The Boys Season 2: A Marvelous, Emotional Mess [REVIEW – Part 1]

WARNING: Article contains mild spoilers for The Boys Season 2. Read on at your own risk.

Almost a year ago to the day, star Karl Urban promised us that the show’s sophomore season was going to be “even more diabolical.” He wasn’t wrong by any stretch of the word. Amazon Prime Video’s irreverent take on the superhero genre picks up right where it left off…. And then ramps up the cringe-factor even more. What’s surprising, though, is the amount of emotion the second season is packing in to just eight episodes.

Of course The Boys Season 2 wouldn’t be complete without also being gloriously gory and shocking. Ever wonder what would happen if a speedboat rammed into a whale? Well, it’s disgusting, and hilariously funny in that “I know I shouldn’t be laughing at this, but I am” kind of way. There are exploding heads, arm-snapping brutality, and, well…. Remember Doppelganger from Season 1? Let’s just say he and Homelander share a couple of stomach-turning scenes together. All that aside, it’s the emotional side of The Boys’ second season that will really capture fans’ attention.

The Boys Season 2 packs an emotional wallop

Just through the first half of the season, the show dives head-first into multiple characters’ emotional story arcs. First, Annie (Starlight) and Hughie struggle with their will-they-or-won’t-they relationship. Erin Moriarty and Jack Quaid convey an emotional depth with their respective characters we usually don’t see in superhero stories. We even get to see the softer side of Mother’s Milk, as he talks about his father’s battle with Vought. The Boys Season 2 spares no single character from emotional overload, either.

Maeve must acknowledge her lesbian relationship, while the Deep (comically) comes to grips with his own self-image issues. Not even the faceless Black Noir goes unscathed, as he has a touching, emotional reaction to news of Compound-V making its way to mass media. Perhaps heaviest hit in The Boys Season 2, however, is Kimiko. We learn why she became mute… from the Super Terrorist, er, Villain, who just happens to be her own brother.

It’s tough to strike a balance of shock and emotion in storytelling like this. Notwithstanding, The Boys Season 2, through its first half, handles the task with aplomb.

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The Boys Season 2 Will Blow Your Mind [REVIEW – Part 2]

To watch both seasons, click HERE.