MORAL OF THE SERIES

With great power comes great responsibility, but so comes temptation, corruption, abuse of power, etc. This first season puts a spotlight on how power, in all its forms (in this case, superpowers), can be corrupted to suit the interests of the few at the expense of the rest. This is especially highlighted in the context of how capitalism plays a role in the corruption of power.

WHO I THINK WOULD MOST ENJOY THIS SERIES

Anyone looking for a fresh/gritty take on the superhero genre with every bit of fun action that you come to expect from films/shows of the genre. The Boys is a satirical take on the superhero genre that focuses on how even superheroes can become a business in an ultra-capitalist society like the U.S., so if you’re looking for a super fun time that also contains deep sociopolitical commentary, then The Boys is the show for you.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/COMMENTARY

In light of the second season of The Boys premiering this past weekend, I thought it was appropriate to post my review for the first season tonight. When I first heard of The Boys, I saw a trailer for the show within the Amazon Prime Video dashboard, and it honestly looked so bad. The trailer made it look like a super formulaic, standard superhero show. Then came the reviews and the word of mouth, so I binge-watched it. One of the best decisions I made that summer. The Boys has genuinely one of the most unique takes on the superhero genre that I’ve ever seen and it makes me wonder how something like it wasn’t made sooner. The premise seems like something that we’ve seen before: powerful beings become corrupted and villainous. Yet, this show takes that premise and puts it through the lens of contemporary sociopolitical issues such as workplace sexual harrassment (MeToo movement), abuse of power, corporate greed, perversion/marketing of the American dream, ultra-capitalism, etc. At its heart, the show depicts what seems to be a utopian world but looks more and more like a dystopian one once you start to peel the layers back. Remind you of anything? Hint: it rhymes with Unlighted Fates of America. Oh and the faces of that utopia happen to be the cast of superheroes known as The Seven with its leader being Homelander: the ultimate symbol of patriotism. by the way, the performance that @toni.starr brings in portraying Homelander is nothing short of amazing! One of the best in the genre! On the other side of things, the resistance is represented by the Boys, but they’re no saints either, which just goes to show one of the season’s main commentaries that you can be corrupted (whether it be by temptation, greed, rage, bloodlust, or revenge), no matter which side you think you’re on. As such, The Boys teaches us about the power of corruption through the corruption of power that can be present in both the status quo and the resistance. As serious as these morals and commentaries are, the shows is truly a whole blast of fun. The entire cast is phenomenal together and has incredible chemistry together (especially @jack_quaid and @erinelairmoriarty ) that only further improve the great performances. Thanks to @karlurban , I’ll be saying “fucking diabolical” a lot more than I ever used to. I can’t count the amount of times that I found myself truly enjoying the show and feeling like I didn’t want it to stop. Fortunately, it won’t stop anytime soon. The Boys was renewed for a third season before the premiere of the second season. In the end, I typically don’t like rewatching shows but I can see myself watching the first season of The Boys several times for the fun of all the gore and action that it brings as as well as its profound reflections of modern American society.