How did Ben die in The Umbrella Academy? Jennifer Incident Is Finally Revealed In Season 4

13 August 2024, 08:58

How did Ben die in The Umbrella Academy? The Jennifer Incident Is Finally Revealed In Season 4. Picture: Netflix

By Katie Louise Smith

The Umbrella Academy finally revealed how Ben actually died – and it's all to do with 'The Jennifer Incident' and a substance called Durango.

Loading audio...

At long last, The Umbrella Academy season 4 just delivered answers to a long-standing question about Ben Hargreeves: How did he actually die?

In season 1, we find out that Umbrella Ben (played by Justin H. Min) died while on a secret mission with his siblings but the specific details of his death are never explained and never brought up by the family. His death is mentioned frequently, but the siblings are quick to brush it off as a tragic accident.

Throughout the past three seasons, viewers understand that Ben's death had something to the with "The Jennifer Incident", which is also a key part of the original graphic novel series. In season 4, we find finally out what that is, and why the siblings don't discuss it. Here's what it all means...

Read more: What Is Durango In The Umbrella Academy? Season 4 Jennifer Plot Explained

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for The Umbrella Academy season 4!

How did Ben die in The Umbrella Academy?

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Umbrella Academy season 4! Picture: Netflix

The Umbrella Academy season 4 episode 4 goes into full detail about what actually happened to Ben on that fateful Umbrella mission.

Hargreeves orders to the siblings to locate and destroy a deadly weapon before it's sold on to someone else. The one rule they have to follow is to not open the container, under any circumstances.

While at the facility, Ben separates from his siblings in order to destroy the container. Just before he gets the detonation device in place, he hears someone inside. He opens the tank to find Jennifer and reaches inside to pull her out. As soon as they touch, a huge reaction begins to form.

Ben gets Jennifer out of the tank, but then they are immediately shot point blank and killed by Sir Reginald Hargreeves.

The siblings are then later brainwashed by Hargreeves so that they would never remember what actually happened during the mission.

Watch The Umbrella Academy’s final season trailer

Why did Reginald Hargreeves kill Ben?

Immediately after that traumatic flashback, we find out why Hargreeves had to kill Ben and Jennifer.

Abigail, Hargreeves' wife who is now alive in this new timeline, reveals that when she synthesised Marigold (the particles that gives the siblings their powers), she also unknowingly created another element called Durango.

When the two combine, they create an unstoppable reaction that has the power to complete destroy the world (a.k.a. the Cleanse).

Somehow, the Durango particle ended up inside of Jennifer and when Ben and Jen touched, the Cleanse started to form.

Hargreeves ultimately had no choice but to kill them both in order to stop the reaction and prevent the end of the world.

Ben's death in the original Umbrella Academy timeline was caused by the 'Jennifer Incident'. Picture: Netflix

Speaking to Tudum, showrunner Steve Blackman explained why he finally decided to deliver his own take on The Jennifer Incident despite the big reveal having not yet been detailed in Gerard Way's original graphic novel.

"To be honest with you, Gerard and Gabriel [Bá, illustrator] don’t know what the Jennifer incident is," he said. "This is my interpretation of it. They’re going to do something slightly different in their graphic novel. But they were very gracious and said, 'Go do your thing, and we’re going to do our thing. Our graphic novel will continue past the show.'

"I just thought it was a very important thing to end. It was one of the big mysteries of the season. Fans of the graphic novel especially wanted to know, but also the fans [of the show] wanted to know what happened to Ben. We all know Ben died, so I thought it was important to explain it," he added.

Sparrow Ben dies after turning into The Cleanse alongside Jennifer. Picture: Netflix

One hugely important element that the final season neglects to include is Klaus' reaction to finding out what actually happened to Umbrella Ben. Klaus doesn't find out alongside the rest of the siblings because he's elsewhere being pimped out for his powers.

Blackman confirmed that Klaus likely finds out in an off-screen conversation: "We don’t show it, but I assume that somewhere along that van ride, on the way there, someone says, 'What happened to Ben?' And Klaus says, 'Yeah, what happened to Ben?' And [they say], 'Well, all right. He killed him. He erased our memory.' I think that conversation happens off-screen. The fans will ask that question.

Blackman also kept the truth about Ben's death from the cast – including Justin H. Min – right up until the time came. Several different ways in which he died were also floated before the writing team settled on this final reveal.

In season 4, Sparrow Ben (which is a different version of Ben from season 3's timeline) dies after turning into The Cleanse alongside Jennifer.