Superhero thriller series The Boys broadcast its final episode this week following seven years on television. Created by Eric Kripke, the Prime Video programme is set in present-day America but in an alternative universe where superheroes are celebrated just like celebrities. However, behind the scenes they misuse their powers, leaving destruction in their path.
Across five seasons, audiences have witnessed the so-called 'supes' - spearheaded by the psychotic Homelander (Antony Starr) - gain increasingly more influence, taking control of shadowy superhero factory Vought and even the White House. A warning that spoilers for Season 5, Episode 8 follow.
Leading up to the Season 5 finale, vigilante group The Boys had been testing various methods to topple Homelander, from developing a superhero-killing virus to repeatedly subjecting one of their members, Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), to radiation in a bid to grant her the capacity to strip away powers. As viewers now know, the long-shot experiment to transform Kimiko into a power-neutralising force did succeed, and she stripped Homelander of his abilities during his live broadcast to the nation. This enabled his long-standing rival and The Boys' leader, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), to battle him on equal terms for the first time.
Devoted followers of the programme reckon there was a far simpler method for the team to have defeated Homelander, and it concerns Sister Sage (Susan Heyward). Sister Sage's ability is that she's the most intelligent individual on Earth, and she eventually assists Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and The Boys in working out the precise radiation dosage required to transform Kimiko without killing her and make her into the ideal weapon against Homelander, reports Wales Online.
Yet, considering her intelligence, supporters think the show's writers overlooked an evident opportunity that could have concluded Homelander's tyrannical rule far earlier and it concerns the temporary formula that featured previously in the series which provides anyone with superhero powers for a limited period. Heading to The Boys subreddit page, one thread titled 'Is this a plot hole?' written by a fan stated: 'If Sage is the smartest person ever can't she just recreate and mass produce the Temp V formula and give it to, like, 100 Starlighters so they can all fight Homelander at the same time? Season 3 already proved that three supes are enough to restrain him, what can he do against 100?'
The thread generated numerous replies, with many voicing their frustration at how the character acted. One noted: 'No intelligent person would assume they could flawlessly predict human behaviour. There are eight billion unpredictable variables on this planet. We're too different, not just in potential, upbringing, etcetera, but we're also the most delusional species on the planet. You can't predict crazy, and we're all at least a little bit crazy. They had her ready for Godolkin's betrayal, but not Soldier Boy's?'
Another said: 'Better question, what happened to the Temp V in the first place? Vought was going to sell it to the military. Seems like that could have come up this season.' While a third remarked: 'There are too many issues with Sage and the writing to count.'
Notable amongst those criticising the finale was Elon Musk, who labelled Homelander's final scene 'pathetic.' Show creator Kripke was swift to hit back, saying: 'OMG this is his review of what @TheBoysTV did to Homelander, I'll never get a better review ever. #TheBoys.' Despite the backlash surrounding the final moments, a great many viewers were pleased with how events played out. One enthusiastic fan declared: 'Solid finale. Could have been worse. But I'm satisfied,' while another felt the resolution of both Butcher and Homelander's storylines was 'honestly perfect.'
The Boys Seasons 1 to 5 are available to stream now on Prime Video.
