The Umbrella Academy season 4 makes numerous missteps when it comes to its main characters, but what the final season has done to Luther Hargreeves is particularly baffling. Dubbed Number One, Luther is the leader of the Umbrella Academy — at least until the siblings grow up and go their separate ways. But even throughout the early seasons of the Netflix series, Luther serves as an anchor for the Hargreeves siblings. Even if he’s a bit oblivious or awkward at times, he’s often the voice of reason. He also puts the needs of his family first.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 doesn’t change Luther’s good qualities, but it overemphasizes his less compelling traits. It’s unclear if the Netflix series does this for comedic purposes or if there’s a deeper reason for Luther’s odd behavior. Whatever the explanation, it totally changes the way Luther’s character comes off in the final season — and not necessarily for the better. One has to wonder why the writers chose to portray him so differently, especially with season 4 bidding farewell to the Hargreeves family.

Luther Acts Very Oddly Throughout The Umbrella Academy Season 4

The Netflix Show’s Final Season Makes Him Seem Ridiculous

The Umbrella Academy season 4 opens with the Hargreeves siblings in very different places than where season 3 left them. And when the series catches viewers up with Luther, it’s clear that he’s become a more exaggerated version of his usual self. This is particularly evident in The Umbrella Academy season 4’s early episodes, which show Luther acting ridiculous in multiple scenarios. When he picks Ben up from prison, he enthusiastically tells him, “The universe brought us together, and I think that’s fun!”

The Umbrella Academy season 4 amps up his eccentricities to unbelievable degrees, turning him into a joke more than anything else.

Luther also acts out of character at his niece’s birthday party, jumping into the ball pit and furiously attacking the piñata. These moments are clearly played for comic relief, but Luther is usually a more serious character. Even if he’s awkward at times, his behavior isn’t typically so over the top. The Umbrella Academy season 4 amps up his eccentricities to unbelievable degrees, turning him into a joke more than anything else. It gets better by the end of The Umbrella Academy season 4, but it’s distracting at the beginning.

Sloane’s Disappearance Could Explain Luther’s Big Character Change

Luther’s Behavior May Stem From Loneliness & Grief

There’s only one reasonable explanation for Luther’s big character change in The Umbrella Academy season 4, and that’s Sloane’s disappearance. The Umbrella Academy‘s final season never addresses where Sloane is after season 3, but it’s probably safe to assume she’s dead or doesn’t exist in the final timeline. This would have a massive impact on Luther, driving him to feel lonely and depressed in her absence. Such grief could cause him to act uncharacteristically, and it would make sense of his interactions with Ben.

There’s only one reasonable explanation for Luther’s big character change in The Umbrella Academy season 4, and that’s Sloane’s disappearance.

Luther seems overexcited to spend time with Sparrow Ben, even though this version of Justin H. Min’s character isn’t really his brother. He also continues to live in what’s left of the Hargreeves Mansion, which is totally broken down. Such things seem comical at first glance, but they might be signs that Luther is struggling without Sloane and his team. This puts a sadder spin on Luther’s behavior in The Umbrella Academy season 4, though it would have been nice to see the show dig deeper into Luther’s loss.