'The Boys' Is Finally Over: What Went Wrong With the Main Superhero Hit of Recent Years?

The fifth season of The Boys has concluded on Amazon Prime. Opinions are divided: critics gave it high scores, while fans' reactions were more mixed.

Many expected an epic battle between good and evil but instead received a leisurely exploration of a super-narcissist's descent into the abyss.

However, the main problem with Season 5 isn't its length – the creators seem completely confused about how superpowers work in their own universe.

What Was 'The Boys' Season 5 About?

By the end of Season 4, Homelander had risen to power and sent dissenters to reeducation camps. The country was led by a president loyal to the supes.

In the new season, the Boys quickly reunite to use a virus against Homelander that is dangerous only to superheroes. However, Homelander discovers a cure: the V1 serum, which enables the original supes to live forever without aging.

Throughout the season, Homelander searches for the cure. He demands to be called a god and personally kills dissenters, however, the problem isn't solved – everyone is simply afraid of him.

The Creators of 'The Boys' Have Lost Sight of the Logic of Their Own Universe

In Season 5, the creators finally revealed that they had lost control of their own rules. Fans are actively debating this on Reddit and social media, and their concerns are justified.

The virus can only kill supes who were injected with the modern version of the V as children. So why is Homelander, who was genetically engineered as part of a secret project, afraid of it? There's no answer.

Soldier Boy has a unique ability: an energy wave that burns away the V serum in blood, he gained this talent while being tortured and exposed to radiation. But why do some supes lose their powers when exposed to this energy, while others die?

In Season 3, Soldier Boy burned the Crimson Countess alive, however, in Season 5, his ability works differently.

In the final season, logic disappears completely. Homelander finds V1, injects himself with it, and… nothing changes. Visually, he doesn't show any sign of an upgrade, and the writers don't show a single scene in which the character becomes stronger. So what was the whole hunt for a cure all about?

The most absurd moment comes when The Boys decide to repeat the experiment on Kimiko – they irradiate her in the hope that she'll gain the same ability as Soldier Boy. It works just like that, at random.

Logically, the girl who received the serum as an adult shouldn't have gained the same power as Soldier Boy. But who cares?

'The Boys' Season 5 Asks Too Many Uncomfortable & Pointless Questions That Have No Answers

In the first episode of Season 5, Homelander cuts Kimiko in half with his laser vision but in the finale, he can't even hurt her. Why? How will the virus affect Ryan, who was born with powers and has no pure serum in his blood? Why do the characters' abilities change from episode to episode to suit the plot?

In the comics, the serum worked differently. The Boys injected a temporary V before every fight, and it didn't harm them as much as it does in the show. There were fewer variations of the powers, and it was almost impossible to predict which talent a person would receive.

In the show, everything is predictable: for example, Translucent's son received the same powers as his father.

The Boys began as a sharp satire of superheroes, but by the end, the show itself fell victim to plot holes. A merciless mockery of the genre gave way to a repetition of all the same mistakes.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Boys' Season 5?

• The Boys Season 5 has 97% from critics and 59% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.