Martin Carr reviews the season 2 finale of The Boys…
If you were looking for resolution from season two of The Boys now might be a good time to curb your enthusiasm. Happy endings are subjective and nothing fans the flames of audience interest more than a good old-fashioned cliffhanger. Things in life rarely come gift wrapped or free of loose ends and so it is with this final episode. Corporate profiteering and government oversight still take precedence over the happiness of our hapless heroes, whilst heavy duty carnage only ever provides a momentary respite from mayhem.
For the purists there are some big explosions sitting alongside pop culture references to appease those more discerning viewers. Clandestine meetings, some surprise interventions and Homelander havoc are also in attendance, making this closer engaging if not unduly surprising. Billy Joel features quite heavily in the conversation, while The Beach Boys add a note of melancholy in those final moments. Ultimately beyond the exploding heads, Masonic cults and product placement debacles this is a solid final hour for The Boys.
Butcher shows a softer side, Frenchie and Kimiko are a couple in every way except the obvious, whilst others find peace elsewhere. In the build up to that inevitable face-off these writers have gone some way to opening up new avenues of interest. Fredrick Vought is laid bare as a Nazi sympathiser, Homelander and Queen Maeve reach an understanding and Butcher’s beloved finds life outside a corporate compound.
There are some surprise team ups, occasional left field character choices and a sense of closure which allows audiences to walk away satisfied. People get their comeuppance, some hard core smack down is delivered by ladies who get it done while Antony Starr and Karl Urban steal the show. This maybe an ensemble piece but this may prove to be the roles for which both are remembered. Diametrically opposed, ethically aligned in an absurdist way but driven by comparable motives, it is possible to have empathy for both. Something which is only made possible by the actors who inhabit Billy Butcher and Homelander respectively.
Beyond questions of narrative, structure and gratuitous four letter tirades The Boys has proven to be both bat shit crazy and brazenly bolder than brass at every turn. Dysfunction amongst such a mismatched bunch of fundamentally damaged characters has never been so much fun. Inherently flawed, perpetually off kilter and morally bankrupt without exception, their ability to redefine the line has made this season stronger. To pull the same trick a third time round will require not only something biblical, but will likely demand a splash of blasphemy into the bargain.
Martin Carr
