In The Boys, deaths have been a regular occurrence since the first season. However, one has disappointed MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes so much that he will never forgive the Amazon-series.
The Boys has ended and there is quite a bit of criticism from fans. Some do not like the portrayal of Homelander in the finale. I actually have no problem with that and I would have accepted it as is.
But in the last 20 minutes, the series makes a decision that is completely unnecessary. It’s not just about a death, but the reasons behind it, which reveal a major problem of the last season.
Warning: This article will contain spoilers about the finale. Anyone who has not watched the finale should come back later.
Implausible and artificial
After the group around Butcher and Hughie takes care of Homelander, they enjoy their victory in a cabin in the woods. While everyone is celebrating, Butcher is still talking to Ryan, who makes it clear that he does not want a future with Butcher. Hurt, Butcher goes into his room and talks to his dog, Terror.
In doing so, he realizes that Terror has passed away. He then purposefully grabs the virus that can kill Supes, drives to Vought Tower, and meets his comrade Hughie there. In a showdown between the two, Butcher is killed, seeing his brother in Hughie one last time.
The death of Terror is not only unforgivable because a pet has died, it is also completely unnecessary. It is meant to function as an element to influence Butcher one last time to take out all Supes. This is supposed to create the showdown in which Butcher dies.
On the one hand, Terror has nothing to do with the Supes, and this could have been better argued with the return of Stan Edger, the Vought CEO. On the other hand, the return of the virus feels like an artificial and clumsy attempt to still make use of the story element that had been chased after.
This decision was so disappointing that even my sister called me afterwards to complain about it. The Boys is one of the only series we both watched and (mostly) enjoyed.
Unlike his counterpart in the comics, who hates Supes so much that he wants to destroy all of them, the Amazon series and Karl Urban as the actor gave him more layers. However, these were not utilized, and the death of Terror is symbolic of the biggest weakness of the last season: consistency.
What is the core of the characters?
Season 5 was very frustrating for me as a fan despite some cool moments. This was mainly due to Butcher. The Boys couldn’t decide what kind of character he is. At the end of Season 4, the heroes separated from him because he acted too radically, almost comically evil. However, at the beginning of Season 5, they are once again a group.
Depending on the episode, Butcher is the total evil, wanting to kill all Supes. At other times, he is a character with heart, who still has good in him. However, this conflict is not really addressed in the finale. It is not plausible how Butcher makes the last switch to evil. There is no consistent behavior from Butcher and that is frustrating.
Yes, Butcher should die. But for that, he was even given a disease that he only survived thanks to the powers. Why didn’t they pick up on this element after he lost his powers?
Then there’s Terror himself. While he appears more often in the comics, he was given a good episode in Episode 5 of the last season. His storyline was irrelevant to the overall plot, but it honored the real dog behind Terror, who unfortunately passed away after filming (Source: Instagram).
But just killing him off like that is not an elegant solution, especially when he is only there to change Butcher. Neither Butcher nor Terror deserved that.
What do you think about Butcher’s development? Did you find it plausible or did it bother you? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. If you need more series that provide a similar experience after the finale of The Boys, you’ll find them here: 7 series you should watch after The Boys
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