The Big Picture
- Firecracker and Sister Sage shake up the Seven effectively in
The Boys
Season 4, adding depth to that storyline. - Each of the Boys’ individual journeys in the show’s fourth season allows for character development and growth.
- The series’ formulaic approach is starting to show in Season 4, and the need for a natural and compelling endpoint is becoming evident.
Prime Video’s The Boys continues to find ways to go bigger on what made it such a hit in the first place — namely excessive gore, outlandish humor, and timely societal critiques. However, Eric Kripke’s recent comments on the show’s longevity beg the question: how much is too much? The commentary might be more timely than ever, with Homelander (Antony Starr) standing trial for his very public murder. But while there isn’t a lack of issues to critique in the latest season, the larger story is ultimately starting to run out of legs.
We’ve seen it play out roughly the same way for three seasons already: Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Billy Butcher’s (Karl Urban) team of diabolical misfits, the titular Boys, search for a MacGuffin to kill Homelander, clash with evil mega-corporation Vought, clash a little bit with each other, and then fail to complete their mission. As fun as the ride often is, it’s the same ride over and over again; a formulaic adventure that repeatedly flies to the same heights only to land and tease the same ascension in the following season.
That’s not to say the wrenches that are thrown in aren’t necessary, helpful, or appreciated — especially additions like Supernatural and Kripke vet Jeffrey Dean Morgan. That’s just not enough to sustain the obvious issue that is plaguing the series: How long can Homelander remain a viable threat season after season without being dispatched, especially since the comics have such a clear endpoint? Of course, the length of the show is entirely up to the studio and the showrunner, but let’s give Homelander a five-season arc and move on to bigger and better things (Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, anyone?) if the series is renewed for a sixth installment.
The Seven Is More Unhinged Than Ever in ‘The Boys’ Season 4
In Season 4 of The Boys, some welcome Supe additions shake things up in the form of Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) and Firecracker (Valorie Curry), both of whom are memorable entries to the Seven. While alt-right extremist Firecracker uses her social media platform to incite hate against Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and her supporters, Sister Sage, the smartest person on the planet, prefers more covert tactics, pulling the strings of anyone and everyone (including Homelander) to sow chaos from Vought Tower. A Reed Richards-level intellect used for nothing but anarchy is a scary thought, but it’s balanced by Heyward’s whimsical portrayal, which is a joy to watch.
The inclusion of some new blood on the team allows for some alternative and intriguing pairings to play out. A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) starts to shift his ideologies after his involvement in paralyzing his brother, Nathan (Christian Keyes), last season, and finds an unlikely ally in Vought Tower, which becomes one of this season’s highlights. The Deep (Chace Crawford), grosser and further gone than ever before, spends Season 4 with a new-and-improved Black Noir (played still by Nathan Mitchell) — a mysterious newbie who was chosen through some unexplained process and seemingly never trained in the nuances of the position. The two act as a reminder of how incompetent the Seven (and Supes in general) can be — especially when they’re so far up Homelander’s butt it would take a laxative cocktail the size of a fishbowl to get them out.
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‘The Boys’ Infamous Father/Son Duo Takes Center Stage in New Season 4 Poster
The series returns to Prime Video on June 13.
The only thing scarier than Homelander running unchecked is Homelander raising a progeny to have even less regard for humanity than he does. An interesting tipping point of the season hinges on Ryan’s (Cameron Crovetti) upbringing — whether he’ll give in to the intoxicating evil of power, or whether his mother’s human influence is still dominant in his personality. It’s a nature vs. nurture battle that will define the future of the series. While this could have been underplayed, Crovetti’s convincing tug-of-war creates a compelling storyline that keeps you guessing throughout the season’s run.
Everyone in The Boys Gets a Great Solo Story in Season 4
The chemistry between the Boys is easily one of the biggest strengths of the series. Even though the group can be just as bad as the Supes they seek revenge on, it’s often easy to forget that in the midst of their camaraderie. They’re a chaotic, messed-up family, but a family nonetheless. However, The Boys Season 4 sends the ragtag heroes on individual journeys of growth, allowing them crucial time to develop apart from the influence of the larger group.
While this is a welcome deviation from the usual M.O., the strength of some journeys makes the shortcomings of others much more obvious. Hughie’s family issues, inevitably involving his father, Hugh Campbell Sr. (Simon Pegg), are automatically a shoo-in for one of the best storylines simply because Pegg always delivers. The deep connection between Hughie and his father continues to be one of the very best of the show and reaches heart-wrenching depths this season. Laz Alonso‘s Mother’s Milk is the emotional anchor of the team, who has taken control of The Boys due to Butcher’s rapid Temp V-induced decline. Obviously, he’s got big shoes to fill, and he spends the season grappling with his successes and failures, constantly wondering if he has what it takes to keep the team safe (or even worse, make the hard calls only Butcher would).
Kimiko (Karen Fukahara) and Frenchie (Tomer Capone) make strides in their relationship throughout Season 4, but the steps the pair need to take to get there feel forced for that purpose. Kimiko’s attempt to get closure from her past trauma is paramount to her character, yet it’s almost treated as a roadblock to her progress with Frenchie. Similarly, Frenchie’s off-kilter criminal past — hinted at for three seasons — catches up with him, showing the audience a new side to someone who has largely been a lovable and comedic presence thus far. His past actions are not as surprising as his efforts at retribution, and what should be a full-circle moment for the character is rendered obsolete by the decisions of other members of the group.
Similarly to Frenchie, Starlight — who prefers to go by Annie now, by the way — has to come to terms with not being the hero she has portrayed herself as for so long (but unlike Frenchie, this hasn’t been explicitly teased throughout the show). It’s an interesting juxtaposition for someone who has literally and figuratively been a beacon of light for the team, but there isn’t enough time afforded to fully explore these themes for her character before they’re resolved.
‘The Boys’ Season 4 Is a Fun Ride, but How Much Longer Can We Do This?
There are a lot of elements that are absolutely crucial to the success of The Boys, and maybe none of them are as important as Karl Urban’s performance. Urban’s Billy Butcher belongs in the comic book Hall of Fame of actors who are synonymous with their characters, like Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. He gives a phenomenal turn this season as a man on borrowed time looking to do right by his dead wife before he joins her wherever she is. Butcher commands your attention during all of his scenes, and Urban serves up a performance that exceeds his already lofty accomplishments in the role.
Aiding Butcher in his machinations this time around is Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s shady C.I.A. Agent Kessler. Morgan is authoritative in the role, begging for more screen time whenever he shows up to nudge Butcher a little closer to nihilism. As seen from the season’s trailers, Butcher is looking to get his hands on some of the handy-dandy Supe-killing virus that fell into the hands of Vice Presidential nominee Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) after it was cooked up in Gen V. Neuman has proven to be formidable both with her powers and as a political strategist but is reduced to being a puppet of several factions, a disappointing turn of events for one of the series’ power players.
With the inclusion of some haphazardly thrown-in cameos from notable Godolkin University students (who are also seen in the trailers), it’s hard not to wonder if The Boys’ spin-off series only existed to create this superweapon capable of ending Homelander (and the series, if we’re being honest) for good. Rather than integrating with the story, the Gen V characters feel like a giant billboard for the other property that also links to the same universe on the same streaming service. On the other hand, the aforementioned Firecracker and Sister Sage serve a deeper purpose, driving character growth and proving integral to the story. The effort taken to weave some factions into the events of Season 4 accentuates the lack thereof for others.
The slight kinks in the road that each season has navigated have indeed helped to mitigate the formulaic approach The Boys has taken, but with the introduction of a supe-killing virus and the public-facing presence of Vought making mainstream media day in and day out, the in-universe story constraints are growing thin. It’s a tough knife’s edge to balance because, on one hand, the subsection that the show so accurately pokes fun at continues to miss the point that, by all measures, has been hammered harder than a punch from Homelander.
In that sense, as long as there are people foolish enough to idolize the flying megalomaniac, there is indeed a story to be told. But this season, more than any other, feels like a solid setup for the eventual endgame — not just Homelander’s, but a natural, compelling, and most importantly satisfying, endpoint to the entire series. Multiple paths to killing off Homelander have already been introduced, and it’s time to stop dangling the carrot. As The Boys Season 4 is beginning to prove, too much of a good thing can still be too much.
The Boys
The Boys Season 4 goes wilder than ever before, but even that isn’t enough to distract from the formulaic approach the show is taking.
- Firecracker and especially Sister Sage are fun additions to the Seven that shake up the status quo.
- Individual character journeys allow each of the Boys to flourish.
- Both Ryan and Butcher’s individual struggles are highlights of the season.
- No amount of gore or meta-commentary can hide the fact that the story is getting thin.
- The strength of some individual character journeys accentuates the weaknesses of others.
The Boys is available to stream on Prime Video in the U.S., with Season 4 slated to premiere with its first three episodes on June 13.
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