This review of The Boys Season 2 is mostly spoiler-free, though we do discuss certain elements of the story throughout. For more on The Boys Season 2 finale and what’s ahead for The Boys Season 3, check out our ending explained interview with showrunner Eric Kripke, find out what Stormfront said in German in the Season 2 finale, and the news that Amazon’s already developing a The Boys spinoff show.
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Everything that made The Boys Season 1 such an excellent new show when it premiered in 2019 is dialed up even further for Season 2, with an even more ambitious story from showrunner Eric Kripke. This second run of the dark superhero satire is filled with memorable, nuanced characters and plenty of that stylized and irreverent drama we’ve come to expect. While there’s plenty of shock and awe sprinkled throughout, including but not limited to unexpected head explosions and aerial sexcapades, Kripke and his talented team of writers never forget to take time to develop their characters on a more relatable level. And even though some storylines aren’t as impactful as others and the series struggles to keep its frenetic action-packed pace following the three-episode premiere arc, Season 2 is an overall roaring success that concludes with tantalizing possibilities for Season 3.
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Of the many high points from Season 2, perhaps none is more memorable than the debut of Aya Cash’s Stormfront as the series’ devious new social media-literate member of The Seven. Cash’s charisma shines through in every scene, especially when she’s paired with Homelander – first as a manipulative rival and then as a partner in crime and messed-up love interest. Antony Starr also gives a riveting performance alongside her as the two actors shared uncanny chemistry throughout. One of their best scenes had to be their awkward but also hilarious encounter that gave “eyeing her chest” bizarre new meaning.
Plus, after watching Homelander bully pretty much every other member of The Seven around (minus Black Noir, of course), Season 2 offered a welcomed change of pace as we begin to witness his already fragile mental state deteriorate even further as he first seeks to recreate and then rejects his relationship with the late Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue).
Sure, Kripke likes to give the fans a bit of gratuitous drama, like watching Homelander’s “I can do whatever the f*** I want” moment; however, from a character development perspective, it all makes total sense. The throughline of Homelander’s disturbing hyper-dependence on strong female figures in his life is a strong indicator of how unstable he really is and hints that Homelander will become an even more dangerous character moving forward. And though Stormfront’s final fate was left uncertain the last time we saw her, Homelander’s comments during the finale hopefully mean that we’ll get more of this dynamic pair when Season 3 arrives in 2021.
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While Homelander and Stormfront’s story soared for most of Season 2, some members of The Seven were given less memorable adventures. Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott), for example, was mostly relegated to Homelander’s emotional punching bag as he attempted to sabotage her relationship. Watching him push her to the breaking point eventually resulted in Maeve going into full “I don’t give a s*** mode,” but it quickly became tiresome, and Maeve didn’t get her time to shine until the finale. And even though McElligott delivers a redeeming performance in those final moments, her eventual heroics come a bit too late in the story to land their desired punch.
Chace Crawford’s The Deep and Jessie T. Usher’s A-Train fall into a similar camp, as their dealings with the Scientology-like Church of the Collective to help them get back into The Seven never felt truly substantive. To be fair, The Deep gave us some great comedic moments, including his search for a Church-approved wife and his lamentations over the death of a beloved aquatic friend. Known for playing the cocky pretty boy in shows like Gossip Girl, it was fun to see the Texas-born actor play such a frequently humiliated character. Even so, it felt as though The Deep and A-Train’s storyline was part of another show and had very little bearing on what was happening with the rest of the ensemble.
In terms of The Boys themselves, Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher stole most of the show. Urban has proven over the years that he can successfully portray hardened individuals in Dredd, Lord of the Rings, and even Star Trek, but one of the most unexpected aspects of Season 2 is the powerful character-building moments sprinkled throughout as he reunited with his wife Becca (Shantel VanSanten), who’d been presumed dead until last season’s finale. One of Butcher’s best scenes happens when he confronts his estranged father (expertly portrayed by Lord of the Rings and Fringe alum John Noble). Here, we get a glimpse at the source of Butcher’s anger, and even though the scene lasts just a few minutes, it carries a lasting impact on Butcher’s character moving forward. His big-brother/little-brother dynamic with Hughie is another endearing plot thread in Season 2, as well as his newfound responsibility to Becca’s son, Ryan.
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Silent but deadly, Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) gets an intriguing arc of her own in Season 2 after a tragic event sends her into a fit of vengeful rage. Even without the ability to speak, Fukuhara is able to successfully communicate what her character is feeling with emotive expressions and body language. Her overprotective companion, Frenchie (Tomer Capon), also gets some needed character development as well. Like Butcher, Frenchie’s past is also explored in Season 2, and those scenes offer context for his relationship with Kimiko. Frenchie and Kimiko’s evolving friendship is complicated, but also endearing as the two learn to face overwhelming odds as a team instead of going off alone on suicide missions.
Looking ahead to Season 3, Kripke has set up a few fascinating stories that are begging to be explored down the road. Chief among them is the mind-blowing reveal at the end. I’m especially looking forward to seeing how the pairing of Victoria Neuman and Hughie plays out in Season 3, or what will become of the numerous new supes that were set loose.