Although season 4 boasts many highs, including the brilliant addition of Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) and Firecracker (Valorie Curry), and the shenanigans that revolve around them, the rest have felt like trauma-framing for the sake of evoking a strong reaction, as opposed to storylines that do justice to the characters. “The Boys” has never been a proponent for silver linings: if anything, the messed-up nature of this world offers little respite to those who dare to fight or hope. However, season 4 takes it a little too far by treating serious issues like punchlines. Hugh Sr.’s (Simon Pegg) unbearably hollow death, Hughie’s relentless trauma without respite, and Starlight’s repeated humiliation are just some examples of storylines devoid of tact or depth. As for the dual deaths in the finale, while Mallory’s demise feels like a genuine gut punch, Neuman’s feels like a misfire, a mistake that will come with a heavy price for not just the characters, but the show itself.
As both deaths directly affect Butcher — one robbing him of hope and the other cementing his toxicity — it seems the character has lost any hope of salvation. Of course, Butcher isn’t Butcher without his signature Machiavellian menace, and these traits inform and enrich his character, but his intent to use the virus to erase half of the populace crosses every moral line with unspeakable consequences. With no compassion or restraint to balance things out, Butcher loses his appeal as a morally-grey protagonist, and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to stop himself in time, or will be stopped by The Boys. In the case of the latter, there is nothing but grisly ends in store for the characters we’ve grown to care and root for.
“The Boys” will return for its fifth and final season at a yet-to-be-announced date.
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