Wedding at the End of the World
Episode 8 of The Umbrella Academy Season 3 starts in 1918 with Reginald Hargreeves waltzing through endless cornfields. Firing a flare in the sky, he seemingly finds the perfect spot and brings in a whole team of people to build Hotel Obsidian. There appears to be some sort of anomaly here, which would explain the White Buffalo Suite, which is disguising something far bigger. Anyway, fast forward in time and the structure is built in its entirety. Hargreeves and his team head up methodically, and with guns in hand, tasks these men to head through to the other side to take out whatever may be inside. “Back in a flash,” The lead soldier says confidently. Only, when he returns, several gunshots later, he mutters to Hargreeves “All dead.” In the present, Five and the others seek refuge in the Hotel Obsidian as the Sparrow Academy is wrecked and seemingly the entire universe now being sucked into the void. Klaus and Reginald are still missing while Sloane and Luther suddenly announce their engagement before everyone. They’ve decided to make it official at 6pm that very day, and Viktor is going to be the best man. Everyone is incredulous, and even more so when Klaus and Reginald show up. Klaus has an announcement of his own, claiming that he’s now immortal. Reginald also praises Klaus, claiming he’s the only one doing any sort of thinking here. The others can only laugh in disbelief. Klaus tries to encourage Reginald to soften up a little before blasting into his full tirade, eventually leading him to the White Buffalo room to practice his compliments. Klaus also encourages him to show up at this wedding to pay his respects to Luther. Anyway, the wedding celebrations go ahead, complete with another big dance number, drinks and celebrations. Guys, the world is ending. Maybe do something? Anyway, there’s an interval in this whole world-saving malarkey, although there is a flicker of drama when Reginald shows up at the party later that night. While there, Lila and Reginald meet for the first time, as Diego introduces them to one another. Reginald even gives Diego some compliments, telling him he’d have made a great father. At the same time, Ben drowns his sorrows in alcohol, not happy about being shunned regarding the bachelor party. While he mopes about, Viktor speaks to Allison and apologizes for lying. “Can you forgive me?” She asks. “No. I don’t think I will.” Allison replies, scoffing. She’s tired of “being a sucker” and severs their ties completely. Wait, why is Viktor apologizing when Allison is in the wrong here? Allison is turning into quite the villain this season, huh? Reginald gives his speech in the midst of all this, calling Luther adequate. When Reginald leaves, he heads upstairs to the White Buffalo Room and appears to strike a deal with… someone. It’s not initially clear who, but as he shakes their hand, Five stumbles away from the party and sees his father in this room acting shadily. Eventually though he stumbles over and passes out, as the last 2 episodes leave everything wide open for where this may go next.
The Episode Review
Sorry guys but this was a massive misfire. Remember that episode in Stranger Things where Eleven just wandered off for a solo road-trip? Yeah, this is like that episode. This whole chapter is completely and tonally off-kilter. The wedding at the end of the world is a nice idea in theory but it comes at such a bizarre time in the narrative – right off the back of that shocking cliffhanger last chapter. The tone leans so heavily into humour rather than a more somber or bittersweet tone that it almost negates everything that’s happened before. Stan is gone but Lila and Diego don’t really care; most of the Sparrow Academy have been killed but Sloane is happily carefree. Ben, for example, is destroyed in this episode, turning into a bumbling drunk rather than the bittersweet guy from before. And his reason for drinking so much? Not being invited to the bachelor party. I do appreciate that this is development toward him becoming part of the Umbrella group but it would have been nice to get some hostility, at least blaming the others for what’s happened to all of his comrades in the Sparrow Academy. Maybe it’s just me, but everything about this episode fails and I’m sure that may be an unpopular opinion. The wedding is dragged out, the whole plot is put on standstill for this impromptu wedding and it takes a good 40 minutes before we actually get back to the plot – in the final 3 or 4 minutes no less! Hopefully this is just a blip in what’s otherwise been a very enjoyable season. Roll on the next chapter!
