Biggest Unanswered Questions In The Umbrella Academy Season 3
Fans of "The Umbrella Academy" have been waiting two years to catch up with their favorite quirky, emotionally troubled superheroes. "The Umbrella Academy" Season 3 definitely didn't disappoint, picking up right after the events of the Season 2 finale with the Umbrella Academy facing off against the newly revived Reginald Hargreeves and his Sparrow Academy. From there, a poison-induced hallucination brings about an epic footloose dance montage that kicks off 10 crazy episodes.
After losing to the Sparrows in Episode 1, the Umbrellas are forced to hide out in the Hotel Obsidian — a rundown hotel that used to be one of Klaus' old haunts. As they discover more about the new world they find themselves in, it becomes apparent to them that their actions in the 1960s made serious changes to their present. New events like Reginald adopting different children and Harlan unwittingly killing the Umbrella siblings' birth mothers create a time paradox. This isn't just any old time paradox — it's a Kugelblitz that is blitzing people, things, and parts of the world out of existence. Eventually, the Umbrellas sort of succeed in saving the world by entering the Hotel Oblivion. Afterward, they wind up in another new world that looks nothing like the Sparrows timeline.
Season 3 answers some of the biggest questions from "The Umbrella Academy" Season 2 like what happened to Lila and Harlan, but the season finale ultimately leaves viewers with more loose ends.
What happened to the other 1989 kids?
Although the timeline changed a lot during the first two seasons of "The Umbrella Academy," Luther, Allison, Diego, Klaus, Five, and Viktor never went as far as to change anything too significant about their personal histories. That is, until now. The show's third season establishes a new timeline with significantly different, life-changing events taking place on the show's most important date: October 1, 1989. In Episode 1, Reginald Hargreeves explains to the Umbrellas that he adopted the seven Sparrow Academy siblings instead of them after meeting them in the 1960s and finding himself "repulsed" by their behavior. The episode's opening sequence shows Reginald mirroring scenes from the first season, but with different children and a new academy.
This opening sequence reveals another big change. In this timeline, there were only 16 children born on that day in 1989, not 43. The reason for this becomes a major question mark hanging over the season. Eventually, the Umbrellas discover that their mothers all died on October 1, 1989, before giving birth to them. Later Viktor learns that Harlan unwittingly killed the moms when his own mother, Sissy, died that same morning.
But this revelation just opens a can of worms — or a can of questions, as it were. How do the Umbrellas exist if they weren't born? Season 3 only accounts for seven of the children born that day, or eight if you include Lila. Who are the other "siblings" and what happened to them? Will they make an appearance next season?
How did Five found the Temps Commission? Does it still exist?
Season 3 of "The Umbrella Academy" answers one burning question fans have been asking since Season 1 — who created the Temps Commission? Episode 4 sees Five and Lila combine their powers to travel to the Commission and bring forth the revelation that Five was the founder all along.
First, Five and Lila find an emergency broadcast from Herb, who became the temporary chair of the Commission following the events of Season 2. In the message, he explains the timeline is collapsing, which leads Five and Lila to seek answers in the Commission's Master Handbook. The Handbook reveals that the organization's founder installed an emergency operations bunker. When Five and Lila arrive at the bunker, which only Five can open, inside they find a dying old man who Five recognizes as an elderly version of himself. The old Five offers some cryptic advice — "Whatever you do, don't save the world" — before dying in front of them.
The scene leaves both viewers and the characters with more questions than answers. Moments earlier, Five tells Lila that he has no memory of founding the Commission, but we know it exists outside of time. That means it's very possible that he hasn't done it yet, despite having worked there for years. The third season of "The Umbrella Academy" only scratches the surface of this storyline, so there's much more for the characters and the audience to discover. For the moment, we must wait with anticipation to discover how Five founded the Temps Commission, whether it still exists following the Kugelblitz, and why the old man version of Five didn't want his younger self to save the world.
What is the Jennifer incident?
After you watch Episode 7 of "The Umbrella Academy" Season 3, we guarantee that one of the questions you'll be asking is "What is the Jennifer incident?" This is a reference that pops up within a passing conversation earlier in the season, but as of Episode 7 it has manifested into a full-blown Easter egg. While hiding out in the Sparrow Academy version of Ben's room, Viktor discovers a sketch of a woman with the name "Jennifer" written underneath it.
It's not clear what exactly "the Jennifer incident" refers to. Just about anything anyone comes up with would just be pure speculation at this point. But considering the location of the picture, it's possible the Jennifer incident has something to do with how Ben died. All viewers have been told so far about Ben's death is it occurred on a mission in the original timeline, and it was a particularly great disappointment to Reginald Hargreeves, who berated his other children afterwards. Perhaps Ben died saving someone named Jennifer? And if Ben is alive in the new Sparrows timeline, then perhaps Jennifer isn't?
How did Reginald Hargreeves know about the portal to Oblivion?
The character of Reginald Hargreeves is quite a mystery, even after three seasons. Viewers have questions about where he comes from — which we know is probably not Earth — and what his endgame is. However, some of the biggest Reginald Hargreeves-related burning questions in Season 3 are how did he know about the portal to the Hotel Oblivion in the first place, and why did he go back to 1918 to build the Hotel Obsidian around it?
Episode 8 opens with a flashback scene of Reginald in 1918. He strides across an open field until he reaches a certain point and fires a flare into the air, which is engulfed by the Oblivion portal. Soon he begins construction around it, building the Hotel Obsidian. What's not clear, though, is how he knew the portal was there, or how and why he sought it out in 1918. It's possible that Reginald has the ability to time travel, and this just hasn't been revealed to viewers yet. In the comic books he has the Televator — an elevator that allows him to travel through time, space, and dimensions. It's also possible that he's been on earth since 1918, not 1928 as the show previously suggested. The only thing we really know is that the Hotel Obsidian exists in both the original timeline and the Sparrows timeline. Hopefully, more pieces of this puzzle are revealed in the presumable Season 4.
What's with all the bugs?
In Episode 6, Diego and Lila uncover the corridor to the Hotel Oblivion in the White Buffalo Suite of the Hotel Obsidian while they're looking for Stanley, who they believe has wandered through it. There, they face a powerful and unknown threat which is later revealed to the Hotel Oblivion's Guardian.
Viewers get another glimpse of the corridor to Hotel Oblivion during Reginald Hargreeves' flashback in Episode 8, which recounts how he built the Hotel Obsidian. In it, viewers see him sending soldiers down the corridor that leads to Oblivion. None of the soldiers survive, but one makes it to the Obsidian side of the corridor before he dies. When he does, a large black bug — possibly a cockroach — crawls out of his mouth. This appears to be the case most of the time someone dies in Oblivion.
In the season finale, when the Umbrella-Sparrow Academy team goes to Oblivion, they fight three of the hotel's Guardians. After they defeat the third one, more bugs come out of its mouth, ears, and eye sockets. In this instance, the bugs seem to bring the third guardian back to life. The Umbrella-Sparrow alliance beats it again, and this time a hoard of bugs escapes from its every orifice, seemingly depleting it of its physical form. The bugs scatter off in every direction, and it's not clear where they went or if they're being controlled by another monster in the hotel or the hotel itself. We need to know; what's with all the bugs?
What happened to Pogo?
Adam Godley's role in "The Umbrella Academy" was short and sweet this season. He only appears in two episodes. Five finds him at the end of Episode 5 hanging with a group of bikers called the Mothers of Agony who, of course, Klaus had some sort of vague experience with "two timelines ago."
On the other hand, Episode 6 is rather Pogo-centric. The opening sequence explains what happened to him in this timeline and how his relationship with Reginald Hargreeves fractured. Then it cuts back to the present where Five chases Pogo down on a motorbike to explain that he's from another timeline and needs his help. When they finally sit and talk, Five explains that the entire universe is at stake and Pogo agrees to cooperate. He reveals vital information about "Project Oblivion" and warns Five that he and his siblings should be wary of Reginald. Their brief encounter ends when Pogo giving Five the tattoo he saw on his future self, and Pogo isn't seen again. It's probable that he got blitzed since the only people left in the season finale were the Umbrella-Sparrow Academy and Reginald, but Season 3 didn't confirm it. Will Pogo return?
How is Reginald alive?
The biggest questions "The Umbrella Academy" throws at viewers all tend to be about Reginald Hargreeves. And if you've watched the third season finale, you're probably asking yourself, "How the heck is he still alive?"
During the final showdown at the Hotel Oblivion, Allison comes to the realization that she can't trust this version of her father. To enact his plan — whatever that is — he's killing her siblings. Up until this episode, the enigmatic dear old dad played by actor Colm Feore has kept viewers guessing about his motives. His bonding time with Klaus seems so sincere, but he reveals his true nature when he kills Luther and then Klaus.
To stop Reginald from killing everyone in the Hotel Oblivion, Allison attacks him, chopping off a third of his head in the process. If you needed further proof that Reginald is not human, green goo oozes out of him instead of blood. Moments later, Allison presses the big red button she assumes will reset the universe. As the dust settles, most of the Umbrella-Sparrow Academy siblings appear to be alive and well, with a few exceptions we'll get to shortly. Reginald is also back from the dead ... again. You can spot him standing in the window of the tallest building in sight, and one of the seemingly countless that bear the Hargreeves insignia in the form of an "H." How is he still alive after Allison killed him? Was this his plan all along? For now, all viewers can do is speculate about his motives.
Who is Abigail Hargreeves?
Abigail Hargreeves is another question mark that stems from Reginald. In Season 3, we first get a glimpse of her in Episode 9. The episode begins with a flashback sequence, revealing more of what Luther was up to during his time on the moon. Along with blocking off access to the dark side of the moon, Luther might've been sent there to guard Abigail, even though he didn't know it. The end of the flashback cuts to a shot of a woman identified as Abigail in a tube. Later, in Episode 10, Reginald tells Luther he sent him there to guard the most "precious" thing in the universe, intimating that he means Abigail. Although how Reginald knows about events that occurred in a different timeline is a big question itself.
Some eagle-eyed viewers might remember seeing Abigail before. In the first season finale, a flashback shows Reginald with Abigail, who is very sick. Sending this woman we assume is his wife to the moon to try to save her wouldn't be the craziest thing Reggie's done.
"The Umbrella Academy" has yet to reveal a lot of vital information about Abigail and her backstory. For now, all viewers know is that she appears to be alive again since she was standing next to Reginald in the third season finale. Is she the reason he fought so hard to reset the timeline in the Hotel Oblivion?
How did Allison reunite with Claire and Ray in the same timeline?
Allison's storyline in Season 3 centers on her grief. First, she loses her husband Ray, leaving him in 1963 in order to return to her daughter, Claire, in the present. But when the timeline changes, Allison discovers she has also lost Claire. Allison fights all season to get back to her daughter, and after several grueling battles and a night of vigilante justice, it appears she gets her wish.
After she resets the timeline in the Hotel Oblivion, the first thing Allison does is go to her old house to see her daughter. This scene mirrors a similar moment from the first episode when Allison goes to her old house and finds her ex-husband Patrick there with his new wife and child. In the season finale, Allison finds Claire asleep in her bed. Instead of Patrick, Ray comes to greet the pair.
How is this possible? Well, while Season 3 might be lacking in time travel, there's no shortage of hallucinations. Is this even real? How is it even possible for Ray to exist in 2019 when he was last seen in 1963? There are two obvious theories for this; either Allison is hallucinating, or this really is an alternate reality. But knowing "The Umbrella Academy," it could be something completely out of left field.
Where is Sloane?
At the beginning of Season 3, Sloane is just Sparrow #5. Her power, which is similar to Viktor's, makes her one of the most powerful Sparrows, but she dreams of adventure and a life beyond just superhero-ing with her siblings. That is perhaps why she takes such a special interest in the Umbrellas from the moment they arrive, especially Luther.
It's not long before Luther and Sloane have a Romeo and Juliet-style romance going on while a war between their houses rages around them. Eventually, their relationship unites the Umbrellas and the remaining Sparrows, which is just Sloane and Ben at that point, and they all come together to celebrate Luther and Sloane getting married in Episode 9.
Unfortunately, their marriage is cut short, and not because of the impending Kugelblitz. Reginald Hargreeves kills Luther shortly after the ceremony, hoping to use his death as a way to force his children to follow him into Oblivion, which they do. Afterward, Sloane doesn't reappear in the courtyard when the timeline resets. What happened to her?
How is Luther alive?
Luther really goes through it in Season 3, and we're not exactly sure how he's still standing. Shortly after marrying the love of his life, he's killed by this timeline's version of his father. Reginald hopes to use Luther's death as a way to command unity from Allison, Klaus, Five, Diego, Lila, Viktor, Five, Sloane, and Ben, who are all on the fence about entering the Hotel Oblivion to stop the Kugelblitz. Spurred on by grief, they agree to go ... except for Klaus, because Reginald also kills him.
Klaus then joins Luther in the afterlife before resurrecting himself in Oblivion. He later uses his powers to manifest Luther's ghost to save Sloane's life but can only keep him there for a short time. So before Allison resets the timeline, Luther is definitely dead.
Like Reginald's resurrection, Luther's return to the land of living brings on a slew of questions. Each of his siblings is as shocked as the rest to discover he's alive when they reach the courtyard, but he's most concerned about his wife Sloane, who is nowhere to be seen. Despite their relationship seeming slightly bizarre at the beginning of the season, viewers are rooting for them by the end. Luther leaves the courtyard in search of Sloane. Will they get their happy ending? And will we discover how Luther returned to life?
What's next for the Umbrella Academy? Will they get their powers back?
After the showdown at the Hotel Oblivion at the end of Episode 10, Luther, Klaus, Five, Viktor, Ben, Diego, and Lila end up in a courtyard where the Hotel Obsidian used to be. It takes a few moments for everything to set in. Have they accomplished their mission to reset time, or are they in an alternate reality, standing in a courtyard that was formerly Oblivion?
They soon realize a few things don't make sense; Five's arm is miraculously healed, Luther is alive, and Allison and Sloane aren't there. Then they ask themselves the biggest question — what's next? While Lila suggests that it's time for them to live their lives, Ben is keen to find a way for them to reclaim their powers.
To do the latter, it seems likely that they will have to reunite with Allison, Luther, and Sloane. But as the scene draws to a close, the remaining Umbrella-Sparrow siblings begin to scatter. There are plenty of directions Season 4 could go, so who knows what's next for the Umbrella Academy.
What happened to all the people who got blitzed?
A fair number of characters find themselves thoroughly blitzed by the end of Season 3. First there's Marcus at the end of Episode 1, then Stanley at the end of Episode 6, and then Fei and Christopher in Episode 7. But are they gone for good?
"Euphoria" star Javon Walton plays Stan. The actor teased his role in the series to Entertainment Weekly, saying no one would be able to guess who or what his character was, and he had a point — Lila and Diego's fake son was definitely not at the top of our list of guesses. Walton's character is certainly a troublemaker, but a loveable one. His fate is still unknown, but hopefully he will be back now that the day has been saved.
Viewers certainly didn't get to see enough of the Sparrows, either. Marcus is blitzed early on, and Fei and Christopher aren't far behind. There's certainly room for them to continue their storylines in the fourth season of "The Umbrella Academy." Two other Sparrows, Jayme and Alphonso, also die this season, but since Harlan kills them, they're not exactly in the same boat as the blitzed folks. Although given how many times Klaus dies and comes back to life in this season alone, is there really any concrete reason why Jayme and Alphonso can't return at some point?
Will the Umbrella Academy siblings ever time travel again?
The members of the collective Umbrella-Sparrow family left standing at the end of Season 3 face multiple problems going into Season 4. But most importantly, they've been left with no powers and no briefcases. What does this mean? Will they ever be able to time travel again?
It seems likely that everyone at the Temps Commission, except Five's future self, also got blitzed out of existence. However, if they do return, Herb will be at the helm as the temporary chair of the Commission. Herb's always been good to Five and the Umbrellas, so it's possible that he'll drop in to check up on them with a time travel briefcase if he gets things up and running again.
It's also possible that Reginald Hargreeves has access to time travel in this alternate reality and, given the strong potential for a Season 4 in which the Umbrella-Sparrow Academy face off with their dad, they might find a way to steal that access from him. Whatever the case, given how much Seasons 1 and 2 rely on time travel, it seems unlikely that it's gone for good from the show. Viewers will have to wait to find out.