‘The Boys’ Adds Content Warning to Season 4 Finale After Trump Incident

“The Boys” is striking a remarkable resemblance to reality, prompting the Amazon Prime Video series to include a content warning prior to its Season 4 finale.

Thursday marked the release of Season 4, Episode 8 — initially titled “Assassination Run” but later renamed “Season 4 Finale.” The episode begins with a viewer discretion note, following closely on the heels of an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump just five days earlier.

“This episode contains scenes of fictional political violence. Any similarities to recent events are completely coincidental and unintentional,” the warning states. “Prime Video, Amazon, MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television and the producers of ‘The Boys’ oppose, in the strongest terms, real-world violence of any kind.”

USA TODAY has contacted Amazon Studios for further comments on the coincidence.

“The Boys” is a series adapted from the New York Times best-selling comic by Darick Robertson and Garth Ennis. The episode title “Assassination Run” is derived from issue 62 of the comic, “Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men.”

The episode’s airing follows the shooting incident involving Trump, during which he sustained an injury to his right ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The tragic event also left two others critically injured and resulted in the death of 50-year-old Corey Comperatore.

The FBI identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He was killed at the scene by the Secret Service’s counter-sniper team.

This isn’t the first time that “The Boys,” known for its satirical and hyperviolent take on superhero narratives, has been compared to real-life events.

USA TODAY critic Brian Truitt notes that the series has long served as a political allegory, addressing real political issues through a provocative, hyperviolent lens.

Season 4 features several storylines echoing current events, including a significant figure on trial in New York City, heated protests, conspiracy theorists, ideological conflicts, and a high-stakes presidential election.

Creator Eric Kripke remarked to USA TODAY ahead of the Season 4 premiere that the series mirrors real-world events. “Frankly, I wish it would quit giving me so much material,” he added.

Source: USA TODAY