After almost 7 years, the Amazon series The Boys is coming to an end. MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes was able to see the first 6 of the 8 episodes and is currently skeptical. The coolest character of the series poses a major problem.
In 2019, The Boys started on Amazon Prime Video and quickly established the characters, especially Homelander, played by Anthony Starr, in pop culture. After almost 7 years, the series is ending with season 5.
I’ve already seen 6 of the 8 episodes in advance and I am torn. Some things I like, but it also feels very much like filler. This conflict is represented for me especially by 2 characters.
Don’t worry, I won’t spoil any events from season 5, but I will talk about the 2 characters, Soldier Boy and Firecracker.
Soldier Boy: Too much of a good thing
In episode 4 of season 3, we see Soldier Boy for the first time, played by Jensen Ackles. Unlike his counterpart in the comics, Soldier Boy steals the show from all other characters early on and becomes a fan favorite. While he only has a brief cameo in season 4, he is a central character in season 5, at least in the first 6 episodes.
Soldier Boy has not lost any of his charisma, and his cool lines contrast sharply with the really insecure Homelander, but his role in the story did not quite work for me. He doesn’t fit optimally into the red thread like Butcher or Homelander, even though he sometimes has more screen time than both.
It creates the feeling that he appears so much simply because he is so popular. Don’t get me wrong: It’s still fun to watch him, and some aspects of his character are further developed, but the feeling of a final season is missing. It feels like filler.
This is a problem I had throughout all 6 episodes. The final conflict feels not present but postponed. The Boys themselves feel like supporting characters in a storyline where they are the central figures. This does not necessarily make the individual episodes bad, but it makes me fear for the finale.
Nevertheless, I was surprised by another character, who is actually quite lame: Firecracker.
Firecracker: The biggest surprise so far
The Boys has many supporting characters whose role seems to be to fear and worship Homelander. No character represents this better than Firecracker, who even took dangerous pills to please Homelander.
In season 5, she is explored more for the first time, and it was quite refreshing (even if it doesn’t quite fit with the final season). Her episode is even my favorite of the season so far. It deals with her inner conflict. Not only with the unstable Homelander but also with her faith and the god complex of possibly the strongest supes in the world.
This gives her character depth that I wouldn’t have expected. After all, she was previously just there for gags. Her role fits nicely with the references to the real world. She raises the question of whether one eventually reaches a point of no return.
I also liked Valorie Curry’s performance. She credibly portrays the character’s conflict and has actually convinced me the most so far. I never would have expected that, as she always seemed like a supporting character from the second tier to me.
She manages to make the leap from satirical gag to real societal critique. An endeavor that The Boys unfortunately does not succeed in often, which is probably also due to the fact that we live in a time that seems even more absurd than the series can depict.
Even if it sounds very negative at times, the individual episodes of the season are good. They fit into The Boys, and those who liked the previous seasons will also like these episodes. However, it does not feel like a final season.
The Boys has incredible potential as a series, as demonstrated by Firecracker, but season 5 is too complacent, it doesn’t dare enough, and I don’t know if the last two episodes can change that. It will certainly not be as much of a catastrophe as the finale of Game of Thrones, but I still have the fear of disappointment. At least the series is better than the comics.
