“The Boys” Season 2, Episodes 1-3 Review

Story posted September 14, 2020 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Jimmy Lu and Sam Roberts

After its violently delightful first season in 2019, “The Boys” is back with another gut-spilling season (literally).

Amazon Prime Video’s superhero satire show released three episodes so far, and so far it’s continued its signature social issue satire mixed with dark humor and gory action sequences.

Episode one started not long after the finale of season one. With Butcher (Karl Urban) missing, The Boys are being hunted by the Supes, and Hughie (Jack Quaid) is still secretly working with Starlight (Erin Moriarty) as they’re trying to take Vought down.

Homelander (Antony Starr), perhaps the most complicated character on the show, is as terrifying as ever. However, these episodes included some vulnerable moments that make you sympathize with him, a boy who is raised like a lab rat who never had a real understanding of love.

The most interesting relationship in the show so far is Homelander and his son Ryan, as we see him doing something he’s not good at for the first time: raising a child.

Season two also introduced a new character, Stormfront (Aya Cash), who seems like a social media influencer type of character at first, which could be interpreted as another dig at the current generation’s obsession with social media.

“The Boys” pulls no punches when it comes to criticizing different social issues. Starlight continues to navigate between the two worlds of being an actual superhero and a celebrity controlled by Vought, which is a clear shot at the entertainment industry and the corruption of power.

So far, the biggest setup show creator Eric Kripke has given us is all the different power struggles between the characters in the show.

One big power struggle fans are looking forward to seeing play out is between Homelander and Stormfront, who doesn’t play by the rules. Not only does she do and say what she wants, but when being a “hero” and stopping villains, she has no problem taking civilian lives.

Many tensions between characters built up in the first three episodes, and they will probably be explored more as the season goes on.

Hughie is still mad at Butcher for leaving The Boys. Additionally, A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) and Starlight transpire blackmailing each other, and Homeladner is onto Starlight for betraying The Seven. Homelander also has a problem with the head of Vought, Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito), and the new addition of Stormfront. The Deep (Chace Crawford) is on his journey of self-discovery, and Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) is hiding her ex-lover from everyone else.

Moving into the rest of the season, here are a few predictions.

Stormfront won’t get killed by Homelander, because she is going to get killed by Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara). Kimiko watched Stormfront rip off her brothers’ hands and then proceed to snap his neck, killing him.

As episode three ended, The Boys and Kimiko were watching Stormfront’s press conference after she killed her brother. Next, the camera made a close up of Kimiko as it cut to credits.

Yes, Kimiko will get her revenge.

Another thing to look forward to in season two of “The Boys” is how the public will react to the unveiling of Vought creating their own heroes instead of a natural birth. I predict that this will really turn public opinion against Vought, and it will set up Vought’s “heroes” being the real villains.

The Shining Light, the terrorist group making super-terrorists, will ultimately become the ones to fight Vought. Before his death, Kimiko’s brother told her that Shining Light is “out there” as the good guys and Vought is out as the bad guys. Tie that in with Kimiko’s revenge, and you get full on Shining Light vs. The Seven. Maybe this is what writers will set up for season three?

There’s so much more viewers have to see unravel in season two of “The Boys.”

Audiences have to explore Homelander’s son and his powers, how Butcher will react to that and get his revenge, Starlight and Hughie’s relationship, the deal between Rebecca and Dr. Park, what Edgar knows about Compound V and much more.

Overall, the premiere of “The Boys” definitely lived up to its hype.

It kept what makes the show interesting from its first season and layered i through great storytelling and complex characters. Although some scenes can be a little sluggish, one thing for sure is that the audiences are in for another wild ride.

“The Boys” episode four returns Sept. 11.

 

Jimmy (Chien-Hsing) Lu is a senior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jfl5603@psu.edu

Sam Roberts is a junior majoring in telecommunications . To contact him, email @sdr5385@psu.edu