The Umbrella Academy Season 4's Post-Credits Scene Gets Intriguing Explanation From Diego Actor

Warning: major spoilers for The Umbrella Academy season 4.

The Umbrella Academy may have a tragic ending, but David Castañeda sees the light in the conclusion. Castañeda, who plays Diego, has been in the show since season 1 and has seen every stage of the bittersweet story’s development. The show is based on Gerard Way’s comic series of the same name and follows a group of young superheroes after they have grown older. In The Umbrella Academy‘s season 4 ending, all those heroes sacrifice themselves to save the universe from various apocalypses.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Castañeda spoke in-depth about how the ending affected him and detailed his interpretation of the post-credit scene. To Castañeda, the flowers at the end imply the continued existence of the Hargreeves siblings and offer a touching ending, despite the painful themes underlying the flowers’ existence. Check out his full quote below:

I think it’s the interpretation of the cycle of life that in the end, that’s what we eventually become, right? We become the plants and the trees, and it’s sort of a closure of like, “Oh, their spirit is still here. They might not be here, but
the spirit of who they are is still here
, and they were able to do what they were supposed to do, which is save the world and the ultimate sacrifice.” And will someone come along and eat it? Maybe. But I always believe that
if your main protagonist feels invincible, then there’s nothing at stake
. And hopefully, when people watch it and they feel divisive, they can go back to season 1 and they watch season 1, and they’re like, “Oh, there they are alive and having a good time.”

The Meaning Of The Umbrella Academy’s Post-Credit Scene

The Post-Credit Scene Offers Some Hope In A Dark Ending

There are eight flowers in the post-credit scene, and each represents a different member of the team. All of the siblings and Lila have representative flowers, so they serve as a monument to their sacrifice. Even if they could not live to see the universe that their actions recreated, they are allowed to have a single flowery grave to mark the Cleanse. Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that the flowers mean that the siblings can return. The show is already coming to an end, giving few opportunities for a follow-up to the scene.

The flowers are each a bright golden color, which functionally relates to the marigold particle. The marigolds have been residing in the Hargreeves children since they were born. When the particles first came to Earth, the children were immediately born to mothers who had not previously been pregnant. The golden coloring has defined the children ever since, and even their deaths are now permanently marked by that bright yellow color. They may never know it, but the timeline that they saved remembers them.

Unfortunately, the post-credit scene does feature a dangerous implication for the timeline. The flowers sprout from nothing and grow remarkably quickly. They also sprout close to each other, where anyone could encounter the flowers and take a clipping. Particles of marigold are seemingly still floating from the flowers, implying that they still exist and could continue to impact the world, despite the heroic sacrifice. With marigold having caused various apocalypses, that’s a dangerous sign for the future of the main timeline for The Umbrella Academy. This time, there may be no Hargreeves to save the day.

The Umbrella Academy

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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.

Cast

Colm Feore , Cazzie David , Genesis Rodriguez , Robert Sheehan , Aidan Gallagher , Elliot Page , Emmy Raver-Lampman , Jordan Claire Robbins , Jake Epstein , Mary J. Blige , David Castaneda , Justin Cornwell , Justin H. Min , Britne Oldford , Adam Godley , Tom Hopper , Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton , Ritu Arya , Cameron Britton , Sheila McCarthy

Release Date

February 15, 2019

Seasons

3

Franchise(s)

The Umbrella Academy

Writers

Steve Blackman

Directors

Jeremy Webb

Showrunner

Steve Blackman

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