The Boys: Fam...
Erik M.
The Boys, the popular dark take on the superhero genre, premiered its 4th season on June 13 on Amazon Prime, delivering grittier and more sadistic pleasure to its growing audience. As an avid watcher since season 1, all I can say is that I am here for the ride. The show’s first three seasons, as well as its two spinoffs, Gen V and Diabolical, have set up The Boys to be one of the most successful and highly rated adult superhero shows in recent memory.
To top it off, it is one of the few superhero shows to reach such heights without the backing of the DC or Marvel franchises. In fact, one of the best experiences I’ve gained from watching this show is its tendency to poke fun at those franchises and call out the unrealistic expectations we put on superpowered crusaders.
Adult Content
"The Boys" doesn’t shy away from violence and gore, showing the consequences of superhuman powers used destructively, resulting in chaos and casualties, nor does it shy away from explicit sexual content, including scenes of nudity, sexual relationships, and sexual violence. As the series delves into themes of corruption, manipulation, and betrayal, it challenges us by asking, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’ Here, our sense of right and wrong could be the difference between a stock increase by Vought or a laser to the face by Homelander.
Some people consider superheroes to be the pinnacle of holiness and righteousness, yet the characters in 'The Boys' navigate morality through a different lens. Their world is ambiguous, where traditional notions of heroism and villainy are two friends at a bar, high-fiving each other, smoking weed.
While the show’s current season is the most political it has ever been, I believe that given the current state of our government, the show is doing our country a service by pushing the political theme and opening a case where discussion can take place regardless of where one stands on several issues such as corporate greed, government corruption, media manipulation, and the influence of celebrity culture. Wishful thinking, I know.
Despite its dark and cynical tone, the characters grapple with their past traumas, personal demons, and struggles to make the right decision in a world filled with darkness and chaos. The show features several characters crossing the line between good and evil, and in the end the characters that can keep their sense of morality prove that they are indeed heroes instead of portraying that façade to the public.
Billy vs Homelander anyone?
Billy Butcher/ Homelander: Bad vs Evil?
The dynamic between Homelander, portrayed by Anthony Starr and Billy Butcher, portrayed by Karl Urban is a reverse Superman and Lex Luthor. I’ve always found these David verses Goliath battles to be the best part of any story, and “The Boys” is no exception.
Homelander is the leader of the superhero team known as The Seven, a dark parody of the Justice league. His powers mimic Superman, but he is also arrogant, manipulative, and morally corrupt. Homelander presents himself as a symbol of truth and justice to the public but he is as ruthless and dangerous as Lex Luthor and he is an individual who will go to great lengths to keep his power and control everyone around him.
With Billy Butcher, the leader of 'The Boys,' he seeks to expose and take down corrupt superheroes, especially The Seven. Driven by a personal vendetta against Homelander, (whom he blames for his wife’s [Becca's] death) and despite being a hero, Butcher’s methods resemble more Punisher and Spawn, than Batman. Usually, someone dies, gruesomely.
Butcher sees Homelander as the embodiment of everything wrong with super-powered individuals. Homelander, on the other hand, views Butcher as a threat to his power and control over the public. They both engage in psychological warfare against each other by intimidating their friends, and allies to try to break the other.
Throughout the series, the dynamic between Homelander and Butcher undergoes twists, turns, and revelations that challenge their feelings toward each other as well as their motivation (A respected rivalry of sorts, but the hate is there). One aspect they both agree on is the love that they have for Ryan (Son of Homelander, moral compass dad surrogate by Butcher). When he was injured in a fight against Soilder Boy, they held their grudge and focused on their son’s well-being proving that when your morals are aligned anything is possible.
This unexpected alliance kept me guessing about their fate. Cain and Abel, Dante and Virgil, or Mario and Luigi?
Overall, the relationship between Homelander and Butcher is one of the central driving forces of the story, showcasing the complex and morally ambiguous nature of the characters and the success of the show, in my opinion, is definitely because of the incredible acting talents of these two and the commercials left by Vought on twitter and in the series.
Anyone’s Guess
Superhero shows come and go and some have a more lasting impact than others. With “The Boys”, they definitely left their mark on pop culture. Whether it will be remembered as a cult classic after its run is another story.
One thing is for certain, 'The Boys' forces us to understand that while superheroes may seem like a fun and exciting addition to normal life on paper, they are still people. Like all people, they are capable of morally questionable actions. This series serves as a reminder and a warning that superheroes are not godlike beings. If we treat them as such, we may end up praising the devil instead.
