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The Umbrella Academy is getting their butts kicked.
Production has constructed a department storecomplete with an escalator, display cases, and multiple levelson a massive soundstage.
Its a giant fight with a tennis ball, Castaneda jokes during a break.
The quick-paced sequence unfolds like this: Viktor lies unconscious on the floor.
Diego flips onto the escalator and sprints towards the top while Luther yells, Aww… shit.
We have to get that thing away from Viktor.
Its do-or-die time, especially since this episode marks the series finale.
Total chaos ensues, punctuated with crazy action, high stakes, and emotion.
Showrunner Steve Blackman notes, We hold nothing back.
I wanted the family to come together.
They started off estranged four seasons ago.
They had their ups and downs but ultimately, I wanted them to find some closure with the family.
I think we achieved that, Blackman says.
A lot of those will be answered this year.
The fans will be very satisfied as we finally terminate the loop on some of those.
As a result, Blackman pivoted.
There were things I would have addressed if I had the economics and more pages, he reflects.
Nonetheless, the remaining episodes cram in plenty of punch.
They are longer than normal episodes, confirms Blackman.
They are closer to an hour.
Everyones story gets told.
I am just sad to see these characters go.
I could have written them forever.
The truth is, four seasons is a great number.
Season 3 culminated with the Umbrella Academythwarting their treacherous fathers schemeto reset the universe… with mixed results.
An alternate timeline was created, one in which the Hargreeves have lost their powers.
Reeling from the development, they splintered off on their own.
The season 4 premiere picks up five years later and finds the family leading mundane lives.
Its a question of What is it like to have powers and then have no powers?
How do they deal with normality?
How are they adapting to life?
I think its fair to say the world is not going to be quite right.
Allison is in full mother mode.
A mopey, miserable Diego grapples with being a father and husband to Lila.
They are not really communicating and are snapping at each other, Arya teases.
Viktor runs a successful business.
Number Five works for the CIA.
As for Klaus, he goes off on a very strange tangent, says Sheehan.
He is really terrified of death now, Sheehan reveals.
Klaus is scared of dying, which is a nice little 180.
Hes become a bit of a germaphobe with OCD.
Hes bubble-wrapping his apartment.
He is one of those boring people who is scared of everything.
Klaus also sort of plummets back into drug addiction, quite severely, he continues.
Through relaxing and getting his powers back, he starts to discover other aspects of his power.
He can do other stuff.
That always gets fans excited.
The siblings sound split on whether wielding superhuman abilities should be considered a blessing or something of a burden.
Regaining their powers isnt the Umbrella Academys only priority.
The world needs saving… again.
What the impending doom is constitutes a major spoiler, but Blackman promises the threat doesnt present itself immediately.
Its a slow burn.
It doesnt just launch like we usually do, right from the start, Blackman explains.
Its a combination of coming together as a family.
One of the big stories revolves around Ben, which I think fans will be craving.
Every year, there is someone who has a bigger story.
Sibling Shenanigans
Part of Blackmans season 4 pitch centered on pairing individuals who arent normally together.
The combinations provided unique opportunities for storytelling and Hargreeves drama.
Reginald and Viktortwo of the most estranged members of the familyshare screen time.
Number Five is lost, Gallagher says.
He doesnt know what his place is in the universe.
This season sees a few kooky, fresh faces join the fray.
Real-life couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally portray community college professors Gene and Jean Thibedeau.
The married duo seem to have a vested interest in Allison and one of her VHS movies.
In addition, David Cross plays Sy Grossman, a shy businessman with his own agenda.
Whether the trio should be considered friends or foes remains to be seen.
Either way, Blackman compares landing the three performers to winning the lottery.
They are not only great actors but lovely human beings, Blackman praises.
When I talked to them, they were like, I want to be on the show.
They are super-fans of The Umbrella Academy.
They knew every character and every episode.
The cast considers season 4 as its best and most action-packed one to date.
Blackman couldnt agree more.
He even cites Luther and Diegos brawl in the CIAs basement as one of his favorite moments.
Its funny and violent, Blackman offers.
The music is great.
The actors had so much fun doing it.
you’ve got the option to see the joy on their faces as they were performing.
They are loving every minute of this fight sequence.
They did all the stunts themselves.
They both got super-fit for the fight, with amazing stunt people.
They just loved it.
They could have gone all night.
And David was just amazing, as well, Blackman continues.
The comedy that came out of the mouths of these three people had the crew and cast laughing.
Fond Farewells
WithUmbrellanearing the end of filming, the cast doesnt seem ready to let go.
For Page, the show represents a deeply personal period of growth.
In 2020, the Canadian native announced they were non-binary and, eventually, transgender.
The series tackled Pages decision by transitioning their character, Vanya, into Viktor.
In particular, this arc with Viktor is significant in a lot of ways, Page says.
I hope to get to do a series again.
Wipe away those tears.
The heroes still have a mission to complete, and celebrating their victory feels premature.
Death could be knocking on someones door.
Early on, Blackman envisioned how the series would finish.
That insight, however, didnt extend to the cast.
Up until the day before wrapping, the actors werent privy to the last page of the script.
Blackman kept the details hush-hush.
As a person who loves TV, I hate feeling I didnt get a good ending in a show.
I wrote for multiple seasons, knowing how I was going to end it.
Its a very hard thing.
The fans have very high expectations, he concludes.
Its an emotional ending.
I find it very satisfying, and I hope the fans will, too.
The Umbrella Academy season 4 premieres Aug. 8 on Netflix.
