The Boys is back for a fourth season, and the timing, during an election year, couldn’t be more poignant. This upcoming installment also features a questionable presidential campaign amidst the show’s usual grit and gore; showrunner Eric Kripke didn’t have to look far for inspiration.

“When [Donald Trump] got elected, we had a metaphor that said more about the current world,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “Suddenly, we were telling a story about the intersection of celebrity and authoritarianism and how social media and entertainment are used to sell fascism. We’re right in the eye of the storm. And once we realized that, I just felt an obligation to run in that direction as far as we could.”

We see more of those parallels in season 4, which arrives mere weeks after the former president was convicted of felony crimes. A Prime Video teases that: “Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late.”