Warning: This article contains major spoilers for ‘The Boys’ Season 5, Episode 8.After an epic and widely-praised run that started in July 2019, Prime Video’s The Boys reached the end of its story in May 2026. Season 5, Episode 8 (titled “Blood and Bone”) marked what should be the last time this universe’s superheroes and freedom fighters took center stage, including fan-favorites like Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr). While good seemingly conquered evil before the final credits rolled, this episode, like so many before it, was filled with gore, violence, drama, and intrigue about what its characters’ fates would be. Following Frenchie’s (Tomer Capone) dramatic death in Episode 7, multiple major players did not make it out alive. Oh Father’s (Daveed Diggs) head blew up after a ball gag held in his sonic scream, Starlight (Erin Moriarty) got her revenge on The Deep (Chace Crawford) by throwing him into the ocean before marine life killed him, and even Butcher’s dog, Terror, died of old age. That came on top of Homelander losing his powers and dying at Butcher’s hands, before Butcher met his own end when Hughie (Jack Quaid) killed him to stop him from unleashing the supe-killing virus. As this dark and brutal adventure wound down to its final moments, social media erupted with reactions. Fans shared their thoughts on The Boys Season 5, Episode 8 on X, resulting in wildly mixed opinions about how the series ended. @JamesPPoole called the finale “absolutely perfect,” calling it “emotional, gory, [and] irreverent” and noting that it “honors the core of the show.” Similarly, while @NicoleOfCringe admitted that it “had some massive flaws,” including the build-up to the final battle being rushed, she felt it gave almost every main character “a satisfying end.”

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While many felt great about the finale, other reactions were not nearly as positive. @kernelKain had a list of complaints, including that there was “no world-ending level threat,” Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy got a disappointing conclusion, the fights “were weak as hell,” and Butcher gave up on his mission to end the supes “way too easily.” @Super_Bob0320 got even more brutal with commentary, saying the finale was “maybe the single worst piece of media I have ever seen.” @JakeLidner got some laughs out of Oh Father’s death and enjoyed Hughie’s ending, saying that the finale “wasn’t as bad as Stranger Things.” Multiple reactions also said the finale was almost as bad as the oft-despised final episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Considering how intense The Boys got across its seven-year, five-season run on Amazon Prime Video, it’s no surprise that the finale garnered such a wide range of reactions. Given the relative lack of action compared to the rest of the series, creator Eric Kripke likely wanted to deliver a final episode focused on character and story rather than the flash and bang that comes with the superhero world. After Kimiko’s blast took away Homelander and Butcher’s powers, it all came down to a battle of wills between two hated rivals, with Butcher finally accomplishing what he had set out to do in Season 1 — taking out the man responsible for so much harm, personally and worldwide. Now, while The Boys is officially over, the universe continues to evolve in new areas, as the Vought Rising prequel is in line to debut in 2027 on Prime Video. After Soldier Boy was notably absent in The Boys’ last episode, Ackles will return to the role in a story set in the 1950s, showing his hero’s exploits alongside Aya Cash’s Stormfront as they built Vought into a corporate powerhouse.

All five seasons of The Boys are streaming on Prime Video.