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The Boys: Season Three

The Boys: Season Three | Show review

The third instalment of The Boys from series creator Eric Kripke brings with it plenty more gore, unbridled violence and outlandish sex scenes. Based on the DC comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, this complex satire deconstructs the usual superhero storylines and draws from political, religious and corporate corruption.

This season picks up after the Boys have disbanded and brings together a vast returning cast with additional newcomers. Billy Butcher (Keith Urban) and Homelander (Antony Starr) once again become the driving force behind the narrative. Butcher, saddened by his wife Becca’s (Shantel VanSanten) death, is now tasked with raising his son alone. He’s also getting to grips with new ways to destroy the Vought and Homelander, using historical information and an upgraded version of the super serum, Compound V24. Meanwhile, once again, Starr gives a strong performance in his portrayal of an increasingly unhinged Homelander, as he precariously balances on the precipice of world annihilation after his birthday celebrations go wrong.    

Steely-eyed newcomer Jenson Ackles takes on a new role as Soldier Boy, an original supe who draws parallels with Homelander. His own team of vigilantes (called Payback) were predecessors to the Boys and this historical backstory adds new depth into this third season, shining a light on toxic masculinity by bringing in another corrupt apex predator.

Kripke adds plenty of sub-plots, which pack this season out. There’s added weight to the friendship between Frenchie (Tomer Kapon) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), some new information about Victoria Neuman (Claudia Dounmit) and a further backstory to A-Train (Jessie T Usher). The costumes crafted by designer Laura Jean Shannon once again take centre-stage, and the plentiful special effects in this season aim to both shock and entrance.

Season three of The Boys is brimming with content, and it’s not an easy ride to join at this point – but for long-serving fans it will offer a further insight to the Boys and Vought, and take them on an even crazier, hilarious journey of violence and depravity right from the get-go.

Ezelle Alblas

The Boys: Season Three is released on Amazon Prime Video on 3rd June 2022.

Watch the trailer for The Boys here:

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