August

“Never meet your heroes because once you do, you’ll seem them for what they really are” is the quote Amazon’s dark, corporate take on superheroes emphasizes. The Boys breaks away from our usual superhero fatigue in favor themes and concepts that are a much-needed breath of fresh air. This concept isn’t anything new, but it’s the execution that makes it all worthwhile. Seeing our beloved super saviors as cold, profitable properties all attached together by corporate strings in parallel to ordinary people coming to grips with the reality of their heroes is the show’s striving point. Almost every supe’s backstory and progression throughout the narrative is written exceptionally well especially in terms of pacing. Next to supes, the chemistry between all the boys is truly captivating with even the slowest scenes becoming enjoyable with the show’s patent dark humor. It’s in the final few moments of the season where the show fumbles, however. Certain character arcs are left unknown in favor of saving and extending them for the next season. While it’s understandable from a narrative standpoint as it’s best not to lay all the cards on the table in the first season, some of these arcs feel slightly incomplete as the addition of one more scene or shot would’ve aided in completion. The Boys is a devilishly clever parody with a relatable twist on the superhero genre which deserves to be told in this day and age. And while there are some minor narrative missteps, the show makes up for it with its outrageously entertaining character chemistry and underlying meta-corporate concepts. THE BOYS- “Heroic.” (98/100)