(Spoilers for “The Umbrella Academy” Season 3 follow below.)
One of the biggest twists in “The Umbrella Academy” Season 3 is the revelation that Klaus’ (Robert Sheehan) powers extend far beyond what he previously thought. Not only can Klaus commune with the dead – he can also come back from the dead. And has, many times!
Through some training exercises with the more mild-mannered Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) of this particular timeline, Klaus learns that his near-death experiences weren’t near-death at all. He died each and every time, and came back to life each and every time. Hargreeves hones Klaus’ skill by throwing him in front of a bus over and over again, but the question remains, can Klaus die?
The answer, it appears, is no. “Klaus would come back no matter what,” showrunner Steve Blackman told TheWrap during a recent interview. “Klaus can’t be killed. Klaus right now – unless, down the road, something changes – he will come back to life. That’s his ability. He could be blown up and he would eventually come back.”
And while Season 3 suggests this skill has always been there for Klaus, Blackman added that the new season explores the idea that these powers change and shift over time.
“I’m always playing with the notion that their powers are always evolving,” the showrunner said. “Just like we evolve as human beings, the more they have their powers, the longer they have their powers, the more they evolve, the more they can control them and they’re shifting all the time. We got to see sort of the long version of that with Harlan who, clearly after 50 years of having powers, was very focused and really understood his power. But I wanted to pay off that there was something special about Klaus, that he had all these overdoses, all the times he stumbled out in front of traffic, he didn’t realize it but he wasn’t just lucky, he actually died but was rebirthed.”
Blackman also delighted in the idea that Klaus would discover this ability in a subverted father-son relationship with Hargreeves.
“It took his ‘dad’ to teach him that in a very harsh way with a ball and a bus. And I just thought a kid is a kid, and even though Klaus is very over-the-top, like anyone he wants to have a relationship with his dad.”
“The Umbrella Academy” Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.