The Boys Unleashes Its Sharpest Humor on The Last of Us
Known for its bold satire and fearless parodies, The Boys never misses an opportunity to take a shot at pop culture titans. While the Prime Video series has famously lampooned the biggest names in superhero media, its humor doesn’t stop there. In its fifth season, the show shifts targets and locks onto none other than HBO’s The Last of Us, the critically acclaimed adaptation of the iconic video game franchise.
Spoilers and Smart Comedy Collide
In season 5, episode 4 (‘King of Hell’), a subtle yet biting exchange draws a direct—if tongue-in-cheek—comparison between the current wave of post-apocalyptic dramas. While the squad retreats to Fort Harmony, tensions escalate as the team grows suspiciously hostile, leading Frenchie to theorize about the effects of mysterious airborne spores. Hughie fires back with a punchline that references The Last of Us, only for Frenchie to quip, ‘No, that is just The Walking Dead with mushrooms.’
On the surface, it’s classic The Boys banter. But beneath the joke lies a critique—one rooted in both the narrative DNA and the broader television landscape.
How The Last of Us and The Walking Dead Mirror Each Other
Through its heartfelt narrative, The Last of Us sets itself apart with layered characters like Joel and Ellie, drawing audiences with emotional stakes and atmospheric storytelling. Yet, behind the prestige, the show undeniably treads familiar ground mapped by The Walking Dead nearly a decade earlier: survivors traversing a devastated America, facing cruel circumstances, cults, and complex moral choices. The mutated infected of The Last of Us may spring from the Cordyceps fungus, but the central struggle for humanity and the nuances of survivor guilt remain at the core of both series.
This honest comparison isn’t just media banter—it’s an astute observation about the cyclical nature of genre television. While The Last of Us was celebrated for its faithfulness to the source and its dynamic leads, even recent spin-offs from The Walking Dead have borrowed the mentorship dynamic that Joel and Ellie embodied.
The Boys Savors Cultural Relevance Through Parody
Season 5 doesn’t limit its critiques to rival dramas. In ‘King of Hell,’ the writers turn the lens on the streaming industry itself. Behind the laughs, when Vought members argue about metrics and spin, Worm drops a line about ‘Vought+ never releasing any [numbers].’ It’s an unmistakable jab at the modern streaming era, where platforms—yes, even the one hosting The Boys—guard their viewership data as closely as secret formulas.
This moment rings true for audiences frustrated by sudden cancellations or the foggy justifications for ending beloved shows despite critical acclaim. The satirical dig highlights a persistent pain point for the modern viewer: a lack of transparency from content giants, fueling debates about what defines success in a world where ratings are rarely public knowledge.
Why The Boys’ Satire Resonates
The cultural sharpness of The Boys endures because it isn’t just riffing for laughs—it strips back layers of the entertainment industry, highlighting both its own position within trending genres and the oddities of the platforms that deliver them. The series never shies away from poking fun at its competitors or acknowledging the very system it’s part of, making each reference and parody deeply embedded in the reality of today’s media landscape.
With one-liners that split the difference between homage and critique, The Boys cements its place as a lightning rod for cultural commentary, often saying what many viewers are already thinking—just with sharper wit and no apologies.
