Abigail Whitehurst is an entertainment professional and writer for Hollywood Insider based in Los Angeles, CA. Having lived all over the world as part of a military family and having pursued a bachelors of music, she brings a unique outlook to the entertainment industry. A life-long learner and researcher, Abigail is pursuing her masters in entertainment management. She strives to write through the lenses of context, analysis, and Hollywood Insider’s values to bring a fresh perspective to industry trends, entertainment business, and new film and TV releases. Her favorite place is a movie theater, and she’s always hunting for the deeper meaning and studying media as it pertains to culture. Film, TV, and interactive media are some of the most impactful artforms of our day, and they are worth digging into and analyzing. Everything is connected, whether it’s through Bacon numbers or history. When she’s not writing or at the movies, you can find Abbie crocheting or playing video games with her partner.
Aug 7, 2024
Steve Blackman’s adaptation of Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s superhero family comic book series completes its run on Netflix on August 8th, 2024 with the finale of ‘The Umbrella Academy’. At its premiere event at the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard earlier in the week, audiences got to experience the first episode of the fourth and final season, just a taste of what’s to come for our gang of siblings-turned-superheroes.
‘The Umbrella Academy’ follows the misadventures of the Hargreeves siblings, all adopted by the mysterious Reginald Hargreeves, as they are pulled through time to stop the apocalypse in different timelines and eras. Season four begins back in the present, finally! But, it’s the wrong timeline, corrupted by an incomplete reset attempt by Reginald, and they’ve all lost their superpowers. The Hargreeves know they’re not in the right present day, but somehow, so do some civilians, the self-proclaimed “Keepers”. Series regulars and fan favorites Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, Ritu Arya, and Colm Feore, are joined by exciting new additions to the cast Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally (who are married on- and off-screen), as well as ‘Arrested Development’ star David Cross. Things are just getting going as we cut to black on episode one, but boy does it feel like a fun season ahead.
There’s something to be said about a good family drama, and ‘The Umbrella Academy’ season four taps into its core strengths as a show about family, loss, struggle, and growing up without compromising the suspense and visuals of an action superhero show. Each sibling has always had a unique relationship with one another, giving the actors a lot of room to show off the range of their talents. In this new season, as everyone tries to build “normal” lives for themselves, that range is expanded even further. There is plenty of media out there that explores whether superheroes are all that super at being regular-shmegular people, but ‘The Umbrella Academy’ manages to keep the conversation fresh. Their interpersonal struggles feel just as real and important, if not moreso, than saving the world. Who cares if they get back to the right future? We all just want our heroes to be happy. As the cast reflect on their last season together, it’s clear that this show was special for all involved.
Everyone brings their best to their characters, infusing ‘The Umbrella Academy with a lot of special talent. Right off the bat, Ritu Arya gives an incredible performance as Lila Pitts, caught between the struggles of raising a family and the siren’s call of saving the world, yet again. It’s refreshing to see Tom Hopper as Luther Hargreeves briefly without the CGI bulk (and we do get to see a LOT of him), but even though he may not be struggling emotionally in the same way as the other Hargreeves, let’s just say there’s a reason we get to see so much of him. Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are instantly both funny and threatening as Dr. Gene and Dr. Jean Thibedeau, and I’m excited to see where their duo fits into the rest of the storyline.
We can’t talk about this show without talking about its soundtrack. ‘The Umbrella Academy’ makes excellent use of popular music thanks to its showrunner Steven Blackman, who reportedly visualizes the songs he wants to use long before he puts pen to paper, let alone any footage making it into the hands of music supervisors and editors. The trailer for the final season uses ‘The End’ by Gerard Way’s band My Chemical Romance, which is fitting for so many reasons. Surprisingly, Way doesn’t have as much say in the music choices as one might expect, but Blackman’s vision obviously does wonders for the show. Season Four’s first episode comes out swinging, using Bloodhound Gang’s ‘The Bad Touch’ to underscore the montage catching us up to speed on how everyone is doing in the present. It’s one of those songs that gets stuck in your head non-stop for days, and it was perfect for setting up the wacky and wild ride audiences are in for this season. Even if they can’t top the ‘Footloose’ dance battle or ‘Backstreet’s Back’ fight scenes from season three (or countless other iconic moments), I have full faith that it’ll be the listening experience of the summer on Netflix.
Blackman’s emphasis on music is just one small part of why ‘The Umbrella Academy’ has become such a pop culture phenomenon. Music and sound bites are integral to social media and how people communicate online now more than ever, and the team embraces that water cooler chatter. Fan creations and art are displayed proudly on the official social media pages for the show, as well as on signage at the premiere event itself. It’s becoming more common for traditional media to appreciate and encourage their audience beyond hashtags and recommendations, but the team behind the “Brellies” has their strategy on lock. Music and shows can create cultural moments, but so can audiences. When creators and consumers work together, a show can become a phenomenon. Based on its history and current trajectory, ‘The Umbrella Academy’ can ensure it’s more than just a show.
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Abigail Whitehurst is an entertainment professional and writer for Hollywood Insider based in Los Angeles, CA. Having lived all over the world as part of a military family and having pursued a bachelors of music, she brings a unique outlook to the entertainment industry. A life-long learner and researcher, Abigail is pursuing her masters in entertainment management. She strives to write through the lenses of context, analysis, and Hollywood Insider’s values to bring a fresh perspective to industry trends, entertainment business, and new film and TV releases. Her favorite place is a movie theater, and she’s always hunting for the deeper meaning and studying media as it pertains to culture. Film, TV, and interactive media are some of the most impactful artforms of our day, and they are worth digging into and analyzing. Everything is connected, whether it’s through Bacon numbers or history. When she’s not writing or at the movies, you can find Abbie crocheting or playing video games with her partner.
Abigail Whitehurst is an entertainment professional and writer for Hollywood Insider based in Los Angeles, CA. Having lived all over the world as part of a military family and having pursued a bachelors of music, she brings a unique outlook to the entertainment industry. A life-long learner and researcher, Abigail is pursuing her masters in entertainment management. She strives to write through the lenses of context, analysis, and Hollywood Insider’s values to bring a fresh perspective to industry trends, entertainment business, and new film and TV releases. Her favorite place is a movie theater, and she’s always hunting for the deeper meaning and studying media as it pertains to culture. Film, TV, and interactive media are some of the most impactful artforms of our day, and they are worth digging into and analyzing. Everything is connected, whether it’s through Bacon numbers or history. When she’s not writing or at the movies, you can find Abbie crocheting or playing video games with her partner.
Abigail Whitehurst is an entertainment professional and writer for Hollywood Insider based in Los Angeles, CA. Having lived all over the world as part of a military family and having pursued a bachelors of music, she brings a unique outlook to the entertainment industry. A life-long learner and researcher, Abigail is pursuing her masters in entertainment management. She strives to write through the lenses of context, analysis, and Hollywood Insider’s values to bring a fresh perspective to industry trends, entertainment business, and new film and TV releases. Her favorite place is a movie theater, and she’s always hunting for the deeper meaning and studying media as it pertains to culture. Film, TV, and interactive media are some of the most impactful artforms of our day, and they are worth digging into and analyzing. Everything is connected, whether it’s through Bacon numbers or history. When she’s not writing or at the movies, you can find Abbie crocheting or playing video games with her partner.
Limited Time Offer: Join for FREE today and get unlimited
The Hollywood Insider is against gossip and scandal, fully focused on substance & meaningful entertainment.
We choose quality over quantity, compassion over oppression, wisdom over intelligence.
Newsletter Subscription
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
