The Boys final episode explained - how are fans reacting to series ending?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Boys Season 5 finale

The Boys season finale has landed, marking the end of the superhero series after five seasons.

The Prime Video superhero TV series is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers.

Stars of the show include Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Elisabeth Shue, Colby Minifie, Aya Cash, Claudia Doumit, Jensen Ackles, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Daveed Diggs.

Ahead of the final season, the synopsis teased an epic conclusion, "It’s the climax, people. Big stuff’s gonna happen."

We're on the edge of our seats...

What happened in the final episode?

Jasper Savage/Prime

The finale episode titled "Blood and Bone" certainly lived up to its name - strap in.

*Spoilers ahead for The Boys finale episode*

After Frenchie's (Tomer Capone) heroic death in the last episode, the memorial service takes place in the finale where we learn Butcher's risky plan with help from Frenchie to expose a grieving Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) enough radiation for her to possess powers like Solider Boy (Jensen Ackles) has where she can now strip any superhero of their abilities.

Soon enough, Kimiko's powers are put to the test when Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) antagonizes Kimiko, and she is able to strip Sister Sage's abilities away from her, now she's no longer burdened with being the smartest person on the planet and head off to Orlando.

Jasper Savage/Prime

Now, the mission in hand for The Boys is to defeat Homelander (Antony Starr) , and so they head to the White House.

Meanwhile, Ashley (Colby Minifie) is concerned about Homelander and his God complex while Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) is loyal he's slightly reluctant too.

As for Homelander himself, he tries to convince Ryan (Cameron Crovetti), who's been hiding away in the cabin, to go to Vought Tower. This ultimately backfires as Ryan mocks Homelander for wanting to be God.

At the White House, there's a conversation between Oh Father and billionaire Günter Van Ellis (Ivan Sherry) (described as the "World’s richest man. 17 children. Amateur astronaut" who sports a black hat reading “We Believe In Homelander,”... who does this remind us all of?)

Oh Father explains to Homelander that Van Ellis represents a “consortium of billionaires” aka the ruling class of America, whose support would be required for Homelander's church to be built.

An unconvinced Homelander questions if any of them are actual believers, or if they are only afraid of him, we later see Homelander taking Van Ellis outside and they fly up in the sky.

"He was an astronaut. I took him to space," Homelander later tells Oh Father.

In a live Easter broadcast to the nation, Homelander gives a speech where he declares he is God.

Jasper Savage/Prime

The Boys' plan to defeat Homelander sees them infiltrate the White House but things soon go awry when they become trapped and shot at. It is Ashley who comes to the rescue, helping them to escape and leading them the Oval Office.

The Boys are found by The Deep and Oh Father but were able to split up, and at one point we see Mother Milk (Laz Alonso) using a titanium ball gag (a gift to Oh Father from Ashley) and places it around Oh Father's mouth, causing his head to explode when he yells.

We then see Annie (Erin Moriarty) take on The Deep (Chace Crawford) after flying him to the beach where she throws him into the ocean, surrounded by sea creatures who seek revenge over his mistreatment of them, Ambrosius and the pipeline disaster.

Jasper Savage/Prime

As deaths go it's a pretty gnarly on with an octopus wrapping around The Deep before impaling him and dragging his body underwater, as Annie looks on.

Back to Homelander and he's having a breakdown as he declared live on TV that everyone will die except him (the God complex is still very much alive and well then).

A huge fight then occurs as Butcher (Karl Urban) and Kimiko enter and attack Homelander, with the help of Ryan. Initially Kimiko can't use the chest blast but Frenchie's words come to mind where he tells her to use her heart to control her power rather than her rage - and it works!

Kimiko blasts Homelander while Butcher and Ryan are restraining him and as a result all three lose their powers.

Any attempts at Homelander fighting back are over, as Butcher beats him up. Homelander begs for mercy, but Butcher grabs a crowbar and says "this is for my Becca," and driving his crowbar into Homelander's head, ultimately killing him on live TV.

In the aftermath of Homelander's death, Ashley is impeached and removed from office while Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) now free, comes back as CEO of Vought.

But if you thought all the fighting was over you thought wrong as Butcher brings the super virus to Vought Tower, but Hughie (Jack Quaid) tries to stop him. A fight breaks out between the two at the top room of the tower, when it looks like Butcher has an advantage and is preparing to release the virus, he has a moment of hesitation where he thinks about Lenny (Jack Fulton).

It is this moment, that provides Hughie the opportunity to shoot and kill him, with Hughie comforting him in his final moments.

Jasper Savage/Prime

Following The Boys's disbandment, Hughie, Annie, Mother Milk., Kimiko, and Ryan go to Butcher's grave, where he is buried next to Becca (Shantel VanSanten).

Elsewhere Mother Milk and Monique (Frances Turner) get remarried and take in Ryan, while Kimiko goes to France with Simone, the dog that she and Frenchie were going to adopt.

So who's the new president? That would be Bob Singer (Jim Beaver), who contacts Hughie as he's keen to hire him to lead the reopened Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs.

Jasper Savage/Prime

However, Hughie turns down this offer and goes to the audio store where he works with Annie. She's pregnant with their daughter, Robin, who was named after Hughie's late girlfriend. The final scene sees smiling Hughie looking on as Annie flies off to fight crime.

How are fans reacting?

Viewers have been taking to social media to share their initial reaction to the finale episode of The Boys after five seasons, and all in all, most seem pretty satisfied with how the show wrapped things up.

One person said, "For as much criticism as I’ve had with this season of The Boys, Homelander becoming a pathetic, sniveling little rat the second he loses his powers is so perfectly on brand for him after everything we’ve seen."

"The single biggest missed opportunity in The Boys is that we never truly see Homelander snap. They tease it so much throughout the show, but he never gets a chance to let loose. Even after taking the V1, he acts the exact same way," a second person wrote.

A third person added, "The most unrealistic part of The Boys finale is congress actually doing their jobs."

"The Boys showrunners hate Elon Musk," a fourth person commented.

"NOW WHY THE F*** WOULD THEY NAMED THEIR BABY AFTER HUGHIE’S EX ????? AND THEY ARENT MARRIED OKAY BYE IM SO SORRY ANNIE," a fifth person reacted.

Where can I watch The Boys?

Season 1-5 of The Boys is available to watch on Prime Video.

Why not read...

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• The Boys leaves fans rocked by character’s fate in latest episode

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