Ahead of tomorrow's series finale, The Boys' social media accounts are touting record-breaking ratings for Season 5. With more than 55 million viewers and counting, Season 5 is now the most-watched season in the show's history.
Streaming platforms have clever ways to fudge numbers like this, sometimes counting only a few minutes of viewership as a "viewer." Regardless, The Boys Season 5 is clearly a ratings success, despite continued complaints from fans.
The Hollywood Reporter has shared some additional insights, revealing that The Boys' final season also ranks among the Top 10 most-viewed seasons of any Prime Video original series.
The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke spoke with the trade and pointed to these viewing numbers as apparent proof that there's nothing for him to be concerned about when it comes to the frequent criticisms (which have led to two Season 5 episodes being ranked as the show's worst on IMDb).
"I’ve gone through a journey when I first started to read everything — like on social media or online — and it starts to feel like that’s the whole universe, and it feels scary, and you have a pit in your stomach," Kripke said. "So then [you see the ratings and] you’re like, 'Oh, obviously, how many times do I have to relearn the lesson that the online world is not the actual world?'"
"[The online reaction is] a fraction of very loud, opinionated people, and God love them. They’re welcome to have that opinion," Kripke continued. "But it’s actually not reflecting what’s happening out in the world. And once I saw [the numbers], I calmed right down."
While Gen V has been cancelled after two seasons, Vought Rising is set to premiere on Prime Video next year and The Boys: Mexico remains in development.
Whether Kripke is right to dismiss the complaints because of strong viewership is debatable. Ultimately, if week-to-week ratings have been strong and consistent, then it's clear that people are not tuning out.
Still, a lot is riding on tomorrow's finale, and if it fails to stick the landing, it runs the risk of tainting The Boys' legacy.
In the fifth and final season of The Boys, it's Homelander’s world, completely subject to his erratic, egomaniacal whims. Hughie, Mother's Milk, and Frenchie are imprisoned in a "Freedom Camp." Annie struggles to mount a resistance against the overwhelming Supe force. Kimiko is nowhere to be found.
But when Butcher reappears, ready and willing to use a virus that will wipe all Supes off the map, he sets in motion a chain of events that will forever change the world and everyone in it. It's the climax, people. Big stuff's gonna happen.
The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jensen Ackles, and Daveed Diggs.
The series is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers, and was developed by executive producer and showrunner Eric Kripke.
The Boys Season 5 is now streaming weekly on Prime Video.