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The Boys Season 4 finale: A shocking end for Victoria Neuman
The Season 4 finale of “The Boys,” previously titled “Assassination Run” and later relabeled “Season Four Finale,” has left fans reeling with its shocking twists and turns. Now streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video, this episode has sparked intense discussions and debates among viewers.
Claudia Doumit, who plays the super-powered vice president-elect Victoria Neuman, finds herself at the center of this storm. Her character’s death, executed in a gruesome yet spectacular fashion, has left a lasting impact on the show’s narrative and its audience.
A brutal end for Victoria Neuman
In the climactic moments of the finale, Neuman, along with her daughter Zoe (Olivia Morandin), seeks refuge with Hughie (Jack Quaid), Annie (Erin Moriarty), and the rest of The Boys’ crew. This desperate move comes after Homelander (Antony Starr) exposes her as a supe to the nation, putting her and her daughter’s lives in grave danger. Homelander’s sinister plans to eliminate president-elect Robert Singer (Jim Beaver) and imprison non-supe humans who oppose the “heroes” add to the tension.
Butcher (Karl Urban), now empowered by the Compound V coursing through his cancer-ridden body, ultimately decides Neuman’s fate. In a shocking display of his newfound abilities, he kills Neuman by shooting out tentacle arms from his chest and tearing her apart in front of her daughter and his teammates. This brutal act underscores Butcher’s deep mistrust of Neuman, despite her apparent change of heart.
Claudia Doumit’s reflections on her character’s demise
Claudia Doumit, in an interview, shared her mixed feelings about her character’s death. “It was really shocking, but it was also really beautiful, and so well done,” Doumit said. “And most of all, it was a great death — that’s an honor in and of itself. I’m really happy to have gotten a fun, twisted death, which is just such a great rite of passage for characters on this show.”
Doumit’s experience on set during the filming of her character’s death was surreal. “I don’t know if I was in denial or hadn’t processed it yet, but it just felt like another day at work,” she continued. “I’m not new to being drenched in fake blood, or pretending that there’s some gruesome thing happening in front of me on the show. The only difference that day was that it was my fake blood and the gruesome thing happened to me.”
The emotional aftermath for Zoe
Following Neuman’s death, her daughter Zoe is taken to the Red River Institute, a Vought-run supe orphanage where Neuman herself spent part of her childhood. This tragic twist is particularly poignant, as Neuman had given her daughter Compound V to protect her, only for Zoe to end up in the same place her mother once was.
“It is truly, deeply such a heartbreaking moment, because all Victoria wants for her daughter is for her to have a life that was nothing like hers growing up,” Doumit said. “And Zoe, ultimately, ends up in the same place as her mother. It’s really tragic that she’s got these powers that were loosed upon her, she doesn’t have a parent, and she’s most likely going to end up in Red River, the same place her mom was in. It’s a really tragic, full circle ending to that story.”
Hopes for the future
As “The Boys” heads into its fifth and final season, Doumit remains uncertain about what lies ahead for Zoe and the rest of the characters. She expressed hope that Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito), who Neuman freed from returning to prison earlier in the season, might step in to save Zoe from her grim fate.
“God only knows what they’re going to do,” Doumit said. “But Zoe is family to Stan Edgar, essentially. So I would hope that he is there for her in some sense.”
Doumit also entertained the possibility of a “Ghost Neuman” appearance in the final season, given Butcher’s ongoing visions of dead people. However, she remains grateful for the time she had on the show. “It’s actually really funny, because from the moment I joined this show, I knew that she was going to die — not because I knew for sure, but I knew what show I was coming on to,” Doumit said. “I honestly thought it would be sooner. I would go into every season anticipating that Neuman would die. So I was pleasantly surprised, and I feel lucky, that I got to walk around in Neuman’s pantsuits and Louboutins for as long as I did.”
For those who want to relive the intense moments of the Season 4 finale, you can watch the trailer and find more information about “The Boys” here.
The journey of “The Boys” has been a wild ride, filled with unexpected twists and unforgettable characters. As we await the final season, the fate of Zoe and the rest of the characters remains uncertain, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what comes next.
