The following article contains spoilers for The Boys season 4.
Summary
The Boysseason 4 finale is being praised as one of the show’s best episodes, overcoming the early negative buzz around the Prime Video show’s long-awaited return. Written by Jessica Chou & David Reed and directed by showrunner Eric Kripke,The Boysseason 4 finaleset the stage for season 5, which is confirmed to be the show’s last. Significant characters were killed off and the stakes for everyone involved became much clearer, after a relatively muted start that drew mixed assessments.
The finale is now a top-rated episode onIMDb,following the early negative reviews ofThe Boysseason 4. It comes in just behind season 3’s “Herogasm” and the season 2 finale, which is in second place. The season 1 finale and season 4’s “Wisdom of the Ages,” in which Antony Starr’s Homelander visits the lab where he grew up, round out the top five. On the whole,the season 4 finale got a 9.3 out of 10based on more than 21,000 ratings.
Why The Boys Season 4 Finale Makes Up For A Mixed Return
In contrast, the best moments ofThe Boysseason 4 were deeply character-focused, such as Homelander’s visit to the lab or Hughie (Jack Quaid) saying goodbye to his father.
For the past two seasons,The Boyscould still be relied upon as an entertaining show from week to week, but there were a few complaints, even from those who enjoyed the series. The biggest issue was thatthe Emmy-nominated superhero satire was stuck in place.It seemed reluctant to kill off the main characters, even in situations where the death count should be higher. As a result, the story seemed fixed in a place where nothing much could change.
Another aspect was the adaptation’s political commentary. At one point, amusingly, season 4 seemed content to just lift moments that happened in the real world and apply them to the show. These moments seemed more fitting onSNL, perhaps than in the world of Vought. In contrast,the best moments ofThe Boysseason 4 were deeply character-focused,such as Homelander’s visit to the lab or Hughie (Jack Quaid) saying goodbye to his father.
The Boys Season 4’s Rotten Audience Score Explained: What’s Really Going On
Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys has always received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, but The Boys season 4 is a somewhat different story.
The series does not fix all of its problems with a very strong finale. But with the knowledge thatThe Boysseason 5 is the end, there’s an urgency to everything that happens in the finale. The heroes are separated and scattered, Butcher (Karl Urban) has embraced his dark side, and a supe as powerful as Victoria (Claudia Doumit) is disposed of with relative ease. Homelander is essentially president, with Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) by his side. For the first time in a long time, it feels like anything is possible.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
