It’s been three weeks since The Boys series finale aired, which in the timeline of the internet might as well be an eternity. Though the last episode of Prime Video’s hit superhero satire wasn’t lambasted quite like Game of Thrones, the finale quickly inspired a slew of debate from fans around the globe. Being one of Prime Video’s most popular shows, it’s no surprise that a fiery reaction occurred from some corners of the audience, with many accusing the show of having a “genuinely disappointing” end to the story and others calling the marketing around the finale “lies.”
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Now, with a bit of time for everyone to sit with it, The Boys creator Eric Kripke has finally opened up about the reaction to how the show ended. Speaking with TVLine, Kripke revealed that he has seen the reactions, admitting that he’s “not healthy” in terms of ignoring the online outcry. “Obviously there are a lot of unhappy people online,” Kripke said. “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, of course, and I’m sorry if I disappointed you, but it was the story I wanted to tell.”
The Boys Creator Responds to Finale Backlash
Kripke added, “There are two things I would say: First, I’m just glad people are passionate, legitimately. My job is to make people passionate about the work I put out. If they’re arguing about it and hating it and fighting, that’s all passion, man.”
To his credit, he’s being a tad polite about some of the extreme reactions. Some fans were quick to note that posters released by Prime Video teasing the last season (and by extension, the finale) were quick to show off key locations like Vought Tower in ruin and crushed to rubble, with hints at Homelander in space seemingly preparing to go on a killing spree. When The Boys finale did arrive, though, Homelander only killed one character (a clear analogue for Elon Musk), who was killed off-screen.
Not only that, but Vought Tower still stands by the end of the episode, along with the company itself and many of its supes. Though this ending left many fans with the feeling that “nothing mattered,” as a result of the ending, the truth is that this conclusion aligns with the one in the comics themselves, on top of being a pointed commentary on the lack of actual change in our own world despite drastic events that occur.
To Kripke’s credit, though, he had another observation, making sure to note how he’s learned countless times before that “the online world is not the real world.” The creator then went on to reveal: “We have way north of 60 million viewers, so that makes the online storm, which feels very all-encompassing, actually a fraction of a single percentage point….You just have to put it into perspective of it being a reasonably small, vocal audience when the vast majority seem to be happily tuning in.”
Though the flagship series of The Boys has concluded, the franchise is far from over. Prime Video has already rolled out the first teaser for the ‘ 50s-set Vought Rising show, which many fans are convinced will at least feature some kind of flash-forward given that Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy is technically still alive after the events of the finale. On top of that, The Boys clearly laid out a slew of breadcrumbs for how the show could continue down the line, but it remains to be seen if it will.
