The Boys — An antidote to superhero overdose?
As a standalone series with two seasons, this show is good — entertaining, funny in parts, engaging and also gives some memorable images that no one needs.
A must watch? Maybe not.
But you weigh it down by expecting it to mock the usual superhero tropes and cure the superhero overdose that we claim to have been experiencing for 11 years till Avengers Endgame and most recently Justice League: Snyder’s Cut. The Boys, sadly, feels like it is trying too hard to satisfy this expectation of being a cultural shift in the way we make and enjoy the superhero genre. They have added some smart plot-twists and created good characters that will keep you invested in the story, but not enough to topple the hegemony of superhero movies that have gained a permanent space in our hearts.
This show is basically X-men where one group (The Boys) don’t have any special powers and they try to outsmart the other group (Superheroes) using their weaknesses (such as social media image). In that sense this show does some smart commentary on how gullible people are when it comes to social media and that social media has become an important part of every professional, even the superheroes.
Of course not everybody is happy in the strict hierarchical corporate structure under which the superheroes have to operate (The Avengers would have become this had Steve Rogers not adamantly said “No”). But the wealth and fame is too enticing and many people with some superpower keep trying to join this elite group. The dissatisfied ones are either quiet or silently rebelling. This setting of the story is very promising, and also feels like a plausible future in case humans develop some supernatural capabilities. And that is why it is fun to watch The Boys defeat the superheroes in any way possible. But the main enemy is the corporate structure that is controlling the superheroes — hopefully The Boys will get to them soon.
I was jumping with joy when I saw that Season 2 of The Boys was available on Amazon Prime — I had enjoyed Season 1. But by the end of Season 2, I began to feel the same fatigue I felt while watching any “superhero” show. For Arrow this happened at the end of Season 4, for Flash at the end of Season 2, and for Heroes at the end of Season 2. I enjoyed all the three seasons of Daredevil with no fatigue.
Will I watch The Boys season 3? Sure. And if its any good I’ll stay invested for Season 4. But the initial excitement has reduced. I had the same skepticism about Cobra Kai but its third season was amazing, so fingers crossed.
