“The Boys” Warns of Trumpism’s Dark Endgame

In 2018, I had a brief but memorable conversation with a well-known TV journalist about “The Handmaid’s Tale.” After discussing my commentary on its harrowing second season, they mentioned how the show made them feel optimistic. Puzzled, I asked why.

“Because that will never happen here,” they said.

There was no way this person could have known Roe v. Wade would be overturned four years later. Perhaps they could have, had they noticed the ongoing erosion of reproductive freedoms already in motion.

I share this anecdote to highlight the perils of depicting real-world crises through elaborate settings and dystopian visuals. While these descriptors fit some of my favorite stories, they also make it easy for many to see “The Handmaid’s Tale” as mere fiction. It’s comforting to think that the stripping of women’s rights and reproductive freedoms could never happen here. Or is it?

Genre fiction often exaggerates to make scenarios seem impossible. Yet, most such works are influenced by events occurring somewhere on Earth. Believing these stories could never happen here allows people to dismiss any resemblance to reality as baseless. This memory resurfaced as I rewatched the fourth season finale of “The Boys.”

The Prime Video series made headlines with a new “Viewer Discretion Advised” title card, stating the episode contains fictional political violence and any similarities to recent events are coincidental. “The Boys” finale, filmed in 2023, was initially titled “Assassination Run.” After an assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, the title changed to “Season Four Finale.”

Eric Kripke, the series’ creator, isn’t shy about his perspective, which he infuses into the show unapologetically. In June, he told The Hollywood Reporter, “Anyone who wants to call the show ‘woke’ or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else. But I’m certainly not going to pull any punches or apologize for what we’re doing.” Requests to speak with Kripke or the episode’s writers, Jessica Chou and David Reed, went unanswered.

The finale’s title isn’t the main issue but rather its unsettling timing. Many movies and TV shows postponed debuts or renamed episodes due to tragic events, mainly school shootings. “The Boys” stands out as a dire exposé of extreme political rhetoric’s horrible culmination, reflecting years of divisive demonization.

Kripke, Chou, and Reed are simply projecting our partisan atmosphere to its darkest end. The eerie parallels to Trump rallies and Fox News pundits’ talking points are uncanny.

Homelander and his allies control a vast propaganda machine, portraying themselves as heroes while demonizing critics. Starlight, once part of Homelander’s team, becomes a progressive dissent symbol. Firecracker paints her as a “baby-killer” and pedophile on Vought News, urging viewers to hunt her supporters.

The nation’s wealthy conspire to build internment camps for dissenters. The “Season Four Finale” depicts the culmination of these plans, closely resembling Jan. 6. As the House moves to certify election results, chaos ensues. Neuman, working with Homelander, aims to leverage the 25th Amendment. But Homelander outs her as a Supe on national TV, sparking riots.

A shapeshifter posing as Starlight attempts to kill President-elect Singer. The real Starlight intervenes, but Singer gets incriminated by a leaked recording talking about removing Neuman. Billy Butcher murders Neuman, triggering Homelander’s master plan. Martial law is declared, making Homelander the top cop, who then begins his purge.

Neuman warns that Homelander must eliminate half the country for his plan to work. Empowered civilians make quick work of The Boys, who fail to escape the global havoc.

Valorie Curry’s Firecracker celebrates this violent regime change with a twisted version of “It’s Morning in America,” declaring a new hopeful world under Homelander’s rule.

Participants at last week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee frequently used the buzzword “unity.” Trump’s followers interpret this unity in various ways while dismissing Democrats’ warnings about his dictatorial aspirations.

Supporters like Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts claimed, “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

In the past, we might have seen “The Boys” as dark yet distant escapism. But its latest chapters correlate too closely with current events to ignore their warnings. Despite this bleak portrayal, the show posits that most people mean well, though good intentions alone can’t save us.

Hughie’s realization that fighting monsters requires acting human presents a somber truth. Our last view of Hughie, being taken away while signaling Starlight to escape, leaves us contemplating his fate as she flies into the unknown.

All episodes of “The Boys” are streaming on Prime Video.

Source: Prime Video, The Hollywood Reporter