The Boys season 4 has faced enormous backlash for its political commentary, but the show’s sharp satire isn’t anything new. In fact, it seems the fourth season’s harshest critics are ignoring crucial elements of the series’ first three outings. Developed for TV by Eric Kripke, The Boys season 4’s story continues to take inspiration from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book source material. In recent episodes, Billy Butcher’s (Karl Urban) titular group of vigilantes continues to take on Vought International’s self-serving, ultra-violent Supes, who are led by the increasingly unhinged Homelander (Anthony Starr).

However, the fourth installment of the hit superhero satire also takes a more political bent. The CIA tasks The Boys with eliminating Vice President-elect Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), an incredibly powerful and manipulative Supe who’s hiding her head-popping powers from the public. Meanwhile, Homelander is aiming Vought: The head of The Seven even tells his son, Ryan, that humans are toys for their amusement. Between Homelander’s public murder of a civilian to Starlight’s (Erin Moriarty) ardent anti-Homelander supporters, The Boys season 4 is more politically charged than ever before.

The Boys Has Been A Parody Of Right-Wing Politics & Culture Since Season 1

The Boys Is Ultimately A Satirical Series

Since its first outing, The Boys has been an incisive critique of right-wing politics and culture. Ultimately, the show takes aim at many things. The Boys is a satire of superhero culture, celebrity worship, and the current political landscape. Given its penchant for leaning into the most grotesque facets of human nature, the series never pulls its punches. If anything, it thrives on being bold and direct. In The Boys season 1, Vought’s Supes acted as military stand-ins, while the company — a massive media conglomerate — seemed to have more political sway than anyone in Washington, DC.

It’s hard to think of a more direct criticism of right-wing politics than that Stormfront quote…

In the show’s sophomore outing, The Boys introduced Stormfront (Aya Cash) — a fascist who leveraged her position within the Seven to spread her white supremacist ideology. When Starlight confronts her, Stormfront notes, “People love what I have to say! They believe in it! They just don’t like the word ‘Nazi.‘” It’s hard to think of a more direct criticism of ultra-right-wing politics than that Stormfront quote, which suggests that bigoted ideologies are at the center of certain political movements. Needless to say, the show’s parody has always existed, even if it was obscured by fictional elements.

The Boys Season 4 Is Far More Overt In Its Right-Wing Criticism

Politics Play A Larger Part In The Show’s Plot Now

It’s possible that The Boys season 4 has faced such extreme backlash because of its more overt right-wing criticism. Instead of merely dipping its toe into political waters every now and then, the fourth outing puts the American political system at its center. Victoria Neuman is just one facet of that narrative. Firecracker (Valorie Curry), one of the Seven’s newest inductees, takes her conspiracy theory podcast to new heights. Using Vought’s reach, Firecracker doubles down on her misinformation, targeting those who stand against Vought and Homelander. The parallels to today’s political landscape are very much at the center.

It Makes Sense For The Boys’ Political Themes To Be More Prominent In Season 4

Homelander Is Eyeing Vought — & The White House

The more overt political criticism in The Boys season 4 is the inevitable conclusion of the story it set into motion with its very first outing. At first, Homelander was willing to enjoy his god-like celebrity status, but, after getting bored, aimed to seize more power from Vought. In many ways, Vought is now a shell of its former self — a company that’s puppeted by Homelander’s whims. After a civilian throws a drink at Ryan, Homelander kills the perpetrator instantly, prompting onlookers to cheer him on.

Homelander isn’t accountable to anyone…

The Boys season 3’s ending proves that Homelander can literally kill someone in broad daylight for doing something comparatively minor. Homelander isn’t accountable to anyone. The public encourages him to be more violent and hateful and to leverage that as a kind of platform. As Homelander becomes increasingly bored with his life, he seeks to grab more power and influence. That said, The Boys was always going to end with Homelander aiming to control the White House. As the stakes get higher, the bigger issues become clearer. The more overt right-wing critique is tied to narrative escalation.

The Boys Season 4 Is Airing At An Especially Divisive Time

The Series Is Coming Out During A Presidential Election Year

With 2024 marking a presidential election year in the United States, The Boys season 4 could not be airing at a more divisive time. Instead of presenting the real-world parallels in its parody, The Boys season 4 feels like it’s underlining its political satire because of the circumstances surrounding the show’s release — and because it name-drops real-world events and people. That said, The Boys season 4’s rotten audience score is a prime example of viewers seemingly judging a show less on quality and more on whether it boasts what they deem “palatable” political views.

Backlash Against “Woke” TV Shows Is Becoming Increasingly Common

Shows Like Star Wars’ The Acolyte Have Also Divided Fans

The Boys isn’t the only recently released series to receive backlash for being too “woke.” Often, shows that attempt to bring more diversity to their casts and stories are deemed “woke,” in a negative sense, by some viewers. While it’s still criticized for including queer characters — The Boys season 4 overtly reveals Frenchie’s bisexuality — The Boys is mostly being attacked for its criticism of right-wing politics. Ultimately, viewers are taking aim at these series for their more inclusive casting and themes instead of the plot, character, or continuity concerns that most reviewers judge a series on.

New episodes of The Boys season 4 air on Amazon Prime Video on Thursdays.