We had to wait until early April for the release of the final season of "The Boys," and fortunately, now that we've reached the fifth episode, expectations for a finale worthy of the title seem to be becoming more than ever true. The series created by Eric Kripke exclusively for Prime Video—described by prestigious publications like Rolling Stone and Forbes as one of the best television series of all time—has captivated audiences since its sensational debut in 2019, thanks to an awkward and irreverent element that, inspired by the comic book of the same name, has successfully adapted the spirit of the original work to today's world. This is not simply to entertain—perhaps even descending into facile and gratuitous sensationalism—but to sharply criticize the degenerations of capitalist society, culminating in the contradictions of the American political system.
Already in the pre-air press reviews collected on the Rotten Tomatoes website, the fifth season of The Boys triumphed with a resounding 95% approval rating, managing the delicate task of approaching its conclusion without losing the brutal and ruthless soul that made it famous. Among the various observations, critics seem to agree that "The Boys 5" is the darkest season of the entire show, as one reviewer lucidly expressed: "Every geyser of blood and every spilled viscera becomes a small, necessary catharsis."
In the climate of conflict and geopolitical instability that's keeping the world on tenterhooks, "The Boys" also seems to have unwittingly entered the thick of propaganda. After the viral AI-generated image of Donald Trump portrayed as Jesus, showrunner Eric Kripke couldn't deny, in an interview with TVLine, that he felt called out for his work on the series: "We wrote this episode (episode 3) two years ago, even before the election. My concern was that everyone would think Homelander had gone too far and become too much of a caricature. That was my real concern. The world continues to outpace us in terms of insanity."
A situation that, in a previous interview with TV Guide, he had already demonstrated left him incredulous and uneasy: "I'm really sorry to have to say this, but we wrote (the series) before the election. It seems naive now, but I swear the plan was: let's write a 1984 version of what creeping authoritarianism looks like in America, and maybe everyone will think, 'Thank goodness, we got away with it.' Instead, we got hit by a bullet. And a lot of things that were unbelievable to us, that made us think, 'This is crazy,' have come true in a really, really disturbing way."
An ethical, as well as professional, stance that further motivated the cast and crew to do their utmost to end the show in the best possible way. Erin Moriarty, who plays Annie January/Starlight, also expressed this sentiment, particularly after revealing that she suffers from Graves' disease, diagnosed last year. This autoimmune disorder, even in the face of serious physical challenges, did not prevent her from giving her all throughout the entire filming cycle.
Regarding her health, specifically, the work done on the fourth episode, she stated: “Okay, so: Episode 4 of Season 5 was one of the most important episodes I've ever filmed. Unfortunately, that part of the season coincided with the peak of my health problems before my diagnosis. Shortly after this episode, I started losing the ability to walk. The numbness in my feet caused me to fall frequently. The night before filming my part of this episode, I fell and tore my knee.”
Calling for a more open and constructive debate on these types of diseases, she added: “I have very few behind-the-scenes photos from this season, especially since things got worse. This isn't a pity post. It's mostly to say: fuck autoimmune diseases. Fuck them big time. And fuck the ignorance surrounding them, too. I can't fix that ignorance, but not talking about it openly sometimes feels wrong.”