Summary
With the latest gloriously bloody season of Amazon Prime’sThe Boyscoming to an end, critical response has been mixed to say the least. While the show’s fourth installment retains an impressive Rotten Tomatoes “Fresh” rating of 93%,The Boys' latest outing has beensubject to review bombing.
For those who enjoyedThe Boys' return, there was plenty of screen time for the familiar array of faces that make up the core cast; that’s not to mention an array of new arrivals in the vein ofSister Sage and Firecracker. However, a number of compelling characters were reduced to fleeting cameo appearances during Season 4, leaving fans wanting more for when the show returns for its fifth and final outing.
7Stan Edgar
The Machiavellian former CEO of Vought made his long awaited return to the show after he was betrayed by his adopted daughter Victoria Neuman in Season 3. Edgar was revealed to be in prison, with the Boys having to call upon the former tycoon’s assistance in their desperate search for the virus. Despite their attempts to return him to his concrete accomodation, Stan was eventually freed with Victoria’s assistance.
Sadly, the calculating Edgar was reduced to just a single episode appearance, with his circumstances being left ambiguous following his purported escape from custody. As television’s quintessential sinister villain, it seems a waste to under utilize the inimitable Giancarlo Esposito on the show; he’s just too entertaining as Vought’s dispassionate head honcho.With Victoria’s death, he now even has a new axe to grind with the Boys, which is all the more reason for him to receive an extended run of screen time when the show returns.
6Zoe Neuman
Victoria’s Compound V-Powered Daughter
Zoe Neuman was presented as an intriguing new character long before the death of her mother Victoria at the hands (and tentacles) of Billy Butcher and his Compound V-based tumor. The daughter of the aforementioned former vice president-elect and Sameer Shah, Zoe possesses one of the more uniquely disgusting powers seen onThe Boys: the ability to project four tentacled mouths capable of ripping her unfortunate enemies to shreds.
Outrageously entertaining superpowers aside, Zoe now has a personal vendetta against the show’s main character. The fact that she now finds herself in the same orphanage her mother grew up in is almost Shakespearean, too. Who doesn’t love a good revenge story arc? Zoe’s character simply presents too many intriguing avenues of exploration for Eric Kripke to relegate her to a cameo-based role against the backdrop of the show’s conclusion, so it would be nice to see her play a bigger part in Season 5.
5Love Sausage
A Former Sage Grove Resident And Herogasm Participant
Owner of a prehensile sexual organ, Love Sausage has been relegated to the role of a minor antagonist throughout his time onThe Boys. The Russian supe had briefly popped up at the Sage Grove Center and Herogasm but hadn’t made a meaningful contribution to proceedings before his appearance in the Season 4 finale, gleefully ambushing Mother’s Milk in a bathroom as he attempted to make his escape.
Given the integral role that Love Sausage plays inThe Boys' source material, reintroducing him to the fold at this point in proceedings surely warrants an extended run of appearances when the show returns, even if it is as a villain rather than an ally to the Boys. After all, the final season represents Eric Kripke’s final chance to utilize one of the comic book’s more memorable superheroes; the time for Love Sausage to shine is now.
4Cate Dunlap
Gen V’s Mind Bending Villain
A villain with a complex backstory and motivations,Gen V’s Cate Dunlap is one of the most compelling antagonists inThe Boysfranchise. Brought to life in a stunning turn by Maddie Phillips, the former Godolkin University alum’s sociopathic nature and formidable telepathic powers make her must-see television. As such, a more prominent role in proceedings asThe Boysenters its final chapter seems more than warranted.
Cate is much more than acartoonishly evil supervillain; she’s a nuanced and conflicted character of the highest order. A more involved role for Phillips' charge in the show’s narrative could only serve to enrich the final product, presenting an unexplored avenue for absorbing character development on a show where many of the characters have already nearly brought their stories full circle.
3Sam Riordan
The Other Half Of The New “Guardians Of Godolkin”
Much like hisGen Vcounterpart Cate Dunlap, the notion of more Sam Riordan inThe Boys' final season is a supremely enticing concept. For starters, Sam is one of the more powerful individuals that this universe has to offer, which is no small accolade considering his peers. His terrifying blend ofsuperhuman strength and durabilitycoupled with his mental instability is the perfect recipe for more jaw-dropping action set pieces as the show reaches its explosive conclusion.
More intriguingly still, the schizophrenic Sam’s underlying morality is even more ambiguous than his “Guardians of Godolkin” counterpart. Given Cate’s involvement in his brother’s death and hiscaptivity in “The Woods,“the prospect of an explosive final showdown between the pair against the backdrop ofThe Boys' apocalyptic endgame is simply too exciting to pass up; Sam needs more screen time next season.
2Colin Hauser
Frenchie’s Former Flame
Given the seemingly nonsensical nature of his Season 4 storyline with his brief romantic interest Frenchie, many fans will likely be happy never seeing Colin Hauser again, let alone seeing more of him next season. Not only did the reveal of Frenchie’s bisexuality come somewhat out of left field; it was dropped like a hot brick in the space of four episodes. This narrative development felt further cheapened by hiskiss with Kimikoin “Season 4 Finale.”
As such,The Boyssimply must show more of Colin in the final season; what was the point of even introducing him otherwise? While many fans will likely be glad to see the back of one of the show’s most flimsily constructed narrative threads, Elliot Knight’s charge has to return to justify why he was included in the first place. If he isn’t given more of a role to play in Season 5, it will feel like his storyline went nowhere and served absolutely zero wider purpose.
1Soldier Boy
Payback’s Former Leader And Homelander’s Father
The fourth season’s post-credit sequence seemingly confirmed the potential return of one ofThe Boys' most beloved characters, despite appearing only for a matter of seconds and producing zero lines of dialogue. Shown to a high security vault by the newly elected President Calhoun, a visibly emotional Homelander is confronted with the sight of his sleeping and sedated father:Payback’s former leader, Soldier Boy.
In a show that has produced a litany of memorable characters, Jensen Ackles' riotously entertaining psychopath numbers among the most entertaining names to date. Not giving theSupernaturalalum an extended run of screen time next season would be an egregious let-down for the fanbase that has eagerly anticipated Soldier Boy’s return since the credits rolled in the third season finale. Given his conflicted relationship with Homelander, endless quotability, and the terrifying array of powers he brings to the table, Soldier Boy can only enhance the quality of the show’s final offering.
