What Was The Jennifer Incident In Umbrella Academy Season 3?
WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Umbrella Academy season 3
The Umbrella Academy season 3 throws a massive wrench into the mystery of Ben's death - what on earth is the Jennifer incident? Since The Umbrella Academy began in 2019, the circumstances surrounding Ben Hargreeves' death have sparked intense fan conversation. Ben is already deceased when the story starts, but no character ever mentions how and why his life was lost. For two entire seasons, The Umbrella Academy offered only the most rudimentary details, leading to rampant speculation and wacky theories galore as viewers desperately attempted to piece together Ben's final moments.
The Umbrella Academy season 2's funeral flashback revealed Ben died in 2006 at the age of 17, and Sir Reginald's eulogy confirmed the tragedy happened on a mission gone awry. The inscription on Ben's statue prompted theories claiming Number Six took his own life, and the young superhero certainly seemed troubled by his tentacles in The Umbrella Academy's bank heist sequence. On the other hand, Ben never hints at depression or mental health struggles while attached to Klaus as a ghost, and not once offers any other worthwhile details to explain how he wound up in the afterlife. Unfortunately for viewers, The Umbrella Academy season 3 continues in that same enigmatic vein... but does at least add one important piece to the Benerino puzzle.
For the very first time, The Umbrella Academy refers to Ben Hargreeves' death as the "Jennifer incident" in season 3. The phrase is debuted by Luther in "Marigold," who tells Sparrow Ben, "You died too soon. The Jennifer incident..." Klaus later makes a similarly vague "Jennifer incident" comment of his own in a later episode, but the real juicy details come when Viktor takes refuge in Sparrow Ben's bedroom following a brutal exchange with Allison. An emotional Viktor scans Ben's room to find the desk and walls covered with drawings of one particular girl labeled "Jennifer." This scene confirms Ben knew Jennifer in both the Umbrella and Sparrow timelines... but potentially also gives away exactly how Ben lost his life.
Sparrow Ben's sketches in The Umbrella Academy season 3 highlight two key points. First, even the icy parallel Ben Hargreeves cared enough about Jennifer to draw her ad nauseam. Secondly, if all Sparrow Ben has are pictures, Jennifer is very likely dead in his timeline. These details suggest the Umbrella/Sparrow academies embarked on a mission in 2006, and a young woman named Jennifer was somehow involved. Judging from the Sparrow timeline drawings, Ben probably already knew Jennifer and developed an emotional connection toward her, romantic or otherwise. Maybe when the mission went sideways and Jennifer's life came under threat, Umbrella Ben sacrificed himself to save her, whereas Sparrow Ben prioritized his own life and poor Jenny died.
This theory fits with the stark personality difference between The Umbrella Academy's two Bens. The original was a selfless and kind soul who'd always give his life for a loved one, but Sparrow Ben cuts a more ruthless figure, obsessing over success and reputation. He probably wouldn't rescue Jennifer if it meant dying in the process, and this decision has apparently haunted Sparrow Ben ever since - hence the pile of artwork in her honor. The Umbrella Academy season 2's funeral scene compliments this interpretation of the Jennifer incident. During a scathing eulogy, Sir Reginald utters the line, "...and not to hesitate to sacrifice themselves for another." That quote adopts a whole new meaning after season 3's Jennifer incident reveal, and neatly explains why Sparrow Ben didn't meet the same fate as his Umbrella counterpart.
Some will naturally feel frustrated that the The Umbrella Academy season 3 doesn't lay the mystery behind Ben's death completely bare, but keeping audiences guessing is the smarter move. With its Jennifer incident revelation, The Umbrella Academy drip-feeds just enough new material to stoke the conversation, but keeps the fire lit on the franchise's most popular burning question. At this point, The Umbrella Academy shouldn't reveal the full story behind how Ben Hargreeves died until its very final episodes.
Source: Screenrant
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