Let's Talk About 'The Boys' Season Finale And Why This Incredible Show Isn't Nominated For An Emmy
Almost a week has gone by since 'The Boys' aired its Season 3 finale so I figured it was time we discussed it on this forum. First order of business per the headline, why isn't one of the best shows on TV nominated for any upcoming Emmy's after arguably its best season to date? Turns out they missed the cut-off which feels pretty on brand.
EW- Networks and streamers had from June 1, 2021-May 31, 2022 to premiere any of the shows it would want the Television Academy to consider for the 2022 Emmys. Season 3 of The Boys premiered on Amazon's Prime Video platform June 3, three days after the window cut-off; the show, however, can submit for the 2023 Emmys. (The animated series The Boys Presents: Diabolical — which debuted in March — is eligible in that category this year.)
Oh well, I guess we'll have to wait til 2023 to tune into the Emmy's. Now let's discuss the season finale and what we just watched over the last few months. If you were waiting to binge it all together and haven't dove in yet I really encourage you to not read past this point.
Here's Starlight to break up the spoilers.
SPOILERS
Let's get into the season finale before taking on the whole season all together. The final episode? I found myself for the first time this year kinda let down as weird as that is to say. That's not to say it wasn't good, but I had some fair complaints and I have a feeling you did too.
Ryan ruining everything
This kid straight up SUCKS! Anyone else just despise Ryan and how he gets in the way of absolutely everything? First he kills Becca at the end of S2 before Billy makes that promise to her that he'll watch over him. Then just as they're about to finish off Homelander this fucking kid gets in the way again, all of a sudden changing Butcher's entire plan. In the blink of an eye the focus swings towards Solder Boy and getting him gone. What? Enough with this fucking kid. Obviously the very end introduces Ryan to the public world and solidifies him as Homelander's number 2 in training, but his whole appearance in the final fight scene made a mess of it all. It seems Ryan is about to become a huge piece to the puzzle here rather than the random spurts we've seen him. In that case his eventual death will be so fucking satisfying. I am rooting for a child's death in a TV show and that's perfectly fine. Him and MM's wife's husband. Oh I need that clown to get dismembered in the worst of ways.
Noir's death
I don't understand how building up a whole season of Noir vs. Solider Boy led to exactly zero Noir-Solider Boy direct encounters. We've got Soldier Boy on this mission to murder everyone from his former team with Noir preparing himself for the face-off only for Homelander to kill his own guy and eliminate that entire storyline. Having Soldier Boy kill Noir or vice versa would've satisfied me a whole lot more. Maybe Homelander kills Noir mid-fight in a way to try to make peace with Soldier Boy? Nope, killed before we even get to the clash. I wonder if they try and replace Noir in the Seven and keep the same uniform since the public doesn't know what he looks like.
Soldier Boy getting turned on
Was he really all that bad of a guy? Yes, he murdered many people this season, but it's not like he was walking around like a terrorist deliberately killing innocent souls. I feel people like Starlight heard stories and rumors of Solider Boy and made him out to be this evil, evil dude when that wasn't exactly the case. He certainly has his flaws, but at least he's loyal and compared to Homelander a million times more sane.
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SB made a promise to Butcher that he'd take out Homelander if they helped him find his old team along the way. The whole idea was to kill Homelander, and just when you think maybe he'll turn sides to be with his "son" he calls HL a soft, pathetic bitch and sticks to the game plan. Everyone then decides to turn on him because why? He pushed Ryan and cut his head a bit? Homelander purposely threw Ryan off the roof of his house and we're worried about a cut on his head?!?! Soldier Boy didn't kill Ryan, he simply discarded him out of the way after he was lasered by the kid. That caused everyone to forget how much they hate Homelander and instead team up with him!
All the members of The Boys witnessed Soldier Boy kill multiple innocent people, accident or not, throughout the season. During Herogasm more than a dozen people were killed in the explosion. None of that was enough for Billy to turn on him, but my god he injures the kid who murdered his wife and it's curtains for SB???
Quick aside, Jensen Ackles portrayal of Soldier Boy was just about as good as it gets. It's so hard to add a main character to the plot of a very popular show like The Boys a couple seasons already in and make it work. They did it successfully with Stormfront in S2 and now did the very same with Soldier Boy. I wonder if there's anyway he makes another appearance as the series is wrapping up. If shit starts to really hit the fan with Homelander and Nueman they could always wake him back up. Given the fact everyone turned on him and all he really cares about is loyalty, I'm not so sure he'd be jumping for joy to help them out the next time.
Maeve
What a fucking season it was for Maeve. Despite her plans to destroy Homelander once and for all, she changes her mind last second to save everyone. The end result isn't death, but instead the removal of her powers, almost certainly signaling the end of her character on the show. Similar to the end of S2 when she chooses to blackmail Homelander to save Butcher, she opts to be the hero again.
Maeve did a whole lot in these recent episodes. She goes rogue against Homelander and feeds the temp-V to Butcher in hopes it leads to the big guy's demise. She also bangs Butcher along the way there…I kinda dig normal clothed Maeve with that accent.
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She's then captured and imprisoned by Homelander to the point where Starlight thinks she may be dead. Eventually she breaks out with one goal in mind —killing the big guy.
In a full display of how bad ass she is, Maeve proves she can go toe-to-toe with Homelander in their fight. I guess this whole time she was just scared to actually step in the ring with him when in fact she had the power to do so all along.
Credit to her for sticking to the plan and not giving a fuck about Ryan, looking at you Billy. It leads to a Tony Stark-esque sacrifice, getting Soldier Boy out of the Vought tower and keeping the explosion away from everyone else. I was fine with all of this, but she didn't need to live. I despise when a show is too afraid to take a risk and kill off a main character. Regardless, I hope that's the last we see of her, assuming she goes on to be a normal person with her girlfriend on a farm. That's a good way to close out her story.
As for the season as a whole, it really was fucking incredible. Diabolical some would say. Herogasm was definitely the peak of the series so far and I hope they can find a way to one up it. Everything with Homelander and Soldier Boy played so well this year, with both actors putting on incredible performances. I wouldn't mind Emmy's for both actors next year.
This show was already fantastic, but season 3 really took that extra step up and it was awesome to see. From that absurd exploding penis scene in the first 5 minutes, to unhinged Homelander, the dynamic of SB adjusting to our time, Herogasm, Hughie and Butcher with temp-supe powers, the epic fight between SB, Hugie, Homelander, and Butcher, Starlight exposing Vought for what they are, the Deep eating Timothy, A-Train's character arc coming full circle, Maeve going rogue, and Neuman playing everyone behind the scenes. I probably missed some shit because it was that jam-packed. Just a fantastic TV show put on by Amazon Prime. To me it's the best piece of entertainment out there and I can't wait to see what's next. Filming for Season 4 starts next month.
We'll close it out with the epic fight from Herogasm