The Boys is based on a comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. It is a show where superheroes are depicted as not so much heroes as supers. The mainstream media believes them to be holier than thou. They even have approval ratings and so forth. The main group of so-called superheroes in the show is called The Seven. They work for an enigmatic group, Vought, which oversees every aspect of these supers, including their social media proposal and new interviews. Season 3 takes these supers to the next level of insanity and brutality this show has become known for.
When season 3 of The Boys picks up, Stormfront has been outed as a Nazi, and she’s in a coma. The PR firm for Vought has to do a lot of spin-doctoring to get this cleared up. Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Starlight/Annie January (Erin Moriarty) are part of Vought. Hughie is in the front office, and Starlight is now a co-leader of The Seven. The rest of The Seven are spread out doing their own thing. The same goes for The Boys. Some don’t want anything to do with the group anymore. This is until a few secrets have been unveiled, and The Boys have to get back together to fight for a common good, besides fighting Homelander (Anthony Starr), the main thorn in their side.
The Boys had a lot going for it in season 3. Some of it is similar to season 2, but if it weren’t, people would probably lose interest in the show. The violence and gore seem to be at an all-time high. There are a lot of heads exploding this season, it seems. Some big explosions result in quite a few fatalities as well. The Boys and The Seven go through hell and back this season. Fans of the show will love that, though, especially if they watched the first two seasons. These characters are much more violent than ever, a precursor of the blood and gore that follows in their wake.
The Boys deals with a lot of different topics that are sometimes very topical. This season had a political bend to it. Just like a political debate or two political rivals would have involving Homelander and Starlight. It seems like this particular story arc is pulled right from the headlines and local news outlets. Maybe it was filmed during this tumultuous time, and so the writers had an inspiration that way. Another story arc I liked a lot was Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) and Frenchie (Tomer Kapon). Their story was quite touching this season. I feel like they are a great couple and have a great relationship in the show despite the pain and suffering they sometimes have to go through.
The show also introduced some new characters: Blue Hawk (Nick Weschler), Crimson Countess (Laurie Holden), and Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), who was the leader of The Avenging Squad. It’s a little too close to home if you ask me. Also, a secret super who is actually a political figure has been revealed from season 2. A plot point about this character carried over which was hanging in the wind. Now, this character is deadlier than ever in their new role. Like in previous seasons, new characters make a big impact in this season. It was cool to see how they worked into season 3 and going forward.
The Boys season 3 gives fans of the show what they’ve come to expect from it. It brings back the violence, the gore, and the raunchy behavior only this show could bring. The new characters work great in the context of the show, but four of our regulars are the heart and soul of this series. The writers infuse topical subjects we as a society we’re going through when this show was probably being filmed. The Boys season 3 doesn’t let us down. Right off the bat, there is a scene that is so crazy it almost can’t be believed. This show isn’t for kids, though. It’s strictly an adult show. Once again, this series doesn’t pull any punches.
4 1/2 stars
Dan Skip Allen
All 8 episodes review’d Streaming on Amazon Prime
Sean Boelman Founder/EIC disappointment media
From the Fourth Row! 