The Boys

Genres : Sci-fi, Anthology, Psychological

Show Credits

Actors: Anthony Starr, Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty

Showrunner: Eric Kripke

Seasons : 4

Writer : Surya Turaga

Date : 21st July 2024

Note: I don’t want to spoil anything, so I've reviewed S1 - 3 here. S4 review is in a dropdown at the bottom of the page, hidden for anyone who hasn't seen the show.

The Boys is a unique and well written superhero show meant very much for adults. With 4 seasons so far, this show goes beyond just the superhero genre. With a twist of heroes not being the idols they usually are in the genre, The Boys also tells an entertaining story filled with well written character arcs and well placed parodies of real life. Season 4 has certainly dropped in quality in more than one way, but thankfully serves as a good setup for a show finale.

The Boys is about a superhero team called The Seven, which has a lot of resemblance to The Justice League. Homelander is an invulnerable flying guy shooting lasers from his eyes, Queen Maeve is kinda like Wonder Woman, etc. The only difference is that they aren’t real heroes, more of a bunch of figureheads making a franchise and all being messed up in their own ways. A noticeable detail is that they’re classified as Supes, superheroes, but without the ‘hero,’ which sets the basic viewpoint of any enhanced characters in the show. They’re realistic people with powers.

The plot primarily focuses on a ragtag team seeking to expose the Supes and prevent them from causing chaos and stuff. That’s how it starts, at least. It soon turns into focusing on a few key plotlines, including the rivalry between the leaders of both teams. That’s not a bad thing, and neither is the evolution of the story to become less of a ‘cold war’ between both sides into head on enmity and fighting. The plot is very entertaining, taking unexpected twists and surprising the audience with very bold opinions towards real life events / cultures.

The acting is consistently phenomenal, and the cast is well chosen. There is the occasional cliche scene, but they serve as a good contrast to how dramatically unhinged most of the show is. The characters all have their own nuances, with Homelander being a psychopath with ego issues, Hughie going deeper into a dark world, Starlight trying to fight a corporate system, and more. They all go through their own journeys through the seasons. Characters like Hughie resolve most of their arc early on, causing them to be overshadowed later, especially when the show shifts to focus on Butcher (Karl Urban) and Homelander (Anthony Starr).

The best part about this show is how it parodies real life. The Boys remains consistently relevant in its references, weaving them in a humorous way into the plot. Between showing advertisements and the fakeness behind marketing, and referencing pop culture trends like release the Snyder Cut, the show rarely misses.

S4 Review - Click to reveal, mild spoiler alert for S1 - 3

Then how did S4 miss the mark? First off, the show really lost sight of the story here. They're caught in the space between Soldier Boy leaving the plot and the political aspect with Neuman not reaching a peak as of yet. So most of the season just wanders aimlessly, never really indicating where the story intends to go or what parts they want the audience to focus on. There's a frustrating amount of filler plot, taking the story and its characters in circles that nobody really asked for.

Lots were upset at this show becoming 'woke', becoming what it wanted to parody. I didn't see much to support that view. While the show addresses modern culture quite strongly, it only parodies the problem of cancel culture and what not, doesn't really side with the problem. That being said, I do feel a little frustrated. The first few seasons were unhinged simply because of the twists and turns of the story, and because of Homelander just being impulsive in general. This season seems to lack that feel, just inserting a few crazy scenes coming out of nowhere just for the shock value. It would have helped to make the story better interconnected in general.

One impressive aspect of the season is how well it set up the Homelander vs Starlight movements done by the people, making it out to be a well timed parody of the American Republican vs Democrat movements. Of course, the situation is completely different because Homelander is a clear antagonist, and real life has no absolute right or wrong. Regardless, this aspect of the season was executed well, even down to certain key 'features' you'd associate with each side being replicated in the show.

The issue with this being one of the few well executed aspects of the season is that you can only appreciate it if you're well versed / connected with American politics. And of course, it's an American show. By all means, make it for Americans. Just don’t expect it to be well received by the entirety of the international audience. That’s what mainly sets S4 apart from previous seasons. The initial seasons’ takes on propaganda, online trends, and pop culture was all based on stuff that was more or less well known around the world, and the characters' style of parodying general public figures was very relatable to all, unlike the current parodying of strictly American politics and stuff.

Overall, The Boys is a show worth watching just to see Karl Urban and Anthony Starr face off with an exciting rivalry. The well written story and occasional humor just makes it better. Season 4 is disappointing at times, but ends with a great setup for a final fifth season.

Surya-o-meter :

S1 - 3: 94%

Story - 9/10

Directing - 8/10

Acting - 10/10

Music - 6/10

Cinematography - 8/10

S4: 75%

Story - 6/10

Directing - 7/10

Acting - 10/10

Music - 6/10

Cinematography - 7/10

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