‘The Umbrella Academy’ Ending Explained: What Happens During ‘The Cleanse’?

When we were first introduced to The Umbrella Academy in 2019, there was much to learn about the Hargreeves family and their special powers. Throughout the Netflix Original’s four seasons , Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, Aiden Gallagher and Robert Sheehan have brought the band of misfits to life, introducing us to friends and foes on their constant adventures. Sadly for fans (affectionately known as “Brellies”), the final episodes arrived on the streamer on Aug. 8, marking the emotional end of an era for Viktor, Diego and their siblings.

Since the writers and actors have wrapped up their part of the storytelling, it’s now up to viewers to break down everything that unfolded in season four of The Umbrella Academ y . As expected, emotions were running high in the final episode – especially after that post-credits scene. You’ll find spoilers ahead, so stop reading here if you don’t want the fate of the Hargreeves family to be revealed before you catch it with your own eyes. Otherwise, scroll on for answers about “The Cleanse,” Lila’s budding romance with Five and more.

What Is ‘The Cleanse’ and Why Is It Happening?

Through its four-season run, we’ve seen The Umbrella Academy cast face an abundance of apocalyptic situations. By now, you’d figure they’re experts at saving the world when actually, some of the Hargreeves siblings appear to be stuck in cycles of insanity. In the show’s final episode, an eerie and destructive force called “The Cleanse” is looming closer; some believe it has the potential to clean all existing timelines, but others are focused on its ability to end the world.

While disguised as Gene (Nick Offerman), Abigail Hargreeves (Liisa Repo-Martell) and Jean (Megan Mullally) ask a fast food employee to play Muse’s “Map of the Problematique.” Their song of choice activates all members of the Keppers who have been hanging out at the Tattfords department store where Ben (Justin H. Min) and Jennifer (Victoria Sawal) are being kept. “Gene” and Jean want to contain Number Six and his apparent love interest so that “The Cleanse” can take over and return everyone “to their rightful lives.”

When Viktor (Elliot Page) and Reginald (Colm Feore) arrive at the scene, the latter wants to kill Ben once and for all, but the former convinces their father to let him talk to Ben. While Reginald agrees, Jean and “Gene” aren’t on board with the plan. However, Abigail’s whistling of a tune that Gene hated while in disguise as him tipped Jean off to something being amiss. Before she can take action, “Gene” kills Jean with a sword, convincing their followers that she was the one who turned on their group and that her death will only allow “The Cleanse” to continue.

Later in The Umbrella Academy finale, we see Viktor’s attempt to sneak in the department store and save his brother. Here, he sees the marigold and durango within Ben and Jennifer’s bodies begin to interact with each other as the former begins acting out of character while being taken over by “The Cleanse.” In hopes of keeping the Hargreeves together, Viktor begs Number Six to leave Jennifer, however, he’s also attacked by the apocalyptic condition while talking to Ben about Reginald.

Where Have Lila and Five Been?

Another major plotline in season four is the romance between Lila and Five, who were gone for six years during which they fell in love; what was only an hour for them in one timeline was over half a decade in another, leaving the twosome with some catching up to do. Upon learning of Ben’s whereabouts on TV, the Hargreeves clan rushes to save him although broken breaks prevent them from successfully sneaking in. Rather than fighting through the crowd of Keppers, Five and Lila were able to blink the crew inside, only for he and Diego to get distracted and start fighting over their shared love interest.

Number Five eventually leaves, returning to a subway station where he encounters “other versions of himself from [different] timelines that also failed to save their own,” as Cosmopolitan puts it. One of these other figures tells the original that The Umbrella Academy’s existence is part of why the apocalypse continues to haunt Earth. In hopes of rescuing his loved ones, he tries to travel back to the department story and fill them in, only to find they’ve already gone home to connect with Lila’s family and Claire.

As he explains everything to Viktor, who’s been trying to reason with Ben, the brothers emotionally realize they must cease to exist in order for things to go back to “normal.” Before this, Page’s character touched Number Six’s shoulder and saw a vision of a perfect world, only for one of Reginald’s shooters to target the latter. “The Cleanse” lashes out as Ben and Jennifer’s bodies make contact, leading them to merge into one dangerous creature.

‘The Umbrella Academy’ Season 4 Ending Explained

For his part, Reginald wastes no time in accepting his fate at the end of The Umbrella Academy . As Abigail reveals her true identity beneath the Gene disguise, she also confirms her plan to help end the world, something that was “always meant to happen” according to her. On-screen, she and the Hargreeves patriarch sit together peacefully while “The Cleanse” takes them away. That moment wasn’t easy to watch, but it wasn’t the most heartbreaking goodbye said in the finale.

To protect her family and Claire, Lila brings them to the subway for safekeeping, seemingly planning to stay with them. However, this could cause a fracture in the timeline, as all the marigold needs to be removed for the Brellies plan to work. In the end, she jumps off the train to join the remaining Hargreeves, who stand in a circle as “The Cleanse” moves closer to spend their final moments together. Luther suggests they share their favorite memories together, but instead, everyone agrees to focus on setting their marigold free.

In the final moments of The Umbrella Academy , things seem to return to the main timeline where things are “normal.” Familiar faces like The Handler and Grace, who we met in earlier episodes, appear before Reginald’s voice speaks. “On the twelfth hour on the eighth day of August 2024, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary occurred,” he says from off-camera. “You might say it was just a normal day.” As has become tradition, the post-credits scene of the show gives more closure, showing eight marigold flowers beautifully blooming in the park. This suggests that, even through all the turmoil they’ve faced, the Hargreeves always find each other – even if not in their human forms.