Rent The Boys: Series 2 (2020)

The Boys: Series 2 review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

Series 2 of The Boys manages to be even more intense, absurd, and fascinating. It takes the dark postmodernism of superheroes to another level by amping up just how dangerous it is that people with too much power are given a monopoly. From that very allegory, you may have already formed a bunch of real-life comparisons. But it’s pretty clear what this season is all about: fascism and its legacy.

While there are a few masterminds in this show, the biggest antagonist is Homelander. Not only did Series 1 leave him in a very dangerous state but also in a situation they will bubble into become a more concerning threat. He discovers that he has a child and seeks to steal him back, hoping to teach him everything he knows about being a cocky hero. Leading Homelander on in his political beliefs is Stormfront, a superhero who we later learn is a literal Nazi. She manages to convince Homelander that wanting to keep the world pure for the white race is not really genocide but just a responsible move forward for the human race.

It’s rather telling that even though Series 2 is rather blatant about making Homelander the villain, or at the very least Stormfront, some right-leaning viewers still didn’t get this. Perhaps they saw too much of themselves in Homelander, a man misguided by the worst dregs of humanity but still wanting to stand up for themselves. They may need some more time to reflect but at least the third season would be even blunter about how Homelander does not have the right idea. After all, his last scene in Series 2 is of him masturbating on a rooftop while muttering to himself that he can do whatever he wants.

Butcher, Huey, and the rest of The Boys continue their secret war on Vought but now have Starlight as their inside woman. A relationship also brews between Huey and Starlight which is both cute and concerning. It’s nice to see Huey move on and find someone else to love. At the same time, Starlight has concerns that their relationship may not last if Huey becomes a target. Meanwhile, Butcher is trying to come to terms with being a father and looking after the kid of a woman who was murdered by Homelander. It won’t easy for Butcher, especially when it’s discovered the kid also has powers.

There’s a lot of political intrigue in this season. We get to see a lot of Vought’s inner workings and further reveal how they manufacture powers. We also get to see more of their empty commercialism as a Justice League-style movie is in the works, giving the superheroes something to do while Homelanders fascism festers. And, wow, the courtroom hearing scene for Vought is just…shocking, to say the least. There’s a lot of gore to say the least, making for one of the best endings to any episode of the series.

The Boys proves in this second season that it’s a must-watch show with so much to say. It’s brutal, graphic, ridiculous, and provocative enough to stick up from a crowded post-modern superhero landscape. This is some of the best superhero television there is, once again leaving the audience thirsty for the next season.