The Boys’ first four seasons have been full of exciting, gory moments, but despite all the anticipation heading into its fourth season, Eric Kripke’s history with Supernatural has me worried about its future. When Amazon first launched The Boys back in 2019, I was hooked. The realistic yet violent portrayal of superheroes offered some truly fresh TV, leaving me stunned at how graphic and unfiltered it was compared to the likes of Marvel and DC. Ever since the first season, I’ve looked forward to every episode’s premiere, but the direction of the series has me concerned.
With news about The Boys season 4 releasing frequently, the wait for TV’s best band of misfits to return gets shorter and shorter, yet The Boys’ time on our screens looks like it has no end in sight. Eric Kripke compared The Boys’ future with Supernatural, suggesting he couldn’t have been more wrong about his five-season plan, and while more content from one of my favorite shows should be a good thing, I can’t help but be concerned about these comments, especially after Supernatural’s ending.
Supernatural Declined After Going Beyond Its Original 5-Season Plan
The Show Struggled To Maintain Its Quality As Time Went On
Despite how popular Supernatural was during its glory days, it definitely didn’t hold up for all 15 seasons. The drama series still had some excellent episodes even in its later years, but it wasn’t the show we came to know and love during the mid-2000s. Given it went on for over 300 episodes, Supernatural’s series finale was never going to satisfy everyone, but while I can forgive its final episodes, I can’t forgive it going on way longer than it needed to.
The fact that the show managed to keep Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki for all 15 seasons still blows me away, but dragging the show in for this long was always going to lead to other actor departures and viewer fatigue, which is hard to overcome. Supernatural may not have had the same decline as other shows that went on too long like The Walking Dead or The Big Bang Theory, but it still suffered from overstaying its welcome, which is frustrating considering how strongly it could have ended.
While I don’t think Supernatural has a bad legacy, the series isn’t as admirable as other shows that stopped at the right time, even when they still had more to offer. Kripke loved Supernatural just as much as the fans did, but knowing when it’s time to say goodbye is important, and he clearly struggles with this. I still hold Supernatural in high esteem and think it should be remembered for its qualities, but it’s impossible to ignore the show’s decline in its later years, and I fear Kripke may repeat the same history with The Boys.
The Boys Going Beyond Season 5 Could End Up Hurting The Show
The Boys’ Story Doesn’t Need To Last Much Longer
The idea of The Boys going beyond season 5 sounds good on paper as a huge fan of the series, but it also risks hurting the show. Kripke originally had a five-season plan for The Boys – just like Supernatural – but it seems the showrunner has reversed his decision, indicating that it will go for much longer. With Gen V being renewed for season 2, this news about The Boys isn’t surprising as there is far too much money to be made given the series’ popularity, but I’m fearful that this could hurt its quality.
Seasons 1 and 2 of The Boys are universally popular, Gen V had a great reception, and while The Boys Presents: Diabolical is an acquired taste, I think a mostly non-canon spinoff series warrants a place in the franchise. However, The Boys season 3 is the first time the tide started to shift on the hit superhero show. Personally, I thought season 3 was great. The introduction of Soldier Boy, Butcher finally fighting Homelander, and Black Noir’s unique story all provided the gripping content that made me fall in love with The Boys, but not everyone felt the same way.
The Boys season 3’s finale proved to be incredibly divisive, starting an interesting dialogue about the show as a whole.
The Boys’ latest installment faced some criticism for being too repetitive and failing to achieve much from a narrative perspective. Most notably, The Boys season 3’s finale proved to be incredibly divisive, starting an interesting dialogue about the show as a whole. I still feel the series has plenty of stories to tell, and I’m convinced the political battle between Homelander and Starlight will be one of The Boys’ best arcs yet, but another 10 seasons of Prime Video’s superhero show fills me with dread, and clearly, a lot of viewers would check out long before the finale.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Kripke plans on repeating his 15 Supernatural seasons with The Boys, but changing his original plan definitely poses a risk of the show burning out. After just three seasons, concerns are already beginning about its future, and this looks destined to continue. Even if season 4 provides us with some of the best scenes and interactions yet, it must achieve more story progression than season 3; otherwise, The Boys’ post-season 5 future could be troubling.
We want to see the story conclude, and we want to see Homelander get what’s coming to him, but waiting season after season for a tiny bit of progress will turn even its biggest fans away, creating a potential problem for The Boys season 6 and beyond.
How The Boys Running For Longer Could Work
The TV Adaptation Has Been Much Stronger Than The Comics & Could Continue To Make Some Major Changes
Despite the problems facing The Boys’ future, the show going on longer could still work in its favor. Amazon’s eight-episode format limits how many storylines can be explored in a single season, meaning more seasons could prevent the show from having a rushed conclusion. Although Supernatural suffered from going on too long, I’ve watched plenty of shows with finales that are completely rushed, leading to a mediocre sendoff, and The Boys deserves better than this kind of fate. Instead, adding a few extra seasons could give it the breathing room it needs to finish its story properly.
With Gen V still to have another season and The Boys: Mexico arriving in the future, The Boys sticking around is beneficial for these spinoffs, providing another reason for the main show to stick around.
Compared to the comic series, Prime Video’s The Boys has been way better, and these changes could allow the story to end differently. The Boys would be better off avoiding the comic ending as it proved to be controversial, and if it does go down a different path, there is no telling how long the franchise could go on. With Gen V still to have another season and The Boys: Mexico arriving in the future, The Boys sticking around is beneficial for these spinoffs, providing another reason for the main show to stick around.
While I don’t want to see The Boys become another Supernatural, I’d hate for it to end too soon and miss out on some potentially great stories. With the likes of Jeffrey Dean Morgan joining the series, I’m still super enthusiastic about season 4, and as long as Kripke still has some great ideas, I’m here for the ride. However, once the show begins to lose momentum, The Boys need to wrap things up before it becomes a shadow of its former self.