The Boys' Team Unpacks Political Satire Musical Written Before Trump's Reelection

The Subversive Art of "Put the Christ Back in Christmas"

The Boys, known for its sharp satire and unflinching commentary on power, celebrity, and religion, has once again pushed the boundaries of storytelling with a special episode that blends humor, spectacle, and social critique. In Season 4’s “Vought on Ice,” the show takes a bold approach to one of the most iconic holiday slogans: “Put the Christ back in Christmas.” This was no ordinary songwriting challenge—it required a unique blend of musical theater flair, dark humor, and a deep understanding of the show’s satirical tone.

The idea originated from the show’s creator, Eric Kripke, who was inspired by real-world debates about the commercialization of Christmas and the push to return the holiday to its religious roots. Instead of taking a straightforward approach, Kripke turned to Christopher Lennertz, the show’s songwriter, to craft a piece that would both entertain and provoke thought. Lennertz, a self-proclaimed musical theater nerd, had previously worked on projects like Disneyland’s Rogers: The Musical, but this task demanded a shift toward something edgier and more subversive.

The result was “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas,” a track that became the centerpiece of the “Vought on Ice” special. The performance featured ice skaters dressed as the show’s characters, including Queen Maeve and Homelander, performing intricate routines during the song. A dramatic moment saw an actor portraying Jesus descend from the ceiling, setting the stage for a chaotic sequence that ended in violence as Homelander chased Hughie through the arena. The track also featured performances by Broadway stars Shoshana Bean, Andrew Rannells, and James Monroe Iglehart, adding a layer of theatricality that couldn’t be ignored.

Lennertz described the process as a balancing act. “The most challenging part for me is going far enough into the satire where it’s funny, but not so obvious that it’s a joke to everyone,” he said. “The Boys has things to say about politics, religion, and sociology, but it hides them in double entendre and satire.”

Interestingly, the song was written nearly two years before the 2024 presidential election, when Christian nationalism became a significant part of Donald Trump’s campaign. While Lennertz and the team weren’t intentionally trying to predict the future, they were aware of the broader societal trends that their work could reflect. “We should know better, because this is the way societies work when we have megalomaniacs with tons of money and campaign contributions by the wealthiest people in the world,” Lennertz noted. “Obviously, people are going to push agendas. One of the things that we do on The Boys is say, ‘We’re not going to let them. We’re not going to let that go unmentioned.’”

Though the song wasn’t specifically targeting Trump, it aligns with the show’s long-standing mission to challenge authority and expose the hypocrisies of those in power. Lennertz emphasized that the music in The Boys is always meant to push against the status quo. “We try to make sure that we comment on it, because that’s art. That’s what we do as creators to express ourselves. The Boys does it in a raunchier, and I also think a more clever, way than most.”

As the show continues to evolve, its ability to blend humor with serious social commentary remains one of its strongest assets. Whether through its scripts, characters, or music, The Boys consistently finds ways to question the systems that shape our world—often in the most unexpected and entertaining ways.