The Boys: The Complete Third Season (DVD TV series review).
Back in November when I realised I was going to need to pick up the third season of ‘The Boys’, there was a frightening discovery that it was selling out so I went after the DVD version as the blu-ray was sold out, so no extras this time. You do have to wonder if Sony are going to re-release seasons 3 and 4 together as a boxset. If you’re reading this review first, stop and read my review of the first two seasons first and then come back because there are spoilers here.
It’s a year after the events of season two. Hughie Campbell (actor Jack Quaid) is now de facto control of The Boys after voluntarily government recruitment and although Billy Butcher (actor Karl Urban) doesn’t necessarily like it, doesn’t kill any rogue supes they go after.
I think the biggest surprise of the first episode was revealing Victoria Neuman (actress Claudia Doumit) status to others than build up to it more, but with only 8 episodes that might have been more to do with the available time than stringing it out.
Probably the most significant was the creation of Compound B-24, endowing people with super-powers for 24 hours, although no one knowing quite what they get. Voight put a high price on this drug so isn’t likely to be given to everyone but, initially, three potions are given to Billy Butcher to give him an edge when dealing with the supes and he resisted using it for a while. I did find it a bit odd that Campbell stole one of the vials without him noticing. The repercussions of which are only revealed in the final episodes.
The main objective of this season is finding something or someone to kill the undefeatable Homelander (actor Antony Starr) whose ego is continually bursting and losing his patience with mankind. The only other person with a similar power quotient was the earlier Soldier Boy (actor Jensen Ackles) who is dead.
Butcher needs to find out how that was achieved because it might give the means to stop Homelander who’s insanity is slowly growing ever more threatening. You really don’t want to disagree with him on anything as he treats betrayal very badly and doesn’t keep any hand or glove wipes to clean up afterwards. So much is spoiler, suffice to say the remedy is worse.
An odd thing about the credits is the long number of producers on this show. I counted them: 17! Presumably many of them are writers and involved on creative side but it does give a feeling of top heavy over-management or a means to give crucial people extra money or responsibility.
This third season moves at a sharp pace and packs a lot into 8 episodes. In some respects, stretching it any longer might lose some of that pace. It does mean that outside of the main characters, you don’t care for most of the casualties because they aren’t there long enough to settle in.
These cast members do extraordinary well with such small roles. I should point out that Soldier Boy’s original team appear as bad as members of the current Seven and you would think Voight would have learnt from this than think they are marketing an upgrade. Then again, when has selling a bad product not been done? Don’t lose your heart on this show. Homelander might just pull it out of your chest with less than a thought on the consequences.
GF Willmetts
December 2022
(pub: Sony Pictures, 2022. 2 DVDs 8 * 60 minute there about episodes with no extras. Price: good question, especially as the long river website has blanked the information but I reckon about £15.00 (UK). ASIN: ??)
cast: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Aya Cash, Jensen Ackles and many more.
check out website: www.SonyPictures.com
