The Boys (2024) Season 4 Review

RATING: 7/10

THE Boys are back in town: 2019's breakout show is back for its fourth season, and this time, it's personal. After an explosive end to the previous three seasons, Prime Video's superhero series returns to continue its blood-fuelled, sex-driven ways in this latest season, and while it still contains plenty of humour and obscenities to keep the shock-factor alive, The Boys is beginning to lose steam in a season that just feels like a stepping stone to get to its impending fifth -- and final -- season.

Vigilante group The Boys continue their crusade to take down corrupt superhero organisation Vought International, but when leader of The Boys, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), misses his best opportunity to kill Homelander (Antony Starr), deranged egomaniac and leader of Vought superhero group, The Seven, he and his group attempt to rectify their mistakes. Meanwhile, Homelander continues to struggle with his mental health as he tries to raise his son, Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), as well as coming to terms with his mortality following a near-death experience. But after seeking out new allies, Homelander's goal of infusing pandemonium into the political landscape may be what he needs to take down The Boys for good.

Right off the bat, for anybody who hasn't watched an episode of The Boys, this show isn't for the faint of heart -- there is a reason it's Rated R. Bloodshed, nudity and profanity is a common occurrence throughout most episodes, and is one of the reasons this comic book adaptation exploded in popularity back in 2019. But the show just doesn't exist purely for shock: The Boys is supported by a storyline and script which feels authentic due to its focus on real-life events, as well as capitalising on its comic-book genre by twisting the agenda on familiar superhero tropes such as their backstories and the public's opinion of them. And while The Boys still has some of the best writing, acting, and action streaming today, Season Four just feels like its missing the spirit and passion which made the last three seasons must-watch television.

Season Four introduces -- and progresses -- storylines for many of our favourite characters. Butcher's goal of getting his son back from Homelander continues to be a focal point for the series - even if it does feel like we've seen the exact family issues play out multiple times before. Homelander and Starlight's (Erin Moriarty) political battle is a hot topic of contention, and would be on any median, but The Boys never goes overboard with the satire, instead diving into presumed conspiracies surrounding the political landscape through new characters Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) and Firecracker (Valorie Curry), both of which prove to be excellent new additions to the series. But considering how integral he was in the show's beginning, Hughie (Jack Quaid) feels like an afterthought this season. His story of dealing with his father's health and his returning mother should feel like a massive advancement, but comes off as being monotonous and uninteresting due to the show's existing stories with Butcher's and Mother's Milk's (Laz Alonso) respective families.

The Boys continues to be an entertaining, compelling twist on the superhero genre, but while the action and writing is still top-notch, the show is held down by one major factor: the plot. Season Four feels like a recap of the previous seasons, re-running similar events we've seen from the show's past that, while entertaining in the moment, will most likely be forgotten by the season's end. There is still plenty to enjoy, but when compared to seasons prior, The Boys' latest ends up being the weakest one so far -- but not by much.