Title: The Boys.
Rated: R.
Season: 2.
Number of episodes: 8.
Release Date: 2020.
Genre(s): Dark Comedy, Science-Fiction.
Developed by: Eric Kripke.
Based on: The Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.
Cast: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, and many more!
Original Network: Prime Video.
My Overall Rating:
Previous reviews of this TV series:
The Boys (2019—) Season 1 TV Series Review.
If there’s one superhero series that successfully managed to shock and impress the world out of the blue, it’s The Boys. Based on the comic book series of the same name created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson, the show introduces viewers to a world brimming with superheroes within America, living among humans, as they all form a cohesive society, while also unveiling their darker and naughtier facet, reminding us that humankind isn’t always capable of nothing but good. The first season successfully managed to introduce this terrifying world, displaying the vices of superheroes, especially those forming the Seven who are run by the individuals at Vought, while also following the formation of the Boys as they unite to expose these so-called heroes to the world for the monsters they really are.
What is The Boys (2019—) Season 2 about? Picking up where things were left off in the first season, the story continues to follow the Boys in their efforts to take down Vought by teaming up with an undercover spy within their organization ready to expose the truth behind Compound V. Despite the bounty on their heads by government authorities, they live in the shadow (or underground comic book stores) and attempt to find a way to get things done. Butcher also discovers the truth behind his beloved Becca and is now on his own mission to do everything in his power to take back what Homelander once stole from him. Meanwhile, the Seven look to fill in the empty spots on their roster and see the sudden arrival of Stormfront, a social-media-savvy superhero with a dangerous political agenda. Although things are fragile for each member with recent developments, their presence will be very much needed with super-terrorists loose in the world.
Unsurprisingly, the showrunners of The Boys deliver another phenomenal season for fans to indulge. The story remains pretty loosely based on the comic books, taking many risks and pushing the story in wholly different directions that effortlessly makes it less gratuitously violent and vulgar than its comic book counterpart by dosing it perfectly, making countless scenes shockingly violent yet cathartically satisfying. Every actor originally presented in the first season also obtain much more screen time in this second season as every episode takes the time to focus on the background and motives of these characters. Of all the characters, Homelander (Antony Starr) remains the central attraction once again. His devilish flair makes for an outstanding and diabolical (wink, wink) villain in the clothes of a hero, this time struggling to retain the American people’s love as his alpha status is challenged by Stormfront (Aya Cash). It remains a journey in itself to watch him try and fill up multiple voids within him in terms of bonds with others.
As a whole, this second season doesn’t look to tell a story on a more ideological level as it remains superficial in its exploration of this cynical and fascist regime hidden under capes and masks within America. Instead, it zooms into the heart of every single character and unveils the raw human emotions that one possesses for others, especially those found within families, whether you’re evil or not. From fatherhood/motherhood to love partners, the show brilliantly balances each character’s journey to give viewers the chance to connect with their cause and their battle. Whether it’s Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) trying to find purpose in his life or The Deep (Chace Crawford) trying to redeem himself through a cult, there’s always some kind of introspective journey that is told throughout this second season. Unfortunately, it does come at the expense of a more drama-oriented story-arc but, do not fret, when the action sequences do come, they make sure to leave a lasting impression on viewers.
With a third season already confirmed as well as a spin-off series in development, it is safe to say that this series is on a roll and is not ready to come to an end. It has been a relentless ride through a satirical take on the superhero genre while also offering a compelling portrayal of the complexity of humankind, whether you’re human or superhuman. It will be intriguing to see where the story will go next now that a lot of the pieces have been dramatically moved into power positions. With excellent cinematography, mostly accomplished right in Toronto, Canada, as well as an exciting score composed by Christopher Lennertz, you will definitely want to binge this series as soon as possible.
The Boys (2019—) Season 2 is another excellent season running on the success of the first season but narrowing its focus on character development by exploring themes of friendship, family, and love.
All eight episodes of season 2 are now available for you to binge!
Have you read the comic book series by Garth Ennis?
Have you seen The Boys (2019—) Season 2? Will you?
Share your thoughts with me!
Roars and Echoes 
This looks amazing. I will watch this one. Great review!
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Expect a wild, violent, yet entertaining ride! Thanks for reading, Yesha! 😀
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Fantastic review Lashaan! I love the sound of this series. Is Homelander a take on Captain America by any chance? 😀
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Thank you so much, Nicki! 😀 Homelander is actually a caricature of Superman here! The character who will be a take on Captain America will be coming in season 3 actually! The hero’s name is Soldier Boy and he will be played by Jensen Ackles! 😀
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Aha that makes more sense😆
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Well….this is a first, but I’m skipping this post. Not because I don’t want to read it, but because I still have to watch the Boys (it’s on my list…I assure you😅😅). I promise to get back to this post when I eventually complete the series 😀 I gave it a like nonetheless because well, who are we kidding here, your posts are always awesome!😀
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ditto.
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Oh? Do you actually plan to give this show a try despite its extremely violent content?! 😀 😀 😀
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Yeah, the level of violence is ridiculous, but knowing how good it is I’ll bite the bullet and make the effort. I kind of feel like it’s my civic duty.
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Hahaha I would love to hear your thoughts on it whenever you get around to it, my good friend! 😀
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Hahahah no worries, my friend. I hope you have a blast with this second season when you get around to it. I’m sure you’ll have a blast with it though. It’s wild. 😉
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Good to know that the series continues strongly! I still have to start watching this second season, but I’m encouraged – and intrigued – by your review, so it’s possible that I will add this to my viewing queue soon… Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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I remember how much you enjoyed the first season too! I’m sure you’ll find it quite fun this time around too. 😉 I hope you have a blast with it when you get around to it, Maddalena! 😀 Thank you so much for reading!
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Well I know Toronto is indeed a favorite place to film Lashaan! I’ll mention the season to my husband who loves watching TV!
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It is indeed! If only they took the time to film some over here at Montreal! 😀 Hope your boys will enjoy The Boys! 😀
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I’d heard of The Boys before but had no idea it was a superhero series, nor that it was based on a comic book series. I don’t think I have access to it, so I doubt I’ll be watching, but it’s great to hear there are some good superhero series out there, even if the genre sometimes seems a bit overdone. Glad to hear you’re enjoying this one.
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It’s an extremely satirical take on the superhero genre though. Completely cynical, violent, and vulgar. Amidst all the DC/Marvel stuff out there, I think they were very wise to release this last year. 😉
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It’s funny, after having said I didn’t realize it was based on a comic series I went back through my old trade paperbacks and found a copy of the first volume of The Boys. 🙂 Sometimes the memory doesn’t work like it used to. I’ll have to pull that copy out and read it sometime.
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Ha! I knew past-Todd was into all these comic book stuffs even if present-Todd thinks that he won’t be making time for these soon! 😛 You’ll have to be careful though. The comic is even more vulgar/gory than the show. I find that the show doses things much better and makes all the extreme content much more “purposeful”. 😀
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Great review! I had no idea that this series is filmed in Toronto! I still haven’t started watching it although it has been on my list on Prime for some time now and there is certainly a lot of hype around it.
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So much happens right in Toronto without many of us knowing hahah It’s just nice to mention that when many other shows/movies end up being filmed outside of Canada hahah I hope you enjoy this series when you get the chance to try it out, Darina! Thanks for reading! 😀
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Phenomenal is the right word my friend! I truly love this series (and to think I almost overlooked season 1 if not for the buzz and your own recommendation – for that I thank you!) and season 2 took things to another level – great writing that taps into the vein of current events and sublime performances all-around (Antony Starr continues to be amazing, along with Karl Urban…and Aya Cash was flaming awesome as well).
My only real complaint: there were only eight episodes! I had no issue with the weekly release as I much prefer that (think we’ve lost something with the streaming binge option) so I can savour it and let every episode fester and percolate in the mind until the next instalment. Oh and we definitely need a LOT more Giancarlo Esposito next season…Giancarlo Esposito just needs to be in EVERYTHING (luckily Mandalorian season 2 is imminent).
I’ve never checked out the comics (but obviously know of them) but I repeatedly hear that the series is actually better?
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I’m glad to hear how much you enjoyed this second season, Chris! It really was an excellent season with a clever direction that allowed us to further understand the personalities of these characters. I have no idea how people dared hate on the release schedule; it’s probably the least important factor in determining the greatness of this show! And hell yes for more Giancarlo Esposito! I can’t wait to see what season 2 of the Mandalorian has to offer for us.
I think you’d be less enthused by the comics, to be honest. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first omnibus and am struggling to pick up the second one to see where it goes. It’s quite aggressive, politically-incorrect, and provocative too.
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I adored the second season of this show. It was brilliantly outrageous but had some greater depth to the characters. Stormfront was a welcome addition to the cast and I loved seeing her go toe to toe with the rest of the seven and the boys. However, as was the case last season, Homelander stole the show again. I just love seeing the cracks in his public facade and see him become a little more unhinged with every episode. He’s also a prime example of how not to parent haha. I can’t wait to see the direction season 3 takes, especially after the big reveal of the mastermind of exploding heads and the addition of Jensen Ackles. It’s gonna be a hoot.
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I absolutely agree! I’m glad that they took the time throughout this season to explore these characters even more. I feel like we know all of their strengths and weaknesses even more than ever now. I too loved how Homelander breaks on a psychological level in this season. I hear he’s going to be ABSOLUTELY psychopathic in season 3. I can’t imagine what’s bound to happen now. And Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) is going to be such an interesting addition to the cast. Gosh. It is indeed gonna be a hoot! 😀
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Good to hear that season 2 did not disappoint. A spin-off? Do we know any details on that?
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No idea about the spin-off. It can’t be based on any comic book in particular since The Boys only has The Boys to work with. 😉 They can always explore the gazillion side characters/side stories though. It’s the only thing I could imagine them doing at this point.
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Is one of “the boys” more special or mysterious than others? Maybe that’s what will happen. I’m not the biggest fan of spin-offs. They’re usually a terrible attempt at making more money at all cost.
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They all, except Hughie, have mysterious and intriguing backgrounds, so they could totally try and explore a time before “The Boys”. I’ve rarely enjoyed any spin-offs. The one that comes to mind that really makes the exception by being just as outstanding as the main series is Better Call Saul for me.
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This show is on my watch list!
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An absolute must-watch! 😀
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