After an exhausting battle to save the world from yet another apocalypse, the Umbrella Academy has finally returned to the current day after their tumble through time in the 1960s. However, the choices they made along the way seem to have changed the universe as they know it …
Meet the Sparrow Academy
Taking things right back to where it all began, we open with a flashback to October 1, 1989. Shining dust pours down into a subway car, and a woman mysteriously becomes pregnant and gives birth within seconds. However … the story has changed slightly this time. Instead of the original 43, only 16 women around the world gave birth at the same time with no prior signs of pregnancy. Reginald Hargreeves gathered seven of them, and he created … the Sparrow Academy: Marcus, Ben, Fei, Alphonso, Sloane, Jayme, and Christopher.
Picking back up where season 2 left off, the Umbrellas have returned back to the current day, but they’re confused to find that the future changed slightly while they were gone. Their house is now occupied by the Sparrow Academy, and both Ben and Reginald are alive, the latter of which remembers the Umbrellas from their meeting in Dallas in 1963 (and those events are what made him decide to adopt the children that would become the Sparrows instead, oops). Meanwhile, downstairs, a pulsing ball of energy forms in the basement.
The Umbrellas and the Sparrows begin to argue, and they decide that they’ll need to settle things the old fashioned way — with a dance off to “Footloose.” The entertaining scenes ends up being nothing more than a hallucination in Diego’s head, courtesy of Jayme’s powers. In reality, Ben punches Klaus, and a wild brawl breaks out across the house. The Umbrellas have their work cut out for them as their counterparts show off their own special powers. The Umbrellas eventually retreat, but Five loses track of their time traveling briefcase in the process. Elsewhere, we see Grace carry it downstairs into the basement, and she pauses to look at the ball of energy.
Welcome to Hotel Obsidian
No longer welcome in their own home, the Umbrellas need a place to lay down and avoid drawing any unnecessary attention. Klaus suggests what he believes to be the perfect place: the Hotel Obsidian. After pawning off Luther’s watch to the unimpressed concierge, they manage to book two rooms. Diego is immediately itching to get back into the fray and figure out how to fix things, but Five beckons him to let him relax for a least a little while. They need a break from saving the world. In the other room, Allison and Vanya lament over Ray and Sissy.
A peace offering
Marcus and Vanya secretly meet up at a diner to chat and discuss their situation. Given that the Sparrows are the only superhero team in town, they don’t want the Umbrellas to cause any issues for them. Vanya, confident that she can beat him in battle, threatens to show up and fight him in front of all of his doting fans (because she’s ended the world twice, after all). He gives in, asking her what she wants, and she tells him that the Sparrows are in possession of something she needs … and she wants it back. Outside, one of Fei’s crows flies off and back to the Academy, and Fei tells Ben that Marcus is making a deal with the Umbrellas.
Daddy Diego
Five, Diego, Klaus, and Luther are eating in the lobby and discussing the fact that there are likely versions of all of them in this alternate universe. A knife discreetly lands in the back of Diego’s chair, and he turns around and sees Lila. He chases after her, but she’s not there to stay. She’s just popped in to drop off their son, Stanley. Apparently Diego is a dad, which is news to everyone, including him.
The man with the briefcase
While it’s not entirely clear who he is at this point, it’s worth noting that a man with a carefully packed suitcase and a briefcase full of cassette tapes is shown travelling on a bus after he leaves his small cabin home. Frustrated by the sounds around him, he puts a tape with the sound of bees droning into his cassette player.
A message from God
Marcus walks into the basement and finds Grace drawing symbols on the floor in front of the pulsing ball of energy. She tells him that it’s a message from God, and she’s worshipping. Marcus teaches out to touch it, and a wave of energy shoots out; he disintegrates. Meanwhile, the concierge’s dog at the Hotel Obsidian also disappears. Something is very wrong here.
The Umbrella Academy season 3 is now streaming on Netflix. Follow along with all of our coverage on the show, including episodic recaps and more.
