The Umbrella Academy, but he wasn’t a good parent figure. With time, the Hargreeves parted ways and didn’t speak to each other, and it isn’t until Reginald’s death that they all reluctantly reunite. The surviving Hargreeves learn that the end of the world is fast approaching, and so they do their best to prevent it, but that’s only the beginning of a series of problems and adventures across time for them.

While the Hargreeves travel through time trying to stop the apocalypse on different occasions, The Umbrella Academy left some huge questions that season 4 had to address the best way it could. Some of those questions were the details about Ben Hargreeve’s (Justin H. Min) death, which was the core of The Umbrella Academy season 4, as the show explained exactly what happened to him, who Jennifer is, and her role in Ben’s death, for which the show went fully Lovecraftian.

Ben and Jennifer turned out to be a lethal combination, not just for themselves but for the world, as they were made by opposite particles. Ben and Jennifer ended up merging into one huge monstrous being, and the change was gradual, reminiscent of Lovecraftian creatures. This triggers the end of the world, with the rest of the Hargreeves (and Lila) being forced to confront some dark truths about their origins, unimaginable dangers, and an unavoidable fate.

The Umbrella Academy's Final Season Is Easily Its Weakest

The Umbrella Academy going Lovecraftian in its final season isn’t a bad decision, but it could have been made a lot better. Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy was a lot shorter than the previous ones, with just six episodes, which greatly affected the final season. The Umbrella Academy had a lot to address and answer in its final season, and though it explained some of its biggest mysteries, it was either underwhelming or more confusing.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 felt rushed, some characters either got stuck in their development or regressed, there were contradicting reveals and rules, and one unnecessary romance received a lot of backlash. Had The Umbrella Academy season 4 been given more episodes and time, it could have had better-developed storylines, character growth, answers to the show’s biggest mysteries, and a much better Lovecraftian approach.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 works better by itself and makes for a fun dark fantasy superhero story with comedic moments and great Lovecraftian elements, but as a part of an already established universe, it ended up being the weakest link.

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.