I Defended Frenchie Since the Beginning of The Boys S4, but Haters Were Right

Every time a show like The Boys introduces a twist that the most conservative fans didn't see coming, it's accused of being forced. If you've been as active in fandom as I have over the past decade or so, you know that this is a natural cycle of life, and the bigots will get tired of their complaints sooner rather than later.

Therefore, I was not surprised to see the backlash the show received when they revealed Frenchie's sexuality and set him up for the same-sex romance arc. What did surprise me is that the haters ended up being right about everything except their homophobic complaints. Frenchie's character really went down in flames in season 4.

What Happened to Frenchie in Season 4?

One of the best things about The Boys is that there really isn't a group you want to root for. Some of the characters you consider the best end up doing things so horrible you cannot forgive them, and the worst of the worst show glimpses of humanity that make you understand them better.

Frenchie, on the other hand, was one of the characters who always showed the most humanity and compassion, and now feels the most remorse for actions he's done in the past. It is all sweet and touching, and he seems to be the most sane of the bunch, but it does not do him any justice from a plot standpoint.

If anything, the guilt he carries with him makes the scenes with him very skippable and his presence in the show questionable.

Even though The Boys is a complex enough story, seeing Frenchie's character in ruins doesn't provoke too much thought from the viewer, but only annoys them. An irreplaceable part of the Butcher's team in the past, Frenchie is now a shadow of his former self, playing little to no role in the fight against Vought and eating up precious screen time.

Is there a place for emotion and reflection in The Boys? Maybe, but the show isn't cut out for that level of melodrama. The longer I watch the new season, the more I miss the old Frenchie, with or without his new friend. And the more I fear that his slow journey of self-destruction will end tragically.

There are only a few episodes of The Boys season 4 left for us to see, so Frenchie's fate will probably be decided very soon. To not miss any new developments in his arc, be sure to tune in to Prime Video every Thursday.