The first 3 episodes of the new season of The Boys are streaming now and from what we’ve seen, this time, things are bloodier, gorier and grittier than before.
In this season, the group of anti-superheroes are slowly emerging from their fugitive lives and coming back into the game to take on powerful opponents.
By now you must know that the show subverts the common belief that ‘heroes are flawless’.
This theme is explored even more sharply in the second season as the Boys are determined to take down their nemesis - an amoral group of superheroes called The Seven controlled by corporate giant Vought.
In times of celeb worship and cancel culture, the show manages to raise unsettling but pertinent questions, and that’s one of its biggest strengths.
Here are 5 reasons we feel the show strongly resonates with present times.
1. The celebs and influencers you idolise may not necessarily live up to your expectations.
They are bound to falter at some point and you have to learn to accept that.
It’s totally up to you whether you’re willing to give them more chances though. In one particular scene in the first episode where Eagle the Archer is bailing Deep, a superhero, he makes a casual, but important point that “even heroes need a hand once in a while.”
2. Whether it’s the real or virtual world, many a time, women are at the receiving of prejudice, trolling and harassment. The show addresses this topic by confronting Deep about his self-esteem issues and his problematic behaviour towards women.
This way, it makes a strong point of making the powerful accountable for their actions.
3. What you see about your favourite celebrities on social media could just be a facade.
This season sees the introduction of a new superhero Stormfront who is charming, badass and has a massive presence on social media.
She also comes across as woke and feminist, but as the story unfolds, you see a different side to her.
4. In recent times, there have been many real life instances where we’ve seen seemingly ordinary people take on the mighty and the powerful, without worrying about the consequences.
The show celebrates this very spirit as The Boys make it their life’s mission to destroy The Seven.
5. The Boys are hell-bent on exposing the dark side of the superheroes. There’s a lesson in here for all of us.
It’s okay to criticise and call out your heroes for their problematic opinions and bigoted beliefs.
Hold them to a higher standard.
The show is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The rest of the five episodes will be released individually every Friday, with the last one dropping on 9 October. Watch the show and tell us what you think in the comments.
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