Department of Dirty Tricks

The Boys Season 4 kicks off with a bang! Episode 1 delivers intense action, sharp satire, and brilliant character development.

The storyline is gripping, the special effects are top-notch, and the acting is phenomenal.

The reveal of Frenchie's sexuality adds depth to his character, but let's be clear: if you're offended by this, you are the goober that show is actively making fun of.

The Boys continue to be one of the best shows on TV, unafraid to challenge norms and deliver quality entertainment.

Also, can we talk about Antony Starr as Homelander? His acting is getting better by the season. Give that man an Emmy already!

The "problem" of high quality tv shows today is, that between two seasons years can go by, and you do not remember every detail from the last one. However I prefer this circumstance over rushed content, that ends up in the garbage facility.

We waited two years for the Boys season 4 and after watching the first episode, I think it was worth it. The events from the last season are being continued, Homelander and Billy Butcher are preparing to kill each other for their son. Stargirl, Hughie and the rest of the team do their best to support BB, while the supes and the president are backing Homelander.

The violence is great as always and the visuals look amazing. I am looking forward to the next episode of the three-part premiere.

The start was disappointingly slow and monotonous. It dragged on with repetitive scenes, lacking any real excitement or engagement. The same dull scenarios kept unfolding, making it a chore to watch. The pacing felt lethargic, with little variation or development to keep things interesting. Overall, it was a tedious beginning that failed to capture my attention or provide any substantial reason to keep watching. A faster pace and more dynamic elements could have improved the experience significantly. Surely not the real TheBoys episode we all know, CGI of the Gore looks a bit meh, like it's all gelly.

Season four of the Boys is boring, gross, and filled with politics without any substance or nuance. I was warned by friends to bypass it and am infinitely sorry I didn't.

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Looking back at the beginning, season one, the show was sometimes shocking but had a heart. Writers were world building and emphasized characters. The series had the ability to surprise viewers in a way that didn't feel "fixed."

By season three, producers were basically using PR and hype just like the characters they set out to satirize. Spent months building up a guest actor, only to under-utilize him in the show itself. (Lots of gifs and special inserts though, with a sucker born every minute to sell.)

This season is even more condescending to any viewer who expects to use more than half a brain cell.

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The supposedly surprising plot twist with Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character? Telegraphed a mile off.

The political satire? Ham handed and stale. (The internet can do direct political take offs better, being more timely. What movies and shows need to do is a step up and actually create scenarios that make viewers think)

The shock has gone from fitting into the story (fine) to just being grossly inserted for squick alone (yawn and/or gag)

No, I will probably not watch Rob Benedict's work in any project again.

And I don't know if I'll watch Kripke's future shows, given his quote about a character's sexual assault being not only played for jokes but "hilarious" to them while writing.

These are two creatives I've enjoyed in the past, so that gives an indication of the amount of scorched earth this show leaves behind.

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I do give some stars for A-Train's character development.

I am interested in what happens to Noir.

I'm actively rooting for Homelander's death and removal.

The story, however, has become so predictable, I don't see how there are any fresh PLOT twists or resolutions left to surprise viewers. Which might be why they pull out the gross stunts just to get by.

It does at least prove that shocking can be simultaneously boring, I guess.

By all means, save yourself.

When I watched the first season The Boys back in 2019, I felt ecstatic. It was a fresh take on the rather stale superhero genre previously dominated by Marvel and DC. It was also a remarkably smart show, based around highly relatable characters. And, yes, when the story called for it, it included some rather extreme gore. It even managed to make good satire, throwing light punches every which way without ever feeling heavy handed.

Five years and four seasons further down the line, none of the above feels true anymore. Character arcs have come and gone, leaving them as empty husks performing the same routine in scene after scene. The gore, which doesn't feel particularly exciting or surprising anymore, is everywhere for no reason whatsoever (except possibly to hide that the show runners are out of ideas). As for the political satire, there's nothing light hearted about it anymore. It's just a gross blanket of boring propaganda choking the life off an already dying show. (And that's from someone who share most of the show runners views. But that doesn't mean I enjoy being force fed.)

Unsure if I'll ever be able to finish this season. Probably not.