The Boys clearly responds to one of the most common criticisms of season 4, emphasizing the problem with that point. The Boys has been a gory success for Prime Video, with the fourth season receiving glowing reviews.

The success of The Boys season 4 emphasizes the franchise’s potential, which has spread to spin-offs such as Gen V and will conclude with season 5. However, some fans have increasingly targeted the show, believing that its themes and commentary have become too overt.

On the surface, The Boys is a brutal reimagining of the superhero genre, with many of the costumed crimefighters appearing flawed at best and simply nasty at worst. The Boys’ true antagonists are bleak reflections of society’s worst tendencies, mediated via capes and costumes. However, the program has leveraged this setup to become an increasingly caustic parody of media and politics, and it appears to be fully aware that some fans are opposed to this part of the series.

The Deep’s “Go Woke” Line In The Boys Season 4 Is A Direct Response To The Backlash

Vought Is Trying To Turn “Woke” Into Another Thing They Can Profit Off Of

The Deep’s reference to Vought going woke highlights how The Boys anticipated the negative criticism of some fans to the show’s politics. During a fan expo to announce new shows and movies starring Vought’s stable of superheroes, the Deep takes part in announcing “Black At It,” an initiative focusing on BIPOC characters like Sister Sage and A-Train. The Deep comments that while some may say that you “get woke, go broke,” Vought believes that if “get woke, get yoked.”

This incident demonstrates Vought’s willingness to hijack the word as part of their business strategy, attempting to reach a bigger audience in blatant and tone-deaf ways. The Deep’s remark to becoming woke is also a clear response to the harsh reception The Boys has been receiving from a segment of the show’s viewers. Some conservative fans of the show think it has “gone woke” in season 4, owing to the addition of a lesbian romance, more overt political commentary, and direct criticism of the Far Right.

The Deep’s Line Proves The Boys Anticipated Season 4’s Divisive Reaction

The Boys Saw The Right-Wing Critics Coming

The fact that a character in The Boys comments on the reception the show has been receiving illustrates how the show’s producers and creatives expected a segment of the audience to respond.The fourth season of The Boys has received negative reviews on sites such as Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB. Many argue that the program has grown too “woke” and overt in its anti-Donald Trump sentiments. The show has made no secret of its substance or goal, with much of the political satire baked into it, shining a light on capitalism, war profiteering, and the media’s whitewashing of history.

Season 4 has only amplified those elements of the show, drawing clear attention to the political ambitions of Victoria Neuman and the rising conspiracy to install the show’s ultimate strongman Homelander as the leader of the free world. The Deep making a joke about companies stealing and profiting off of ideologies like “wokeness” for their own benefit highlights how the show expected to be called “woke” for its narrative choices.

Why The Loudest Criticism Of The Boys Season 4 Makes No Sense

The Boys Has Never Been Subtle With Its Satire

Critics who criticize The Boys for being “woke” fail to understand the show’s purpose. The first season of The Boys focused on political topics, including Starlight’s #MeToo plotline with the Deep and Vought’s attempts to recruit Supes into the military. Season 2 explicitly tackled many of the Alt-Right’s supremacist ideals with Stormfront, an openly prejudiced “super hero” who is later revealed to be a Nazi. The Soldier Boy subplot in Season 3 highlighted antiquated beliefs while portraying Homelander as a dangerous megalomaniac.

The Boys has always been political, with critique of society lurking beneath the more overt superhero parodies. This adds complexity to The Boys, making it an intriguing and complicated film that balances gross humor and action scenes. The Deep bringing up the issue in-universe demonstrates how the creators have become accustomed to viewers misinterpreting their intentions.Season 4 of The Boys has seen an increase in the show’s open mockery of some fan groups.