Prime Video‘s television catalog includes a hit 5-season superhero series that serves as the perfect example of how Netflix should have treated its best show in the genre. Superhero fatigue has seemingly hit an all-time high. Yet, the genre seems to be showing no signs of slowing down on both the big and small screens.
Avengers: Doomsday remains one of the most anticipated movies of the year, while shows like Daredevil: Born Again keep redefining the genre and dominating streaming charts. Prime Video, too, delivered the final installment of its iconic superhero franchise, The Boys, which has proven to be both critically and commercially successful.
While viewers have had their qualms about how The Boys delivered its final chapter, especially towards the end, it is hard not to see how it has been far better than The Umbrella Academy‘s season 4. The two shows belong to two distinct brands of superhero storytelling, but it is hard not to compare how they executed their endings.
The Boys’ Ending & Final Season Were A Lot Better Than The Umbrella Academy’s
The Boys season 5 is, by no means, perfect. It has been criticized for spending way too much time on setting the stage for the upcoming Vought Rising spin-off. Not to mention, even the power scales in the show’s final chapter seem wildly inconsistent. The Prime Video show even significantly nerfed its main villain, Homelander, in the final showdown to make him lose.
However, beyond the flaws, The Boys season 5 delivers a far more satisfying closing arc than The Umbrella Academy. One of the biggest problems with The Umbrella Academy‘s final season was that its runtime was shrunken down to just six episodes. This just did not leave enough room to resolve all of its underlying story threads.
As a result, unlike The Boys season 5, The Umbrella Academy season 4 felt rushed and bloated with way too many developments. Even the core mystery of the “Cleanse” lacked the foundational logic needed to make the stakes feel real in the final chapter.
In more ways than one, The Boys season 5, too, retconned many of its own existing supe rules. Even the whole Soldier Boy lore surrounding how much he loved Clara seemed a little forced. However, The Umbrella Academy took this up a notch and retconned many internal rules. Diego’s arc felt completely derailed towards the end of the show, while the introduction of “Durango” and “Marigold” as opposing particle forces felt like an eleventh-hour exposition dump.
As underwhelming as The Boys season 5 might have seemed compared to some of the earlier installments of the series, it at least managed to give each main character a solid closure. Everything from Starlight’s relationship with her family to Sister Sage’s path towards redemption received a meaningful resolution.
The whole storyline about Kimiko receiving Soldier Boy’s powers should have been introduced earlier in the season as it felt shoehorned towards the end. However, The Boys season 5 still spent enough time on the development to make it seem convincing.
The Boys & The Umbrella Academy Highlight Opposing Styles Of Series Finale
The Umbrella Academy‘s ending is more passive with its storytelling, in the sense that it almost dissolves the heroes versus villains narrative. It ends with a bittersweet sacrifice that prioritizes emotional closure over spectacle. The Boys, in contrast, deliver its promise of giving a final showdown between the titular “boys” and Homelander.
Characters like Billy Butcher have always been morally grey throughout the series. However, in season 5, The Boys draws a clear line between the heroes and the villains. This perfectly establishes the stakes for the final battle and even prompts viewers to root for the heroes.
While it is arguable whether the final battle in The Boys season 5 is as good as the build up that leads to it, it has a few memorable moments. Even characters like Butcher, who have struggled with their morality for quite some time, get bleak but sensible closing arcs.
Considering how The Umbrella Academy and The Boys embody two distinct brands of superhero telling, it seems unfair to compare them. However, in terms of overall quality, the Prime Video show seemingly remains far more consistent and compelling than the one on Netflix.