Thoughts on “The Boys”

JohnR1972JohnR1972
in General

I recently discovered the Amazon Prime series, “The Boys”. While it is in the superhero genre, it is a COMPLETELY different take on “super heros” compared to Marvel or DC.

In The Boys, there are hundreds of “supes” of different power levels / abilities and 200+ of them are under contract with one corporation who handles their PR, covers up their mistakes / collateral damage, and negotiates contracts with mayors across the country to get their own “hero” to fight crime. The series focuses on “The Seven” (the 7 most powerful superheroes) and a group of ordinary men who know how corrupt they are and who are trying to take them down.

Most of the “Supes” look and act patriotic and heroic in public thanks to the world class marketing and public relations support they get but some of them are self-absorbed, Machiavellian, opportunists with substance abuse problems.

I am curious about your thoughts on the show (if you have seen it) or the concept that if superheroes were real, they would be controlled by a shady mega corporation with a nearly infinite supply of marketing people and lawyers (as opposed to them being much more altruistic and autonomous as depicted in Marvel and DC comic books and movies).

Comments

  • AuroradreamAuroradream
    edited August 2024

    Be kind, it's one person's opinion...
    This is something your kids shouldn't watch. I enjoyed the series on an entertainment level, but when I caught up on the last season, the last few episodes were extra gratuitous with blood and bdsm themes. Beastiality too. It's just an opinion, and I may have one. My 25 year old son likes the show.
    I might have thought perhaps ten years ago (when my son was only 15) for example, that the show was right up his alley. But seeing it entirely, there is way too much distasteful and extreme adult content as the series goes on. I'm 51 years old and have little innocence left, but I found the end of the most recent season gave me some icks.

  • JubalJubal

    Well, in the real world, if there were super-powered people, then I agree that multinational corporations would find some way to hold leverage over them. Most likely through threats against family or other loved ones (legal threats like "we'll foreclose on granny", or illegal ones like "be a shame if your nephew never lived long enough to go to high school").

  • sunnysideupsunnysideup
    edited August 2024

    I like the The Boy’s have, it’s like a slightly more realistic version of what things would be like if people actually had superpowers (instead of just classic good vs evil, you have showboating, fakery for power, human self esteem related issues, I mean there still are classic good vs evil themes but more realistic internal conflicts) and it’s also interesting to see regular people have more of an impact.

    I thought that the BDSM stuff and sex scenes were too extra, and a waste of airtime. Also some of the psychological fixations of some of the characters are a little weird.

  • ReltvlyCanshesReltvlyCanshes

    The characters are pretty well written, at least the seven and they are all a mess. As fantastical as it is the stories don't seem far fetched. It seems like America to me.

  • Tigerlilly32Tigerlilly32

    The finale was the only standout episode of last season.

    Some episodes were so disturbing 🤮 that I had to pause and finish them later. The shock value felt excessive and detracted from the plot.

  • TeddyCuddle45TeddyCuddle45
    edited August 2024

    Excellent show, and ive heard from a friend who has done work on that spin off series, that it too is just as good, so I gotta dig into that one.

  • AuroradreamAuroradream

    PS - Loved Sister Sage! The smartest person and how she decompressed lmao. 😵‍💫
    PPS - Hughie is my hero 💕and I find the Butcher to be bad boy hot. 🔥

  • Vocalist100Vocalist100

    I like the show, but it's just as unrealistic as most other superheroes shows/movies (I'm overlooking the physics itself). It is a very cynical take since in the show there's really only 1 genuine superhero who wants to help society (also not counting the spinoff Gen V). The rest are all self-absorbed glory hounds all the way to outright sociopathic narcissists. But the show does an excellent commentary on media driven cult of personality, as well as other social issues (especially corporate power over the government, which is also a tad unrealistic).

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    @Auroradream
    I am only 5 episodes into season 1 so it sounds like it is going to get worse 😳

  • cde123cde123

    Sounds to me like a commentary on Hollywood if anything - sociopaths and narcissists galore, many barely able to keep their public personas decent and appealing enough - meanwhile plenty of wannabe new starlets step off the plane every day chasing their dreams right into dangerous situations.

  • [Deleted User]Kimset (deleted user)

    I've watched all the seasons, and agree it is quite cynical. I enjoy a lot of the dark humor, however find that it is over the top regarding the s3xual nature and gore. I actually hope my kids never watch it as an adult 😅.

    I would like to think that if Supes did exist, there would be a balanced sort much like we seen in DC and Marvel. That said, there's a reason why the quote, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" resonates with The Boys. Do we feel that Power corrupts, or does it enable individuals with low morality to show their true side?

  • CharlieBearCharlieBear Mod

    I love the show and the spinoff Gen V. Though I have also been a big Karl Urban fan for forever.

  • cde123cde123
    edited August 2024

    @Kimset I don't think we'll ever know if power corrupts because unfortunately, power is incredibly attractive to people with dark triad personalities - it's what they seek and thrive upon. Many of the public facing dark triad manipulators are extremely good at hiding who they are, too, making it even more difficult to know.

    edit: I think that's why superheroes work - they're ordinary people given power, which regular people can often hold without becoming corrupt - not power-seeking individuals. Chances are superheroes, like pro athletes today for example, would be able to find talent representation which can avoid many of the dangers (assuming they find good ones, of course).

  • sunnysideupsunnysideup

    @cde123 yeah I agree the show seems to be a critique on both politics and Hollywood hierarchy

  • wilderdudewilderdude

    Love that show, A+

    Gen V the spinoff is great too

    Loads of spinoffs coming, soldier boy and liberty (stormfront) set shortly after WW2

    Hope we get a young homelander show too, before he became disillusioned and legit wanted to be a hero

  • starrynitecudsstarrynitecuds

    My interpretation the first season of the show is to be a social commentary on many levels.
    Stark reminder that not everyone lives by the benevolent creed, "with great power, comes great responsibility."
    Those who clean up, usually have the dirtiest hands. Marketing is sanitizing.

  • FalcoFalco

    "with great power, comes great responsibility."

    Do you read my mind? It's exactly I wanted to say.

    There is an Italian song in which a father tells his son, before the latter grows and have an educational revenge on the former (sorry for the translation): "Only to those who get their hands dirty is conceded the privilege to have a clean conscience".

    I think The Boys is a good representation of reality, even with those sci-fi elements like super-powers which of course are fictional. Substitute them with some other (real) powers, and that's all. I don't think the sex/BDSM/disturbing/whatever scenes are too much. TV only shows a part of your real-life heroes. For example, if you are a non-smoker, have you ever thought about your favorite actor/actress being a smoker? Have you ever thought about your favorite politician having traits that you could find disturbing? My opinion is that NOBODY should be judged from private life (I may want a politician to do his job well; if he wants to go BDSM or anything else, it's not my business).

    Of course it's not for kids, but I also think that a realistic view of life is more educational than raising children with the "happily ever after" fairy tales.

    And now, plot twist: somebody please write a book or make a TV series or whatever in which CC Pros are the equivalent of the Boys, the Pros using the site to get money offering sexual services are the equivalent of the Seven and... No, I was joking, I can't compare CC to the Vaught. And would Enthusiast Cuddlers be common people? Those of you having more imagination than me can take inspiration from this. I won't ask you for intellectual property, but please let me read/watch your work should you ever do it.

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    I intentionally avoided saying much about my feelings on the show in my original post because I didn’t want to bias anyone. Here are my thoughts…
    1) This is absolutely NOT a kids show.
    2) Based on the first 5 episodes, I am enjoying the writing, acting, and overall concept of the show. It is much darker than I expected and from comments above, it sounds like it gets much darker and disturbing as the seasons progress.
    3) I have a feeling this show (again based on just the first 5 episodes) is more realistic of what “superheroes” would really be like if they existed. There are some common, dark personality traits among many people in the world today. If a person were “gifted” with super human speed, strength, or other abilities I suspect it would tend to magnify those dark traits (feelings of superiority / entitlement and lack of empathy for others). I also strongly suspect that a major corporation or two would try to exploit such super humans for profit.

  • wilderdudewilderdude

    Gotta also agree that most of the time when a hero is trying to save someone it would lead to unintentional collateral damage which is rarely the case in most comic book stuff. The boys takes on a more realistic approach

  • DebsterDebster

    @JohnR1972 If you saw the movie Sausage Party and liked it, you won't have a problem with this. Seth Rogan puts some really twisted stuff in his shows. It makes me think there's something seriously wrong with him.

  • Tigerlilly32Tigerlilly32

    @Debster did you see that Sausage Party has a series on Amazon Prime?

  • huggaboo_babyhuggaboo_baby

    I looove the show and everything about ot.. even Gen Z... I feel they are showing us what it would really be like if we really had superheroes...

  • [Deleted User]cuddlewithKyle (deleted user)

    I really enjoyed it until they started injecting politics into everything. I get it, you think maga=nazi. Can I just enjoy some entertainment without having ideology shoved down my throat?

  • [Deleted User]melovebass (deleted user)

    I absolutely love this show! I need to watch the latest season.

    I loved the comic it's based on even more, it's much darker/more twisted.

  • Katelyn_BKatelyn_B

    I have watched all of it up through the most recent episodes. I enjoyed it for the most part, but I think if it is true this is the last season that is a good decision, artistically-speaking.

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