Life Among the Septics

Another one bites the dust. I'll always remember this episode as the one that made me stop watching this series, as much as I used to like it. Previous three seasons were awesome, clever, funny, bold, entertaining, shocking. All that was replaced by boring, disturbing and most of all, disgusting. Ep. 1 was already much below my expectations but I decided to carry on and give it a chance to redeem itself, but far from it. It only got worse in ep. 2. Whoever watches this episode will probably guess at which particular scene I just had to turn it off because of how unnecessarily disgusting it was. Final note to the producers: there is a fine line between shocking and disgusting and you just crossed it.

The first three episodes of Season 4 pack a punch: the references are edgier, the writing is crisper, and the action is better choreographed and more gory than ever.

The music is exceptional, surpassing all previous seasons. Amazon has clearly pulled out all the stops to make this a blockbuster.

These episodes are parody at its finest, exploring the dark side of several social structures and playing it excellently for gags. The actors are all in their groove.

However, I have two minor nitpicks. Mother's Milk and Annie seem to have aged noticeably, whereas the others look as they did in Season 3. The first 10-15 minutes of the season are slightly disorienting because, while we are asked to jump right into the world of "The Boys," it has changed a lot.

Apart from these small issues, the show is smooth sailing and fun viewing.

Initially, I thought "The Boys" was about anti-fascism and the perils of hyper-capitalism. Then I saw it as a commentary on the current American political landscape, mixed with loads of parodies (which I personally loved).

But watching the three episodes today, I realized that this is a show about coming of age and childhood trauma, with the other layers added for cinematic appeal.

The show's core focus is on the past of all characters, with the underlying message that our past completely determines who we are. This is made clear in the interaction between Annie and Firecracker.

I expect this season and the subsequent ones to delve into the past trauma of all the main characters, with the groundwork already laid in these episodes. However, focusing on everyone's past may not be very exciting after a few episodes and could slow down the development of the main story.

There can only be so much exposition before it hampers the narrative.

The writers are so woke and hardcore leftist that it's laughable. Aside from politics, it's a decent episode. Entertaining, brutal, but there's also too much CGI gore. Such a cop out.

But it's so politically skewed, it's insane. There's even a reviewer calling the right "fascists," which is a constant lie people like to believe in. These kinds of people, like that reviewer and also like the villains in this show, want the government to control everything. Usually I can turn a blind eye to political and social bigotry, but it's so blunt and obnoxious, I can't ignore it. The writers are creative, I'll give them that. But this episode is the toughest one to get through so far, because it's obviously following some misguided, corrupt agenda for the left.

And to that reviewer who said the right are fascists and that the left are a "little bit nicer," sorry buddy but the truth hurts. I'd rather have a leader of the nation who's somewhat mean on Twitter, than a brain-dead puppet ran by psychotic, murderous, economy-killing, traitor liberals. Or any liberal for that matter. It's the PEOPLE who matter, not your "precious feelings." Really the psychotic bigotry of the antagonists in this show are a fantastic representation of "art imitating life" when it comes to American liberalism.

Oh "The Boys" paints a real good picture of how America is as a society and how dysfunctional our system of government is. Except not in the way the writers intended. This episode is the one that voids the benefit of the doubt.

The Boys have hit their low-point. It's become such a political statement at this point that it's painful. I imagine it should be painful for anyone on the political spectrum. At least, for anyone with a brain and common sense.

This is shaping up to be the best season yet. The current events satire is strong but stuff like TruthCon has got to be the easiest satirical target ever. Makes me wonder why this hasn't been tried more often. Is The Boys the only series with the guts to do it?

Adding a character like Sister Sage could have backfired because it's easy to come up with a new character who is super strong or can melt you from the inside out or whatever. You just hand the work off to the CGI folks.

But the smartest woman, sorry, person, in the world is not so easy. The writers have given themselves the challenge of writing a person who actually IS smart, says smart things, does smart things. And you know what, I think they're pulling it off.

In the second episode of "The Boys" season 4, the series heavily relies on Homelander to maintain its momentum and intrigue. Antony Starr's portrayal continues to be a magnetic force, commanding every scene with his blend of charm, menace, and complexity. His character's evolution and the dynamics he shares with others, especially Butcher and their son Ryan, drive the episode's narrative with intensity and suspense, showcasing why Homelander remains one of the show's standout elements.

However, despite Homelander's compelling presence, other characters like Frenchie, Kimiko, Hughie, and Starlight struggle to contribute meaningfully to the episode. Their scenes feel disconnected from the main plotlines and fail to sustain viewer interest or advance the overarching story in significant ways. This disparity in narrative impact creates a noticeable imbalance, where Homelander's storyline thrives while others falter, bogging down the series with slower pacing and less engaging character arcs.

As a result, while Homelander continues to carry the show with his riveting character development and intricate relationships, the lackluster contributions from secondary characters in episode 2 leave much to be desired. Viewers may find themselves longing for more cohesive storytelling and dynamic interactions across all fronts, in order to fully capture the essence of what makes "The Boys" a compelling and provocative series.