Omo, na big gist dey ground for entertainment world as Prime Video hit series The Boys don finally release im fifth and final season. Na eight episodes wey dey drop today, and di show go wrap up di story of Homelander and di anti-supe crusaders wey dey try stop am.
Di season five don come with plenty wahala wey fit make person think say na prophecy. According to showrunner Eric Kripke, dem write di season before di 2024 election, but now di things wey dey happen for real world dey match wetin dey di show. Federal troops dey enter American cities, dem dey round up people send dem go “freedom camps,” and White House press briefings dey turn to jeering sessions.
Anthony Starr wey dey play Homelander still dey lead di country for di show as di megalomaniac wey fit dey go insane. Karl Urban as Butcher and Erin Moriarty as Starlight still dey lead di group wey dey fight against supes. Chace Crawford as The Deep don even become podcast bro wey dey advocate incel tropes.
Kripke talk say e no dey feel great at all wen di world dey out-crazy im superhero show wey get exploding penises. “Na sinking feeling,” e yarn. “Di stuff wey don happen since we write am—including internment camps, sending federal troops into cities… even tiny references like dat clown in charge of di military.”
For di show, dem get character wey dem call General Mayhem. Kripke say wen you think about di clown wey dey in charge now, di Secretary of War, e just dey make sense. Dem change di title from Secretary of Defense to Secretary of War because di person need to dey extra macho.
“Wen we dey write di season,” Kripke swear, “we genuinely think say na small out there, say na di furthest we dey venture into full-on sci-fi. And so much of am don come to pass already. Na really upsetting. I no know wetin else to talk about am.”
But as much as di show dey satirize politics and authoritarianism, Kripke and im team of writers try make hope one of di main themes for dis final season. E talk say dem dey hopeful people, and dem want show say even for worst possible circumstances, you no suppose give up or become cynical.
“Na important to us to show say our quarrel no be with people,” Kripke explain. “You go see characters wey be right winger but dem be good guys. Because we dey try make point say na di leaders dey really problematic.”
Di season also get plenty inside jokes about Hollywood. Kripke dey happy say dem manage to touch almost every major topic The Hollywood Reporter don cover for di last year. Dem even get joke about Taylor Sheridan AI wey refuse to take notes—something wey come from Kripke pikin dem wey dey watch Landman.
But di biggest gist na about di finale. Kripke dey anxious—no be excited—about landing di plane. “Na super hard to do finale,” e talk. “Fans go judge di show based on how dem feel about di finale. If we stiff am, dem go definitely say, ‘Well, dat show no be as good as we think say e be.'”
E talk say e never do finale before, so e no get experience with am. “So I dey mostly anxious and dey gird my loins,” e add with small laugh.
For social media, Kripke break im rule of no dey respond to trash to shut down nonsense wey dey imply say e know di finale na disappointment. “I make rule never to respond but: you want showrunner wey dey anxious & obsessing over every detail because dem want am to be great!” e post. “Writer wey dey ‘I nail dat shit’ confident usually na bad writer.”
For Sony “Creator to Creator” podcast with Shawn Ryan from The Night Agent, Kripke yarn more about di terror wey dey catch am for series finale. “You fit count for one, maybe two hands, di truly great series finales,” e talk. “Di graveyard literally full with terrible series finales.”
E ask how you go tie up stories in way wey go emotional and satisfying, and how you go create illusion say detail wey you drop for Season 1 or 2 dey now come back to pay off. “You fit get greatest show for years,” Kripke warn, “but if you stiff dat ending, na dat one go send everyone go parking lot, dem go talk, ‘Oh, maybe dat show no be dat good.'”
Kripke study from Breaking Bad writers about how dem approach di final season. Dem just dey keep list of loose ends on dia board wey dem no know wetin to do with dem, compiling over di seasons. Wen time reach for final season, dem just start checking dem off.
Now di final season don land, fans dey wait see how di plane go land. Di show wey don dey satirize everything from Hollywood to social media to politics now dey face im own final test. Kripke anxiety show say e dey care—and for entertainment business, dat one na good sign.
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