Friday, October 16, 2020

The Boys - Season 2


I am so thankful with all the beautiful, horrific scenes in The Boys Season Two, that the death of this kitten was not one of them. However every other way to mutilate, beat up, murder and dismember a person is fully explored. Even a whale is not spared a gruesome death.


You would think that a series was all about it's most outrageous moments but in truth, The Boys is best in it's quiet more thoughtful moments. The times when you can see the wheels turning in a character's mind who is about to do something outrageously courageous, you are thrilled by the danger they just put themselves into because it is the right thing to do. The moments of emotional connection occur often as these characters bond while doing the worst they can do to anyone who gets in their way. It's a cathartic experience to watch The Boys in many ways.



Wicked thoughtful social commentary wrapped in a very brutal and bloody product. I never have seen the like in all my life. But it's all just business to the company that started it all in the first place. Voght is both enemy and savior at the same time. It's a unique relationship that both sides have with their common enemy. The brilliant Giancarlo Esposito is CEO of the most evil corporation since Umbrella. For him, carnage helps his stock price and his bottom line. It's that simple and that cold blooded. And when you hear the truth from HIM, you get have been schooled. Emmy Bait.



And you thought the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones was intense. Puppy Poop! Then you have to see the Red Senate Hearing. Heads exploding like popcorn kernels is memorable after seeing it happen to dozens of people in a crowded hearing room. The person doing the head popping is also a wicked cool surprise that changes the game for Season 3.



For a show full of death and pain I was very happy with the way it ended on such an optimistic look. I predicted the end song they used the second before I heard it and it was perfect. I loved all the gonzo choices this show has taken from the beginning. The soundtrack is full of great nostalgia. Another great piece of a great puzzle that shouldn't work, but does, given the source material.


The comic book is horrid pornography and torture porn written by a sexual deviant but that's beside the point. The story is so well told that you can replicate the shocks of the comic but be smarter and less lurid.. You can still shock and not be degrading about it if that makes any sense. Read the comic book and you will see what I mean. 



Writer Garth Ennis has taken his second shot at the same brilliant concept and still went full retard on the execution without turning off half their fan base. There is a lesson there too I figure. Just because you CAN work BLUE, you don't have to because your material is better than that. Your cast and crew deserve better than that.


With only eight episodes over six weeks, this was an easy one to get into and stick with. I hate the pressure of the binge. I like to savour. I hope I can savor the Mandalorian in the same way. It's so great to have some time to absorb each episode over time before the next one. A great show for the Golden Age of Pandemic TV that ended a strong second season with it's main characters better off than when it first began. I enjoyed the journey and so will you.



3 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Makes me wish I had Amazon Prime so I could watch it!

Rob R said...

I have not read this post, because I have yet to start season 2! Will bookmark this and add a quippy, yet insightful, response at a later date. Season 1 was surprisingly twisted and funny, but isn’t that typical on Ennis?

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

I am looking forward to seeing your reaction. I spread it out because like any Ennis it's best in small doses. Pushes the envelope but in the very best way. I liked it more the more I think about it actually. When Karl Urban is the least interesting guy on a Karl Urban show you know it's pretty great.