Eric Kripke's Amazon Prime adaptation of The Boys, based on Garth Ennis/Dynamite's comic-book series, enters its fourth season, depicting a world on the brink, or so the grapevine proclaims. It always seemed to me that the world was already on the brink when the series started, with the lines of good and bad blurred to the extent of obscurity. I mean, isn't that the big distinction for this concept, as opposed to the customary tracks found among DC/Marvel characters?
Much of The Boys' mythological discomfort will now ride on the shoulders of Vought mole, Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), who's seized higher rule, with unwanted support from hypocritical supporter, Homelander (Anthony Starr). This leaves poor Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) with more vexation heaped on his already weighted shoulders, which includes Homelander's son now riding the unethical train. (For what it's worth, Jeffery Dean Morgan is said to be on board. The question is, will his reputed character, Monkey, land closer to Comedian or Negan? Either way, the outcome is bound to be quirky, though with Monkey said to be more in sync with the righteous Boys than not. All the same, maybe Susan Heywood's "brainiac" Sister Sage or Valorie Curry's nationalistic Firecracker could set things straight, but considering how the cards fall with Supes, I wouldn't count on it.)
I guess Butcher and his Boys will need to prevail as the saga's ardent, saving grace, even if already beaten to the core. Ah, what the hell. The sadomasochistic peculiarities are what make this series specialized, and because it parades such brash originality, credit is due.
On the other hand (and despite Ennis and Kripke's RanXerox/Watchmen slant), it would be interesting if the saga could twist its untraditional perspective. Think about it: A Supe (other than, of course, Erin Moriarty's Starlight, who's proven forthright under her secret conditions) decides to live up to his/her publicized creed, exposing full corruption to the public because, shoot, that's what any Supe must do. I know, the odds don't favor such a jarring about-face, but hey, you can't fault an old traditionalist from aspiring.
The Boys: Season 4 begins June 13.
The mishing and mashing was quite apparent in the first three episodes queued, with Firecracker at one point embracing an anti-Zionist stance that would otherwise seem to go against her creed, or would it? I get what they're trying to do, where no side is clear-cut in its view of correctness. In particular, the Supe phoniness is one big blur of cobbled ideology. Still, what a discouraging, embittered landscape. Here's a thought: Maybe Homelander Jr will save the ideological day ... maybe, if one side of what Monkey insinuated does, in fact, reach fruition. Then again, knowing the structure of this cynical show, it could just as well go the other way.
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