Episodes viewed: 8 out of 8
The Boys are (finally) back in town for an intense fourth season of Eric Kripke’s superhero satire. Following the shocking events of excellent spin-off series Gen V unveiling a game-changing virus, coupled with the revelation that Butcher is facing a death sentence due to the effects of Temp-V, and the stakes are considerably raised for this outing. “If we’re ever going to win against monsters, we need to start acting human”, Hughie comments, and this season certainly delves into the core characters’ morality, humanity and how far they’re willing to go.
With the presidential campaign well underway, VP Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) is so incredibly close to the Oval Office, but with Butcher (Karl Urban) and The Boys hot on her tail following the discovery of the Supe virus, her campaign might not be quite so plain sailing. Meanwhile, Homelander (Antony Starr) is determined to create a Supe-first nation to rule over with the “Wrathful Gods” of the Seven, with son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) in tow at Vought Tower, with the help of two new additions to the team Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) – the smartest person in the World – and Firecracker (Valorie Curry), a conspiracy theorist YouTuber who has some pretty dishy dirt on one of Homelander’s primary enemies.
It was always going to be a tough order to follow the excellent third season with it’s climactic Soldier Boy showdown, and while the latest outrageous outing of the superhero satire certainly still pokes fun at the superhero genre with it’s signature gross out humour and shocking set pieces, there’s even more of a politicial urgency to the fourth instalment. Kripke holds up a mirror to current campaigns in America and Europe by shifting the major election storyline front and centre, following both Victoria Neuman’s rising trajectory and Homelander’s trial, and the narrative couldn’t feel more timely.
Furthermore, with two new additions to the Seven stoking civil unrest with angry protestors, divisive and discriminatory fuelled broadcasts (via Vought News show “The Truthbomb”) and violent clashes between Starlight and Homelander supporters, there’s a real emphasis on nefarious political agendas and how campaigns use and manipulate social media, entertainment and “news” to package and sell their own brand of authoritarianism and facism. It’s chilling to watch it unfold.
Political campaigns aside, The Boys are still driven by their well worn cat and mouse chase with Homelander and the Seven, and with Butcher’s time increasingly running out, he resorts to even more desperate measures in a last ditch effort to bring down the Supes. While this dynamic has certainly grown old now the show is in its fourth season, the accompanying shifting allegiances, escalating tensions and intriguing twists and turns adds more depth to the repetitive rivalry. With hints to both the CIA/Butcher’s and Homelander’s horrifying plans planted throughout the series, there’s an intriguing look at ethics and whether the means to the end really is justified, especially when it comes to the use of the virus unearthed in spinoff series, Gen V.
With an ever expanding roster full of talented actors, the series certainly isn’t lacking in impressive performances. While Antony Starr shines once again as Homelander – particularly when the character takes a certain trip down memory lane – Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher and Chace Crawford are finally given their time to shine. New additions Susan Heyward and Valorie Curry also impress as the latest Seven members, particularly the latter in embodying a deliciously awful conspiracy peddling persona. However, with several plot points and character arcs to juggle in an already packed series, certain members of the line-up are sidelined as a result, particularly Quaid’s Hughie and even more disappointingly, Supernatural allum Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s shady new addition.
Fans looking for more supe mayhem and outrageous action are once again well served, with plenty of diabolical carnage and outlandish stunts pushing the guts and gore limits, including a particularly hilarious Vought on Ice musical rehearsal and the madcap discovery of flying, V’d up killer farm animals. While the shock value of the depraved sex sequences and extreme violence is beginning to wear thin, particularly following the antics of Herogasm, the show is still one of the best out there for superhero smackdowns – with Starlight satisfyingly taking down The Deep in a particularly brutal toe-to-toe.
Verdict
Following the highs of the excellent third season, The Boys’ jam-packed fourth outing is starting to feel like it’s fast running out of steam. With a somewhat predictable (yet still eerily creepy) political narrative and drawn out rivalry between Homelander and Butcher, one can only hope that the satire will come to a close with a satisfyingly diabolical conclusion in the fifth and final season.
