The Boys season 4 really needs to stop using Temp V, but getting rid of it is going to be a problem. While Temp V was interesting in concept, it causes a plethora of problems with the show’s narrative, meaning that The Boys has to figure out a way to stop using it in season 4. However, The Boys has written itself into a corner, with the decision to keep or get rid of Temp V being a lose-lose situation.
V24, also known as Temp V, was first introduced in The Boys season 3, with it being one of the primary gimmicks of the season. Temp V is an offshoot of Compound V, a serum made by Vought that gives regular humans random superpowers. While Compound V is permanent, V24 is only temporary, giving its user superpowers for around 24 hours. Temp V allowed characters like Hughie and Billy Butcher to have temporary superpowers, which led to some fun scenes. Temp V had some serious consequences for the characters, though, and it is now clear that it has had even worse consequences for the show.
The Boys Needs To Stop Using Temp V In Season 4
The Boys season 4 has to stop using Temp V for several key reasons. Firstly, Temp V kind of breaks the show. The whole appeal of The Boys is that it’s a team of regular humans tasked with taking down powerful superheroes. Giving the Boys superhuman abilities tosses this gimmick out the window, getting rid of one of the big aspects of what makes The Boys fun. On top of that, Temp V creates some narrative problems, as the show has to figure out a way to keep Temp V in limited supply and out of the hands of most humans.
Furthermore, if The Boys season 4 brings back Temp V, it will get rid of the consequences of season 3. The ending of The Boys season 3 sets up the idea that Hughie and Butcher may die due to their use of Temp V. Temp V has caused their brains to rot, with the compound inevitably leading to their deaths. If they just keep using it, it will take the weight away from this revelation, meaning that Temp V shouldn’t come back.
The Boys Will Have A Hard Time Not Bringing Back Temp V
Although The Boys season 4 needs to get rid of Temp V, it will have a hard time not bringing it back. Introducing something as powerful as Temp V has fundamentally changed the power balance of the show, and it’s hard to walk that back now. Now that Temp V exists within The Boys universe, there isn’t really a way that it can be gotten rid of while Vought’s still around.
While it’s possible that The Boys season 4 could simply not address Temp V, that seems like an even worse option. It would be weird to bring Temp V out, show off how powerful it is, and never mention it again. It’s pretty implausible that no Vought employee ever discovered and used Temp V besides Hughie and Butcher, meaning that its existence is kind of impossible to get rid of. Temp V has created a huge problem within The Boys, one that season 4 has to fix.
