Omo, The Boys Season 5 don finally land for Prime Video this Wednesday, and e dey carry plenty wahala wey fit make you look real world politics side-eye. Na eight episodes full of action as di anti-supe crusaders led by Butcher and Starlight dey try find way to stop Homelander and him gang from turning America upside down.
Di show creator, Eric Kripke, yarn say even though dem write di season before 2024 election, some things wey dey inside fit make you think say dem dey prophesy. We get federal troops wey dey enter cities, people dem dey round up put for “freedom camps,” and White House press briefings wey dey turn to shouting match. And for top of everything na Homelander wey dey act like say him head don cut.
Kripke talk say e no dey feel fine at all when him see how real world don begin resemble wetin dem write for show. Him talk say, “E no dey great when di world out-crazy your superhero show with exploding penises.” Him mention things like internment camps and sending soldiers enter cities as examples of wetin don happen since dem write di season.
Even small-small jokes like di character General Mayhem wey dey in charge of military for di show don get real life version. Kripke yarn say when dem dey write am, dem think say na sci-fi or speculative fiction dem dey write, but now e don become reality. “E dey really upsetting,” him add.
But make we no think say di show dey only about cynicism. Kripke explain say dem try hard to put hope as main theme for this season. Him talk say dem want show say even for worst situation, you fit still hold hope and no become cynical. Di characters demself dey struggle with this matter throughout di season.
One important thing wey Kripke emphasize na say di show quarrel no be with ordinary people. Him give example of one right-wing character for di show wey still be good person. Di target na di leaders wey dey cause problems, no be followers.
For inside Hollywood jokes, dis season get plenty. Kripke talk say dem get goal to be di most accurate inside-Hollywood show, even though him admit say Apple TV’s The Studio dey do am better. One joke wey come from him children watching Landman turn to show within show wey dem call American Eagle.
When dem ask am about AI, Kripke swear say di writers’ room dey 100 percent AI free. But him confess say him dey use am for synonyms because e better pass Google for finding words with correct tone. Him also dey use am make stupid pictures of him friends.
Now, di big matter be di finale. Kripke dey anxious about am. For interview with The Hollywood Reporter, him talk say “excites” na wrong word. Wetin dey worry am na how to “land di plane” properly. Him explain say e hard to do finale because fans go judge di whole show based on how finale end.
“If we stiff it, dem go definitely say, ‘Well, dat show no be as good as we think say e be,'” Kripke yarn. Him talk say na first time him dey do series finale, so him no get experience. Him dey mostly anxious and dey “gird him loins” as him talk.
When some people for social media try twist him words to mean say him know say finale go disappoint, Kripke break him rule of no dey respond to trash online. Him post say, “I make rule never to respond but: you want showrunner wey dey anxious & obsessing over every detail because dem want am to be great! Writer wey dey ‘I nail dat shit’ confident usually na bad writer.”
For Sony’s “Creator to Creator” podcast with Shawn Ryan, Kripke explain say him dey for “fair amount of terror” about series finale. Him talk say you fit count truly great series finales for one or two hands, while graveyard full of terrible ones.
Him ask important questions: “How you go tie up stories? How you go do am wey go emotional and satisfying? How you go create di illusion say small detail wey you drop for Season 1 or 2 now dey come back to pay off?”
Kripke learn from Breaking Bad writers about how dem handle finale. Dem tell am say dem just dey keep list of loose ends on board wey dem no know wetin to do with dem throughout seasons. When finale time reach, dem just dey start checking dem off and pay dem off, making dem look like geniuses.
Di showrunner talk say Breaking Bad na as good as show fit get, and him dey try learn from dia approach. Him remind everybody say him get as much investment as artist for di series and him legacy as any other person.
Season 5 dey already show federal troops for American cities, people dem dey round up, and Homelander wey dey act like say him don lose am completely. Di Deep don become podcast bro wey dey advocate incel tropes, and White House press briefings dey turn to jeering gaslighting sessions.
Even though di show don always dey satire Hollywood and social media, dis season political storylines go hit different. One wild storyline involve character wey dey insist say dem compare am to Jesus. Minutes after Kripke interview, White House Faith Office senior adviser Pastor Paula White go viral for comparing Trump to Jesus for Easter event.
Kripke swear say none of dis na intentional, and if anything, him dey rather bummed about am. Him talk say when dem dey write di season, dem genuinely think say na small out there, dat na furthest dem dey venture into full-on sci-fi. But now, so much of am don come to pass already.
As fans dey wait to see how Butcher, Starlight and di rest go try stop Homelander madness, Kripke dey somewhere dey worry about how to end di whole story wey go satisfy viewers wey don follow di show from beginning. Him anxiety na sign say him dey care about di work, no be sign of failure.