The Umbrella Academy – Season 4 Episode 4 Recap & Review

The Cleanse

Episode 4 of Umbrella Academy season 4 starts with us jumping back to October 14th 2006. The younger Umbrella Academy are joined together but Vanya is told she needs to sit it out. During the mission, Ben defies Reggie’s instructions and opens up the container, intent on saving Jennifer and unaware of their connection. When the pair lock hands, Hargreeves shows up and shoots both Jennifer and Ben in cold blood.

With the memories back, we return to the present as the family lash out at their father. He points out that this was the other Reggie responsible for everything, deflecting his involvement here, but he’s also quick to point out that the pair together (that being Ben and Jennifer) would have set off a cataclysmic chain of events.

Abigail speaks up and points out she’s the one responsible here. She managed to synthesize a new element, Marigold. However, a second element called Durango was also created too. When Durango and Marigold interact, they cause a physical unstoppable reaction that results in this apocalyptic event called the Cleanse. The other particle is inside Jennifer, which explains the bond between them. In fact, the bond between any of the kids I guess given they all have marigold in them. And who’s the one person who can’t die when in contact with another being of this sort of power? Yep, Klaus.

Hargreeves believes he needs to kill the pair, but the family want to find another way. Viktor gives a big speech about how it’s Hargreeve’s fault for everything and how he just wanted to be seen. After letting it all out, Reggie receives word that they’ve found “their brother”. Not Klaus, who’s using his powers to pay back Quinn by working as a medium in this season’s side-quest, nor is it Allison who’s hunting for him. Honestly, this whole storyline is just a bit redundant and there’s not much to say beyond the fact it’s one big, elaborate waste of time.

The family show up at the barn and find the remnants of Ben and Jennifer’s handiwork. They’re not far gone, but while the others contemplate how to find Ben, Lila has a different idea. She speaks to Five and suggests they jump back in time to before the original Ben and Jennifer incident. If they could change time so the pair never touched and didn’t interact, maybe it would undo everything.

Lila knows the rules are different this time, but Viktor wants to be part of this plan. Reggie eventually concedes and agrees to hear him out. Now, Luther and Diego are taken away by the boss to HQ, in a glorified babysitting duty, but they fall for it hook, line and sinker.

Jean and Gene show up at the drive-thru, giving a special code as it appears all of this is just a front for the Keepers. Bea is the one in charge of this little branch and she brings in Danny Muntz, formerly the guy we thought was called Sy. He’s also a Keeper and part of the Red Deer chapter. The cover for Sy and being Jennifer’s dad is obviously all a ruse now and his true intention is to bring about the Cleanse.

Five and Lila head on through the timelines and show up at October 14th 2006, right at the start of the mission. Unfortunately, they end up in the wrong timeline as they’re actually with the Sparrows, not the Umbrellas, so they hightail it out of there. The pair find themselves stuck in alternate timelines, missing their station for getting home.

Meanwhile, Klaus breaks out after using one of the customers’ brooches to pick the lock. And after a daring escape, Klaus finds himself stuck in a coffin, where he’s buried alive. And if things weren’t bad enough, Jennifer and Ben decide to hook up after an episode of sexual tension and as they start kissing, their explosive reunion is quite literally explosive, as windows smash to bits and people begin spewing black ink from their orifices. Lovely.

The Episode Review

We finally get the truth about Jennifer and Ben being connected together and quite why Ben died way back in season 1. There are filler moments here though, especially all the drama involving Klaus which easily could have been cut to something less long-winded and convoluted. It all feels like busywork to give him something to do. And presumably Allison will save him, given her arc, as she has nothing better to do either.

Diego and Luther have just been turned into a joke now, while Viktor needs to be doing something more substantial after airing out his issues with his father.

Either way, this is easily the weakest episode of the season but Five’s jumps through time appear to be an intriguing element that could be the saving grace of this season. We’ll have to wait and see though!