The Boys Season 4 (2024) Review

Due to being away, it took me a while to watch the last episode of the fourth season of The Boys but I have watched it and here is my review for the fourth season of Amazon's acclaimed show The Boys. The premise of the season sees The Boys attempt to finally kill Homelander after he starts to use his powers in public to cause fear. 

Main Character

Karl Urban is once again back as Billy Butcher and I really like his character this season. After taking Temp V last season it is clear that Butcher is dying and doesn't have much time left and Urban really sells that. He is more brutal this season and trying to achieve his goals before he goes and Urban kills it this season. 

I have always believed that Homelander played by Antony Starr is one of the best performances in any medium and this continues here. Homelander goes through so many emotions this season and I just love watching his mind work and I can't emphasise how great Starr is in this show. 

Supporting Characters

Over the last few seasons A-Train played by Jessie T Usher has been one of the more interesting characters and this season really gives him plenty of screen time to further flesh out his character and he nails it. You see the conflict in him and that he actually wants to be a hero and not just Homelander's pawn. 

On the contrary is a fantastic performance by Chase Crawford who plays The Deep, he becomes more committed to Homelander's cause and you really see the violence come out in him and Crawford plays this sleezy bad guy so well. 

But I do think some of the characters get treated poorly this season. Jack Quaid plays Hughie and he goes through the ringer this season, his story does feel a bit disconnected from the main plot and Quaid is given very little to do and I just didn't care too much about him. 

Erin Moriarty as Starlight is kind of insufferable this season, they do plenty of things to make you really not like her character but I never really felt any real redemption for her and I just wanted to see her get taken down and taken off of the show. 

There is a huge cast and new characters such as Sister Sage, Firecracker & Joe Kessler are fantastic but characters we already had such as Frenchie and Kimiko are really misused and are actually pretty annoying. 

Story

The overall story is pretty interesting, it shows The Boys and Butcher going to extreme lengths to try and take down Homelander. With Homelander really trying to hit his endgame and put supes in charge of the world. It is showed really well and I really like how the stakes have been risen for the last few seasons of the show. But, similar to previous seasons every character has to have their own individual stories and some of it just sucks, too much is going on and certain plot elements just aren't very interesting. But the show has a fantastic ending which has me excited for the fifth and final season. 

Script

The show is still really well written, there is the combination of humour and drama here. The show is as outlandish as it has been before and this season it definitely leans into the politics within The USA but I always believed the show has made fun of elements of US politics so it has always been there. 

Style

The show has kept the violence in their action and it just works for The Boys and the crazy elements makes it stand out to other shows of somewhat similar ideas. It is paced well enough despite the amount it tries to cram in and I think it was really fun weekly entertainment. 

Overall

Overall, The Boys Season 4 is one of the weaker seasons of the show but it is still a great watch for fans of the show. With the next season confirmed to be the final. it has me excited for how they are going to give this show the send-off that it deserves. 

Rating - 8/10

Gen V Season 1 (2023) Review

With The Boys Season 4 ongoing weekly it seemed appropriate to go back and watch Gen V for the first time, especially as characters from the spinoff are set to appear on the main show. I manage to watch the whole first season pretty quickly and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees a group of students who are at superhero school deal with student life while attempting to expose a darker secret. 

Main Character

Jaz Sinclair plays Marie Moraeu and I really liked her character. We learn a lot about her during the show and how she differs from the other students that are kind of already in the system with Vought and used to the superhero culture. She definitely develops over the season and gives a strong performance, it also helps that her powers are some of the more unique ones in The Boys universe and adds some real creativity. 

Supporting Characters

Lizze Broadway plays Emma who is Marie's roommate and the two of them have really good chemistry together, at first I thought she was going to be a shallow character but no, they give her a fantastic character arc and I really did care about her as the season went on. 

Maddie Phillips plays Cate, who is kind of treated like the popular girl in school but ends up by chance as part of this group of friends. She delivers a really good performance and the majority of her development happened towards the back end of the season but I thought it was really effective. 

Jordan Li is an intetesting character and is a Bi-Gender Super Hero played by both London Thor & Derek Luh and the character really fits this universe. They are a determined individual and she was clearly the one who cared most about their hierarchy in the school but that is developed throughout the show. 

Unfortunately, earlier this year Chance Perdomo died in a Motorbike accident with Gen V being one of his last roles as Andre and it is a shame that we won't see any more of this character in the future. Perdomo is great as Andre and he is another really well written character that was charming throughout.  

This is a large cast and everybody does a fantastic job of delivering great performances that flesh out the universe of this spin off. 

Story 

The story is good. This show does have some teenage angst stories but in this environment, I didn't really mind and it flowed nicely. There is plenty of intrigue and mystery to the plot and I remained invested as the season went on. The only issue that I had was the very ending of the show, it feels like lazy writing and someone enters the show that feels like a lazy excuse to set up Boys Season 4 instead of giving Gen V a true fulfilling ending. 

Script

The script is good, it has that familiar feeling to The Boys. I did think at first that there was just too much profanity but the more I think about it, that is how kids at schools act so it isn't that crazy and the fact that all films in school don't act like this is more crazy. I also liked the drama and did care about plenty of the characters which is great. 

Style

The style of the show is great, if you are a fan of The Boys then you will be expecting an over the top style and it is here in abundance. The show was paced really well too, with episodes flying by and having me intrigued throughout. 

Overall

Overall, Gen V is a fantastic spin-off and easily does enough to stand out on its own and become a must watch. Similar, to The Boys it is an acquired taste but if you can handle it Gen V is definitely worth a watch. 

Rating - 9/10

The Boys Season 3 (2022) Review 

For me, The Boys has been one of the most consistently entertaining TV shows over the last few years and the third season of the show has just finished on Amazon Prime and I have watched it all and here is my review. The premise of the season sees Homelander having to deal with the fallout of dating the Nazi Stormfront and The Boys looking for different methods in there mission to stop the super powered. 

Main Character

Anthony Starr plays Homelander once again and I really don't think it is a stretch to say he gives the best performance of anybody in any TV show currently. The character of Homelander has so much depth to him and this season you really see this man with all this power dealing with issues that he can't always deal with. He contrasts so well with our other main character Billy Butcher played by Karl Urban, he is so gruff but the show really delves into his character and starts to give us more depth into who Butcher really is and why he is so motivated by his goals even when there is clear ethical issues. Both of them give fantastic performances and there differences is what really makes them stand out as special characters. 

Supporting Characters

There are so many characters on The Boys that I won't be able to talk about them so I am going to try and keep it to the main ones here. Jack Quaid is back as Hughie and the show does more with his character then in the previous seasons. He is more involved with the action and I like how his relationship with Starlight is highlighted and how that has really changed over the show. Speaking of Starlight, Erin Moriarty does a great job in the role and she is really pushed with her acting chops this season. I really like the dynamic between her and Hughie but she has her own interesting personal story that gets plenty of time and is handled well. Laz Alonso is given way more screen time as Mothers Milk, there is real humanity to his character and it is so cool seeing him able to stretch his acting chops and give potentially the most depth to a performance. Jensen Ackles makes his debut as Soldier Boy and he knocks it out of the park, this sort of Captain America spoof is darker and the perfect character to introduce here and I love seeing how his introduction changes everything up and adds uncertainty. The rest of the whole cast do a fantastic job with so many giving top notch performances. 

Story

The show does a fantastic job with the storytelling in terms of creating fascinating characters that make you care and be intrigued by them. There is real emotion from these characters and the story has enough twists and turns to keep you invested. But, since the beginning of the show I have always said The Boys has too much going on in terms of the amount of story elements and this season is no different, with pretty much everything being interesting but not exactly feeling connected. Also certain things teased at the end of the previous season wasn't quite fulfilled here. 

Script 

The script is fantastic, the dialogue is both funny and tragic. The characters are really well realised by the personalities that they are given which is credit to the writing and acting. The show always keeps you on your toes and I think it is one of those that you never know what is coming next. 

Style 

The show looks fantastic, you can tell that Prime Video put a huge budget behind The Boys and it pays off. The action scenes are well done and this show is still as gory as ever, it does not hold back in terms of the sex and violence. It might be too much for some people, but I think by now you know if you are going to like The Boys or not so it shouldn't be an issue. 

Overall

Overall, this is a fantastic season of The Boys and is probably my favourite one yet. This show won't be for everybody but it is so unique and definitely worth a watch just to see if it could be for you. 

Rating - 9/10 

The Boys Presents: Diabolical Season 1 (2022) Review

I am a big fan of Amazon's show The Boys and now they have released a spinoff anthology animated show called Diabolical. I watched through it all today and here is my review for it. The premise of the show looks at 8 original stories that fit the tone of The Boys and features some of their characters. 

This show varies so much that it is really hard to talk about. The best episode by a country mile was the final episode which looks at some of the origins as Homelander, The amazing Anthony Starr returns to voice the character and he does such a great job in showing how he became the character that we know in the live action show. If the show had been all of this then this show would have been amazing and something truly worthy of the title. 

But the show has seven other episodes that for me ranged from average to bad. It has an amazing collection of voice actors but none of them get any chance to shine because it is hard to care about them given the extremely brief time we spend with them. The episodes are only about 10-15 minutes long and it makes it an easy watch in terms of length but also quite unfulfilling in the way it presents itself. 

The violence is even more over the top here then it was in the live action show but it felt more pointless here. The writing is sub standard and it just feels like shock value to me and something that felt like just an excuse to see just how much they could get away with. 

Overall, The Boys Presents: Diabolical is a below average show that unless you like the live action show is not worth the time. Even then just watch the final episode and avoid the rest. 

Rating - 4/10 

 The Boys Season 2 (2020) Review 

So with The Boys controversially releasing the second season in weekly episodes it has taken longer to watch then the first season, but I have now finished the 2nd season of the show and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees after the death of Madelyn Stillwell The Boys are now being hunted down by the law and Vought, while Starlight and Homelander have to deal with a new member of The Seven called Stormfront. 

Main Character

Karl Urban as Billy Butcher has easily been one of his best roles ever and he continues to shine here. He maybe doesn't have the stand out moments from the first season but the core of the character is still there, the charisma, the charm and the roughness is back with plenty of action and it allows Urban just to have so much fun with the role and it very clearly translates to screen. When I heard there would be a new villain for the second season, I was worried as Homelander played by Anthony Starr is fantastic and I didn't want his role to get reduced, but luckily this doesn't happen and Starr absolutely nails it. Homelander isn't just the most complex character on The Boys but he is probably one of the most complex character's in the whole of Television and Starr deserves huge credit for this. 

Supporting Characters

The cast of The Boys is huge and everybody does good jobs in their roles but I will mainly talk about the main ones. Eric Moriarty has always been great as Starlight and I thought she does a good job here, she kind of goes away from being the all good superhero, there is more complexity to her and she is forced into tough decisions, especially in the latter half of the season. Aya Cash coming in as Stormfront is great, her character is also one of the most interesting parts of the show and the more you find out about her the more interested you are and more concerned about what plans she has. The show also does a great job of fleshing out the characters of Mothers Milk and Frenchie as we find out more of why they are so close with Butcher. Jack Quaid as Hughie definitely had more of an impact in the first season but he is still good in his role and I actually think they take his character is an interesting direction during the season and at the end of it. Also any show that has the great Giancarlo Esposito is a win for me and even though he isn't a huge part of the show, he does a great job as always when he is on screen. 

Story

Most of the story is interesting this season. Seeing Butcher, Homelander and Stormfront's character arcs is really fascinating and you really just want to find out more about them and where they are going throughout the show. The boys still does a great job of using its stories to reflect real world issues but add the craziness of The Boys too it and this show still does a good job this. However, this season struggles with the same issue as the first season, there are just a few too many story arcs that aren't really that important and really take up more time then it should. For example the whole Church Of Collective stuff feels pointless and like it could have been ripped from the show and it would be no different and I would have rather spent more time with fewer characters then force us into watching story arcs that aren't that interesting. 

Script 

The script still has plenty of laughs and drama to it, it is clever but not in the way that it knows it is clever, meaning it feels very natural for the show that we are watching. But some of the characters are written really well, mainly Homelander which again I can't stop talking about. But this season more then most have a few things that don't quite make sense and it feels weaker then the previous season with its writing and that hurts the overall product.

Style 

The style is still excellent, the visceral action scenes are still here, I just love how unapologetic this show is and this season is no different with the show really throwing plenty of punches. It is exciting and mostly keeps the pacing up and keep you invested overall. The fact that the episodes were released weekly sucked, but this isn't the first show to do it and it won't be the last so it didn't really affect my watching experience.

Overall

Overall this is another great season of The Boys, If you loved this show you will enjoy the second season and with a third season and a spinoff show announced, hopefully we will see much more.

Rating - 8/10 

 The Boys Season 1 (2019) Review

The second season of The Boys hits Amazon this Friday so I decided I had to watch the first season of the show and now I have and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees a group of vigilantes attempt to take down a group of superheroes who abuse their powers. 

Main Character

Karl Urban is a great actor and he plays the main character here and he is fantastic. He is the leader of The Boys and he has a grudge against people with superpowers and the show does a great job of telling you enough about him without spilling all the beans straight away. Also he is so charming and charismatic, when he is on screen he owns it and is honestly so great and a ton of fun to watch. Anthony Starr plays Homelander, the leader of the superheroes and he is amazing here, imagine Superman who didn't grow up on Kansas and has some mental issues and you get Homelander. Again he owns the screen and he fits this role perfectly, he is so interesting and I can't see how anybody else could ever play the role. 

Supporting Characters

Jack Quaid playing Hughie and Erin Moriarty as Starlight are the new members of their respective groups and I thought they worked well. You can tell how they want to be accepted into the two groups even though they have some ideological issues with them. They have good chemistry together also and I thought they were a nice part of the show, especially when this show deals with very mature topics. The rest of the members of the superheroes and boys are really interesting, I don't want to get into the characters too much as finding out stuff about them is one of the best things here. 

Story

The story is great, in shows or films that deal with opposing sides,the better ones attempt to show the motivations of both sides and balance them and I thought this show did that really well. The characters are interesting and the depth to them is what makes them so fascinating. Also the way that the show portrays the superheroes is great as in pop culture they are such a huge part of society and the way they are presented is so interesting. However, literally my only crticism for this show is that there are a few characters that have individual story arcs and they don't really flow that well with the rest of the show and actually disappear at a point, which makes you question why it was there, though the ending bit of the season is amazing. 

Script

The script is really good, the dialogue just feels really quick and natural to these characters. Urban in particular comes up with some amazing lines and it makes him so entertaining to watch. This show is funny but in terms of dark comedy, so if that is up your street then this is a show for you. Also the drama is great, it hits when it needs to and adds so much intensity and conflict. 

Style

The style is brilliant, this show is brutal. The action scenes are so intense and yeah a lot of people die here and usually in pretty hardcore ways that are totally gruesome. It is so fun watching these normal guys go against basically gods and it actually comes across as pretty believable. The show has 8 episodes and it flows really nicely and is paced really well making this an easy and fun watch. 

Overall

Overall, this is a fantastic show. If you are having superhero fatigue then this is a show you must watch as it does some really unique things, that will keep you watching. If you have access to Amazon Prime then make sure you watch this show as it is definitely a must watch. 

Rating - 9/10