Please note that this post contains “spoilers”.
If you’re like this writer, then you were eagerly awaiting season two of The Boys on Amazon Prime. Set in a world where superheroes are real, but not in the empathetic do-gooder way that we’re accustomed to, the show follows a group of crime-fighting superheroes known as “The Seven“, and a band of regularly-powered humans hell-bent on exposing the entrenched corruption prevalent in their world’s superhero institutions.
Season two picks up where the first left off, with our heroes trying to take down Vought International, the company that “makes” superheroes via its pharmaceutical-like serum. Shortly into the second season, viewers are introduced to Stormfront, played by Aya Cash, a powerful superhero and the most PR-savvy of The Seven. Her relationship with Homelander, the show’s antagonist, is one of the most interesting plot-lines in the new season, although at times it does unnecessarily overshadow other plot elements.
Season two’s acting is well done across the cast, but special mention must go to Antony Starr, who plays Homelander. His chilling portrayal of the sociopathic superhero instills every scene of his with suspense. Sociopathic superman is not an easy look to pull off without resorting to melodrama, and Starr strikes the right balance in his portrayal. Kudos should also go to Erin Moriarty, who plays Starlight. She brings a lot of heart and empathy to a character that could easily have been just superficial eye-candy.
Karl Urban is once again a scene stealer as Billy Butcher this season, and has been given more substantial material to work with. Reconnected with his wife Becca (Shantel VanSanten) and father (played by Urban’s fellow Lord of the Rings alum John Noble), Butcher has to grapple with demons from his past, and we get to see some of the reasons for the character’s constant anger.
The show’s directing also helps differentiate it. Each episode feels like a self-contained mini-movie that furthers the broader plot. Though not everything is perfect. While the show’s dialogue is typically snappy and funny, some lines and scenes do feel forced, and ultimately detract from the show’s carefully constructed universe. There are some dead zones in the plot, as well. Scenes that attempt to connect the stories for The Deep and A–Train feel like we’re seeing flashes from a totally different show. Season two’s production quality redeems itself in other ways, though. For example, the relationship between Kimiko and Frenchie (played by Karen Fukuhar and Tomer Capon) that was primarily a plot device in season one, is finally given the time and material it deserves.
As you might expect from a show backed by the almost limitless funds of Amazon, the production value is extremely high, including well-choreographed action sequences that look amazing when they aren’t too reliant on CGI. The action sequence in episode three (titled Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men) is arguably one of the best television fight scenes in recent TV memory.
The second season of The Boys is a worthy successor to the first, managing to improve on almost every front while still staying true to the dark and twisted world that it has built. If you enjoyed the first season, then there’s no reason why you won’t love this one just as much. The show-runners seem to have a good handle on what makes this show work, and they’ve delivered on it a second time.
