The Boys are back in town! The third season is here, and my, oh my, when I thought this couldn’t get any more intense, it does. Don’t worry, lads and gents; I won’t be spoiling anything right now. But I will make a powerful statement to convince you to watch this masterpiece if you still haven’t done yourself the favor.
First of all, let me open my declaration with this: The Boys is, in my opinion, one of the best (if not the best) superhero series ever made.
Yes, I said it. Let me tell you why.
I was a late bloomer in The Boys’ experience. I wasn’t drawn to it at first. I didn’t even bother with watching the trailer. But, after a while, many friends kept recommending me the series; they said I would love it, that it had a “twist” that I would personally enjoy. The same happened with Invincible, but in this case, the “twist” was very clear from the beginning: a super gory animation with an excellent soundtrack. And I instantly became a big fan (still waiting for a second season!).
When I watched Invincible, I thought there was nothing more intense, dramatic, dark, and graphic in the superhero-related content, and for that, I was grateful. But then, I watched the first episode of The Boys. Man, I watched the first 15 minutes.
WHAT THE ACTUAL F…
First of all, this is a very, very graphic live-action series. So, if you are not a fan of super bloody, full-nude, and intense sex scenes, you won’t be able to handle this much intensity. There will be blood, a lot. All the time. This was the first detail that hit the spot for a horror and gore fan like me. But it was more than the gore itself.
The way it became a resource to portray how real-life superhumans could easily mess up others’ lives with their powers. It is brutal, and the same time, perfect. I can’t help but wonder how much fake blood this show has been using for each episode. Or maybe they’ve reached a point when it was easier to CGI the whole thing. I know it sounds horrifying, but that much gore truly makes a point—most of the time.
Keep in mind this series is politically incorrect as it can be. The Boys make fun of our reality in a subtle yet intelligent way that can’t be ignored. The facts are right there. The series is just having fun with them.
Then, we have the main characters, the boys. At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked that there was a lead I couldn’t relate to (maybe it was the reason he became the lead, lol). But as the story unfolds, the series displays more than one main character; different well-balanced stories and very well written evolve around the main plot. The Boys has a very human way of presenting a group of flawed people with one common purpose: to take down the superhero dynasty.
Now that I mentioned them, oh geez. The whole superhero situation is very well-put. Because even though this is a critical point in the story, it’s not even remotely the most important topic of the series. Yes, they exist. Some are good people, some of them, not so much. But that’s the thing, more than being superhumans, they still think, feel, and act like ordinary people. And most of the time, that’s the problem. That’s what keeps the story going. Being a “soop” is more of a business than a miracle. This is why The Boys is brilliant; instead of glorifying heroes, they make fun of putting them on a pedestal in a very sarcastic and dark way. It’s awesome.
The cast is perfect. Every character feels real; they become so dear to your heart that you root for the psycho underdogs. Because let me tell you, there are no real “good guys” in the series; we have the group that seeks justice in their twisted way and the ones who take advantage of it in a very inhuman way. This is how you end up wondering whose side you'd be on if this were real.
The soundtrack is also excellent. Very different from Invincible, but still pretty good. Heads up: you’ll end up listening to a lot of Billy Joel; I won’t tell you why. But you most definitely will. Sometimes the music is just coming along with the story, but in some other cases, it comes as satirical support for very intense scenes. More than once, you’ll find yourself having a ‘WTF’ face with a very upbeat song in the back. No kidding, this series is twisted in every single way.
I can keep on hyping The Boys, but I think you got the point. A very graphic, crude, and sarcastic story of something we geeks love so much. That’s all I’m going to say. So, go to your Amazon Prime account (or ask your best friend for theirs) and buckle up. Prepare for the ride of your life. You won’t regret it, I promise.
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