The Boys’ most tragic moment so far proves controversial season 5 decision is right – even if it won’t win over the naysayers

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*Warning – contains major spoilers for The Boys season 5 episode 7.*

Ending a TV show is always difficult. Once you’ve made the decision and told everyone, people start paying very close attention to how you wrap things up – especially if it’s a popular show with passionate fans.

Just ask the creators of Game of Thrones. The show’s ending disappointed almost everyone, and it significantly damaged the show’s overall reputation. Once considered among the best series ever, like Breaking Bad or The Wire, it’s no longer held in such high regard.

The show’s reception seems to have made later showrunners quite anxious. Ryan Condal, who leads the House of the Dragon series, admitted he worried about delivering a satisfying conclusion years before the show even reached that point – a fear clearly stemming from the original Game of Thrones finale.

Eric Kripke, the creator of ‘The Boys’, has openly acknowledged feeling immense pressure while writing the show’s fifth and final season. He’s mentioned in multiple interviews that he faced the writing process with significant anxiety.

While increased online discussion has energized fans and helped shows gain popularity, the constant, intense attention can actually stifle writers’ creativity and confidence, potentially cutting short series that might have otherwise continued successfully.

I’ve noticed that with all the criticism surrounding the show, a lot of fans went into the final season of The Boys already expecting disappointment. It’s like they braced for the worst instead of hoping for the best, and were quick to find fault with anything that didn’t perfectly align with how they wanted the story to end. It’s become such a big part of how people talk about the show, and honestly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

After a few episodes aired, some viewers began to criticize the season for being slow-paced and including episodes that didn’t advance the main story.

Saul Kripke recently explained to TV Guide that the emotional impact of the show’s ending relies on strong character development. He’s noticed a lot of online criticism, and he wonders what viewers were hoping for, questioning if they expected constant action instead of focusing on the characters’ journeys.

I simply can’t afford it, and even if I could, it would feel lifeless and pointless – just forms moving around without any real meaning.

I completely agree with him. While a good plot is definitely crucial, some fans expect stories to move too quickly – their expectations about pacing are just unrealistic.

The show ‘The Boys’ isn’t successful just because of its storyline. Its enduring appeal comes from the intense personal conflict between Homelander and Butcher, a rivalry that’s destined to have a clear winner and loser.

Any conflict can only go on for so long before it reaches a decisive and violent conclusion. Instead of letting that happen, focus on developing compelling characters and exploring their growth and evolution over time through engaging storylines.

Fans have every right to feel upset with how certain characters’ stories have developed, and many seem unhappy with season 5 in particular. While I’ve generally been pleased with the direction things have taken, I won’t debate that issue here.

I’m not going to discuss that right now. Instead, I want to focus on a particular scene from the second-to-last episode of the series. It really highlights how smart it was for Kripke and the writers to prioritize developing the characters and their relationships instead of relying on constant action and surprises.

This moment felt inevitable – the showrunner had hinted at major character deaths since the end of season four, and throughout the season, we’d seen Kimiko and Frenchie dreaming about the peaceful life they hoped to have after defeating Homelander.

From the start, it seemed too good to last, and we all suspected someone wouldn’t survive.

Look, I have to admit, seeing Frenchie go was a real gut punch. Tomer Capone has been fantastic since day one, and the character quickly became a fan favorite. When Homelander finally took him out, it was a genuinely affecting moment – a real blow to the heart for anyone who’d been following the show.

This scene resonates for reasons that have nothing to do with the story’s logic or plot. Viewers focused on those details might wonder why Homelander didn’t severely injure Frenchie, as he’s done to so many others. It’s a moment that works on a purely emotional level, not a rational one.

I see where this argument is coming from, but I believe it overlooks something important. With most scripted shows – especially sci-fi and fantasy – we expect to temporarily accept unbelievable things. Sometimes, focusing on the emotional impact of a scene is more crucial than perfect logic.

This scene is effective because the audience is invested in Frenchie, Kimiko, and their connection. That investment comes from consistent character development over the course of the series – including the seemingly minor scenes that some viewers might dismiss as unimportant.

This moment feels impactful because it’s the first time we’ve witnessed a member of The Boys die. If the season had focused more on intense action and followed a more dangerous path as some viewers expected, we likely would have seen most of the group eliminated already, with Homelander easily defeating them in multiple encounters.

Throughout its run, The Boys has protected its main characters – and it needed to. This protection ensures that impactful moments, like the one we’re seeing, truly resonate and aren’t just gratuitous violence.

It’s okay for minor characters, and even some of the Seven, to die, especially if we’re anticipating it. However, when it comes to The Boys, their deaths need to have a real impact because we’re meant to be invested in their stories.

Let me be clear: I’m not saying this season of The Boys is flawless. Many fans, myself included, feel the first season was the show at its best, and season 3 was also fantastic. However, even with some loss of its initial impact and spontaneity, the show remains incredibly entertaining each week, offering a unique blend of striking visuals, fun, and dark humor that’s hard to find elsewhere.

Simply put, this show isn’t in the same league as critically acclaimed series like Breaking Bad and The Wire, and it never really had the potential to be.

Honestly, one of my biggest gripes with this season is how much time they’ve spent teasing ‘Vought Rising,’ the prequel show. It feels like we should have seen that one before this season, you know? It’s just a little backwards and distracting, and I’m with a lot of fans on that point.

I do disagree about the idea that modern TV relies too much on unnecessary content. While it’s true our attention spans are getting shorter, the real strength of serialized television is that it lets us really get to know characters and see how they react in different circumstances, whether those situations are major plot points or just smaller, interesting moments.

Ultimately, everything contributes to how we feel about the characters, which is why moments like Frenchie’s death are so impactful and emotionally resonant.

These conversations bring to mind something writer Dennis Kelly shared with me last year while discussing his play, Waiting for the Out. I’ve thought about it again recently while writing about the Netflix series, Vladimir.

What really bothers me right now is that we’re confusing excitement with genuine emotional depth. We seem to believe they’re the same thing, but they absolutely aren’t.

This perfectly sums up the core of the argument about the show’s pacing. We could have gotten a more action-packed final season with a member of The Boys being eliminated each week, and it would have been violent, but it wouldn’t have had the same emotional impact.

While some fans will likely remain unhappy, Frenchie’s death, despite being powerful, probably won’t change their minds. However, I believe the showrunners made the correct decision. It remains to be seen how this plays out in the finale – I haven’t watched it yet – and it could significantly alter my overall impression of the season’s story.

I’m approaching this with optimism and hoping the writers focus on strong characters, even though I expect there will still be plenty of action and violence.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at the international production company Fremantle. He has a BA degree in English and Theatre Studies, and a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-05-13 19:38