Perusing the ice cream flavors in Forest Dining Hall, internally debating whether I need a strawberry or chocolate cone, my brother’s contact photo brightens my phone screen as his call comes through.
Accepting the call — while also deciding on a chocolate cone — my brother begins to ramble on about “The Boys,” ranting about how the show’s newest season is continuing to hype up the question of whether Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) will choose to side with Butcher (Karl Urban) or Homelander (Antony Starr).
Interrupting his thoughts, confused, I ask about what he means by “the newest season,” I had no clue there were new episodes airing. Honestly, I was so caught off guard by Season 5 slipping under my nose that, somehow, I managed to let the scoop of chocolate ice cream slide off the cone onto my shirt.
Genuinely, I had not heard a soul talking about the newest season of one of Amazon Prime’s biggest shows, nor had I seen any social media posts about the subject. I immediately began the trek back to my dorm to watch the episodes I had missed, changing my shirt along the way.
Apparently, the first two episodes of “The Boys” Season Five aired April 8. From there, a weekly release schedule of one episode airing Wednesdays will continue until May 20. Currently, there are four episodes on Amazon Prime.
“The Boys” is a satirical superhero television show based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic series, with both the comics and television show following a team of vigilantes as they combat the superpowered individuals who abuse their abilities for personal gain.
After catching up with the current episodes released, to my dismay, I am a bit disappointed. Not too much, I knew the show was slowly losing its “edge” that it used to have due to characters gaining plot armor as the show continues.
My biggest disappointment and gripe with “The Boys” season five is the “flanderization” of every single character in the show. “Flanderization” is characterized by taking a minor action, trait or characteristic of a fictional character and exaggerating it over time, making it the most notable thing about that specific character.
Notably, the trope is named after Ned Flanders from “The Simpsons” because he began the series as the Simpson’s overly friendly neighbor, who also happened to be Christian. As the long-standing series continued, the Christianity became the forefront of Flanders’ personality, making Flanders a caricature of what he once was.
I recognize the same trope in “The Boys,” and I have for a while, but this season has exacerbated the issue to the point of no return.
Every conversation had within these past four episodes follows the same formula: Butcher explains another plot to kill all “Supes,” Hughie (Jack Quaid) tells Butcher that he is insane and there is another non-violent way to solve it, Frenchie (Tomer Capone) shakes his head while muttering to himself in French, Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) says he hates Butcher but agrees with him and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) looks off into the distance, then mutters something extremely depressing about how she thinks Butcher is correct.
Then, of course, Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) ends the conversation with an extremely vulgar sexual comment directed towards Frenchie, showcasing her newfound voice to the audience through shock-value.
The group dynamic is becoming old and stale, and if the writers do not switch it up mid-season, adding some flavor, then season five will continue being stale and predictable.
I will continue watching until the end because I have committed this far, but I know the “flanderization” will only get worse as the writers attempt to wrap up a show where they are too afraid to kill off important main characters.
I am aware there are some pretty big character deaths approaching because of past interviews I have seen of the cast, foreshadowing throughout the series and because of the comic series’ bloody ending, but I already know in my gut who will die because of how predictable the series has become.
Honestly, the best part of season five that will brighten my spirits each disappointing Wednesday is that they let Mother’s Milk keep his beard.
