The Boys season 5 review: A more sombre than satisfying goodbye to Prime Video's anti-superhero hit

Almost seven years on, one released spin-off series (Gen V), an animated anthology (The Boys Presents: Diabolical), and two upcoming projects later (Vought Rising and The Boys: Mexico), the acclaimed and hugely satirical flagship (anti) superhero show, The Boys, is finally set to come to a close with its fifth and final series.

Spawning countless brutal and bloody memorable moments (Herogasm, anyone?!), hilarious memes, shock twists, and bold cultural, social, and political commentary, the biting and often gleefully sadistic series has undoubtedly become a cultural phenomenon, offering a refreshing counter-narrative to the often rinse-and-repeat formula of other superhero blockbusters.

However, all good things must come to an end, and thankfully The Boys hasn’t quite overstayed its welcome, with showrunner Eric Kripke closing the curtain on this chapter with a planned five-season run. But, as with all popular shows coming to a close, the question of whether the writers can stick the landing is the primary concern, especially when certain finales (e.g. Game of Thrones, Dexter, Lost!) still prove a sore point for many fans and the wider cultural landscape.

As Butcher (Karl Urban) and the Boys are back in town for one final hurrah, can Kripke and co. unleash a fittingly crazy goodbye to their merry band of vigilante criminals and depraved Supes? Well, not with the expected bang, but with something more unsettling - an emotionally devastating outing that strays alarmingly close to a present-day reality.

Once an entertaining and subversive satire, the series now feels almost too recognisable, trading gleeful shock for an unsettling sense of inevitability and futility. Buckle up for a sombre swansong…

The fifth season picks up soon after the last, with a dystopian America now firmly under Homelander’s (Antony Starr) egomaniacal and fascist control - thanks in part to the new Vice President Ashley (Colby Minifie) and her husband, clergyman Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) - while the majority of The Boys are about to be publicly executed in one of Homelander’s "freedom camps".

Meanwhile, Butcher is ready to unleash his supe-killing virus - no matter the cost - to stop Homelander for good, while Annie (Erin Moriarty) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) attempt to rally a rebellion and save Frenchie (Tomer Capone), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) and Hughie (Jack Quaid).

The penultimate season certainly left the rag-tag band of Boys in a dark and downbeat place, what with Butcher murdering Victoria and hellbent on a path of self-destruction, while the disbanded team were all captured except Annie. With the next president pledging his allegiance to Homelander, declaring martial law and the downfall of the Starlighters, the final outing leans further into this dystopian vision of a brainwashed America under the Supes' tyrannical control.

One of the season’s central plot devices, revolving around Butcher’s plans, is very much a MacGuffin for the final showdown, but it ramps up the stakes and tension considerably, whilst also nicely tying in events from spin-off Gen V and earlier seasons of The Boys. More interestingly, it allows for an intriguing expansion of the wider Vought lore, spotlighting the infamous doctor’s early experiments in a standout (and amusingly self-aware) sequence.

And while the fate of the globe is at stake, it’s a surprisingly more intimate and heartfelt endeavour, with the final outing upping the emotional stakes - particularly with the potential effects on Kimiko and Frenchie, and Annie and Hughie’s relationship. A later arc exploring love and immortality also makes for a surprising but affecting entry, even amidst the chaos and carnage.

Karen Fukuhara and Tomer Capone, in particular, shine this season, proving to be the heart and soul of the show with their tender and sincere chemistry, offering a much-needed emotional counterpoint to the series' dark nature.

But this wouldn’t be The Boys without its signature bonkers and bloody carnage, and there’s certainly plenty of that to dive into, with even more shocking and brutal character deaths than before. Kripke certainly wasn’t joking when he teased significant casualties, warning fans not to get too attached to any single character.

And while this isn’t new for the show (we’re still mourning Ambrosius!), it’s much more of a gut punch this time round due to the season’s already dark and depressing nature, mirroring reality.

Aside from the Deep (Chace Crawford is still the comedic MVP!) and Soldier Boy’s (Jensen Ackles) laugh-out-loud quips and genuinely hilarious moments, there’s a distinct lack of the show’s signature tongue-in-cheek and gross-out humour.

One major issue is tone - the show has shifted so far from the highs of season 1-3, with unsettling events such as weaponised faith, tyrannical leaders, and oil spills feeling far too close to current events to serve as entertaining satire anymore. Yes, there are still amusing jibes, such as a hilarious spoof of the Nicole Kidman AMC Theatres advert, but overall it’s lacking in the comedic department.

Another issue is the ever-expanding cast, with yet more additions in the final chapter. With the biggest roster of Supes yet, it’s easy to lose track of who’s fighting for who, as allegiances and loyalties once again shift throughout.

While Teenage Kix and Daveed Diggs’ Oh-Father somewhat miss the mark, Mason Dye's new character, Bombsight, is a brief but welcome addition, nicely tying threads together with Soldier Boy and the original 1950s line-up, further impacting Jenson Ackles’ character arc (and presumably setting up the upcoming prequel Vought Rising).

So far, this final season of The Boys delivers more of a heavy sense of inevitability - think Thanos-level Infinity War ending - rather than a somewhat cathartic payoff fans might have hoped for. Certain major events and revelations in Gen V season two also feel largely un-addressed, leaving much of the promise of bigger showdowns frustratingly unresolved.

Furthermore, much of the season again treads familiar ground, with repetitive story beats such as the Boys’ infighting, everyone having daddy issues, and loyalties constantly shifting. And with only one episode to go (seven of the eight were provided to press) the finale is left with an awful lot to wrap up in a single outing.

The scale is also limited compared to previous instalments, with conflicts and expected standoffs surprisingly few and far between - aside from an early, fun prison-escape showdown and one character finally getting a Quicksilver-style X-Men moment.

The Boys fifth and final instalment is more dispiritingly dark than diabolical, with the outrageous humour and subversive sparkle that once set the show apart largely absent. There’s certainly still plenty of signature blood-soaked carnage and shocking moments (particularly in one cameo-heavy sequence), but overall it feels more sombre than satisfying.

Still, in the end, The Boys go out dramatically... even if it’s more bittersweet than expected.

The Boys season 5 premieres on Prime Video on 8 April 2026 – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days.

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