The Boys (2019)
Never meet your heroes.
A group of vigilantes known informally as “The Boys” set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 25 July 2019 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 20 May 2026 |
| Genre | Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure |
| Created by | Eric Kripke |
| Starring | Karl Urban, Jack Quaid and Antony Starr |
| Seasons | 5 seasons, 40 episodes |
| Episode length | about 60 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 40 hours |
| Rated | TV-MA |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.4/10 |
Where to watch The Boys
The Boys is streaming on Prime Video ($8.99 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 1 month of Prime Video, or $8.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Eric Kripke built a universe where superheroes are corporate products, marketed by Vought International to a public that worships them. The twist is that the heroes are mostly self-serving disasters, and the only people telling the truth are the vigilantes trying to take them down. It is 40 episodes of dirty, blue-collar violence, totaling roughly 40 hours of your life. You are watching a deconstruction of the genre, not a celebration of it. The tagline is "Never meet your heroes," which is less a slogan and more a warning about who you are about to root for.
What the critics said
The Boys lands at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 76 on Metacritic, a combination that suggests broad approval with a few raised eyebrows. The series' political edge remains divisive, especially as the seasons progress. Critics often call it a top-tier Amazon entry, praising the sheer audacity of the satire. Antony Starr’s work as Homelander draws particular praise, frequently cited as one of television’s best performances. The first season starts at 85%, climbing to 97% and 98% for the second and third. The fourth dips to 92%, described as grim and a little glum, while the fifth holds steady at 93%. It is a hit that knows exactly what it is.
How it did with audiences
In October 2019, Nielsen started tracking Prime Video originals and found The Boys had 8 million viewers in its first 10 days. That made it one of the service's most successful programs. By season 2, the opening weekend drew a 7.2% share of streams on Reelgood, beating Stranger Things and The Mandalorian. Viewership jumped 89% from season 1. In 2022, audiences watched 10.6 billion minutes, ranking it 11th among streaming originals. It was the most-watched superhero series that year, outpacing every Disney+ MCU title.
Awards
The series racked up 17 nominations and won 4 awards. It took home the British Fantasy Award and two Saturn Awards. The Satellite Awards added to the tally in 2023. The Emmys gave it a first for a comic book adaptation. PETA praised a CGI octopus.
What came next for the cast
Karl Urban stepped away from Middle-earth and returned to fight in Mortal Kombat II. Jack Quaid moved from the Hunger Games to Oppenheimer and Scream. Antony Starr left Banshee for Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. The timeline shows where they went, not necessarily why. Credits list what follows, not what started it.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Boys.
Sources
- The Boys on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q48796994 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Boys (TV series)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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