A new cast interview has just confirmed my fears regarding Klaus’ character arc in The Umbrella Academy season 4. The final season will see Klaus struggle with health anxiety following the loss of his immortality after The Umbrella Academy season 3’s ending. This is something I’ve worried about since the first teaser images were released, showing an uncharacteristically despondent Klaus wearing a mask and surgical gloves. I can see the logic behind the storyline, but given The Umbrella Academy’s track record with handling sensitive themes, I’m concerned about the outcome.

Season 3’s surprise twist raised the question of how the Hargreeves will deal without their powers in season 4. We know that they won’t remain powerless for long, and like his siblings, Klaus is likely to uncover new facets of his ability to commune with the dead once it is reinstated. Clues from the trailer suggest to me that the show is going to align Klaus’ powers more closely with those of his comic book counterpart, whose interactions with the dead are even darker. It’s hard to see how The Umbrella Academy is going to navigate Klaus’ season 4 journey after unraveling three seasons of character development.

Klaus’ Story Will Take A Dark Turn In Umbrella Academy Season 4

The Séance Will Be Forced To Face His Mortality Before He Regains His Powers

Still of Robert Sheehan as Klaus in The Umbrella Academy Season 4

During an interview with Collider, Robert Sheehan teased that Klaus’ new storyline is going to be “very, very bizarre, very macabre”, and will see Number Four “discover other aspects of his power”. I’ve been eagerly waiting for Klaus’ abilities to develop to resemble his comic counterpart’s. Hopefully, the shot in the season 4 trailer that appears to show Klaus levitating (finally) is not another wink-nudge tease like the one from season 2. But Séance’s interactions with the dead in the Umbrella Academy comics are much darker – I wonder how far the show is willing to go.

Humor may be the show’s strong point, but when this collides with heavier material, The Umbrella Academy loses its balance.

Sheehan confirmed suspicions that Klaus is going to enter Season 4 “really, really terrified of death”, becoming “a germophobe…to the extreme”. It tracks with all the clues the showrunners have dropped, and I can no longer convince myself that Klaus’ mask and gloves pointed to something innocuous, like a cleaning job. Klaus developing health anxiety makes sense in context, but the show should tread carefully. Health anxiety, related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is a mental health condition that ought to be treated sensitively.

Umbrella Academy Season 4 May Un-Do Klaus’ Personal Development

Klaus’ Character Arc Must Be Treated Carefully

The Hargreeves family are packed into a minivan while Klaus (Robert Sheehan) hyperventilates into a paper bag.

Sensitivity regarding the characters’ issues is something The Umbrella Academy has struggled with in the past. For example, Klaus’ drug addiction is already downplayed as a facet of his quirky persona. Promotional images of Klaus clutching a gas mask or swaddling in bubble wrap suggest to me that his germaphobia is going to be season 4’s go-to gag. The Umbrella Academy will already struggle to redeem Allison in season 4 after poor writing choices denied a nuanced exploration of her trauma. Humor may be the show’s strong point, but when this collides with heavier material, The Umbrella Academy loses its balance.

I don’t mind that Klaus’ addiction and complicated relationship with death will resurface in season 4, especially because real-life recovery is not a smooth process.

It’s a concern if season 4 is taking inspiration from Klaus’ “macabre” exploits in the comics. In both Hotel Oblivion and the You Look Like Death spin-off, Klaus funds his addiction by letting others exploit his abilities. In one instance, he allows a client’s dead husband to possess him so they can sleep together. Season 2 already saw Klaus pressured into allowing Ben to borrow his body, a scene that was supposed to be comical but veered to the uncomfortable. Teasers have alluded to Klaus’ seance side hustle. I hope the loss of body autonomy doesn’t become another punchline.

I don’t think Klaus leaning more toward his comic persona is necessarily a bad thing. I’ve been eager for the writers to add depth to this character the show relies on for comic relief. I don’t mind that Klaus’ addiction and complicated relationship with death will resurface in season 4, especially because real-life recovery is not a smooth process. I hold out hope that Klaus’ final arc will be fulfilling and well-written. But with The Umbrella Academy season 4 having only 6 episodes and an expanded cast of characters to juggle, I’m worried about Klaus’ fate.

Season 3’s surprise twist raised the question of how the Hargreeves will deal without their powers in season 4. We know that they won’t remain powerless for long, and like his siblings, Klaus is likely to uncover new facets of his ability to commune with the dead once it is reinstated. Clues from the trailer suggest to me that the show is going to align Klaus’ powers more closely with those of his comic book counterpart, whose interactions with the dead are even darker. It’s hard to see how The Umbrella Academy is going to navigate Klaus’ season 4 journey after unraveling three seasons of character development.