The first three episodes of The Boys season two premiere on Amazon Prime on September 4th, with the following five arriving weekly after that. It's a different release schedule to last time (when all eight instalments were available to watch in one sitting), but that opening trio of episodes will hook you from the start, and what follows that...well, it will blow you away. Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, Eric Kripke's take on this twisted world immediately grabbed the attention of fans when it debuted last year, and with so much hype surrounding this second batch of episodes, we're sure you'll be glad to know that it doesn't just live up to what came before, but exceeds it with a bigger, crazier, and more violent season.
As you might expect, there are plenty of inventive, unimaginable sequences which will stick with you (good luck unseeing one superpower in episode six), but it's the whale scene which was first shown during Comic-Con@Home that's, quite frankly, truly unbelievable. The war between the show's human protagonists and super antagonists does take a backseat at times during season two, but the chess pieces are constantly being moved to set the stage for future stories that will keep us coming back to this world on a yearly basis, including an intriguing subplot with The Deep that appears to be a superhero spin on Scientology. Season two itself, however, is definitely a satisfying experience, and both sides make moves against each other here that push things along in a way which makes it clear the overarching plan for The Boys will take us down a much darker path than anticipated.
The show's returning cast members remain as terrific as ever, and with season two delving deeper into the members of both The Seven and The Boys, everyone is given the opportunity to flesh out their characters and explore different sides of them in the process (exploring Frenchie's past certainly helps add a lot of depth to him). With such a large ensemble, that works better for some characters than others, but regardless of whether your favourite is Billy Butcher, The Deep, Mother's Milk, Starlight, or any other member of this eclectic cast, you'll likely walk away satisfied. Antony Starr is this year's MVP, though, as Homelander finds himself on the ropes after Stormfront's emergence sees his popularity diminish (he's also struggling to come to terms with no longer having Madelyn Stillwell to turn to for comfort, something that's explored in the fourth episode in a truly twisted way). However, things take a very unexpected turn for those two as the season develops, and we're confident in say you won't see it coming. Talking of Stormfront, Aya Cash makes for a fantastic new addition to The Seven, and the reveal of her true nature allows the Amazon Prime series to tackle some very relevant topics in an impactful and meaningful way.
Cash isn't the only new cast addition, though, and while Giancarlo Esposito steals the show in every scene he's in, those are sadly few and far between, and his role here isn't anywhere near as significant as expected. That's a shame, and the only real disappointment of season two; why cast such an impressive talent for little more than an extended cameo? We can only assume it boils down to how damn good he is, so it's hard to fault the series in that respect. On the plus side, it's a lot of fun seeing X-Men star Shawn Ashmore back in the world of superheroes, and Lamplighter, a former member of The Seven, is a darkly entertaining addition to the series.
Visually, The Boys remains as impressive and entertaining as ever, and explores new character dynamics in a way which should delight fans of the comic book and TV show alike. As we alluded to above, there are a lot of powerful themes and subjects included in season two, and they couldn't be more relevant, especially as certain members of The Seven become the perfect analogy for the Trump era of America. Moving forward, season three promises to be a must-see, especially given the way things end for these characters at the conclusion of this jaw-dropping season.
The Boys is back, and bigger, better, and f***ing crazier than ever before. With season two, the Amazon Prime series firmly establishes itself as one of the best TV shows available to watch today.