The Boys Review: Soaring to Great Heights, But Bumpy Along the Way
Some heroes wear capes, while others are there day-to-day, toiling to make the world a better place. For The Boys, Amazon Prime Video’s series, the heroes wearing capes may not be so heroic while those in the day-to-day struggle to bring back the good left in the world.
Hughie (Jack Quaid) finds himself with a terrible loss after a run-in with a superhero, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) recruiting him to a team to find the truth behind the superheroes and the corporation sponsoring them. It’s an exciting story with some dark and strange humor, unafraid to be true to its core insanity.
There are some fun satirical looks at brand management, national polls dictating lives, and how fame can rise and fall, even for superheroes. This angle of the show works incredibly well, allowing a view into the corporate synergy of superheroes that makes it unbelievably cynical but believable that corporations would brand superheroes and use them as products.
When the show digs deep into what it means to be a superhero, when everything is planned out and made to be talking points and public image, it’s at its best. When the show is about Butcher and the clan taking down the enemy, it’s great. But some of the surrounding pieces don’t quite fit together.
The Boys, at times, can struggle under its need to shock, some moments providing incredible humor while others fall completely flat. There’s the need to be outrageous; it works depending on the situation and the timing, some coming at inopportune moments and as a need to spice things up when the episode does not really need it.
The show also has some issues with character conflict not always landing as intended, where reactions are heightened and never thought through so much by its character. This leads to some coming across as having tunnel vision, where they see only the very thing in front of them rather than the full picture of what the offending event entails.
Because of this, the show finds itself at times going for convenience rather than organic strands the story produces. The opening hours feels like the show may go a certain direction that would prove fascinating and dark, but it veers away in order to make a more relatable and personable tale.
For that, The Boys may be a dark and cynical show, but perhaps not cynical enough in some respects.
Karl Urban is the perfect lead as Billy Butcher, this hardened cement block of anger who finds profanity his weapon of choice. He’s an intimidating force throughout, even when the facade is peeled back a little, leaving Urban as a steady and reliable performer when the show wobbles here and there.
Jack Quaid, too, is a great co-lead as Hughie. He’s part comedic and part dark, this intriguing mixture of our outlet into this world while also descending into the sinister side with ease. Quaid proves himself a different energy compared to Urban but keeping his own by making you feel everything deeply as his journey goes from payback to something more.
Antony Starr (who is fantastic on Cinemax’s Banshee) as Homelander comes as the surprise of the season. He’s the true blue Superman type of the Seven, the show going down a fascinating angle of a man who is defined by his power, and how that affects someone psychologically. Starr manages to take on the daunting hero mantle while adding something a shade more grey and jaded on top.
Erin Moriarty’s Annie/Starlighter is another outsider coming in, showing the pitfalls of being the newbie while attempting to do the right thing based on values and personal beliefs. Moriarty balances the vulnerable and the strong will needed for the part, becoming a favorite on a strong cast.
When The Boys is in high gear, it’s a worthwhile superhero satire romp with a mean-spirited attitude. The show is a fun eight hours, despite some issues along the way, reminding us that heroes and expectations are a difficult disconnect, and that no one is perfect.
What did you think of this season of The Boys? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Boys streams Friday, July 26 on Amazon Prime Video.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.