‘The Boys’ Season 2 Review

The Boys first season is a gory and awesome satire of the current state of superhero movies. It analyzes how the public worships superheroes and how that would look in the real world. Companies profit off of the actions of heroes while the heroes are less than super behind-the-scenes. 

An unstable person with powers like Superman can be an absolute nightmare. The Boys season 2 introduces some new characters to the fray while expanding on the ones we already know.

Plot

In season 2 of The Boys, there are many new complications as Homelander tries to build a relationship with his newly discovered son and the introduction of a new member of The Seven, Stormfront. The world also faces new threats with super-terrorists who have been utilizing Compound V, the chemical which creates superpowers. The boys find themselves underground having to hide after the events of season 1. 

Homelander steals the show

In season 2, Anthony Starr solidifies himself as one of TV’s best villains as Homelander. Homelander is so easy to hate but is very well-written. Starr is excellent at portraying a character who is constantly on the verge of snapping but has to restraint in order to retain his public image. 

The relationship with his son is intriguing to watch as it seems he genuinely cares for his son but is constantly betraying his son’s mother to raise him how he wants.

Stormfront is a fantastic addition as well, playing off Homelander well. The twists and turns surrounding her character develop very well and add a lot more to the world and lore behind the creation of superheroes.

Hughie, who appeared to be the main character in season 1, takes more of a backseat this season as more time is dedicated to other characters. Billy Butcher’s backstory is explored a lot more and I love him as a character along with Karl Urban’s badass portrayal. He makes a lot of frustrating decisions that still make sense for his character.

Multiple storylines can slow down the pacing

The best storyline of season 2 is with everything surrounding Stormfront and Homelander. It will often cut back to the relationship between Hughie and Starlight, which is a good relationship but isn’t as investing or crazy as the main plot. 

The Deep also has a large storyline that delivered comedic moments but took away from the main story. It was more of an excuse to just keep The Deep on the show. I liked the direction they took with his character, but it wasn’t nearly as captivating as everything else.

This season also suffers from a pacing issue. It starts out strong with the first three episodes, then starts slowing down in the middle episodes. However, it really picks up in seven and delivers a finale that is action-packed, insane and sets up season three beautifully. There are many storylines I can’t wait to see play out based on how season 2 ended.

I also hope to see more of Giancarlo Esposito’s character in the next season. He isn’t in season 2 a lot, but he steals every scene when he shows up. Even though his character has no powers, he can seem even scarier than Homelander if he wants to.

Final verdict

Overall, season 2 of The Boys is great. It isn’t as strong as season 1 kept its pace up much better and the shock value has worn off slightly in season 2. However, many of the ideas that were set up surprised me and kept me invested in the story. This is one of the best shows on TV and the best superhero TV show currently. I can’t wait to see more of the madness in season 3.

Final score: 9/10