Lian Brooks
The Boys season 4 finale has finally dropped and we have mixed feelings and just as many unanswered questions following that ending.
This season truly reached new levels of chaos and mayhem in equal measure. However, beyond Homelander’s increasingly erratic behaviour, Butcher’s impending fate and everything in between, many fans have been left with one lingering question after watching the final episode of the penultimate season.
Before the mid-credits scene of The Boys season 4 finale a dedication appears on screen, simply reading ‘for Larry Kripke’.
So who is Larry Kripke and why is The Boys dedicated to him?
Who is Larry Kripke?
Larry Kripke was the late father to The Boys executive producer Eric Kripke, with him sadly passing away at the age of 80 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease for several years.
Born on October 20, 1943, Larry was a lifelong Toledo native who graduated from the University of Michigan Business School in 1965 before getting into the family business of scrap metal recycling and eventually starting his own business alongside his wife Joanie.
Kripke was clearly beloved by many, with his obituary (as written by Eric himself) reading “Larry was a stone-cold world champion at life. He loved with all his heart. He epitomised integrity, kindness, and caring. His was the definition of a life well lived, and it should be celebrated.”
On Larry’s influence on him, The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke said in a statement via Kripke Enterprises’ Facebook page “The thing that impressed me the most was the way he treated the people who worked for him. He showed them genuine concern and care, and never pulled rank, and treated them like family.”
In fact, Eric says that he credits many of his skills that make him a successful showrunner directly to his father, explaining “Going out to Hollywood and being a writer, I can’t tell you what an advantage it was to be raised by a father who understood truly how to manage and get the best out of people. I’m a showrunner. People like to work with me. I don’t yell. I work with them and try to raise them up.”
He added that Larry “would always put us first. He would say there are only three important things in our lives and it’s family, family, and family.” This sentiment echoed in Larry’s obituary which references his saying that “family is everything.’”
Beloved for what Eric dubs his “Larry-isms” such as “treat other people the way you want to be treated”, Kripke was a dedicated father and husband, with him survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and countless friends.