From Homelander’s (Antony Starr) demise to the end of unruly supes’ reign, The Boys ending packs a healthy dose of satisfying moments. For the most part, the show sticks to the trope of “good winning over evil,” reassuring audiences that justice and order should prevail. However, it also leaves a divided fandom with a few loose ends to unpack. After five seasons of cynical brutality and some of the most unconventional moments in television history, viewers had high expectations for The Boys‘ ending, but it struggled to impress.
A clean wrap-up for the main character arcs is what every fan of The Boys wanted, but the ending didn’t really attain a resounding climax. According to widespread criticism, The Boys’ ending felt rushed, focusing more on the franchise’s future than on giving fans the much-needed closure. Nevertheless, the show did conclude with a satisfying ending, despite being criticized for a few shortcomings. We explore the various reasons fans of The Boys are divided after the series finale.
1. The Butcher Vs Homelander Showdown is a Bit Disappointing
In the lead-up to the series finale, everyone focused on Homelander’s demise, trying to picture a perfect end for the psychotic character. The hour finally came in Season 5 episode 5, “Blood and Bone,” when Butcher (Karl Urban) and The Boys stormed the White House during Homelander’s live broadcast. Homelander had just declared his “godhood” when Butcher and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) came in. With the help of his son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), Homelander was stripped of his powers before Butcher beat him up on live television. Despite grovelling and begging for his life, Butcher killed him with a crowbar to the head before a live audience.
While the outcome was good and Homelander got the ending he deserved, fans expected more action from his final battle with Butcher, with skyscrapers falling and the city on fire. However, it was just not dramatic enough. The whole battle, although intense, happened in one room with minimal destruction. As such, fans feel cheated and deprived of the expected big showdown that comes with superhero wars. In this case, fans expected Homelander to laser people and structures with his eyes, while Butcher also wrecks the city with his tentacles. Instead, they get a short-lived fight in a room. Notwithstanding, it was a satisfying, brutal ending for Homelander, with his scalp ripped open to reveal his brain.
2. It Should Have Been Soldier Boy, Not Kimiko
Kimiko earned respect among The Boys fans, but she doesn’t have any personal link to Homelander. As such, it doesn’t hit hard that she’s the one who strips Homelander of his treasured abilities. On the flip side, imagine if the team that puts an end to Homelander’s reign of terror is made up of Butcher, Homelander’s son (Ryan), and his father, Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles). Getting the blast that strips his powers from Soldier Boy would have released a burst of emotions from Homelander.
3. Soldier Boy Didn’t Get a Clear Ending
After helping Homelander acquire the V1, Soldier Boy decides to leave the city. Apparently, he still can’t stand Homelander’s malignant and unhinged personality, heightened by his recent god complex. Instead of accepting Soldier Boy’s decision to pitch his tent elsewhere, Homelander chokes him out and puts him back into stasis. As such, Soldier Boy didn’t appear in the finale, and no explanation about his fate was given, denying fans closure about his arc. Nevertheless, The Boys‘ spin-off, Vought Rising, is expected to have the answers.
4. The Gen V Crew Didn’t Play a Significant Role in Homelander’s Demise
Fans expected Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) and the rest of the Gen V crew to get more screen time and possibly play a more prominent role in orchestrating Homelander’s downfall. Instead, they get only a few minutes onscreen before being sent off to escort people rescued from Homelander’s wrath to Canada. With Gen V season 3 cancelled, fans may never know how their story unfolds.
5. Too Much Attention On Setting Up Spin-Off Projects
Instead of focusing on a resounding climax, the series finale of The Boys felt rushed. The finale also seems to focus on setting up anticipated spin-off projects, such as Vought Rising, neglecting the needful. The Boys showrunners played around with Soldier Boy to set the spotlight on Vought Rising, only to put him in cryosleep when audiences needed him the most. Precious time was also spent on the Gen V squad without making the most of their abilities.
6. The Virus Didn’t Lead to a Supe Genocide
Apparently, many fans looked forward to seeing supes drop like flies when the virus is released, but that never happened. Even Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) had a bunker ready. The virus was supposed to purge the city of the bad eggs. However, major plot twists relegated it to the background, denying fans the satisfaction of seeing an apocalyptic end of Vought supes.
7. Butcher’s Avoidable Death
The excitement from Homelander’s befitting death was promptly doused by an unexpected tragedy on a fan favorite. After facing rejection from Ryan, who wants nothing to do with him, Butcher discovers his dog, Terry, is dead. So, with nothing to live for, he takes the virus to Vought Tower, setting it to go off in the building’s sprinklers. In his attempt to stop him from killing innocent people, Hughie (Jack Quaid) fatally shoots Butcher. While he has done some terrible things in the past, most audiences prefer a different ending for Butcher’s character arc. Perhaps letting him walk away to live out his days in isolation would have been a better alternative.
Follow Us
