Summary
The Boysseason 4 finale receives a content warning at the beginning of the episode. A major storypoint in season 4 is planning a political assassination, which reaches its resolution in the finale. After this season,The Boysseason 5has been confirmed on Prime Video, which will be the last of the series.
Now,Prime Videohas issued a warning with the final episode. Taking to Instagram, and with the same message playing before the episode, the streamerwarns audiences of the political violence depicted inThe Boysseason 4 finale.
Prime Video notes that “The season finale of The Boys contains scenes of fictional political violence, which some viewers may find disturbing, especially in light of the injuries and tragic loss of life sustained during the assassination attempt on former President Trump.” The warning goes to to say thatThe Boysis “fictitious” and was filmed last year, making it such that “any scene or political similarities to these real-world events are coincidental and unintentional. The team asserts that “Amazon, Sony Pictures Television, and the producers of The Boysreject, in the strongest terms, real-world violence of any kind.”
The Boys' Political Commentary Is In A Precarious Place
Political Allegory Is Integral To The Boys
Attempts at biting political commentary have always been integral toThe Boys, and season 4 is no exception. Since the series began in 2019, supervillain Homelander has always served as a satire of some conservative figures forevery season ofThe Boys, who served as the president during the release ofThe Boysseason 1 and season 2. From his selectivity about who can enter “the Seven” to his romantic association with Stormfront, Homelander has been an allegory for the rise of discrimination and fascism in the United States, which many associate with former President Trump.
Homelander’s Trial Makes The Boys Season 4 Amazon’s Most Obviously Political Season Yet
Marketing for The Boys season 4 indicates a trial for Homelander, which could increase the show’s growing political commentary even more.
Because of this close comparison between its lead and the former president,The Boysis in a tricky spot by releasing its finale this week. The assassination attempt on former President Trump, who is often a subject of criticism inThe Boys' social allegory, was less than a week ago. For this reason, it may have been wise forThe Boysto delay the release of the season finale. Other shows like theMr. Robotseason 1 finale of theBuffy the Vampire Slayerepisode “Earshot,” have done this when elements of their show have too closely mirrored reality.
Instead, Prime Video releasedThe Boysseason 4 on its planned release date. Even more risky is howThe Boysseason 5 will handle its themes in the wake of the current political unrest.The Boysteam will have to navigate this carefully as the series continues on to its conclusion.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
