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Summary
The decision to reduce The Umbrella Academy season 4 to just six episodes has drawn significant criticism from both audiences and critics alike. The condensed format led to many unresolved questions and poorly concluded character arcs. To effectively tie together the numerous characters, subplots, and unanswered queries, a full 10-episode season was essential.
The Umbrella Academy has seen its positive standing on Rotten Tomatoes diminish with the release of its final season. The show’s controversial choice to limit season 4 to six episodes has resulted in a finale that fails to meet the expectations set by previous seasons. As The Umbrella Academy concludes the Hargreeves family’s saga, the final narrative fails to provide satisfactory closure for many characters, leaving several questions lingering unresolved.
In light of these issues, the reception for The Umbrella Academy season 4 has turned decidedly negative. The season debuted with an unprecedented “rotten” critic rating of 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, which has fluctuated to 63%, yet remains the lowest score in the show’s history. The audience rating is even more disheartening, at just 15%. While many critiques focus on the unsatisfactory ending, the underlying cause of this backlash can be traced back to the season’s truncated format.
Cutting The Umbrella Academy’s Final Season To Six Episodes Was Always Going To Backfire
The Shortened Season Set The Netflix Show Up To Fail
The storytelling problems within The Umbrella Academy‘s final season become significantly more pronounced because of the brief six-episode structure. The choice to limit season 4’s episode count was a risky maneuver, especially as audiences have expressed growing dissatisfaction with shorter seasons. Given the multitude of character arcs and subplots, the decision to condense the narrative into this limited format was bound to set the show up for failure.
Viewer disappointment stems from not only the rushed narrative but also from the overall lack of development leading to the finale. The shortage of episodes hindered the necessary time to cultivate a satisfying conclusion. A breakdown of the Rotten Tomatoes scores illustrates this downward trajectory:
The Umbrella Academy Season:
Critic Score:
Audience Score:
1
77%
85%
2
91%
88%
3
91%
55%
4
63%
15%
Why The Umbrella Academy Season 4 Needed A Full 10-Episode Run
The Show Has Too Many Characters & Subplots For Six Episodes
While some series can effectively navigate a shorter season, The Umbrella Academy genuinely required a full 10-episode run to wrap up its storylines satisfactorily. The show features a large ensemble cast, making it incredibly challenging to develop and resolve multiple character arcs in a mere six episodes. Additionally, season 4 is laden with unresolved questions, from Ben’s ties to Jennifer to the mysteries surrounding Reginald’s origins. The failure to adequately explore these narratives demonstrates a clear need for more episodes to give them the depth and attention they require.
The storyline of The Umbrella Academy, adapted from the comic series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, follows the Hargreeves siblings, each of whom possesses unique superpowers. They reunite after their father’s death, prompted by a dire prophecy from Five, who returns from the future bearing news of the impending apocalypse. This intricate setup reveals a vast narrative potential that, unfortunately, remains unrealized in the hastily produced fourth season.
Source
screenrant.com