Revisited - The Boys

The Boys are back in town and I can't be more excited for it. The first season set not only a good foundation for the show for it's future seasons but also became one of the great shows of the past summer with it's fun story, interesting characters, and of course it's twist on the superhero genre. So since the second season has recently come out, I see it only fitting to go back and review the first season of the now hit show on Amazon Prime, though I'm still mad that they canned Mozart in the Jungle and Red Oaks but this isn't a bad trade off to say the least.

The Boys is an American superhero web television series developed by Eric Kripke for Prime Video. Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, it follows the eponymous team of vigilantes as they combat superpowered individuals who abuse their abilities.The series premiered on July 26, 2019. Ahead of the premiere, Amazon renewed The Boys for a second season, which premiered on September 4, 2020 and is currently running episodes weekly.A third season has also been ordered which I guess goes to show how much people are enjoying this show.

The Boys of course is set in a universe where superpowered individuals are recognized as heroes by the general public and work for the powerful corporation Vought International, which markets and monetizes them. Outside of their heroic personas, most are arrogant and corrupt. The series primarily focuses on two groups: the Seven, Vought International's premier superhero team, and the titular Boys, vigilantes looking to bring down Vought and the corrupt superheroes.

The Boys are led by Billy Butcher, who despises all superpowered people, and the Seven are led by the egotistical and psychotic Homelander. As a conflict ensues between the two groups, the series also follows the new members of each team: Hughie Campbell of the Boys, who joins the vigilantes after his girlfriend is killed by one of the Seven; and Annie January / Starlight of the Seven, a young and hopeful heroine forced to face the truth about the heroes she admires.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 84% based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 7.72/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though viewer's mileage may vary, The Boys' violent delights and willingness to engage in heavy, relevant themes are sure to please those looking for a new group of antiheroes to root for." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on reviews from 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Christopher Lawrence of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote: "Irreverent, deliciously cynical, The Boys follows the greed and corruption behind the superhero industrial complex." Matthew Gilbert of Boston Globe wrote: "The cast is fine, particularly Shue, who is icily effective; Quaid, whose neurotic but brave fumblings are endearing; and Urban, who is Hughie's gonzo guide." Kristy Puchko at IGN gives the first episode a score of 7.2/10 and appreciates how the story comes from the comics but with clever changes.

Puchko praises the cast, particularly "Moriarty brings a nuance to her performance that refuses to let Starlight feel like a two-dimensional damsel. She's not naïve. She's hopeful. And she's a fighter. The Boys makes all of that clear in short order." She concludes "The Boys could still be a thrilling ride as it subverts the expectations of the family-friendly genre, with dark twists and unapologetically graphic scenes of sex and violence.

The premiere ep has a lot of heavy lifting to do in exposition, yet Kripke works in some stunner moments, jolts of fun, and stellar action sequences." Liz Shannon Miller of AV Club wrote: "Karl Urban proves to be a thoroughly committed performer as Billy Butcher, whose dedication to taking down "supes" of course has a personal edge, but then again, when you see what men like the blatantly fake and evil Homelander (Antony Starr) are getting up to it makes sense that he's devoted his life to taking down the cause."

Overall, the first season as you can see was a huge hit for not only the fans but also the critics that have been bogged down with superhero movies as this one proves to be a refreshing take on the now crowded genre. I think what this show does right is the situations they put the characters in which is very dark, raw, and exciting. This show puts it all on the line every episode and sometimes they don't always nail it on the head but when they do it proves to provide great moments which in turn makes the show all the more better. The characters are raw and unique, the action is good, and the plot is down right great at times. Go catch up on this new hit show and watch the second season before spoilers start to hit the web. This has been Revisited, thanks for reading. Ricardo Signing Off