The Boys Season 4: has the satire lost its subtlety?

The Boys, originally an adult comic portraying a twisted narrative of the beloved superhero genre, and since adapted into an Amazon Prime show, has become one of the most watched and well-loved series over the past five years. According to Variety, the first episode of season four garnered 21% more viewers than season three demonstrating the uninterrupted popularity of the show. The unique formula of the superhero franchise adapted for the purpose of political commentary evidently retains its intrigue. 

Nonetheless, season four’s ratings have dropped since the first episode. On Rotten Tomatoes, audience ratings have dropped from 90% for season one to 49% for season four. While critics’ engagement remains high, with a score of 95%, viewer ratings have taken a staggering drop. 

The show even goes so far as to reenact the Pizzagate conspiracy theory

The main school of thought to explain this unexpected dip in engagement is that many of the viewers are beginning to recognise the satire, nuance and political underbelly of the show, all of which direct a farcical mirror towards right-winged political mindsets. As Paul Tassi observes: “a significant chunk of the audience have realised the play is about them”.

The show makes many connections and allusions to Homelander representing a particular vision of Donald Trump. He is hailed as a hero to save the masses despite his criminal behaviour and dangerous mindset. The show even goes so far as to reenact the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, mirroring false allegations of child abuse and human trafficking between the Starlighters and Homelander’s supporters. 

These recreations of major political scandals are what make The Boys unique and daring, but simultaneously prone to disagreement and displeasure from those with opposing political standings, hence the lower audience rating.  

Alex Abad-Santos reiterates this idea by writing that: “since the show’s inception in 2019, The Boys has been a superhero allegory about Trump, dangerous authoritarianism, political fanaticism”. 

The show’s director, Eric Kripke, explains that: “this is a show explicitly about the allure of Trump and a critique of corporate America. The only thing that’s seemingly different in this fourth season is that it skates so close to what’s happening in the US now”. This latest season has made it clear that there is indeed a political commentary woven amidst the humour, gore, and catchy soundtracks. 

The game has become riskier

Having lesbian actress Valorie Curry play a hero and serial conspiracy theorist, who promotes the safety of children while she secretly abuses one herself, creates dark comedy but also satirically exposes the hypocrisy of politics. Kripke has even disclosed that Curry’s character Firecracker was: “directly inspired by conservative representative Marjorie Taylor Greene”, who was involved in the Pizzagate scandal. 

The Boys is a show that melds together the fantastical elements of superheroes and villains, and successfully utilises it to create a metaphorical commentary that highlights the complications of American politics – something that many directors do not attempt for fear of backlash. With more and more people becoming aware that the show is actively mocking certain political views, the game has become riskier. Yet the show continues to be the first or second most watched show on Prime. If this wasn’t enough to demonstrate the show’s popularity despite its shift in engagement, Kripke has confirmed a new and final season in an interview with The Direct: “It was ‘always my plan,’ he says ‘I just had to be cagey till I got the final OK from Vought.’” With a fifth season in the works, we can be sure of more daring political satire to come.