The Boys – Season 1

 

See, people love that cozy feeling Supes give them… but if you knew half the shit they get up to… Fuckin’ diabolical. But then, that’s where I come in. To spank the bastards when they get out of line

 

No future explanation needed! The quote above succinctly sums up the premise of the show. The Boys Season 1 launched on 26th July as an Amazon Prime exclusive. Written by Garth Ennis and starring Karl Urban, Anthony Starr & Elizabeth Shue this anti-superhero tv series pulls no punches.

After Marvel Movie fatigue has set it, this is the boost in the arm you didn’t know you needed. The world Garth has created feels painfully realistic to our own and not since Watchmen have I been more intrigued by a well drawn out concept. Simply put, if Superheroes existed today they would be branded and used as commodities to fight crime but more importantly, to give power and money to evil corporations who hold the true power. The Supes themselves are a bunch of egotistical shallow image obsessed idols who once you look past the false image, are broken and in some cases psychotic screw-ups who care very little for others.

 

 

Bring on the Boys

 

So a group of humans with no powers are formed to try and take down or at the very least, tarnish the undeserved good names/images of the Supes without getting killed in the process (not an easy task. Led by Billy Butcher (a man driven by vengeance for the disappearance of his wife) they go to some very dark and very extreme places all to act our revenge on the Supes. Karl Urban as Butcher is sublime. The haggard Aussie with a potty mouth is equal parts cold blooded killer & wise cracking bad ass as he sets about taking down the supes with his rag tag team. His broken nothing to lose persona allows him to wreak pure havoc on screen and he is simply a joy to watch in action. Completely untethered and slightly deranged he chews up each scene he’s in and even at his darkest, he’s ridiculously likable!

 

 

Anthony Starr

 

Every great show needs an equally great supervillian. Anthony Starr’s portrayal of Homelander is absolutely brilliant. Since his days in Banshee it was clear he good act but this is on another level. Homelander to the public is a cross between Superman and Captain America and looks every bit the part with his wide smile and American blonde hair and dimples. But beyond his public image, you get to see the insecure, sometimes fragile, sometimes psychotic leader of the Seven. In any given scene he switches from hero persona, to naive fragile boy with mommy issues, to cold eyed calculated supervillian. His performance is as chilling as it is impressive. Truly excellent to watch on screen.

All the acting throughout the first season is really solid from all cast but Karl & Anthony definitely steal the show.

 

I’m Saying Nothing!

 

I’ve given you the premise and mentioned the stand-out performances and told you nothing of any plot points (and I won’t). Without giving away anything, the writing is dark and funny and very extreme. This show is unapologetic and gory and full of bad language, violence and acts as a very dark cynical take on the world we live in….and I love it! I encourage everyone the watch it. It’s eight episodes long and each episode is an hour in length but there is no filler here. Every episodes ends with you wanting to watch the next one and it’s a very easy show to binge whether you intend to or not. Don’t miss out on The Boys.

 

What did you like most about it? Is it true to the comics? Are you excited that Season 2 is already confirmed?

 

Let me know in the comments below