Plot: It’s been a year of calm. Homelander’s subdued. Butcher works for the government, supervised by Hughie of all people. But both men itch to turn this peace and quiet into blood and bone. So when The Boys learn of a mysterious Anti-Supe weapon, it sends them crashing into the Seven, starting a war and chasing the legend of the first Superhero: Soldier Boy. The Boys is a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes—who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians, and as revered as gods—abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. Intent on stopping the corrupt superheroes, The Boys, a group of vigilantes, continue their heroic quest to expose the truth about The Seven and Vought—the multibillion-dollar conglomerate that manages the superheroes and covers up their dirty secrets. It’s the seemingly powerless against the super powerful.
Review: After two seasons of mayhem in 2019 and 2020, The Boys is back after a COVID-19 induced delay with its biggest and best run yet. Set a year after the second season finale, the heroes and villains of this superhero story are all in many different places than we last saw them. Alliances have formed, secrets revealed, and new characters have joined the fray which raises the stakes, especially when it comes to Butcher and Homelander. Still bitingly funny, hilariously profane, and gory as hell, this season of The Boys benefits from a more serious edge than we have seen before which helps make what happens to these characters all the more entertaining to watch. If you thought The Boys pushed the envelope before, you haven’t seen anything yet.
The full eight-episode third season of The Boys was made available for this review, including the highly anticipated “Herogasm” episode. Introducing new characters like Soldier Boy, Crimson Countess, Gunpowder, and more, The Seven and The Boys themselves all have a lot more going on than ever before. In the season premiere, titled “Payback”, we see a different structure to the world than in season two. The Bureau of Superhuman Affairs has become a legitimate agency with Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) heading up the team led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban). Working for Senator Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), Hughie is finally able to have his relationship with Starlight (Erin Moriarty) public. Butcher, now abiding by the rules of the government agency, is toeing the company line while also doing his best to protect Ryan, Becca’s son with Homelander. Butcher struggles with all of the bureaucracy he faces but when the new Compound V24, which gives anyone superpowers for a single day, comes into his possession, the game changes forever.
On the other side of the equation is Homelander (Antony Starr) who continues to descend further and further into madness as his fame and rank in The Seven comes into question. Starr has long been the highlight of this series and the psychotic glint he brings to playing Homelander this season is even darker and scarier than before. Homelander comes into conflict with multiple characters this season, notably Starlight and The Deep (Chace Crawford), but it is the return of the original superhero, Soldier Boy, that poses the biggest challenge for him. Soldier Boy, played by Supernatural star Jensen Ackles, is a surrogate for Captain America but not nearly the poster boy that the Marvel hero is. Soldier Boy is a dark, violent, and twisted character and Ackles gives Starr a run for his money in playing a disturbed superhero so well. Ackles is joined by Laurie Holden as Crimson Countess, another solid bit of casting for this series.
Now, let’s talk about the much-discussed “Herogasm” episode. I won’t divulge any spoilers for the sixth episode of this season, but know that all of the buzz about what is shown on screen may end up feeling a bit underwhelming. Yes, the episode is very graphic and may disturb some viewers, but I found it pretty tame compared to what was in the comic book. It is a boldly over-the-top episode with a lot of nudity, but not nearly as unsettling as some of the other moments this season. In fact, there is a sequence in the first thirty minutes of the premiere involving a penis that will definitely make you more uncomfortable than the entire sixth episode. But, make no mistake, this season as a whole is pretty damn spectacular. A lot of returning faces are given substantial plots this season, including Laz Alonso as Mother’s Milk as well as Karen Fukuhara and Tomer Capon as Kimiko and Frenchie, respectively.
This season of The Boys also offers multiple celebrity cameos that are pitch-perfect. Showrunner Eric Kripke never shies away from delivering some hilarious commentary on our pop culture-driven society and this show continues to balance biting satire and parody with superhero action. Throughout this season, I noticed a major shift towards dramatic storytelling that, while still darkly funny, moves The Boys into a realm of storytelling that doesn’t rely on blood and guts to get a laugh but also manages to really make you think, too. As the episodes progress, the characters continue to showcase more and more pathos and the lines continue to blur between who is a hero and who is a villain. Plus, the show never wastes an opportunity to skewer everything from reality television to comic book movies every chance it gets.
While I started out lukewarm with the first season of The Boys, the second was a marked improvement in every regard. I am happy to say that the third season is the best yet and everyone involved has continued to deliver a series that mocks the superhero genre while also redefining it. With spin-offs continuing to develop, The Boys still proves it is a vital and prescient commentary on 21st Century America. The season finale sets up paths for the main characters that will alter this story moving forward with a final scene that is going to disturb a lot of people. The Boys‘ third season is the most balanced to date and had me hooked from the first episode to the last and will likely have you all hoping the fourth comes sooner than later.
The third season of The Boys premieres on June 3rd on Prime Video.