The Boys is over and despite the criticism, there were some highlights in the finale. For MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes, this is mainly one character who has been more of a joke throughout the whole series.
If you look for The Boys on social media, many characters have made it into memes in pop culture. Most likely, one thinks of Homelander, thanks to whom you can grab a scene from almost every episode to completely take it out of context or modify it.
At the forefront is also the superhero The Deep, wonderfully played by Chace Crawford. Over the 5 seasons, the Aquaman parody has built a large fanbase – and I must admit: In the finale, he is a true highlight, even though he ignores the most important aspect of a series.
Warning Spoiler: The following article contains spoilers for the last episode of The Boys.
With Vought Rising, a prequel to The Boys will be released next year:
What does character development really mean?
Since season 1, The Deep has been showing his worst side. He abuses Starlight and kills innocent people without showing the slightest hint of remorse. When Homelander says something, he does it directly. That is also his only reason for living: to be a member of the Seven and to keep the recognition that comes with it.
This is evident in the final episode as well. He is so humiliated by Homelander that he starts to cry. When he then gets the chance to stand on the good side, he simply screams No.
The Deep refuses any form of character development and that is damn good.
Actually, character development is probably the most important part of any story – especially when it goes on as long as a series. Characters that always remain the same offer no new ideas or approaches and become boring as a result. The Boys manages to use the lack of character development to its advantage.
Again and again, there are scenes where the audience expects The Deep to finally realize that his path is not the right one. He is constantly put down by Homelander and others – it would be understandable if he changed his mind.
But he never does. The series also plays with our expectations. A-Train has changed, for example, and one could expect it from The Deep as well. But he does not; he simply creates memes. And that fits perfectly with his character.
The Walking Meme
Actually, it doesn’t sound like a good character trait when a character is a walking meme. After all, they then permanently serve as a joke.
The Deep accomplishes this on 2 levels: On the one hand, he is a joke within the series, as neither heroes nor villains take him seriously. On the other hand, also outside. Fans create memes and on Vought International’s YouTube, countless promotional videos have appeared where The Deep makes a fool of himself.
That’s why The Deep is also so popular in the community, even though he is truly villainous. He exists outside the actual core story, and viewers can consider him in isolation. There are no problems like with the writing of Homelander and Butcher because The Deep is ultimately irrelevant to the plot.
Thematically, the levels also fit together well with him. The Deep is actually a sad figure. He just wants recognition and to be the great superhero with all the societal advantages. But in reality, his in-universe colleagues and the audience just mock him and his Sigma-lifestyle
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He parodies toxic masculinity wonderfully and shows that perhaps not everyone can change. In a landscape where even the worst comic villains sometimes become heroes, this is a welcome mix because he stubbornly refuses to evolve in any way.
That’s why it is also so ironic that he is killed by the fish, the only beings he could be himself around.
But what do you think about the ridiculous Aquaman parody? Do you miss the development of his story, or do you find his ending in the series fitting? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. If you were disappointed with the ending of The Boys, you can find good series endings here: The ending of The Boys disappointed the fans; here are 9 series that do it better
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