THE BOYS SERIES 3 EPS 1-5 (2022) Review

The Boys Series 3 is now streaming on Prime Video.

Synopsis

t’s been a year of calm. Homelander’s subdued. Butcher works for the government, supervised by Hughie of all people. But both men itch to turn this peace and quiet into blood and bone. So when The Boys learn of a mysterious anti-Supe weapon, it sends them crashing into The Seven, starting a war, and chasing the legend of the first Superhero: Soldier Boy.

The Boys are finally back for their most bloody and brutal series yet. Series 3 takes the show to new highs in some very unexpected ways while others being quite predictable. So, is the third series of Eric Kripke’s The Boys another hit for Prime Video or a sign that the show is running out of steam?

Series 3 takes place a year after the events of series 2 where Homelander (Anthony Starr) is subdued. Butcher (Karl Urban) works for the government while being supervised by Hughie (Jack Quaid) of all people. However, both Butcher and Homelander itch to turn this peace and quiet into blood and bone. So when The Boys learn of a mysterious Anti-Supe weapon, it sends them crashing into the Seven, starting a war, and chasing the legend of the first superhero: Soldier Boy.

From that opening fifteen minutes of episode one, you truly are thrown back into the chaotic world that Kripke has created. It is overly gruesome, uncomfortable and most certainly will leave an image scarred in your brain for years to come. It thrusts you back into this mission that the gang are on and the incredibly likeable characters’ lives. Billy Butcher, played to perfection by Karl Urban, is the funniest he has ever been with his fantastic banter with Hughie and how the story progresses allows  for even more laughs.

Hughie is given a lot more to do this season as he is a crucial part of the plot this time around. Jack Quaid plays the character to perfection as he carries a huge chunk of the charisma of this show on his shoulders. Out of the core gang, Hughie definitely is the most likeable character and adds a lot of the emotion.

However, Anthony Starr steals the show as Homelander. This is the most unsettling and frightening he has ever been and creates a ticking time bomb in the series. He is clearly on the breaking edge and with the power he has, the race to find the Anti-Supe weapon only builds tension. Starr adds a lot of the fear that is present this season and is genuinely awards worthy for his performance.

My one criticism of series 3 is that it is very predictable in where the main plotline is heading. From episode one you can guess what will happen and where everything is going and if it wasn’t for Starr, the tension would not be as high as it should be. Unless something radically changes in the final three episodes, the story seems a bit too straightforward compared to earlier seasons.

Verdict

The first five episodes of The Boys Series 3 are a ton of blood-soaked fun! Sure, it is a bit predictable and twists can be seen from a mile away but just spending time with these characters makes it a worthwhile watch. If you didn’t like the previous two seasons, series 3 will do nothing to change that but if you are already a huge fan of the show then this will be a blast.  

⭐⭐⭐⭐