Ritu Arya is speaking out about the most controversial story inThe Umbrella Academy. The Netflix superhero show concluded in August 2024 after a four-season run that saw numerous apocalypses. Arya, who played Lila, was involved in a romance with Aidan Gallagher’s Five in the final episodes. That relationship developed even though Lila was already in a long-term relationship with his brother, Diego (David Castañeda).The arc drew immense criticism, which explains why theUmbrella Academyseason 4 endingremains extremely divisive.
In an interview withColliderabout her new show,Paris Has Fallen, Arya addressed some of the controversy around Lila’s ending. She argues that, while she knew it would spark concern from viewers, she is “proud” to have created those conversations. She does believe that the show needed more space to tell its story, asthe six-episode final season made it difficultto adequately tell its expansive narrative. Check out her quote below:
I absolutely loved my storyline. I thought it was really creative and smart.I love art that pushes boundaries and creates conversation. I think we knew that’s what would happen, and so I’m really proud of all the work that we did. I just wish that we had 10 episodes instead of six.
What 10 Episodes Would Have Meant For Umbrella Academy
The Show Needed More Space
Season 4 was an extreme divergence from what madeUmbrella Academyrenowned. All three ofthe show’s first seasons were approved with 10 episodesin mind. That made a steady formula and a consistent structure for the show. Season 4, however, abandoned that structure completely. The show had only six episodes to tell its story, which meant that the ending was crunched to an unprecedented level. It made for a poor performance, which likely contributed toThe Umbrella Academyseason 4’s middling reviewson Rotten Tomatoes:
77%
85%
91%
87%
54%
55%
18%
The sharp decline in quality came because the show was severely rushed. Plots were introduced and abandoned, characters were not sufficiently developed, andFive and Lila’s romance did not have the space to grow. If the relationship had more room to develop, it easily could have been more acceptable to audiences. After all, they might have been less surprised by its mere existence. Still, it is hard to overlook many of the issues related to the relationship’s impact on Diego. The budget is also largely why the season was trimmed, making it impossible to fully expand the narrative.
Our Take On The Umbrella Academy’s Shortened Finale
Even A Longer Season Cannot Fix Everything
There were several problems with the relationship that would not have been saved by a longer season. The age gap between Lila and Five,Five creating the Commissionand killing Lila’s parents, and the ongoing existence of the Cleanse all left little room for a romance. Even if there was added space, there is nothing that the show could have done to resolve those issues entirely.The Umbrella Academyseason 4’s romance narrative was extremely flawed. While Arya believes that ten episodes could not have fixed it, it is unlikely that it would have changed much.
The Umbrella Academy
Cast
The Umbrella Academy is based on the comic book of the same name created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The Hargreeves — collectively known as The Umbrella Academy — were born with superpowers, and their adoptive father utilized their abilities. However, as they grew older, the siblings grew apart as they dealt with their trauma. They are brought back together after their father dies and Five returns from the future with grave news: The world will end, and The Umbrella Academy has to stop it before it happens.
