Geek Review: The Boys – Season 4 (Amazon Prime Video)

This review is based on the first seven episodes of The Boys – Season 4.

Throughout the first three seasons of Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys, the show has taken us through every conceivable satire of fascism within the comic book genre, corporate domination, and media manipulation in early 21st-century America. As such, there’s a concern that the show may be spinning its wheels — after all, series creator Eric Kripke’s previous tentpole series Supernatural ran for 15 seasons (thankfully, The Boys will end with Season 5) — and a persistent question looms over the latest season: Can The Boys continue pushing the boundaries of shock and imagination?

Season 4 certainly seems like it’s stretching for more extreme violence and topical references than ever before. Showrunner Kripke and his team do a commendable job of giving these familiar elements fresh, urgent spins, even if some plot points do feel like well-worn territory. While The Boys has always been political satire, it’s a testament to its sharp writing (and perhaps the sorry state of the world) that the various issues it tackles throughout this season remain timely and relevant.

For example, following the climax of Season 3, the premiere of Season 4 sees characters awaiting a verdict from a highly publicised trial of a divisive figure. But instead of a former president turned criminal, it’s Homelander (Antony Starr), the twisted Superman-like figure of the series, who eye-lasered a civilian protester for throwing a plastic bottle at his son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti). It also dives headfirst into the hot-button issues tearing America apart, such as wild conspiracy theories, the abortion debate, anti-vaccine movements, Antifa, and even echoes of 6th January. It’s a reflection of our modern political climate, making it the series’ darkest and most hard-hitting season yet.

At the same time, The Boys seeks to balance its over-the-top violence with emotional dimension for its main characters. In this quest for depth, The Boys themselves kind of get sidelined in their own show. While Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) steps up as the team leader, he’s often left wondering where everyone else went, as fellow teammates Frenchie (Tomer Capone), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), and even Butcher (Karl Urban) wrestle with their pasts and inner demons. These personal dramas have potential, but they don’t get much room to breathe before the show yanks them back to the same old ‘stop Homelander’ plot.

The new additions to the cast similarly show potential, but end up largely disappointing. Firecracker (Valorie Curry), a Christian Nationalist and conspiracy theorist, delivers a combination of traits that we’ve seen before, especially with her unrequited obsession with Homelander and hatred for Starlight (Erin Moriarty). Meanwhile, Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) — a new Seven member whose intelligence matches Homelander’s impulsiveness while constantly challenging him — brings a fresh dynamic to the team and a new wrinkle to the show. However, it’s always tricky writing a character that’s supposed to be the Smartest Person on Earth, and it quickly becomes both perplexing and distracting when Sister Sage doesn’t appear to come up with more contingency plans for when things go awry. Furthermore, fans looking forward to Supernatural alum Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s appearance in the show will likely be let down by his wasted role as a mysterious ally to Butcher.

While it doesn’t always hit the mark, Season 4 of The Boys pulls no punches. It dives deeper into politics while maintaining the show’s signature gross-out humour and scathing critique of corporate messaging. This wild ride sets the stage for an announced final season, but The Boys may be showing signs of strain. It’s trying to be everything at once — a superhero takedown, a social commentary, and a character study. Even if the satire stays sharp, juggling all these weighty topics alongside meaningful character development can be a challenge. These efforts might test your patience and leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed. On the other hand, that mix can also make for a weirdly compelling watch.