‘The Boys’ Claps Back: No Room for Anti-Woke Viewers in Season 4

ByHrvoje Milakovic Posted on
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The hit show on Amazon Prime Video, ‘The Boys,’ is causing a stir with its fourth season, facing criticism from some viewers for its perceived political commentary. The show’s creators, however, have maintained that it’s always been a critique of right-wing politics. Eric Kripke, the show’s creator, argues that the series dives into the dangers of fame merging with authoritarian power, using media to propagate fascism. He sees the main villain, Homelander, as mirroring former President Trump, blending deep insecurity with dangerous ambition.

As the new episodes rolled out, Kripke suggested to The Hollywood Reporter that those upset over the show’s direction might want to look elsewhere for entertainment. This stance is evident in the show’s bold narrative choices, like a scene featuring a right-wing character’s absurd speech on forced transgender transformations and adrenochrome, echoing QAnon theories, which went viral on social media platform X.

The reaction on social media has been mixed, with many mocking the late realization by some fans that the show targets them with its satire. One tweet laughing at this realization received nearly 350,000 likes. Erik Anderson, a film critic, highlighted this irony with a popular tweet that showed a surprised character from another series, capturing the mood with a blunt caption about the show’s aim.

In a similar vein, another series, ‘The Acolyte’ from Disney+, is drawing fire this month for its content, with some branding it too ‘woke’. Its creators faced backlash after branding it as possibly the ‘gayest’ ‘Star Wars’ installment, prompting debate among fans. Critics were especially vocal about a plot where two women use the Force to conceive a child, questioning the implications for the established lore of the ‘Star Wars’ universe.

Both ‘The Boys’ and ‘The Acolyte’ have faced review-bombing on Rotten Tomatoes, but the creators of ‘The Boys’ remain firm in their artistic vision, stressing that subtlety isn’t their approach. If the satire isn’t for you, Kripke’s message is clear: maybe this isn’t your show.

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