The Boys Season 4 Reactions Prove That Big Season 5 Announcement Is The Right Move
After years of being Amazon Prime Video's crown jewel, "The Boys" showrunner Eric Kripke has confirmed that the superhero series will wrap up with Season 5. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Kripke revealed that ending the series with a fifth season was always his plan. The fan response to the decision has been mixed, with many pleased that the show is wrapping up in a timely manner, while others are disappointed that Homelander (Antony Starr) and the gang won't be terrifying us anymore.
The announcement comes at an interesting time, as the first reviews for "The Boys" Season 4 debuted today, and they're mostly mixed-to-positive. As of this writing, the upcoming season has a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. While that's a solid number, it's also the lowest score a season of the show has received. Compared to the Season 3 rating of 98%, that's a staggering drop. With the series seemingly entering its slump era, it's great that "The Boys" is ready to enter its final chapter, as opposed to seemingly running endlessly like Kripke's "Supernatural," which aired for 15 seasons.
Looper critic Matthew Jackson gave Season 4 of "The Boys" an 8/10, which is on par with most critics. Empire's Amon Warmann found Season 4 to be great but wondered what the endgame was for the beloved series. "There is a question of how long 'The Boys' can keep its main players on the board without things becoming tiresome or worse, unfeasible. But for now, with storytelling this balanced and considered, it's a pleasure to watch it all play out," Warmann wrote.
Critics say that The Boys is starting to become repetitive
With this Season 5 news, it's great that Eric Kripke and the show's creatives were given the opportunity to end the series on their own terms, as opposed to prolonging it — which was a worry for many. "#TheBoys Season 4 while fun falters for the first time in the show's history. It runs like a season moving pieces around for this world's 'Endgame,' but it sets a worrying standard for the future," wrote X user @nickstaniforth. Luckily, the future seems to be set in stone, but that doesn't mean Season 4 is perfect.
While "The Boys" Season 4 is still finding ways to shock executive producer Seth Rogen, fans of the series don't seem to be as invested as they once were. "It's fun, but several twists are infuriatingly predictable – and the shock factor has worn off, which feels like a crime in itself. I wanted to love it, but I just didn't," shared @EammonJacobs, pointing out how the series is starting to feel repetitive with its fourth offering. These sentiments were also echoed by Observer critic Noah Berlatsky, who wrote, "... the mix of mean-spirited humor, gore, and horror is nonetheless a little too familiar; the show often feels like it's reiterating past seasons rather than building on them."
Fans have worried about "The Boys" Season 4, and while the new season isn't perfect, it still seems like there's a lot to love. Hopefully, Kripke can wrap things up nicely with Season 5. "The Boys" Season 4 hits Prime Video on June 13.