The Umbrella Academy season 3 ended on the show’s biggest cliffhanger to date, but one detail from season 2 might reveal how the timeline can be fixed in the upcoming season 4. The Hargreeves continue to deal with different apocalypses in The Umbrella Academy, but season 3 saw them facing the worst end-of-the-world yet, as it also involved being betrayed by their father, Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), and their sister, Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), and this time, they couldn’t save the world from its destruction nor could they actually save themselves as they did in season 1.
After landing in another timeline at the end of The Umbrella Academy season 2, the title team learned that Reginald had formed another superhero team with six other kids (and Ben, who is alive in this timeline) and named it “The Sparrow Academy”. Due to the formation of a kugelblitz that ultimately destroyed the world, both teams were forced to join forces, but by the end of season 3, only two Sparrow members were alive – Sloane (Genesis Rodríguez) and Ben (Justin H. Min) –, Reginald killed Luther (Tom Hopper), left Klaus (Robert Sheehan) to die, and used the rest of his children (except Allison) and Lila (Ritu Arya) to reset the timeline, almost killing them in the process. The Umbrella Academy season 3 ended with the Hargreeves arriving in a timeline where Reginald is the most powerful man, but the show might have already shown how to fix the timeline: with the Televator.
The Umbrella Academy’s Televator Explained
Although The Umbrella Academy is based on a comic book series, the Netflix series hasn’t been exactly loyal to the source material, but that’s where a lot of its appeal is, as it has allowed the series to be more grounded and realistic but without losing its fantasy elements and essence. That said, some elements from the comics wouldn’t fit the series anymore, but others can and would be of great help to the characters, such as the Televator. This was a creation of Reginald, and it’s an elevator lift that allows those in it to travel through time and space and even visit other dimensions, and as such, it’s often used and seen in the comics. The Televator hasn’t made its debut in the Netflix series, but an Easter egg in The Umbrella Academy season 2 showed Reginald had been working on it, describing it on his notes as “the next great mode of transportation”.
Does The Televator Already Exist In The Umbrella Academy’s New Timeline?
The existence of The Sparrow Academy isn’t the only difference between the Umbrellas’ original timeline and the one they landed in at the end of season 2 – Pogo wasn’t around, Grace was completely different to the “mom” the Umbrellas had, and the Sparrows had some control over Reginald, so it wouldn’t be surprising if some of the plans Reginald had in 1963 eventually came true. That said, The Televator might already exist in The Umbrella Academy’s newest timeline, as the Umbrellas (except Allison), Lila, and Ben were seen exiting an elevator at the end of season 3 and stepping into the Obsidian Memorial Park. It seems odd that Hotel Obsidian would have an elevator that takes you outside, so this could be the Televator hiding in plain sight.
What The Televator Would Mean For The Umbrella Academy Season 4
The Hargreeves’ current timeline is pretty much a living nightmare, as Reginald is now the most powerful man in the city and he brought his wife back to life. It seems like there’s no way out for the Hargreeves, more so as they were left powerless, so they can’t use Five and Lila’s powers to jump to another timeline. The Televator, then, would be their best solution to escaping from this Reginald-owned reality, allowing them to travel wherever they want in time, space, and the multiverse, even giving them the chance to fix some of their biggest mistakes. The Umbrella Academy season 4 is the last chance for the series to bring more elements from the comic books to life, and the Televator would be one of its most exciting additions.