The Boys Season 3 Episodes 1-3 Review: Payback, The Only Man in the Sky, and Barbary Coast

The Boys Season 3 Episodes 1-3, “Payback,” “The Only Man in the Sky,” and “Barbary Coast” showcase a brand-new dynamic not seen before.

The premiere episodes of The Boys propel the series into an entirely different landscape, one we’ve yet to see but foresaw coming at the same time. One where the boys are at a level playing field with Vought, or so they think.

It delivers on the same dark, out-of-the-box action-packed anti-hero dynamic we all love while pushing the line further with its vulgarity, intense gore, and downright outlandish sex scenes.

Episode after episode, The Boys never falters and only continues to get wilder and more depraved as the series continues.

“Payback” is the perfect season opener as we’re introduced to the severe dynamic shift since we last saw these characters. Butcher is working for Hughie, Hughie is working for Victoria Neuman (aka the undercover supe running the Federal Bureau of Superhero Affairs), Mothers Milk focuses on his family, and Homelander is losing his mind.

Butcher and Hughie’s relationship has changed since we last saw them, and it’s taking a toll on Butcher. He’s tired of having to listen to Hughie/Grace and follow a rulebook while tracking down supes. It’s bad enough he’s forced to do Hughie’s bidding, but not being able to kill supes is too much for Butcher.

After a year of following along and being an excellent employee to Grace, Butcher is getting reckless and questioning his morals. The Butcher we knew before “Payback” would never willingly take compound V, even if it is to kill Homelander.

The biggest surprise throughout “Payback,” however, is Stormfronts status. After her dismemberment in the season 2 finale, thanks to Ryan, it was unclear just how we’d see her recover, if at all. “Payback” does a superb job of showcasing the extent of her injuries and the crystal clear disconnect between her and Homelander.

Homelander is distracted and unfocused — he’s slowly losing his mind, and the only person who calms him is Stormfront. But, even in her current state of barely sustaining a life force, she’s still dedicated to her racist goals and still hopes that Homelander will be their champion.

However, his resentment towards her notion is apparent, which upsets Stormfront. So much so that we see her commit suicide on Homelander’s birthday on “The Only Man in the Sky.” It’s a crucial moment in his life and for the series.

Stormfront’s death is the catalyst that sends Homelander over the edge, and we see it change him almost immediately. He’s on a roof trying to talk down a jumper when the news hits, and you can see in his eyes that he has emotionally died inside.

It’s a terrifying moment, but one we’ve become prepared for at this point. Homelander forcing the woman to jump off the roof, even after deciding she’s made a mistake, is evil but totally Homelander. And he expands on that level of irritability when we see him lose his cool on the audience during the last moments of “The Only Man in the Sky.”

Antony Starr continues to bring forth his A-game and put all his talent into portraying Homelander exceptionally well. Season after season, he continues to bring a new element to Homelander that we haven’t seen before, and this time is no different.

On “Barbary Coast,” we get substantial background information and see the beginning of a new arc for Mother’s Milk.

As the series begins to pull back the layers on Soldier Boy, we learn that he killed Mother’s Milk’s father when he was a child. Discussing Soldier Boy brings back distressing memories and faulty coping mechanisms for MM, slowly tearing him apart until he realizes that he can’t run from it forever.

Since the mention of Soldier Boy’s name, MM’s ticks, convulsions, irritability, and intrusive thoughts have returned. When he initially stepped away from the group, he couldn’t stand to do to his children what his father did to him.

However, after visiting his ex, Monique, MM realizes that he can no longer hide from the pain he feels. It’s time for him to do what he must to move on emotionally and be content, so he rejoins the boys in their journey to figure out the truth about Soldier Boy.

We also get our first glimpse at supe-Butcher, and it’s thrilling. We’ve neither seen nor expected this side of Butcher, and Karl Urban is absolutely killing it this season as he brings this side to life.

In his pursuit of the truth, Butcher and the boys are tracking down supes who had connections with Soldier Boy in the group Payback. And boy does he find what he’s looking for!

After an interesting insight from Gunpowder, Grace is revealed to have knowledge regarding Soldier Boy’s death/disappearance. This newfound information throws everyone for a loop, Butcher most of all. As he tries to flee Grace’s safe house, Ryan grips Butcher’s arm, holding him in place. He doesn’t understand why Butcher is trying to leave him, and all he wants is a genuine reason.

It’s a gut-punching scenario. Butcher has previously been working on his parenting skills and progressing quite well. But Grace’s connection to Soldier Boy is too much for him and leads to him blowing up on Ryan, which rocks his entire world. It’s a devastating moment to see all the built-up progress with Ryan potentially gone after one blow-up.

I look forward to seeing the journey between Ryan and Butcher this season. Whether Ryan can forgive Butcher for his comments will determine the series’s trajectory after Season 3, assuming there will be another one.

The Boys continues to be one of the best series on television. Its storytelling, visual effects, one-in-a-million actors, and non-conventional humor continue to prove why the series is a fan favorite.

Other Thoughts:

• Starlight and Homelander as a couple? Whatever Homelander has in store for Starlight cannot be good, but as the co-captain, I hope she fights back at every level.
• All I want for Kimiko this season is happiness. Her conversation with Ryan about hating her powers and her chat with Frenchie about ruining lives because of what runs through her veins are heartbreaking.
• I appreciate the backstory on Black Noir immensely! It feels like we never get a chance to focus on this character for any lengthy-time period or ever see him be of importance in situations.
• I foresee Homelander fully diving into his inner ways and showcasing his true feelings more openly this season, which is terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

What did you think of this episode of The Boys? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Boys is available to stream on Fridays on Amazon Prime.

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