The first reviews of The Boys Season 4 found the series still capable of shocking, amusing and energizing critics, but increasingly dark and, for some, less fresh. That is a snapshot of reviews published on June 11, 2024—not a verdict shared by every critic or a summary of audience reaction since the season premiered.
What did the first reviews say about Season 4?
The early critical response was divided. Some reviewers praised the writing, performances, gallows humor and continuing appetite for outrageous satire. Paste’s Trent Moore said, “The Boys is at the top of its game.” RogerEbert.com’s Kaiya Shunyata praised the writing and argued that a slower approach benefited the season.
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Other critics found the story less focused or felt the show was losing some of its edge. TV Guide’s Lyvie Scott called it “the weakest so far,” while the roundup also included reviewers who described the season as a letdown or worried that the series was running out of ideas. Those are individual judgments, not a consensus that every viewer will share.
Is Season 4 darker than before?
Bleakness was one of the clearest themes in the June 2024 reviews. Variety’s Alison Herman called it “the darkest installment yet,” and Slashfilm’s Danielle Ryan wrote, “This is a show that’s always been pretty bleak, but season 4 gets downright depressing in places.”
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- The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under Homelander's muscly thumb as he consolidates his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca's son, and his job as The Boys' leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they must find a way to work together and save the world before it's too late.
The distinction matters if you watch for the show’s crude jokes and spectacular violence: the familiar excess remains part of its appeal, but the reviews suggest it is paired with a more oppressive mood. Viewers who enjoy the series’ grotesquerie but prefer its lighter stretches may find the balance harder to take.
Is it more political—and does the satire work?
Politics move closer to the center of the story, according to the roundup. Herman noted that the American government had become more central to the plot. But critics did not agree that the political material landed consistently: Ryan described the politics as muddled.
Rank #2
That split is useful to keep in mind if political allegory is a major reason you watch. The season’s political focus may be a draw, but the early reviews do not present its satire as an unqualified success.
Is the show still funny and worth continuing?
For critics who remained enthusiastic, the shock value, irreverence, cast and satirical set pieces still supplied energy. Empire Magazine’s Amon Warmann called the series “at the top of its game,” while the roundup also recorded concerns that some jokes and ideas felt less fresh than before.
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Whether the season works for you may depend on what you want from the show now: its established mix of gross-out humor and violence, or a sharper sense of novelty and momentum. Reviews raised concerns about an overstuffed or unfocused story, alongside praise for the writing and performances; they do not settle that trade-off for every viewer.
Do you need to watch Gen V first?
The roundup offered mixed guidance rather than treating the spin-off as a universal prerequisite. One reviewer suggested viewers need not worry too much if they had not watched Gen V; another recommended it for a better understanding of the wider story. If you want more franchise context, watching it can help, but the early reviews do not establish that it is essential before Season 4.
Rank #4
- Condition: New
- Format: Blu-ray
- AC-3; Color; Dolby; DTS Surround Sound; Dubbed; Subtitled; Widescreen
How did Season 4 arrive, and what do current Rotten Tomatoes scores show?
The first three episodes premiered together on June 13, 2024, two days after the roundup appeared. Five more episodes were scheduled weekly through July 18, completing the season’s rollout.
Rotten Tomatoes’ Season 4 page displayed a 92% Tomatometer from 142 critic reviews and a 53% Popcornmeter from more than 10,000 audience ratings when accessed on October 8, 2026. These are separate measures from different groups of reviews and ratings, not two percentages calculated on an identical basis. Both figures can change over time.
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