The Boys has ended its seven-year run on Prime Video, but it made sure to go out with a bang. And by that I mean, the series finale aired in various 4DX theaters around the United States in effort to turn arguably the grossest (by way of violence, anyway) episode of the entire series into a weird meta theme park ride experience.
Did it work? Hell yes. The polarizing fifth season of The Boys was not my favorite, and creator Eric Kripke even spent most of the season's run responding to some pretty intensely negative fan feedback. But did getting to see the most highly-anticipated moment of the entire show in a packed theater where they sprayed you with water every time someone on screen lost some blood make it completely and totally worth it? Uh, yeah actually. More on that below. But be warned: there are massive spoilers for The Boys season 5 episode 8.
Blood and bone? You betcha
I grew up going to Universal Studios and Disney World multiple times a year as a kiddo growing up in Florida, both of which contain 4D experiences (the now-defunct Shrek 4D and It's Tough to Be a Bug) hat make your seats move along with the characters on screen, spray some wind at your ankles to make it seem like insects were crawling by, or lightly flicked some water at you when a glass broke.
Let's just say... whoever designed the 4DX elements that went along with the final episode had way too much fun (and for that I am so thankful). As soon as the "Previously on The Boys" title card hit the screen, the water (blood) started spraying and our seats started rocking. However, it truly wasn't until Kimiko threw Sister Sage onto her back and took her powers away that things really started ramping up. And that's when I thought to myself, "Oh, baby, we are not at Disney."
It was cool to feel our seats rise when Marie and the rest of the Gen V-ers got in their truck and drove off, and when Homelander flew up to launch that tech billionaire into space. But when the final fight in the White House started... we were being rocked left, right, and center, each movement timed with each blast to the wall and punch to the face. Oh, and so much blood. So, so, so much water to the face to emulate blood... and actual water, too (like when Annie threw Deep into the ocean). And when Butcher finally popped Homelander's head off with that crowbar... you bet we could 'feel' it.
It was cool, it was camp, and it was so fun sharing the experience in a sold-out theater at 11 pm on a weeknight in New York City. Everyone was hooting and hollering, and some people were audibly freaking out because they couldn't figure out which button to press to turn the water off.
Was the finale good? It was alright. It ended in the best way it could have, wrapping up everyone's storylines with a neat little bow. But the fact that The Boys has always been campy and gross, and they decided to fully lean into that for the show's final hurrah... that's what made it special. This might be controversial, but: if the Game of Thrones series finale threw hot air and dust at its audience, it may have gotten better reviews. Heck, if the Sopranos finale screened in a 4DX theater and our seats moved for the entire five minutes Meadow spent trying to parallel park that car... I could've forgiven that 20-year-long cliffhanger. Regardless, I'll be thinking about the squelch of Homelander's brains and how they sprayed me in the face until kingdom come, probably.
The Boys season 5 is now streaming in full on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 finale recap, our take on the episode in our The Boys season 5 finale review, and all the details about what's next in Vought Rising.
