The Boys Season 4 now has the dubious honor of holding the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the series’ history, but fans are positive it’s not because the show itself is bad.
The Boys has traditionally reviewed incredibly well with critics and fans alike, but Season 4 doesn’t seem so lucky. As of this writing, the show sits at a 95% Tomatometer but has a 52% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s the first time the series seen such a low audience score as the scores for Seasons 1, 2, and 3 sit at 90%, 83%, and 75%, respectively.
Fans on The Boys’ subreddit took notice, too, with many pointing to the show’s heavy focus on side characters as a potential problem.
“I can see why. I couldn’t care at all for the Hughie, Frenchie, Kimiko, and Starlight plot lines,” one fan said. “The Homelander, Butcher, Ryan, Vicky, and Sage stuff is carrying hard for me.”
Another fan commented,”For me the superhero theme seems to just be on the back burner as they get this Homelander vs Starlight war going on, but only ever see like a group of 20 on each side so it feels more like Milwall vs Leeds football fight rather than a political uprising of the left and right.”
It’s worth noting The Boys Season 4’s low score could be the result of a review bombing campaign. Many of the reviews allude to the series straying too far from the source material and being affected by “social pressure.”
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The Boys has always pushed the envelope in how it addressed today’s political climate, but the current arc pitting Homelander fans against Starlighters has some fans realizing they may have been the punchline all along, especially after Eric Kripke’s pointed interview with the Hollywood Reporter.
In the interview, Kripke discussed his feelings on fans of the series, saying those who disagreed with the show’s perspective were welcome to “go watch something else.”
“Some people who watch it think Homelander is the hero. What do you say to that? The show’s many things. Subtle isn’t one of them. So if that’s the message you’re getting from it, I just throw up my hands.”
The Boys Season 4 has a chance to earn a higher Rotten score as the last five episodes of the season still need to air. So, there’s plenty of time for The Boys to turn around those fans and end on a strong note, especially considering this season will lead into the final Season 5.
New episodes of The Boys Season 4 premiere on Wednesdays on Prime Video. If you can’t wait, check out all of our The Boys Season 4 theories and read up on all the new Supes in The Boys. Or read about the best new movies on streaming and the best new shows on streaming this month.
