Summary
Warning: This article contains spoilers from The Umbrella Academy season 4.The Umbrella Academyseason 4 finally introduced Jennifer and explained how the original Ben died, but many questions about Jennifer were still left unanswered.Ben’s death and the Jennifer Incidentwere among the show’s most important long-running mysteries, and ultimately tied into the series' endgame. Among the new questions that the final season raised about Jennifer was why she was found inside a giant squid as a child, speaking ominously about the Cleanse.
Episode 3, “The Squid and the Girl,” began with an old newscast showing the discovery of the giant squid and the young Jennifer inside it, while Reginald Hargreeves stood to the side and watched these shocking events unfold. Even though this teased the connection between Ben and Jennifer, and the nature ofThe Umbrella Academy’s marigold and durangowithin them, it is never explained how Jennifer ended up inside the giant squid, or how she already knew about the Cleanse. Even though the series does not explicitly answer these questions, there is a theory that may provide answers.
The Umbrella Academy’s 16 Hargreeves Siblings Ranked By Power
The Umbrella Academy’s Hargreeves siblings are all powerful in different ways, but which of them prove to be the most powerful by the end of the show?
Theory: Jennifer’s Life Is A Cycle In The Umbrella Academy
This Could Explain How She Knew About The Cleanse As A Child
The Cleanse caused Jennifer and Ben’s bodies to meld together, with Jennifer becoming part of Ben’s squid body as his marigold and her durango fused together and transformed them into a giant apocalyptic monster. Immediately after the Cleanse,Jennifer may have been reborn inside the giant squid in all the old timelinesand been in the squid because of her body being combined with Ben’s in her past life. It could be a way of the universe trying to course-correct itself before it is fully restored in the aftermath of the Hargreeves' sacrifice.
The Hargreeves not only died, but were erased from all history when they sacrificed themselves to restore the universe.
If Jennifer’s life is a cycle, and she is reborn in all the old timelines, this could explain why she is already talking about the Cleanse as a child, as part of her knows about it from her past life. There is nothing in the newscast footage to indicate that it happened in only one timeline, especially since Reginald has existed in multiple timelines, and the version of him watching the incident could be from any of them. The theory fits in well withThe Umbrella Academy’s approach to time travel and how the various timelines break the universe.
The Mysterious Nature Of Durango Makes The Jennifer Cycle Theory Possible
Durango Is Still Largely Unexplored
The Umbrella Academyseason 4 explained thatAbigail Hargreevessynthesized marigold, an element containing the essence of the universe itself. What Abigail did not foresee was the particle of durango being created as well, and that the destructive nature of marigold and durango together would be apocalyptic. Since little else is known about durango beyond this, its mysterious nature potentially explains Jennifer being stuck in a cycle where she emerges from the giant squid as a child.
Most of what is known about durango is how it interacts with marigold, but its lone effects remain mostly unexplored in the series.
If durango is part of the reason this happened to Jennifer, it also explains why this did not happen to the Hargreeves.While Jennifer had durango inside of her, the Hargreeves only had marigold in them, with the durango trapping Jennifer in a vicious cycle, but the marigold did not cause this phenomenon to happen to the Hargreeves' children. Most of what is known about durango is how it interacts with marigold, but its lone effects remain mostly unexplored in the series.
The Lack Of Jennifer Answers Is A Frustrating Part Of The Umbrella Academy’s Ending
It Is Part Of The Umbrella Academy Season 4’s Larger Problem
The lack of closure regarding Jennifer’s story is part of the manyproblems withThe Umbrella Academy’s ending. Episode 3 opening with her emerging from the giant squid was an intriguing and memorable scene, but by the series' conclusion, there was not enough payoff to make the scene a meaningful addition to the story. This ties back to one of season 4’s overarching issues, which was the reduced episode count, with only six episodes to bring the story to a close after each previous season featured 10 episodes.
An additional four episodes would have provided more time to develop Jennifer and her connection with Benbefore they were transformed into the Cleanse. More episodes also could have provided the missing payoff for a young Jennifer being inside the giant squid, along with other storylines, including the unexpected romance between Five and Lila, that required more episodes to be properly executed. The theory about Jennifer’s life cycle can address some ofThe Umbrella Academy’s unanswered questions surrounding her character, but the lack of answers within the show itself is still frustrating.
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.
