Erin Moriarty has once again become a major topic of discussion among The Boys fans. After opening up about her health struggles during filming for the fifth and final season, the actress received widespread support online.
However, the latest backlash has little to do with Moriarty personally and more to do with her character, Starlight. After the newest episode aired, fans began accusing the superhero of being a “fraud.”
“I had to immediately put Starlight on the fraud list lmao,” one fan said on X.
The Boys fans express disappointment with Erin Moriarty’s Starlight
Image credits: Prime Video
In the sixth episode of season 5, Annie January, aka Starlight, and Hughie attempt to dismantle the Democratic Church of America using the anti-Supe virus.
However, they are stopped by the church’s leader, Oh Father (Daveed Diggs), a televangelist-style member of The Seven. During the fight, Oh Father proves he is more than just a Vought propaganda figure by physically outmatching Annie.
Image credits: Prime Video
Starlight’s quick defeat frustrated many viewers. On X, fans argued that her light-based powers should have given her an advantage over Oh Father, whose abilities revolve around supersonic sound waves.
As a result, jokes about Starlight being a “fraud” quickly spread online, with fans mocking the character across social media.
“She couldn’t even land one successful hit,” one user said.
A second commented, “All she does is make her eyes glow to look strong.”
“Fraudlight,” a third person added sarcastically.
Fans continue to express support for Erin Moriarty after Graves’ diagnosis
Image credits: Prime Video
Ahead of the final season, Moriarty faced online backlash over changes in her appearance, with some fans speculating that she had undergone cosmetic surgery.
However, the actress later revealed that her appearance changed due to Graves’ disease. In an interview last month, Moriarty also opened up about the health struggles she faced while filming season 5.
Image credits: Prime Video
After hearing her explanation, many fans expressed sympathy and apologized for previously criticizing her appearance.
Despite mocking Starlight’s performance against Homelander, fans continued supporting Moriarty herself, flooding her recent Instagram posts with compliments.
One person commented, “She’s so pretty!”
“No way people think she’s ugly,” another said.
The Boys creator addressed the “filler” episode backlash as the finale nears
Image credits: Chad Salvador/Getty Images
As the series approaches its finale, fans have become increasingly critical of recent episodes, arguing they have done little to advance the plot and calling them “filler” episodes.
After weeks of criticism, creator Eric Kripke finally responded to fans’ complaints with a strong statement. He expressed disappointment at viewers expecting the final season to be one long, continuous battle sequence.
“You’re just watching the wrong show,” he said.
In an interview with TV Guide, the showrunner explained that the quieter episodes were necessary to further develop the characters before the final twists and reveals.
Image credits: Prime Video
While he understood fans’ desire for larger battle sequences near the end of the series, Kripke said those moments would feel “empty and dull” without proper character development.
“We all thought at the time we’re really getting these important character details,” Kripke added.
The penultimate episode releases on May 13, with the series finale scheduled for May 20.
The Boys is streaming on Prime Video.
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