Season 4 of The Boys feels like a transitional season before season 5.
While Amazon approved The Boys season 5, the confirmed future of the show clearly affects the fourth season. The Boys Season 4 reads more like a transitional time meant to link Gen V, season 5, than like a high-stakes addition to the narrative. While the first three episodes of season 4 hint at significant events later on, they give secondary narratives—which have little bearing on the main plot—great attention. Prime instances of this are the subplots following Kimiko, Frenchie, and Hughie's father.
While the first three episodes of season 4 hint at significant events later on, they give secondary narratives—which have no bearing on the main plot—heavy attention. All of these narratives seem somewhat secondary to the main peril facing The Boys Season 4: the approaching battle between Supes who feel they are better than humans and everyone else. The first three episodes naturally do not completely disregard this. Victoria Neuman, The Seven, and Homelander all have a few pivotal scenes. Still, it feels as though the show is preparing for The Boys Season 5 even in these sequences. Although it's not always a negative thing, this build-up lessens the focus of the fourth outing. The Boys isn't as fast-paced as it usually is as well.
Amazon Confirming The Boys Season 5 Reduced Season 4 Stakes
After episode 3, the Boys season 4 could ramp up the speed; but, Season 5's confirmation indicates that long-awaited events won't feature in this run of episodes. For instance, given another trip on the horizon, the significant death hinted at in The Boys season 3 appears less likely to happen. The finale of the Prime Video series must be Butcher confronting Homelander; else, the story cannot continue. Should Butcher disappear, Though season 4 could surprise viewers, it seems more probable the program will find a way to have Butcher around for the next chapter.
The Boys season 4 is not the last hurrah of the series, hence it is unlikely to eliminate any prominent players or fix the most important narratives of the program. Likewise, The Boys is building to homelander really losing it and endangering the planet everywhere. Season 4 is carrying his character farther in that way, but the existence of Season 5 guarantees he won't go entirely over the brink until at least the end of this adventure. For its last episodes, the Prime Video show will most likely save Homelander's worst moments. The Boys season 4 is not the last hurrah of the series, hence it is unlikely to eliminate any significant players or fix the main narratives of the show.
While the confirmation for the Boys Season 5 is exciting, the renewal of the Amazon Series clearly affects Season 4's opening episodes.
Amazon already has confirmed the Boys season five; yet, the first episodes of season four highlight the issue with the future direction of the show. Starting with three episodes on June 13, the Boys season 4 set the tone for the titular team as Homelander's schemes grew more and more sneaky. Though The Boys' new episodes highlight the fight between Supes and their enemies, they have one flaw made worse by Amazon's announced intentions to keep the show running.
Indeed, the confirmation of The Boys' fifth season affects the early episodes of season 4 and makes it more difficult to appreciate some of the most recent outing. Though a brief one, it's interesting that the series has a future on Prime Video; nevertheless, it's less pleasant to project where things are heading based on that reality. Viewers can deduce that The Boys won't visit several locations until season 5. Luckily, since Amazon confirmed The Boys season 6 isn't coming, this issue won't resurfaced on the sixth outing.
The opening episodes of The Boys Season 4 have slow pacing that bothers me.
While The Boys' acting and writing keep their customary high quality in season 4, slow pace is a big problem in the first episodes. The Boys team members are experiencing personal challenges this season; the new installments spend a lot of time investigating that. Though it comes at a price, this gives viewers much better understanding of the characters. Although the Prime Video series usually packs a punch with every episode, its fourth season runs more slowly. This time around, there is much chatting and negotiating even with the primary plot.
For some fans, this won't be an issue; nevertheless, it could turn off those more drawn in by the show's action scenes and twists. From past seasons of The Boys, which go a lot faster, this is a departure in pace. Although the announcement for Season 5 could not be entirely responsible for this, it does seem as though the show is aiming to stretch out its core narrative. Furthermore, Amazon verifying The Boys season 5 is not only dragging down the speed but also lowering the stakes by implying that some developments won't take place on this trip.
The Boys Still Has Time To Change The Story In Season 4
The Boys has time to intensify the story in the next seasons even if they cannot fix the main conflicts of the series in season 4. The Boys' fourth season runs eight episodes overall, thus it hasn't yet reached its halfway mark. Enough time exists to turn things around, bring Homelander closer to his end aim, and cause The Boys squad to grow more desperate. Though it doesn't have the major confrontation of the drama in the next five episodes, the series may nevertheless generate suspense and give action and twists.
The most crucial element is that The Boys season 4 starts to tie together either relative quick resolution of the outlying storylines or connecting them into the main narrative. Seeing the political and personal conflicts between the big actors develop excites viewers, and it's difficult to bring about that when the protagonists are preoccupied with other matters. Approaching the end of season 4, there must be some movement involving the titular team gathering instead of maintaining secrets and distancing themselves. Homelander, Neuman, and The Seven also must enter the open instead of from the shadows altering the political terrain. Homelander and Sister Sage seem to be aiming at that. The stakes will be elevated significantly if they succeed, marking a more fast-paced and exciting ending for The Boys season 4 — and a great segue into season 5. Since Season 5 will signal the conclusion of the superhero series, it should feel far more important. Unfortunately, there will still be a wait until things truly hit the fan. With luck, the fifth outing is not too far off.
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The Boys is a superhero/dark comedy satire series created by Eric Kripke based on the comic series of the same name. Set in a "what-if" universe honoring superheroes as gods and celebrities with few consequences for their deeds. One group of vigilantes, commanded by a vengeance-obsessed guy called Billy Butcher, will counter these super-charged "heroes" to reveal them for what they are, though.
