‘The Boys’ is Gloriously Irreverent

Nothing is held back in the second season.

The Boys is my kind of superhero content. While watching many of the Marvel movies, I’ve wondered about the long-lasting effects the heroes are having on the world around them. While they are the good guys and are doing good things for the nation and the world, there have to be long-lasting ramifications that aren’t shown in the films. Because Marvel movies are made to entertain kids of all ages, I’m glad that they’re not too graphic or cynical.

I’m glad The Boys goes where Marvel and even DC isn’t willing to go. This show has no problem showing just how crappy people can be and the lengths they will go in order to get and keep power. Even the good guys — these heroes that everyone worships — aren’t as good as their PR campaign would lead us to believe. Though they are super, they are still incredibly flawed like the rest of us and I really like that.

Throughout the show, we see what would happen if we lived in a world with superheroes. We see the destruction of property and the lengths that various companies go to cover it up. There are instances of collateral damage that people are paid off to hide. Though some crime is stopped, we learn that the world really isn’t all that different, there are just more powerful people around than we currently have in our world today.

While it’s nice to get wrapped up in the hopeful nature of the Marvel superhero films, sometimes it’s nice to see the darker version of these events. I’m going to dive into some of my favorite things about the second season of The Boys and will include some spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched the second season and are a fan of really dark humor, this could be a good show for you.

The Portrayal of Female Superheroes

The Boys focuses on a group of superheroes called ‘The Seven’ who are held up as the gold standard of Supes, as they’re called in the show. In the second season, three female superheroes are part of ‘The Seven,’ two of which are incredibly powerful and a third with a heart of gold.

Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) is incredibly strong and is a great fighter. Stormfront (Aya Cash) is cutthroat while being pretty brilliant (though she is awful in most respects). And Starlight (Erin Moriarty) is able to channel the energy from light, which sometimes is an effective weapon. Though she is occasionally useless, Starlight can be the moral center when the group (or show) needs. Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), though not in ‘The Seven’ is super in her own way — she is able to tear people to pieces with zero effort and basically can’t be killed — she’s an incredible character!

The tagline “girls get it done,” appears throughout the season. Now that there are three women in ‘The Seven,” there’s a whole marketing push to show how diverse the group is. They are trying to bank on the trend of female empowerment in order to make them look more inclusive. The Boys is so aware of itself, that there’s a scene in the final episode that both makes fun of the tagline and shows off the skills of these powerful women.

Stormfront is revealed to be the villain in this season. In the final episode, she is confronted by Starlight, Kimiko, and Maeve in a pretty satisfying fight. These three women do something that many other action movies and shows don’t do: they work together.

One of the things that bothers me about many group fight scenes in films is that people often take turns when fighting. Everyone will go one at a time, in an orderly fashion instead of ganging up on the person they’re against. But in The Boys, these girls mean business. They use their force strategically to maximize the damage, not giving Stormfront an opportunity to catch her breath or reset her feet. The fight is pretty swift, but there are a few satisfying moments of teamwork that I rarely see in fighting scenes.

The most humorous part of that whole fight is that three men stood back and watched the superheroes fight. Though they were willing to jump in when needed, they didn’t have more to add than these women did. I know that we’re seeing more and more female superheroes, but it’s great to see them dominate in such an obvious way in this scene. And the guys, though tough, know when it was the time for the ladies to lead.

The Messages on Display

The Boys is humorous, filled with foul language, and overflowing with bloody gore, but it has a lot of depth to it. I think we’re in a troubling moment in America and this show is willing to call some of these things out.

There’s a whole subplot where Homelander (Antony Starr) is in trouble with his fanbase and is unsure what to do. He turns to Stormfront who is stoking political tensions with ease. She has managed to use social media to enhance her own standing, gain followers, and create converts. Where the historically successful levers of capitalism and religion have failed, she has managed to galvanize people to her cause. She has been able to create radicals, seemingly overnight, who are even willing to kill in the hunt against Supe villains.

Given all that happened in the United States Capitol earlier this month, I think this is an important topic for us to discuss. Long-trusted news sources are no longer trusted and people are relying upon Facebook pages or tweets in order to get their information. Social media is a powerful tool that can be wielded in a way that generates tragic results. Of course, not everyone will be pushed to a violent point, but The Boys highlights these issues that are at the forefront of many of our minds. Public perception is easily manipulated in our world today and The Boys illustrates that.

This show also brilliantly tackles the relationship between government and other corporations, how we deal with (or don’t deal with) corruption, and the power that a large conglomerate can have in the world.

I was impressed by how much they were able to fit into one season and how effectively they were able to shine a light on these areas and more.

The Longevity of The Series

There are some shows that you watch and feel as though they will be irrelevant in a few years' time at most. I felt that way after watching Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, while I enjoyed it, it was specifically written for 2020. If I were to watch it again in five or ten years, it might not be as impactful as my experience today when I’m in the middle of the events the film is depicting.

I don’t think that’ll be the case with The Boys, though I am open to being wrong. Some films rely upon relevance and pop culture references in order to make them cool, fun, or accessible. But this show doesn’t do that. Instead, the characters are well developed and the plot is intriguing and engaging. The story is good on its own and the twists and turns throughout make for a really fun ride. All of the witty references are simply the cherry on top. Because of the quality of the writing, it doesn’t need to rely on novelty to be entertaining.

While the references will grow obsolete and outdated at some point, I think the depth of the show will make it one that will hold up for years to come. Though it is speaking to a current moment in American history, the characters all seem real. Even the villains are dealing with complex human emotions that we can find in any country during any time period.

I enjoyed The Boys season two more than season one, which I wasn’t expecting. I found the writing to be witty and exciting. I was thrilled to buckle up and go on this ride with these characters. I was, once again, satisfied that I had found a type of superhero content that I could really enjoy.

I don’t know what these creators have up their sleeves next, but I am really excited to see where this story goes next.