The Boys on Amazon Prime
Episode one
Review by Sarah Michelle
Ok, before we start the review, let’s just make a quick remark about Civil War (Marvel, comics, not movies, sorry guys). Captain America’s main reason that he didn’t want super powered people to be registered is because he was concerned that the government would use it to take advantage …now, on to the show
Let’s start off with a company called Vought, who apparently hires super heroes, over 200 in fact, to be assigned to and help where they are “needed”, and by “needed”, I mean they go where they are paid to be.
I love this show, I mean the costumes themselves are a direct aim at DC, but the actions are what the Marvel & Disney have become with Marvel Entertainment. I mean come on, you have to admit even the costumes are similar to Aquaman, Wonder Woman, but A-Train and Homelander are like split off versions of Superman and Captain America. The discussion of amount of money and merchandising they make off the superhero profit, and how much they charge cities that need help, well let’s just say it hits a bit close to home with how Disney treats their guests (sorry, not sorry Disney).
Let’s start with Hughie Campbell (played by Jack Quaid), who had the love of his life taken away from him by a super fast hero, A-Train (Jessie Usher) that just didn’t stop, literally a human hit and run, with blood splattering everywhere. The superhero didn’t apologize, did a typical thing of “I can’t be here, I can’t stop” and then kept running.
Then we meet the girl who wants to actually be good (I’m sensing in the future, she’ll be corrupted or double agent). Starlight aka Annie January (Erin Moriarty), who literally gets sexually assaulted just upon joining, by The Deep (Chace Crawford), and based on what happens it’s a bit punny. Shocker, considering everything that is going on in today’s news right? Stuff like this doesn’t happen with people with power *wink*. The super heroes have their own dirty cabaret sex & drugs club, where they literally get their rocks off, in all the ways that they hide from the world and also preach against.
Again, today’s news? NEVER *wink*.
Now the fun part of this is Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, literally my favorite piece of a lot of things), coming in to Hugie’s work and saying revenge, blah blah, I’m FBI (obviously not), blah blah. And offers Hughie a chance at revenge, speaking with an accent and looking like he just crawled out of his back seat, which he may have, we don’t know. Easy peasy, japanesey, Bob’s your uncle.
Hughie accidentally meets Starlight aka Annie, in the park when she’s in regular daily wear, having a call with her mom, who’s so proud of her, and trying to tell her what she already was forced to do, awful moment, explains a lot of the #metoo movement.
I literally snorted when almost quote a real life Robert Downey Jr saying, “Remember that just because you hit rock bottom, doesn’t mean you have to stay there.” Hughie tells Starlight this adorable story about his lost love, and states “Just because you fall on your ass, doesn’t mean you have to stay there.” Was this on purpose? Hey, RDJ, you seeing this?
Anyway, Billy convinces Hughie to take the “settlement” for signing the NDA and his silence, and bug the conference room, and it’s amazing how Hughie is finally able to move past his repressed wuss side and put on a big fat fake smile and actually completely it.
Unfortunately, they have an invisible superhero, Translucent (Alex Hassel), who is of course a giant perv and hides in the girls bathroom invisible, hoping to see something.
Starlight and Hughie almost run into each other in the bathroom, so is it just a unisex bathroom? Or did Hughie wander into the wrong bathroom? I digress.
Translucent follows Hughie from the tower and takes it upon himself to remove the planted bug and starts to beat down on Hughie, until Billy appears with a car and crowbar to take him on (seriously?). Hughie once again shows he has strength (that his love always believed in by the way), and doesn’t run away, which would’ve been his normal tactic.
So we have one of the 7 down, dead or temporary knocked out? Take your pick. (thanks to facts shared on Jimmy Fallon, I mean that’s how I get my science facts).
In the background there is a mention of a substance that the supes are taking, Compound V, which is denied like it’s some type of steroid for them, possibly even creating supes that aren’t actually super (something that was already done in Agents of Shield, but created for different purposes). Unfortunately a city official mentioned the rumors of it, while trying to bargain for a lower price for a hero for his city, and that’s the only time we see the dark side of the Homelander, who up to this point has literally been the only person not taking part of debauchery, pervercery, abuse, or even talking down to the new girl in the group.
Apparently this means he has no problem taking down anyone just like the rest of the team, but considering he’s the clean one of the group, maybe he’s the definition of the Compound V?
Who knows, but the first episode is so dark and amazing and I already know fans are geeking out about it.
I feel like we are looking at possibly the Game of Thrones for superheroes here, and maybe some more future knocks at larger brands and how they abuse their fans. The acting is spot on, A-Train seems a little worse for wear, as does Translucent, but the rest so far are so amazingly fitting. I can’t wait to see some more direct dark side action from the superheroes, as right now we are just following Hughie and Billy around.
I also had a chance to experience The Boys at San DIego Comic Con, in the Amazon Experience Area, and did this secret clues to get into a back sided comic shop, for a chance to play darts to win prizes. It was amazing, and I knew immediately to start watching the show when released.
I am needlessly hooked, and this came at a time when we needed a good show since both GOT and the past decade of Avengers is gone. Yes, this may be a little dark, but if anyone watches the Red Wedding and bitches this is dark, then turn off your tv or suck it up.
You can find Sarah on Twitter @definiteawkward and Instagram at ickabicka