“Media Illiterate”: ‘The Boys’ Is Having A Bigger Civil War Than Marvel Right Now

The fifth and final season of The Boys has sparked a full-blown civil war. Unlike Marvel, which pitted its biggest heroes against each other, this battle is unfolding off-screen, on social media.

After episode four aired, fans complained online about the lack of plot development. These issues were further exacerbated by episode five, which paused the main story for a reunion that rubbed many viewers the wrong way.

With just three episodes left and no clear endgame in sight, fans are at each other’s throats on X.

“The Boys fans are in the trenches lmao,” one user said.

Viewers voice major complaints about The Boys’ final season

Image credits: Prime Video

Episode five aired on April 29 and sparked almost instant backlash online. Fans argued that the Supernatural reunion featuring Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins was unnecessary. 

They said it took away valuable screen time that could have been used to advance the plot and answer key questions.

Some viewers called episodes four and five “filler,” arguing that they failed to advance the central conflict between Butcher and Homelander and instead focused on side plots involving unfamiliar characters.

“The Boys writers know this is the final season, right?” one viewer asked on X.

A second said, “Two filler episodes CONSECUTIVELY is insane!”

“The Boys isn’t even about the Boys anymore,” a third person added.

The Boys fandom erupted in civil war after the recent episode

Image credits: Prime Video

The negative reactions to the fourth and fifth episodes reflected on their IMDb ratings. They currently hold scores of 7.7/10 and 7.9/10, respectively, making them the lowest-rated entries in the final season. 

However, some fans defended the recent episodes, rejecting claims that the episodes were filler. Instead, they argued that most of the screen time was dedicated to character development.

“With all due respect, it was already silly last week, but if you think the new episode of The Boys is filler, I believe you are genuinely media illiterate,” one user commented.

Image credits: Prime Video

A second wrote, “The Boys dropped a generational episode of television this week, but because people want Homelander to go scorched earth before the finale (not happening), they’re calling it filler.”

The debate quickly spiraled as critics fired back, arguing the episodes marked a significant drop in quality.

A user hit back saying, “When you say you don’t like something, people say u lack media literacy as if it takes some megabrain to understand The Boys.”

The Boys creator addresses pressure to stick the landing

Image credits: Prime Video

Fans remain divided on whether the final season lives up to the hype and whether it will stick the landing.

“The worst ending ever made is coming,” one fan stated.

Earlier this month, showrunner Eric Kripke shared similar concerns during an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

He admitted to working twice as hard on the finale to ensure that it would be satisfying, but the final verdict rested on the viewers. 

Image credits: Prime Video

“It’s so hard to land the plane in a way that’s satisfying, and people retroactively will judge the series based on how they feel about the finale,” Kripke said. 

The fifth season has three more episodes left, with the series finale scheduled to release on May 20, 2026.

The Boys is streaming on Prime Video.

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