• The Boys' season 5 finale has premiered on Prime Video
• It brings the hugely popular satirical superhero series to an end
• Fans have reacted with dismay and disbelief over its last-ever entry

The Boys season 5 episode 8 has made its Prime Video debut — and furious fans aren't holding back in their criticism of the Amazon TV Original's last-ever episode.

Indeed, with the popular satirical superhero series drawing to a close, viewers had hoped The Boys would end in a satisfying manner. However, following the release of its final episode, titled 'Blood and Bone', large swathes of its fanbase have reacted with dismay and disbelief over its last hurrah.

It goes without saying, but full spoilers immediately follow for The Boys season 5's finale. My advice if you haven't seen 'Blood and Bone' yet? Bookmark this page, go and watch it, read my article on The Boys season 5's ending, and then re-load this article to see why fans feel short-changed by it.

Let's start with some of the more general negative comments that fans have left on various social media platforms and forums since the Prime Video show's finale premiered.

On ResetEra, Bor Gullet labeled it a "limp dick finale" that "chose the most cliche, cheapest, and unimaginative" ending. So incensed was Bor Gullet with 'Blood and Bone', they later slammed it for looking like it "was filmed on two soundstages" and having "no sense of scale or spectacle."

Running with the theme of Bor Gullet's second comment, fellow ResetEra user Narastel theorized that "something must have happened behind the scenes" to make 'Blood and Bone' feel like some "YouTube fan film stuff."

Similar sentiments have been expressed by users like Corncob, and Redditors including The_Swarm22, with some pointing out that earlier seasons had a higher production quality and then speculating on potential budget cuts for The Boys season 5's smaller-scale feel. Back on ResetEra, Nooblet summed things up as part of their message, which ended: "The whole thing felt... as if it was created by a scene generator bot."

Moving onto more specific plot threads — many of which are covered in the above Reddit post — fans had plenty to say about the finale's major showdown between Homelander and Butcher, with the latter being aided by Kimiko and Ryan in taking down the tyrannical Supe.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think the 'scorched Earth' showdown would happen exclusively inside the Oval Office resulting in just some burned carpet and broken furniture," Redditor SectionMore lamented. Meanwhile, on X/Twitter, YesItsM1g3ul added: "7 years. 5 seasons. Homelander never went 'scorched Earth'. You gotta be f*****g kidding me."

"'Scorched Earth... *fights in a single room in the White House*... f**k off, [showrunner Eric] Kripke," Reddit user MattTheMLGPro also wrote, before IDKandfranklyIDC added: "They were literally blowing up buildings in season 2 and season 3. In the show's finale we get some broken tables."

As for Homelander's death, X/Twitter user ChappellTardis spoke for many by questioning the entire point of season 5's primary narrative. That being the storyline concerning V1, aka the very first version of the Supe-creating serum that also grants immortality to anyone who takes it. Indeed, with Homelander completely depowered and rendered mortal once more by Kimiko's nuclear blast ability, the aforementioned user angrily wrote: "The ENTIRE season V1 plotline meant NOTHING."

Fan frustration boiled over with other baffling narrative beats.

"No way, they just did a time skip from the White House straight to their house at night, casually celebrating what they did, JUST LIKE THAT??" Playful-Complaint-227 queried of the titular team walking away scot-free after killing Homelander. "No Supes protecting anything? The White House had ABSOLUTELY NO DEFENSES??"

"Starlight having to name her daughter after Hughie's dead ex is a WILD way to end both her character and the show," ResetEra user MadLaughter said of the pair's happy ending. "Imagine having a baby with your current wife and name the kid after your dead ex girlfriend," Redditor dirtyconsolepeasant7 agreed.

"I feel like Mother's Milk adopting Ryan was pretty nice, but I feel like Hughie should have recommended the Gen V cast for the task force," Redditor Nopeisawesome said of season 5 episode 8's epilogue in relation to Gen V's recent cancellation. "I mean it would slightly concluded Gen V’s plot point, which they completely wasted, but oh well."

We got another one, boys from r/TheBoys

Perhaps most galling of all, especially for Kripke and company, though, is fans' suggesting that The Boys' final episode is not only one of the worst series finales of all time, but arguably weaker than Game of Thrones' universally panned ending — something that ResetEra forumite Policy Chonk opined for many.

There are viewers who enjoyed 'Blood and Bone' and the show's final season, including Redditor xziggy123x, as well as ResetEra users ratcliffja, SamualDude, and Kuroi the Black.

Nonetheless, the common consensus — in online circles, at least — is that The Boys dropped the ball with its last-ever installment. Like Stranger Things and countless shows before it, then, its finale will go down in history for all of the wrong reasons.

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As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

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