The Boys Season 4 Is Being Review Bombed

The Boys

By Aayush Sharma

Published Jun 21, 2024

Thread 44

The Boys

Highlights

The Boys Season 4 has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes audience score in the series' history at 48%, marking a significant drop from previous seasons.
Fans speculate that review bombing is the reason for the low score, with some attributing it to perceived political messaging and lackluster writing.
Creator Eric Kripke remains unapologetic for the show's political commentary and advises critics to "watch something else" if they don't agree.

Season 4 of The Boys now holds the unfortunate distinction of having the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the series' history. Although there could be various reasons for the low score, fans suspect the show fell prey to review bombing following its premiere.

The Boys is one of the most popular shows in the world and garnered positive reviews from critics as well as audiences. However, Season 4 turned out to be pretty different from the previous three. The first three seasons had audience scores of 95% (Season 1), 83% (Season 2), and 75% (Season 3), but it saw a significant drop from previous seasons and garnered a record-low audience score. Based on the graphic novel written by Garth Ennis and Darick Anderson, the series has taken the liberty to deviate from the source material, which might be a reason for the show's low audience score. However, fans feel that there's one more reason why the show is being review-bombed.

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As of writing this piece, Season 4 of The Boys has an audience score of 48% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes. Surprisingly, the audience score is in stark contrast to the critical rating of 95%, just below the series-best 98% score of Season 3. It is worth noticing that the audience score for The Boys has continuously gone downwards with each passing edition. However, the score has plummeted since the three-episode premiere on June 13. Many believed that the review bombing appeared to be driven by complaints about the series' perceived wokeness and political leanings. One of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes noted that "the blatant alienation of half their audience by implication that if you have any conservative views at all you are evil" is too much. On the other hand, several fans complained about how Season 4 looks directionless because of poor writing. One fan wrote, "Decline was undeniable in season 3. It seems to continue in this season the writing gets worse and worse." Meanwhile, another fan said, "Terrible... Absolutely no plot, just the occasional shock through violence and sex scenes."

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With a 48% audience score, The Boys Season 4 has become the first season to nab the designation of being "rotten". Despite earning rave reviews from the critics, the audience response is unexpectedly low, especially considering how this series has been so popular in recent years. From the outset, Season 4 didn't shy away from relying heavily on politics, satire, and social commentary. Even in the promotional campaigns, fans noticed Homelander seemingly behaving like former US President Donald Trump and making references to his legal troubles. Nevertheless, it shouldn't come as a shock that this season has leaned into political messaging. In a recent interview, The Boys creator Eric Kripke revealed that he had a perspective that he wanted to show in the series and doesn't care if people call the series "woke".

Moreover, Kripke remains unapologetic for the things he shows on the screen and advised the show's critics' to "watch something else" if they feel it's too political. He told The Hollywood Reporter, "I clearly have a perspective, and I’m not shy about putting that perspective in the show. Anyone who wants to call the show “woke” or whatever, that’s OK. Go watch something else. But I’m certainly not going to pull any punches or apologize for what we’re doing." The Boys is not the only show that has been a victim of review bombing. In recent times, shows like The Last of Us and The Acolyte have received negative reviews for various reasons. Although there is much to look forward to, Kripke has already announced that The Boys will end with Season 5. It would be interesting to see how the makers end the show and if audiences will be satisfied with the result.