Warning! Spoilers for the season four finale of The Boys!
To say the fourth season of The Boys had some twists and turns would be an understatement.
There were more than a few storylines which didn't go down so well with fans, either because they seemed to be going nowhere or because it seemed like the show was picking out one character in particular and acting like the torments he suffered were funny when they really weren't.
However, in something of a contrast to the previous season of the Prime Video show, fan reaction to the season finale was largely very positive.
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If season three had been going strong up until a final episode which many felt was a let down, season four seemed to be on some shaky ground until a powerhouse finale where the closing stages were particularly satisfying.
In the end, we saw the team score what looked like a win, having successfully prevented a shapeshifting assassin from killing their target and throwing America into chaos.
Then, in glorious The Boys fashion, it all went to s**t.
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While Butcher (Karl Urban) has appeared to be on his last legs for most of the season it seemed like he was making some progress at getting Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) away from his father, only for that to go horribly wrong.
With the days ticking down until his apparent death from a brain tumour, Butcher had been plagued by a malicious voice in his head (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and after resisting it all season it looks like he could keep it back no longer.
In short order Butcher seemed to be back to his old self, then revealed that he now has powerful tendrils within his body which are strong enough to shred supes.
Having passed out while fighting Ezekiel (Shaun Benson) earlier this season, only to have woken up and found his opponent in pieces, this time The Boys viewers got the whole show as Butcher tore Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) apart.
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This kicked off a whole spiral of events which plunged The Boys into chaos ahead of the fifth and final season, but fans noticed something pretty important about Butcher in those last minutes.
While your eyes might have been drawn to the superpowered tendrils coming from his chest, plenty of viewers noticed that Butcher suddenly seemed a lot younger compared to his appearance this season.
As he's been dying of a brain tumour, Butcher has increasingly looked like s**t, but once he gave into it suddenly he's back and vital again.
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Fans reckon Butcher looks 'de aged' now he's given into his tumour, and they reckon that means it was draining him until he gave up.
This is a guy who collapsed at the end of the last episode, and suddenly he's as fit as a fiddle with viewers thinking 'whoever the makeup artist was needs a raise'.
One minute he's on his deathbed, the next he's 'looking right as rain'.
Needless to say, The Boys fans are hyped as hell for the final season where Butcher and Homelander (Antony Starr) will surely have their final reckoning.
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On the other hand, with Butcher acting the way he is it wouldn't be a surprise if he ultimately needs taking down in the end as well.
Topics: The Boys, Amazon Prime, TV and Film
Joe Harker