Karl Urban smirking as Billy Butcher in The Boys season 3

The Boys season 4 sets a new viewership record for the show despite incidents of review bombing. Created by Erik Kripke, the hit series was first released on Prime Video in 2019, imagining a world in which superheroes are corrupt and abuse their power. The show has been a hit with critics thus far and The Boys‘ season 4 reviews largely continue this trend, but the new season has also become a victim of review bombing on sites like Rotten Tomatoes.

A new report from TheWrap now reveals that The Boys season 4 has set a new viewership record for the show. The new season’s first four days of availability on the platform saw a viewership jump of 21% over season 3, the previous record-holder. According to Amazon, season 4 makes Prime Video’s list of the top five TV shows during its first four days, falling in second place behind Reacher season 2.

How The Boys’ Season 4 Reviews Compare To Past Seasons

Season 4’s Review Bombing Explained

Homelander (Antony Starr) smiling madly in The Boys season 4 episode 4Image via Prime Video

The Boys has been well-reviewed throughout its run thus far, and season 4 is no exception. The show has been praised for its skewering humor, satirical exploration of politics, as well as for its shocking moments of violence and gore. The performances from The Boys‘ cast have also been widely celebrated.

The Boys Season
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

1
85%
90%

2
97%
83%

3
98%
75%

4
95%

49%

As seen in the chart above, The Boys season 4 is currently the second-lowest rated season on Rotten Tomatoes, though that’s hardly a knock against it considering it’s still at a strong 95%. Season 3 currently leads the pack with an impressive 98%. Where things start to differ is in the show’s audience scores. After being consistently high for the previous three seasons, season 4 only sports a 49% audience score, the show’s lowest ever.

The Boys season 5 is confirmed to be on the way, though it will serve as the show’s last.

While it’s entirely possible that season 4 isn’t quite hitting for some viewers like previous seasons did, The Boys season 4 has been review-bombed following comments from Kripke. The show’s politics have never been particularly subtle, but those just figuring it out have slammed the new season for being “woke.” Kripke recently responded to these complaints in an interview with THR, saying: “Go watch something else.” Evidently, however, those feeling attacked by The Boys season 4 are in the minority as the show remains a viewership smash hit.