The Boys Season 3 premieres with three episodes on Prime Video on June 3, 2022.
The Boys are back to blowing the bloody doors off in Season 3. All the shamelessness, corrupt egotism, and superhero curb-stomping brazenly reminds us how Prime Video's anti-heroes stand out from the crowd. Season 3 catches Butcher (Karl Urban), Hughie (Jack Quaid), Frenchie (Tomer Capone), M.M. (Laz Alonso), and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) almost a year after Season 2's cliffhanger ending. Butcher's working for Hughie at the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, but all that fleeting do-gooder hope in government-regulated Vought activities goes out the window because this is The Boys, and you're here to witness the pinnacle of "supe" depravity.
Throughout the first three episodes, Vought International and Homelander (Antony Starr) still performatively lick their wounds in the wake of Stormfront's (Aya Cash) exposed Nazi agenda. Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) erases Homelander's untouchable status around Vought Tower — Starr's doing tremendous work as the world's most powerful superhero must grin through forced apologies to America's public. Tensions between Edgar and Homelander are oh-so delicious as the ruthless corporate titan shoves Homelander in his place, embarrassing the Compound V creation and almost daring him to push back. It's the most exciting element of The Boys thus far, as Starr relishes the festering storm within Homelander.
As seen in the trailer, Hughie's righteous path towards superhero regulation is a bust when Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) is outed as the head-popper from Season 2. Rather quickly, Hughie has to do the unimaginable and tell Butcher he's right — there's no other way to police supes than with an iron fist. Karl Urban and Jack Quaid sustain their mentor-ballbuster dynamic but find more depth to the conversations between Butcher and Hughie now that Hughie's throwing in the towel on peace. The Boys chases hope and activism with swift blows of narcissism, and Hughie's green light to Butcher is a massive moment. The show's approach is already brutal; then Hughie essentially says "safety's off" whether we're ready or not (we're not).
Season 3 also wastes no time introducing a significant drug from the comics, the details of which we won’t spoil here (if you’re avoiding spoilers from the comics). But, as one of the fans of those comics, its implementation in the new episodes was my biggest question and somewhat concern based on how it'd be treated in this universe — no qualms yet.
IGN's David Griffin gave The Boys Season 2 a 9/10, writing that it "continues its excellent form of balancing its comedy, over-the-top violence, and character development into a cohesive force of awesomeness. While a few lackluster storylines that never get resolved, there are plenty of meaningful moments sprinkled throughout." Read the full review here.
Season 3 doesn't allow any of its characters a moment to breathe, which is the bread and butter of The Boys. Starlight's (Erin Moriarty) required to be Hughie's confidant once more, but luckily, there’s enough added to the mix that it doesn't feel like a cheap retread of similar storylines in previous seasons. Chace Crawford continues to make The Deep one of the show’s more surprisingly interesting characters after Season 2's religious "reclamation" arc post Starlight's sexual assault exposure. M.M.'s dragged back into Butcher's ranks, Frenchie's connections are exploited, and Kimiko's childlike flourishes are chastised. Everyone around Butcher and Homelander is in their blast radius, their fuses shortening like a Mission Impossible opener. Season 3 shows so far that neither cares who's eviscerated should their self-destructive plans turn into all-out The Boys vs. The Seven warfare.
Commentary continues to be aces, as Season 3 initially pays homage to the Snyder Cut with its own "Bourke Cut" of Season 2's project-at-large, Vought's latest film, Dawn of the Seven, which features an appearance that adds thunderous star power. There’s a larger emphasis this season on how Vought is using all its marketing tools, like streaming service Vought+ and other direct-to-consumer brands, as obstructors of truth that feed pro-supe agendas. It’s wonderfully twisted capitalism, and continues winking towards modern media monopolies.
This season promised to be the bloodiest and most violent yet, which so far is irrefutable.
The Boys keeps the pedal pressed as tremendous acts of violence, fury, and revenge leave a wake of bodies in a mere few hours thus far. No one's safe from either Homelander's dystopian depression or Butcher's fury. This season promised to be the bloodiest and most violent yet, which so far is irrefutable.
Enter Jensen Ackles, the most significant addition to The Boys Season 3 as Soldier Boy. He's Captain America if Captain America was a ‘50s misogynist who supposedly died a covert death overseas. Ackles steps into an Anti-Rogers skin with the despicable smile of our nation's handsomest fraud, bringing all that opposite Chris Evans charm to what will be a pivotal role in this season. But all we've given so far are "Rated M for mature" interactions with Soldier Boy's now-aged allies, NRA weapons advocate Gunpowder (Sean Patrick Flanery), and Voughtland showgirl Crimson Countess (Laurie Holden). Both deliver but leave the door wide open for Ackles to assume his rightful place as Season 3's standout.
The Boys doesn't ease into the idea that America is constantly under attack from domestic threats. Some might be turned off by the immediate reassurance that Hughie and Starlight can never spend their lives together without conflict or that Butcher's merciless approach is the only viable solution. Part of me wishes Season 3 let Hughie's pleasant little cubicle bubble last a bit longer — the other half relishes a continuation of Season 3 that confirms to action-horror fans they ain't seen nothin' yet. Homelander's descent in Season 2 and Stormfront's weaponization of America's angriest class doesn't seem to be over, nor does that homegrown terror wear thin as Homelander countiues fancying himself as a God amongst mortals. Every teleprompter backpedal he's forced to read aloud, the empathy towards humanity he's forced to show, all driving Homelander madder with every apology tour stop. Starr couldn't sell Homelander's impending nuclear implosion as Patrick Bateman's Clark Kent impersonation any better.
Continue reading...
The Boys are back to blowing the bloody doors off in Season 3. All the shamelessness, corrupt egotism, and superhero curb-stomping brazenly reminds us how Prime Video's anti-heroes stand out from the crowd. Season 3 catches Butcher (Karl Urban), Hughie (Jack Quaid), Frenchie (Tomer Capone), M.M. (Laz Alonso), and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) almost a year after Season 2's cliffhanger ending. Butcher's working for Hughie at the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, but all that fleeting do-gooder hope in government-regulated Vought activities goes out the window because this is The Boys, and you're here to witness the pinnacle of "supe" depravity.
Throughout the first three episodes, Vought International and Homelander (Antony Starr) still performatively lick their wounds in the wake of Stormfront's (Aya Cash) exposed Nazi agenda. Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) erases Homelander's untouchable status around Vought Tower — Starr's doing tremendous work as the world's most powerful superhero must grin through forced apologies to America's public. Tensions between Edgar and Homelander are oh-so delicious as the ruthless corporate titan shoves Homelander in his place, embarrassing the Compound V creation and almost daring him to push back. It's the most exciting element of The Boys thus far, as Starr relishes the festering storm within Homelander.
As seen in the trailer, Hughie's righteous path towards superhero regulation is a bust when Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) is outed as the head-popper from Season 2. Rather quickly, Hughie has to do the unimaginable and tell Butcher he's right — there's no other way to police supes than with an iron fist. Karl Urban and Jack Quaid sustain their mentor-ballbuster dynamic but find more depth to the conversations between Butcher and Hughie now that Hughie's throwing in the towel on peace. The Boys chases hope and activism with swift blows of narcissism, and Hughie's green light to Butcher is a massive moment. The show's approach is already brutal; then Hughie essentially says "safety's off" whether we're ready or not (we're not).
Season 3 also wastes no time introducing a significant drug from the comics, the details of which we won’t spoil here (if you’re avoiding spoilers from the comics). But, as one of the fans of those comics, its implementation in the new episodes was my biggest question and somewhat concern based on how it'd be treated in this universe — no qualms yet.
What We Said About The Boys Season 2
IGN's David Griffin gave The Boys Season 2 a 9/10, writing that it "continues its excellent form of balancing its comedy, over-the-top violence, and character development into a cohesive force of awesomeness. While a few lackluster storylines that never get resolved, there are plenty of meaningful moments sprinkled throughout." Read the full review here.
Season 3 doesn't allow any of its characters a moment to breathe, which is the bread and butter of The Boys. Starlight's (Erin Moriarty) required to be Hughie's confidant once more, but luckily, there’s enough added to the mix that it doesn't feel like a cheap retread of similar storylines in previous seasons. Chace Crawford continues to make The Deep one of the show’s more surprisingly interesting characters after Season 2's religious "reclamation" arc post Starlight's sexual assault exposure. M.M.'s dragged back into Butcher's ranks, Frenchie's connections are exploited, and Kimiko's childlike flourishes are chastised. Everyone around Butcher and Homelander is in their blast radius, their fuses shortening like a Mission Impossible opener. Season 3 shows so far that neither cares who's eviscerated should their self-destructive plans turn into all-out The Boys vs. The Seven warfare.
Commentary continues to be aces, as Season 3 initially pays homage to the Snyder Cut with its own "Bourke Cut" of Season 2's project-at-large, Vought's latest film, Dawn of the Seven, which features an appearance that adds thunderous star power. There’s a larger emphasis this season on how Vought is using all its marketing tools, like streaming service Vought+ and other direct-to-consumer brands, as obstructors of truth that feed pro-supe agendas. It’s wonderfully twisted capitalism, and continues winking towards modern media monopolies.
This season promised to be the bloodiest and most violent yet, which so far is irrefutable.
The Boys keeps the pedal pressed as tremendous acts of violence, fury, and revenge leave a wake of bodies in a mere few hours thus far. No one's safe from either Homelander's dystopian depression or Butcher's fury. This season promised to be the bloodiest and most violent yet, which so far is irrefutable.
Enter Jensen Ackles, the most significant addition to The Boys Season 3 as Soldier Boy. He's Captain America if Captain America was a ‘50s misogynist who supposedly died a covert death overseas. Ackles steps into an Anti-Rogers skin with the despicable smile of our nation's handsomest fraud, bringing all that opposite Chris Evans charm to what will be a pivotal role in this season. But all we've given so far are "Rated M for mature" interactions with Soldier Boy's now-aged allies, NRA weapons advocate Gunpowder (Sean Patrick Flanery), and Voughtland showgirl Crimson Countess (Laurie Holden). Both deliver but leave the door wide open for Ackles to assume his rightful place as Season 3's standout.
The Boys doesn't ease into the idea that America is constantly under attack from domestic threats. Some might be turned off by the immediate reassurance that Hughie and Starlight can never spend their lives together without conflict or that Butcher's merciless approach is the only viable solution. Part of me wishes Season 3 let Hughie's pleasant little cubicle bubble last a bit longer — the other half relishes a continuation of Season 3 that confirms to action-horror fans they ain't seen nothin' yet. Homelander's descent in Season 2 and Stormfront's weaponization of America's angriest class doesn't seem to be over, nor does that homegrown terror wear thin as Homelander countiues fancying himself as a God amongst mortals. Every teleprompter backpedal he's forced to read aloud, the empathy towards humanity he's forced to show, all driving Homelander madder with every apology tour stop. Starr couldn't sell Homelander's impending nuclear implosion as Patrick Bateman's Clark Kent impersonation any better.
Continue reading...