'The Boys' showrunner Eric Kripke explains why 'it was time' for THAT major season finale exit
Spoilers for 'The Boys' Season 3
On July 8, Prime Video concluded a wonderful new season of 'The Boys,' and everyone is debating the implications of the final episode. Several significant events occurred during the season three finale, including the departure of a major character from the series.
The third season finale concluded the ongoing plot between Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) and Homelander (Antony Starr). Soldier Boy is grappling with the knowledge that he is truly Homelander's father as the episode begins. During the episode, Soldier Boy is about to slaughter Homelander and everyone in his path when Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) intervenes and saves everyone. The show leads viewers to assume she is dead until Annie January (Erin Moriarty) pays a visit to Maeve and discloses that she has lost her abilities and is wearing an eye patch. Fans also learned that she has reconciled with her lover Elena and is leaving New York City to ultimately get away from Homelander.
ALSO READ
Millie Bobby Brown rocks thong bikini as she kisses boyfriend Jake Bongiovi during Italy vacation
Who was Carson Dunn? Boy, 10, tragically dies after falling off floating structure at Camp Dearborn
The episode prepared the path for Dominique McElligott's Queen Maeve to go, as she destroyed the nerve toxin that Frenchie had created to kill Soldier Boy. She was convinced that Homelander had to die and Soldier Boy was the only one who could do it. So Maeve, Butcher, and Soldier Boy proceeded to meet Homelander at Vought, where they got into an all-out brawl when Soldier Boy rejected his child for being weak and dependent. Soldier Boy hit and injured Ryan, whom Homelander had brought out to speak to Soldier Boy as a multi-generational family. Butcher turned on Soldier Boy as Homelander raced to his son's side.
However, Maeve used the chance to finally get revenge on the person who had imprisoned her, engaging in a battle with Homelander. Things got worse — he ripped her eye out, she stabbed him in the ear with a pencil — until everybody realized Soldier Boy was ready to blow them all up. Maeve said "s-t" to herself, hit Homelander one final time, and then leaped out the tower's window with Soldier Boy, foregoing her chance to murder Homelander. Then a flaming bomb detonated in the sky.
Queen Maeve's death was celebrated in the news, but it was all a ruse! Annie later paid a visit to Maeve, who was wearing an eye patch... and, due to Soldier Boy, no abilities. Maeve informed Elena, her girlfriend, that they were heading somewhere Homelander wouldn't find her. “The first time your prissy ass showed up at the tower, crying in the bathroom, you saved me,” Maeve admitted to Annie. “The truth is, you don’t need me anymore. I could jump. You can f–king fly.”
The showrunner didn't want for it to happen the way it did, even though Maeve dies in the comic books on which the show is based, and this season looked to be hinting towards a similar terrible destiny for the character. In a recent interview with TV Line, 'The Boys' writer Eric Kripke explains why "it was time" for Queen Maeve to depart. "At no point did I ever consider killing Maeve, from the very, very beginning [of the series]," Kripke told the publication. "We were intentionally building to a happy ending for her, always, for a lot of reasons. One, she deserved it. Believe it or not, The Boys is a moral universe, and when you make the right choices, you get rewarded, and she deserved a happy ending with Elena."
Kripke was well aware of the negative repercussions Maeve's death — a bisexual character — would have. He refers to the Bury Your Gays stereotype, for which television programs like 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'The Vampire Diaries,' and 'The 100' have been condemned. He states, “I am not going to fall into the trope of killing off gay characters. I’m aware of it, [and] I agree with the criticism of it. I’m not going to do that as well."
“And I’ll admit that I think we’re playing around a little with that trope by letting people think she’s dead, and they’re going to shout at their TV and be really upset by it, but then [we] reveal she’s actually going to go have a nice, power-free life with her girlfriend. So hopefully that will take the sting off it.” Even though Maeve survived the season, Kripke continues, "it was time" to let the character go on.
Weeks before the season finale, 'The Boys' was officially renewed for a fourth season. With the series finishing on such a strong note, viewers are eager to see what happens next. Karl Urban, who portrays Butcher in the series, has confirmed that he is presently shooting the fourth season, so we may get some fresh information sooner rather than later. "From our first conversation with Eric Kripke and the creative team about Season 3 of 'The Boys,' we knew the show was continuing to get even bolder — an impressive feat considering the wild success of the Emmy-nominated second season," Vernon Sanders, Amazon Studios' head of global television, said in a statement.
"Speaking for the cast and crew, we're so grateful to Sony, Amazon, and most of all the fans for embracing the show and allowing us to make more," The Boys showrunner stated. "We're thrilled to continue Butcher and the Boys' fight against Homelander and the Seven, as well as comment on the insane world we're living in. Also, this is the first time in history that exploding genitalia has led to further success."
TOP STORIES
The horrifying story of Chrystul Kizer: How a sex trafficking victim ended up becoming the accused
Woman scarred after filming viral video of SAVAGE shark attack on seal off Nauset Beach
According to Jeff Frost, President of Sony Pictures Television, and Jason Clodfelter, co-President of Sony Pictures Television, "The Boys producers and cast have proven year after year that there is no bar they can't jump over. We are incredibly proud of this brilliant and subversive genre-bending series. Our relationship with Prime Video is much more than a partnership, it's more like extended family. Everyone here at Sony Pictures Television is thankful to join Prime Video and Eric Kripke for another successful season."
'The Boys' is currently available for viewing exclusively on Prime Video. Keep checking back for updates on Season 4.