The Boys (2019—) Season 3 TV Series Review

Title: The Boys.

Rated: R.
Season: 3.
Number of episodes: 8.
Release Date: 2022.
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:

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Previous reviews of this TV series:
The Boys (2019—) Season 1.
The Boys (2019—) Season 2.

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In the face of an insurmountable force, you are bound to feel an overwhelming sense of defeat and injustice, especially when said insurmountable force is also the epitome of evil. Sometimes, the only answer left is to fight fire with fire, no matter how corrupt it makes you be. By giving yourself this fighting chance, your deepest desires might be granted but your moral compass will take a hit. And for some, it simply doesn’t matter anymore, as their vision of justice and equality is already distorted by an evergrowing desire for revenge. After all, within a world filled with superheroes, where one’s actions are constantly put under a microscope to determine if they’re fundamentally good or evil, the distinction is further blurred by the power gap between common mortal and superpowered individuals. In its third season, The Boys series further explores the thirst and corruption of power as Homelander becomes further unhinged and his mask crumbles away.

What is The Boys (2019—) Season 3 about? Set a year after the events that took place in the second season, the story now presents the Boys, at peace with the Seven, working for Victoria Neuman’s Bureau of Superhero Affairs to identify and arrest problematic Supes. With a clash of visions forbidding cohesion between Butcher and Hughie, the former sets off on a trail exposed by Queen Maeve to find one of the first American superheroes, officially considered deceased, who could potentially kill Homelander, Soldier Boy. In the meantime, Homelander finds himself pushed further away from his throne, restricted in his powers, while his mental health plunges even faster and deeper into an abyss of insanity and Starlight effortlessly becomes the center of attention.

This latest season does a formidable job, akin to the first two, in further exploring the complex sociopolitical climate of civilization with superpowered beings. The essence of social media is brilliantly incorporated and explored into the narrative, playing a quintessential role of power and control over humanity through fame and reputation. The story also depicts the power play schemes within the notorious Vought organization as well as the reign of terror hidden behind the facade that is publically shared with the rest of the world. On top of these political shenanigans, the series continues its blatant mockery of real-world drama and its thought-provoking satire on ongoing social justice crusades, from gun control and black lives matter issues.

Amidst these macroscopic ideas, the series also brilliantly splits up and builds up the character development and bond of several of the core member of the Boys, whether it would Billy and Hughie with their complex pseudo-fraternal relationship or even Kimiko and Frenchie’s complex romantic rapport. A series-centric theme of the father-and-son relationship is also cleverly infused into the narrative, presenting situations with some complicated decisions to be made by crucial characters. Englobing these various ties is also an intriguing exploration of protection, power, and free will, inevitably bringing into play larger questions of being a saviour versus being the rescuee, and all the underlying conception of dominance within a relationship.

The pacing within the season is quite impressive as well, building up the tension and intrigue while characters make dramatic decisions about their lives and what they’re willing to sacrifice to reestablish a new world order. As everything builds up to the epic sixth episode (Herogasm), the show proves why it is spectacular, with more cursing, more gore, more chaos, more insanity, and more sexual weirdness. It is its eight and final episode of the season (The Instant White-Hot Wild) that really kills the season as it establishes an unforgiving status quo, rendering every novelty introduced into this series inconsequential while also butchering (no pun intended) Billy’s character with a truly odd and irrational decision when the going got tough. While the rest of the season was top-notch, this final episode does taint the overall appreciation but one thing’s for sure: The Boys is still a strong series and things will surely be even more crazy and epic in the upcoming fourth season.

The Boys (2019—) Season 3 is another energized adventure into the twisted, insane, gory world filled with Supes complemented by fantastic character development and unforeseeable twists that unfortunately end on a mediocre finale.

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All eight episodes of season 3 are now available for you to binge!

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Have you read the comic book series by Garth Ennis?

Have you seen The Boys (2019—) Season 3? Will you?

Share your thoughts with me!

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