Delving into the pitfalls of fame and power, Amazon’s The Boys is going to be the superhero show many of us have dreamed of. From the creative mind behind Preacher, the show follows a group of civilians who decide to take a stand against “the 7,” this universe’s version of the Justice League or the Avengers.
We were at the premiere for the Tribeca Film Festival, where the first episode was screened, and then the majority of the cast came out for a Q&A.
So, focusing on the brilliance of the pilot episode, we have a quirky, fun lead in the form of Hughie (Jack Quaid). He’s awkward, distraught over the loss of his girlfriend, and then he is thrust into this new world by Butcher (Karl Urban). The superheroes in this New York are not the superheroes who care most about protecting the world. They’re more interested in their film deals and the amount of money they’re going to make from being in the limelight.
Their fame and power have gone to their heads, distracting them from their real purpose, and when a character like Starlight (Erin Moriarty) comes in, her optimism is almost out of place among the “heroes.” Taking on the #MeToo movement, power, and our right to stand against said power, The Boys is the perfect kind of show for 2019, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us next.
Here’s the thing about this series: It’s a different kind of story about superheroes and how we view them. Yes, it uses the tropes and ideas of heroes we know, but they’re all their own individual characters, so what I really didn’t care for at the Q&A was comparisons that were made to other heroes (which was not a fault of the cast or creators, but rather the audience and moderator). The world is terrible enough as is. Just let us enjoy all our versions of superhero shows.
There was also a question that insinuated that mainstream superheroes do not have human emotions or morals in the way we do. I think that’s hilarious, seeing as the entire conflict of the majority of Captain America: Civil War was that Tony wanted them to sign the Accords because he had very human concerns about the damage their battles caused.
In my opinion, if you think heroes don’t face moral dilemmas, you’re not watching these movies or shows correctly.
(image: Amazon Prime)
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