Biting superhero satire The Boys is easily one of Amazon Prime Video’s most popular shows with its extreme violence and characters that have launched themselves into the zeitgeist. The fifth season wraps up this bloody comic book story and manages to avoid the pitfalls that so many lacklustre farewells have fallen into in recent years.
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We rejoin an alternate America run by manic Superman parody Homelander (Antony Starr), who’s installed a puppet president and placed his allies in positions of absolute power. He might have achieved his goal of total domination but he can’t stop a descent into madness as his grip on reality loosens. Meanwhile, the brash, supe-hating Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Annie ‘Starlight’ January (Erin Moriarty) fight to break Hughie (Jack Quaid) out of one of Homelander’s “Freedom Camp”. Armed with a virus that kills all superheroes, the ragtag freedom fighters must decide how much they will sacrifice in order to get their revenge.
The beauty of this final season lies in its cultural relevance – it’s the first season of The Boys to air during the second Trump Administration. You’ll see Homelander’s supporters driving his enemies from their homes, the weaponisation of religion, allies promoting his message through podcasts… you don’t need us to draw the line between the screen and real life. What once threatened to be a Marvel parody gone full circle has something deeper and darker to say for its finale.
Most of the season’s episodes follow The Boys and Homelander once again going up against each other but the sharp wit keeps the chase interesting. One stand-out example of its invention is episode five, which puts supporting characters in the spotlight (including Butcher’s adorable dog, Terror) in an anthology that follows storylines set in the same day. Its ability to consistently offer more than empty shock value is precisely what keeps you watching. Every twist, every death, drags those who remain deeper into darkness.
The Boys in ‘The Boys’ season five. CREDIT: Amazon Prime Video
On The Boys’ side, Urban and Quaid provide a fascinating contrast that’s defined by friction. Hughie remains a good man in a world where everyone has lost themselves to some degree, and his superpower remains his commitment to doing the right thing. Butcher is a soul beyond saving. His thirst for revenge means he has become the very thing he hates. The Cockney accent remains unconvincing, but this is still Urban’s greatest role.
Other characters have interesting arcs. Annie tries to atone for the wrongs she has done while The Deep (Chace Crawford) embraces a full-on manosphere persona to hide his fear of Homelander. However, the most fascinating subject remains the star-spangled psychopath. To call Starr’s performance as Homelander a Trump parody would be far too simple. Season five finds him in the deranged endgame of absolute power. We watch him grapple with the emptiness of success, as paranoia and spite consume him more with every scene. Fretting as much about memes as his would-be assassins, it’s a startling piece of work that cements him as one of television’s all-time villains.
The Boys avoids the traps that most final seasons stumble into by chasing a clear endgame, instead of trying to constantly subvert expectations. Funny, crass and devastatingly poignant, those hoping for a suitable send-off will get the bloody masterpiece they were searching for.
‘The Boys’ season five is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video from April 8
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