Robin’s crucial moment in “The Boys” is slightly different from how it plays out in the comics. In the original version, Hughie and Robin are at a fair in Glasgow, Scotland. A-Train throws a supervillain toward Robin, crushing her as they land against a wall while Hughie is left holding her detached arms. The same basic premise remains in the TV show, but now, it bears a striking similarity to a moment from “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Yes, really.
Based on a post by Redditor u/Mr_Muda_Himself_V3, in a 2018 episode titled “Bubbletown,” SpongeBob visits a place occupied entirely by bubble people. Everyone goes smoothly until SpongeBob starts slipping and collides with various bubble buildings. At one point, we see a bubble person propose to his bubble partner, who enthusiastically accepts. But the happy moment doesn’t last long as SpongeBob soon pops her. It’s visually reminiscent of the scene from “The Boys,” even down to the couple having a conversation about taking a next step in their relationship before tragedy strikes.
The “SpongeBob” episode is from 2018 while the first episode of “The Boys” was released in 2019. Is it possible “The Boys” was influenced not only by Batman but by SpongeBob SquarePants? It’s unlikely, but it’s humorous to watch the two clips back to back and see how drastically different the tones are for essentially the same scenes.