Shock and awe. This was what was promised to fans since the beginning of The Boys. Since day one, we were told that the showdown between our titular characters and the bad guys was going to be “diabolical”. The show was the ultimate revenge story of Billy Butcher doing whatever he deemed necessary to take down Homelander. Not just because of what Homelander did to Becca, but because someone like Homelander could not be left alive. This was personal. For five seasons, we watched Butcher make a monster out of himself just to take down this man.

A man in a superhero costume kneels on the floor of an office resembling the Oval Office, with a bloody face and hands raised. An American flag and Abraham Lincoln portrait are visible. — Credit: Jasper Savage/Prime

Major Spoilers

What ended up happening was…well, what you expected. There was a final showdown. Butcher got his revenge. So, why did it feel like it fell flat? Honestly, maybe any sort of ending would have felt disappointing. What if The Boys had gone the route of subverting expectations? What if we had gotten an ending where Homelander won and burned it all down? The show has always done a good job at pulling the rug from under you and letting you know, there are no happy endings here. But…then they went the safe route?

Maybe it was because the finale felt rushed. Maybe because when we did get to the final showdown between Butcher and Homelander, it was reduced to cock and ball jokes? Now, it wasn’t all unsatisfying. It was absolutely a treat to see Homelander stripped of his powers, realizing he couldn’t fly away, and then suddenly reduced to having to beg the man he’s taunted for years not to kill him. But, it was done too quickly. This should have stretched out – we should have seen Homelander live in this reality for longer, before his death. But, the finale was a bit rushed, so this is what we got.

Two men with bloodied faces clasp hands and look at each other seriously, sitting on the ground in a dimly lit setting. — Credit: Jasper Savage/Prime

The Safe Ending

There was a lot left on the table and a lot of interesting choices. Since day one of season five’s press tour, the ending to Stranger Things had been thrown around as an example of what a safe ending would be and that that wouldn’t be the ending of The Boys. But, we did get the safe ending. Only Frenchie and Butcher died and we expected Butcher to die – he was dying. He at least died after getting his revenge. Nothing crazy happened in the finale, they just wrapped it up, and that was it. Sister Sage ended up getting the most blah ending, rendering essentially her character’s presence null and void, yes The Deep finally got what he deserved, and we saw that there was absolutely no point to the Gen V characters at all. And someone, Soldier Boy is still frozen. So, what happens now? I thought the point was to kill all Supes – you killed Homelander. Albeit one of the greatest villains of all time, but…what’s to say there won’t be another egomaniac with powers who decides one day he’s God?

Ryan, continuing to be a moody teenager, was also disappointing. While his presence and powers did come through in the end, unlike the Gen V characters; they should have had a better conclusion to his and Butcher’s arc. Now, it was satisfying that it was Kimiko as the one to strip Homelander of his powers. I legitimately cried when she had a vision of Frenchie to inspire her. However, it was still rushed, and perhaps the show would have benefited from two more episodes. Or maybe they shouldn’t have put so much filler content in their finale season.

A man gently touches a pregnant woman's belly while they stand facing each other outside a restaurant called Tony Cicero’s. — Credit: Jasper Savage/Prime

It’s not like I hated the ending. It was FINE. That’s the issue. It was fine. A show that has had such great writing, one of the best villains on the small screen, and an arc that was promised to be “diabolical” ended safely. Cookie-cutter. Why? The ending should have been big, controversial, shocking – it should have did what episode seven did and left us staring at the TV screen in stunned silence. Instead, it just closed the book. Which, again, Homelander needed to die. We probably would have been all angry if he hadn’t, but…the finale was rushed, and that’s why it’s hard to feel something about it. Maybe if we give it a few years and rewatch the show in one big stretch, it’ll feel better. But, for right now…it just ended.

RIP Billy Butcher and Homelander – one of the best revenge arcs in TV history. Antony Starr’s performance as Homelander should be remembered as one of the best performances on both the small screen and the big screen. It is strange to think that The Boys is over. We no longer have Gen V, which after seeing how pointless their characters were, isn’t really that big of a deal. However, we do have Vought Rising coming up. Which, should be fun, but it’s taking place in the past so…I guess we’ll just never have any follow-up to Soldier Boy’s fate?

What did you think of the finale of The Boys?