Lupin Season 4 Is A High-Octane Joyride For The Ages | Review

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Omar Sy as Assane Dip in Lupin season 4.

Years after part 3's climactic ending, Lupin season 4 is starting out with a bang— but whether Assane Diop still has what it takes remains to be seen.

Published Oct 23, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT

Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television.
A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyance).
As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene.
As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator.

SPOILERS AHEAD for Lupin season 4, episode 1!After three years, Lupin is back— and possibly better than ever. Since the first two parts of the story dropped in 2021, Netflix's heist thriller has cemented itself as an international favorite. Leading man Omar Sy's portrayal of Assane Diop breathed new life into the so-called "French Sherlock Holmes," Arsène Lupin. Yet, while Assane upheld his image as a gentleman thief by employing harmless feats of espionage, his personal life crumbled under the weight of his crimes. As such, when season 3 left him imprisoned next to his original rival, Hubert Pelligrini (Hervé Pierre), it felt like change was imminent.

Undoubtedly, the Lupin season 4 premiere does shift the tides, but it completely subverts the viewer's expectation from the very first scene, which is precisely what the show needed. Thus far, Lupin's action-packed run has captivated the audience with risky stunts, detailed disguises, and a heavy dose of familial drama, but the series is at a natural turning point that may dictate its very legacy. Between Théo Christine taking up the mantle as Raoul and a shocking new romance for Claire (Ludivine Sagnier), the emotional subplots are locked and loaded— but Assane's after something entirely new: proof of his innocence.

The Lupin Season 4 Premiere Turns The Tables On Assane

Omar Sy wearing a straitjacket as Assane Diop in Lupin season 4, episode 1.

Based solely on the closing scene of part 3, it seemed as though Lupin season 4 was preparing for Pelligrini to return and wreak havoc in Assane's life. Of course, Arsène Lupin would never do something so predictable, and neither would the show he's named after. Rather, the season 4 premiere picks up four years after the events of part 3, and Assane is slated to be released early thanks to good behavior. Mere days before he can reunite with his son, however, someone hacks every screen in Paris with a message: Lupin is returning for another heist.

According to the message, two museums will be hit simultaneously in two different French cities. The scores: the Grand Sapphire of Louis XIV and, fittingly, a painting depicting the 1792 theft of the French Crown Jewels. While the police— including familiar favorites Youssef Guédira (Soufiane Guerrab) and Sofia Belkacem (Shirine Boutella)— hurriedly attempt to guard the targets, Assane sits patiently in a glass box, content to prove he wasn't behind the hacking. Miraculously, the lights cut precisely at eight o'clock, and Assane seemingly disappears from the impenetrable cage.

Not only does "Lupin" somehow steal the jewel and painting, but Captain Belkacem is callously thrown off the building after a foot chase. Suddenly, Assane is on the defensive, scrambling to prove he had nothing to do with the elaborate crime. In an attempt to convey his innocence, Assane reverse-engineers what truly happened, from the LED screen concealing him in the prison's box to the soluble fake painting planted in the Avignon museum. When irrefutable video evidence places him at the scene, however, the reformed thief realizes the truth: he has a sophisticated copycat who can ruin his entire life.

The Gentleman Thief's Copycat Plot Instantly Adds Some Much-Needed Intrigue

Sofia Belkacem (Shirine Boutella) and Youssef Guédira (Soufiane Guerrab) in Lupin season 4, episode 1.

Considering season 3 set the stage for Lupin's permanent retirement, season 4 had the monumental task of creating high enough stakes for Assane to return to his swindling ways. Having a copycat alone would sway a lesser thief, but the crux of the season 4 premiere is how the heist supposedly completed by Lupin threatens Assane's relationship with his son. The fleeting rekindling of feelings between Assane and Claire is long gone; in its place is a devastatingly realistic depiction of estrangement between a father who wants to do more and a son who is used to settling for less.

Furthermore, as revealed by Benjamin's (Antoine Gouy) flashback, the stolen painting has personal relevance to Assane, meaning the copycat is someone with intimate knowledge of the main character. Thankfully, Lupin season 4 wastes no time establishing the Pelligrini line is decidedly not culpable, which indicates a brand-new antagonist with a presumably personal vendetta. The effect is immediate— just like Assane, the viewer is completely in the dark. Nevertheless, one thing is abundantly clear: whoever is after Assane has dangerous deepfake technology that could potentially turn everyone against him.

Lupin appeals like the short stories of Sherlock Holmes and old penny dreadfuls: character-driven bouts of crime and crime-solving...

Whereas American crime dramas run on guns-blazing chase sequences and sinister killers, Lupin has always maintained a certain decorum that makes it stand out. Of course, Lupin appeals like the short stories of Sherlock Holmes and old penny dreadfuls: character-driven bouts of crime and crime-solving that soothe the soul. Consequently, the circumstances don't necessarily have to change much, since the real draw is familiarity. Regardless, Lupin understands that, as a streaming hit, evolution means longevity, and the season 4 premiere is the perfect change of pace.

Similarly, with Belkacem gravely injured, the copycat is ruining the Lupin image. As Assane astutely notes to Guédira, the real Lupin would never kill someone. Thus, Assane escaped prison chiefly to clear his name, but whatever escapades await him, he's prepared to remind France what a genuine gentleman thief looks like. Despite the scene being flawlessly set, however, there's a somber undercurrent that makes Lupin season 4 feel like a last hurrah.

Lupin Season 4 Could Potentially Be The Perfect Swan Song

In theory, Lupin is the kind of story that could go on forever. In practice, the Netflix heist drama is nearing the end of its narrative rope. Throughout the first three seasons, Lupin has been a show that gets better with every episode, constantly upping the ante with grand heists, ridiculously elaborate alter egos, and high-powered enemies to catch in a classic Lupinian trap. Now that the years have passed and Assane has set his sights on reconciliation, though, his life of crime can only continue for so long.

Season 4 may have given Assane a reason to don the trench coat and cap one last time, but if the rest of the season somehow reignites his love of thievery, the show will be at a crossroads. It already is, to some extent— if Assane returns as Lupin, he chooses to let down Raoul, but if he truly hangs up his costume for good, there's nowhere for the story to go. Plus, the AI woven into the fake Lupin plot may be realistic, but such a contentious topic runs the risk of detracting from the series.

After all, viewers inherently seek out a sense of escapism, and seeing their favorite antihero be taken down by AI deepfakes may be a bitter pill to swallow. Yet, if Lupin season 4 stays focused on the heart of its narrative, Assane's final outing as the gentleman thief is sure to be a thrilling joyride with enough charm to spare.

Lupin season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.