Tag: Karen Fukuhara

‘The Boy’ Series Finale Takes an Emotional Ride and Comes Full Circle

‘The Boy’ Series Finale Takes an Emotional Ride and Comes Full Circle

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There is always a lot riding on series finales. Eric Kripke repeatedly said he was nervous about landing this one for The Boys after 5 seasons, but also that he was grateful to be able to end it when they wanted to. Having lived through the contentious Supernatural finale after 15 seasons (which I loved), I was worried FOR him. And of course there are plenty of people posting that they didn’t like The Boys series finale either, but there are also plenty who did – I’m relieved that I’m one of them. I think it went the way it should have gone, even if I might not have enjoyed 100% of it – it made sense and felt like an earned ending, which I thought was also the case for Supernatural.

I enjoyed all the hoopla too (something Supernatural definitely did not get in 2020!)  Many fans went to see the episode in the theaters it played in all across the country and much of the cast and crew attended the red carpet festivities in LA before that screening. Their excitement was contagious, so even though I didn’t go to one of the screenings near me, I felt even more anticipation than usual after watching the cast and crew smiling and proud of what they’d accomplished.

As a Supernatural fan, it also warmed my heart to see so many #SPNFamily in attendance. Eric Kripke (creator of Supernatural and showrunner of that and The Boys) finds good people in the industry, whether actors or directors or crew, and works with them on multiple projects, which means there are always familiar faces. I love that these people love continuing to work together, and also still have such a soft spot for the little show that brought them together. Phil Sgriccia, who directed so many episodes of Supernatural, directed many episodes of ‘The Boys’ including the finale – he and Eric Kripke looked like the proud papas of the evening. Chris Lennertz was one of two composers for the entire run of Supernatural, and he’s the composer for The Boys too – so talented and also just a great guy! Many actors have Supernatural and The Boys in common – at the screening there was of course Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester and Soldier Boy), and also Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir) and Rob Benedict (Splinter) who were on both shows (and Rob’s partner Ruth Connell of Supernatural too). It was so nice to see them all celebrating together!

Yes, we needed that photo of Jensen Ackles on the red carpet.

Now, for the episode itself. Major spoilers ahead, obviously.

I was actually glad that Soldier Boy was not going to be in the finale – I have complicated feelings about the character partly thanks to Jensen Ackles playing him – and I was oddly glad he was safely tucked away in stasis while everyone else fought to the death. (Yes, I said safely. I admit I didn’t want him to die. I also admit I should want him to die.) If you, like me, are a Soldier Boy fan, check out the very in depth chapter I wrote in ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ all about the fascinating character, and also read Jensen Ackles’ exclusive interview chapter all about how he crafted his complicated character – info at the end of the article.

It’s also fitting that we return to a focus on Butcher and Homelander for the finale, wrapping back to where we started this journey. The opening reminds us of their scorched earth pact: In the end, only one of us left standing.

The Boys

The Boys start the episode discouraged and mourning Frenchie, especially Kimiko.

They give him a funeral which is very The Boys, alternating between Frenchie’s scribbled out words about being closer to all of them than his own blood, that they are his family, and he’s at peace because he knew Heaven on Earth in Kimiko’s arms – and then noting that he’s seen every one of their assholes (with details of how and when) as the proof of how well he knows them. I’ve said it a lot, but the 14 year old boy humor always throws me out of the scene a little, and this was no exception. It’s the show, though, and I guess I’m in the minority since it has characterized it since the start.

Many fans were upset about the abrupt cancellation of The Boys spinoff Gen V, and hopeful that those characters might play a pivotal role in The Boys finale. They do appear, but were kept on the periphery, to some fans’ disappointment. (It seems we may see them in the two other The Boys universe properties in development, however.) Annie asks Marie, Jordan and Emma to help the influencers they saved, but they’re reluctant. As Emma asks, “the ones who were just with the guy whose hog they were dying to suck yesterday?”  As I’ve written before, I like Emma and I miss her – that one line was excellent.  Annie tells Marie a story intended to inspire her not to give up – about how she idolized Queen Maeve and then met her and was disappointed. She was by then checked out, bitter. Annie says she swore she’d never let that happen to her, but it did – but not anymore. Now it’s about keeping the light burning as long as they fucking can. Don’t meet your heroes, she advises Marie.

Marie: I don’t know about never meet your heroes – worked out kinda okay for me.

It was a sweet little moment. The Gen V three drive off, headed to Canada to help the people they can, leaving the universe open for the Gen V characters to return in another iteration of the universe.

Sage joins Kimiko at Frenchie’s grave and taunts her about letting people think she was the stray that he took in when it was really the other way around, accusing her of keeping Frenchie like a pet, on a leash, until finally Kimiko gets enraged enough to do the chest blast thing.

It works – Sage is no longer super smart.

Sage: It worked! I’m fucking stupid like you guys!

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‘The Best of The Boys’ Music Vinyl Collection Releases Today – with Two Jensen Ackles Songs!

‘The Best of The Boys’ Music Vinyl Collection Releases Today – with Two Jensen Ackles Songs!

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A three disc vinyl collection of the music from Prime Video’s series ‘The Boys’ releases today covering the music of all five seasons. Like another Eric Kripke show we know and love (that would be ‘Supernatural’ in case you didn’t know), the music of ‘The Boys’ has always been an integral part of its storytelling, thanks to Emmy Award-winning composer Christopher Lennertz (who was one of two composers on ‘Supernatural’ also). This collection has an original score by Lennertz and Matt Bowen, and some original  and cover songs performed by the cast.

The official release of Jensen Ackles’ cover of Blondie’s “Rapture” is included along with his memorable rendition of ‘From A Logical Point of View’, plus songs from Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Karen Fukuhara, Laurie Holden and of course Daveed Diggs from last week’s musical extravaganza. There are also liner notes from the cast and crew. The collection is pressed on 3x 140gm Color Vinyl.

“We’ve spent five seasons building a musical identity for this show, and the Best of The Boys vinyl is a love letter to that evolution,” say composers Christopher Lennertz and Matt Bowen in the press release. “Curating the collection was like watching the entire series again through the music alone — you can hear the score grow up, get darker, get weirder, and find its identity over five seasons. But Season 5 is where all of that paid off. Everything we learned over the life of this show — every instinct, every risk — we poured into this final chapter. The score has never been this big, this emotional, or this relentless, and we think the Season 5 soundtrack captures the most ambitious work we’ve done for the series — the tension is sharper, the emotional swings are bigger, and the music goes to places we never would have attempted in earlier seasons. It’s the most complete and fearless work we’ve done on the show, and we think it’s the score this finale deserved.”

Christopher Lennertz (and me) Comic Con 2019

‘The Boys’ is also known for its standout original songs, performed by the cast and woven directly into the fabric of the show’s storytelling to enrich the show’s iconic scenes. Lennertz went on to talk about Season 5’s music, saying: “Over the past four seasons, original songs have played an increasingly important part of The Boys’ storytelling, and this final season’s entry might be the pinnacle of that satirical insanity. After the success of “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas,” we knew we had to go even bigger and better for the plot twist that would set the entire finale into motion. As soon as Daveed Diggs was cast as “Oh Father,” I texted [Eric] Kripke and said that it would be a crime if he didn’t sing on the show. Once Eric and the writers had the concept, I knew Daveed had to write the song with me to embody the authentic voice of this character he had developed. This season’s big original song release, “Raise Him Up,” became the most soulful and audacious anthem of Vought blasphemy that would exceed all of our expectations and finally ‘rise up’ and be worthy to represent the climax of Homelander’s unhinged hubris.”

If you missed it in last week’s episode, go check it out!

The collection also features artwork by Matt Ryan Tobin, who crafted packaging to make the set a collector’s item. Tobin gets the show’s appeal, saying in the press release that “This show is fucked up. It has me grossed out and recoiling one second, convulsing with laughter the next, before eventually ripping my heart out and bringing me to tears; and repeat. I can’t think of another show that recklessly toys with your emotions so much, yet so well. The music really pilots all of these emotions, and masterfully so.”

The collection is released by Mutant, whose co-founder Mo Shafeek said: “The greatest joy of The Boys comes from its stranger-than-fiction alternate reality where superheroes exist, but just about everything else about our world remains the same. Because of that, the world of music in The Boys universe, both diegetic and non-diegetic, is so compelling. What Christopher Lennertz, Matt Bowen, and their incredible collaborators have done for five seasons is worthy of celebration. We at Mutant are honored to bring the musical world of The Boys into the real world.”

Available for pre-order starting today at MadeByMutant.com.

If you’d like to read more about the music of ‘The Boys’, along with insights from the actors and psychologists into the complicated characters, check out the book ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ too, available at https://smartpopbooks.com/book/supes-aint-always-heroes/ with exclusive interviews from Jensen Ackles, Nathan Mitchell, Aya Cash and more (including Christopher Lennertz!)

Vinyl Track List:

Side A

  1. Never Truly Vanish Performed by Erin Moriarty
  2. Faster Performed by Jessie T. Usher, Aimée Proal
  3. Rock My Kiss Performed by Miles Gaston Villanueva
  4. Dream a Little Dream of Me Performed by Karen Fukuhara
  5. You’ve Got a License to Drive (Me Crazy) Performed by Miles Gaston Villanueva
  6. America’s Son Performed by Laurie Holden
  7. From a Logical Point of View Performed by Jensen Ackles

Side B

  1. Rapture Performed by Jensen Ackles
  2. Chimps Don’t Cry Performed by Laurie Holden
  3. Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas Performed by Shoshana Bean, Andrew Rannells, James Monroe Iglehart and Christopher Lennertz
  4. See Something Say Something Performed by Christopher Lennertz, Alex Karukas, and Baraka May
  5. Faster (Gospel Version) Performed by Bryson Camper, Baraka May, David Loucks, Cherise Thomas, Brittany Wallace, Princess Jones, Aja Marie Grant, and Christopher Lennertz
  6. Avenue V  Performed by Christopher Lennertz and Alex Karukas
  7. Stay Back! Performed by Antony Starr, Christopher Lennertz, and Alex Karukas
  8. Raise Him Up Performed by Daveed Diggs, Christopher Lennertz, Baraka May, Caleb Curry, Kadeem Nichols, Carmen Carter and Alex Karukas

DISC TWO

Original Score by Christopher Lennertz and Matt Bowen

Side C

  1. Truck Robbery
  2. Homelander and Stillwell*
  3. Boys Arrive*
  4. Hughie Trashes Room*
  5. Hospital Shootout
  6. Break Every Bone
  7. Meeting Blindspot
  8. Homelander in Hallway
  9. Halloween Store
  10. Fake News
  11. Brother and Sister*
  12. The Vial
  13. Shootout

Side D

  1. Not Ready
  2. Dawn of the Seven
  3. Termite Fight and Rescue*
  4. Soldier Boy
  5. Home for the Super Abled
  6. Butcher Sold Me*
  7. Soldier Boy vs. Homelander*
  8. This Is About Loyalty
  9. Maeve’s Ultimate Sacrifice*
  10. The Only Way I Could Save You*
  11. Homelander’s Dream

DISC THREE 

Original Score by Christopher Lennertz and Matt Bowen

Side E

  1. I Can Do Anything / Finale
  2. Vought Through the Years
  3. Bat Mitzvah Rock*
  4. Mirror Mirror
  5. Training A-Train
  6. Final Audition
  7. Virus
  8. Ol’ Dealey Plaza
  9. Family Is All You’ve Got
  10. Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite
  11. The Democratic Church of America
  12. Cast Those Demons Out
  13. Soldier Boy Reborn
  14. Meet Quinn
  15. Cowboys and Jesus

Side F

  1. Passing the Crown
  2. Kessler
  3. The Speech*
  4. It Has Always Been You
  5. Blood and Bone
  6. The Wreckage
  7. To the Tower
  8. Canary in the Coal Mine
  9. Goodbye

Mutant is a pop culture art, music, and collectibles shop headed by creative director veterans Spencer Hickman, Eric Garza, Mitch Putnam, and Mo Shafeek and CEO Jenny Jacobi, a division of the genre-bending production company SpectreVision.

Check out the music collection and then get ready for the series finale next week!

–Lynn

You can read the book that takes a deep

dive into The Boys, with insights from its

actors, composer Chris Lennertz, artist

Darick Robertson, and  many more at:

Supes Ain’t Always Heroes

‘The Boys’ Penultimate Episode – with some Surprise Guest Stars!

‘The Boys’ Penultimate Episode – with some Surprise Guest Stars!

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The Deep, Ashley, and the Cost of Getting What You Think You Want

The penultimate episode of the final season of ‘The Boys’ is called ‘The Frenchman, the Female and the Man Called Mother’s Milk’, which makes sense considering some of the pivotal things that happen. It kicks off, though, with a musical! All the kudos to Chris Lennertz and Daveed Diggs for the opening number with Oh Father and his scantily clad dancers reminding everyone that Homelander is now bigger than Jesus, totally American, and ready to get rid of anyone who doesn’t conform (all served up with some blatant sexuality while no doubt preaching something puritanical).

As they’re working on that propaganda piece, we finally see the scene that was teased long ago, Homelander sitting in the Oval office, feet up on the desk.

He gives the president his marching orders — DCA will be the official sanctioned church, every boundary between church and state will be dissolved, and troops will be sent into every sanctuary city that took in Starlighters…

(Yes, I had to stop and scream about how RIGHT this show got its predictions for like the hundredth time because wow)

Because he’s Homelander he also wants to outlaw any milk that’s not actual milk and make breastfeeding mandatory lol. (Hey, I’m a big breastfeeding enthusiast but come on, Homie… I guess that’s the point though, he doesn’t give a damn whether or not it’s even possible for everyone).  It’s good for me to have scenes like these to remember just how unhinged and uncaring and narcissistic this crazy dictator parody is, no matter how good Antony Starr is at sometimes making him so sad. He also wants to disband Congress, which the President says he doesn’t have the authority to do. Uh oh. One tiny bit of doubt and you are in danger of being taken out; that’s how dangerous Homelander is, and how easily his ego is bruised. Homelander asks Ashley to read the President’s mind to see if he’s a true believer. He yanks off Ashley’s wig and exposes Back Ashley, who says the president is terrified of him and thinks he’s “a tiny bit psychotic”.

That’s that – the president’s head is smashed in and Homie is covered in blood, which he wipes all over the gold embroidered furniture. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd now Ashley is President!  Back Ashley tries to be the voice of reason, but Ashley marvels that she lost every single student council election, if only all those people could see her now. She’s trying hard to just enjoy it, but Back Ashley keeps pointing out the cost – that she can’t sleep, that she’s yanking out her hair, that she hates herself.

Back Ashley finally gives up and leaves, which is what Ashley thought she wanted – but now she is well and truly alone.

She’s not the only one whose relentless loyalty to a corrupt regime and dictator has left her anything but happy.  The Deep apologizes to Homelander for killing Noir, who he insists was saying some really mean shit about Homelander.  Homelander says it’s fine – then announces he’s abolishing The Seven, who haven’t had seven members in a long time (a recurring joke in the fandom). Deep tries to get Homelander to give him The Seven, citing his loyalty, ending with “please, the Seven is all I have”.

Homelander coldly says don’t make this about yourself and wishes him the best. The Seven is now The One.

Cut to a giant mural of The Seven on the side of a building being repainted – to just Homelander.

The Deep sits on a dock drowning his sorrows and throws the can carelessly into the water.

Zander the shark swims up and says he should come in and grab it – Zander (played by none other than Samuel L Jackson!) tells him to get in the water, that they know he’s responsible for the March 15 genocide. He finally sets out a threat: If he steps one foot in the water anywhere, all aquatic life will make sure he’s killed. It’s kinda a fate worse than death for the Deep. But damn, he really ended up deserving it. The ultimate sell-out.

As he’s pondering what to do, people on the beach start clamoring for him to save an old man who is drowning, his PR person reminding him this is his whole brand. He looks on in horror knowing he can’t as the old man sinks, people recording it all on their phones.

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‘The Boys’ Episode 6 – On Being Human (With an Ending Twist)

‘The Boys’ Episode 6 – On Being Human (With an Ending Twist)

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There has been a lot of discourse about this season of The Boys not having enough action or “not enough happening” while I’ve been eating up the deep dive into characterization every week. To the extent that showrunner Eric Kripke had to address it in interviews wondering if people are expecting them to just constantly blow things up – and adding if that’s what the expectation is, you’re watching the wrong show.

I wrote a whole book about the complex characters and deep themes in this show, that’s how much I appreciate its depth, so I am not watching the wrong show. And not surprisingly I liked this episode, “Though The Heavens Fall”.

WARNING – SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 5.06!

Golden Geisha and Kimiko and Hanging Onto Humanity

The Legend is back, hiding out in a movie theater working the concession stand (I love that they have a The Deep popcorn bucket – wasn’t this written long before all those memes about the Dune popcorn bucket and what teenage boys might actually use it for? Is this Kripke prescience again??  It also made me snort that The Deep has his mouth wide open and just waiting for people to shove their hand in there, which was oddly reminiscent of what he did to Starlight way back in Season 1.  Also the recently deceased Firecracker does a spot on parody of Nicole Kidman’s ultra sincere “the movies will save us” advertisements for it.

The Legend is hiding from Vought due to all the intel he has, fondly reminiscing on who he’s fucked and who he’s been fucked by (Marlon Brando…) but when MM tells him Bombsight has the V1 he’s convinced to help (tho he points out that MM sounds like Butcher now, threatening to cut his balls off).  Homelander’s new church crusade messed up his sweet life too.

Hughie is still arguing that they wait longer to try get V1 before they set off the supe killing virus Frenchie completed to kill Homelander (and the rest of the supes, as in Annie and Kimiko). The Legend suggests they can get Bombsight to bring it to them by going after the love of his life, Golden Geisha, who now lives in Vought Villages supe retirement home (because of course it’s The Villages…). They find her but Kimiko is reluctant to hurt her or the others, saying she doesn’t want to hurt a bunch of old people. Butcher insists they’re not people, and MM agrees. The Legend again questions what’s happened to MM, saying it’s like he’s gone crazy. This is a theme of the episode – what does it mean to be human and how do we hang onto that humanity in the face of unspeakable horrors?

They kidnap Goldie, escaping after a fight with some of the old supes who nevertheless still have powers. One guy has giant balls that he can whip around to fight with because of course he does, we need our nod to twelve year old boys. I felt for the guy. Butcher chokes him out with his own balls, but Kimiko stops him from killing the guy.

Golden Geisha claims she doesn’t know where Bombsight is. Butcher wants to torture her but Kimiko is kind to her, helping put her slipper back on and apologizing for what they’re doing.

Kimiko: I watched every episode of Undercover Geisha even though those were racist stereotypes – it meant so much to see someone like me on TV.

A little nod to the importance of representation in media.

Kimiko realizes that Bombsight stole the V1 for Goldie so they could be together forever, but she didn’t take it. For him, watching her get old would be too painful, but for her? To live forever would be torture. Golden Geisha gets the most memorable line in this episode – Summer is only beautiful when you know winter is coming.

Well written, David Reed. (I enjoyed his work on ‘The Magicians’ too).

Frenchie realizes that Kimiko feels that way too. She tells him that she and Annie don’t want to die but they don’t want to be vampires either – but they’ll do it for him and Hughie anyway.

Hughie and Annie and the Rare Good Dads

On the way to the church where they’ll let loose the virus, Annie and Hughie pause to lie on the car hood and cloud watch, like Sam and Dean stargazing on the Impala. Hughie insists she’s not dying, that they’ll have plenty of time to look for filthy things in the clouds, and Annie marvels at his unshakeable hope and asks how he manages it.

Hughie: Whenever I’d get upset as a kid, which was a lot, my dad would say life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react. I spent a year in an internment camp and had no control over anything. So fucking angry, hearing my dad’s voice in my head. I finally understood what he meant — the only thing I had left was hope. And it is really fucking hard to hang onto but I, I’m trying.

Annie: I think you might be lowkey the strongest person I know.

I love Hughie so much, I will really miss him when this series ends. Jack Quaid did such a great job showing him as just quintessentially human, flaws and all. What he learned from his dad reminds me of Viktor Frankl, the psychologist who lived through being in an actual concentration camp, discovering while there exactly what Hughie’s dad did – if you can’t control anything else, you can control how you make sense of it and how you react to it.

Hughie’s dad was a good dad.

(I put together a whole book that tackles the theme of fatherhood, toxic and otherwise, in ‘The Boys’ if you’re interested in exploring more. Hughie, Butcher, Soldier Boy, Homelander… almost all of the complicated characters have daddy issues, and it was fascinating to take a look at them with psychologists, media experts and the actors portraying them. Link at end of article for more info).

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Everyone Goes Darkside in ‘The Boys’ Episode 4 ‘The King of Hell’

Everyone Goes Darkside in ‘The Boys’ Episode 4 ‘The King of Hell’

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Not gonna lie, as a Supernatural fan I was waiting for Mark Sheppard to show up as Crowley after the title of this episode appeared – alas, we didn’t get a Crowley cameo. From the reviews, some people were critical of this episode that “nothing happened to move the story forward” but I 100% disagree. This episode gave us the kind of insights I crave the most – the emotional and psychological ones. It didn’t move the story forward a great deal if the ‘story’ is ‘get the V1’ but to me the fascinating story is that of the characters and their relationships, and we got A LOT of insights about that.

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE BOYS EPISODE 5.04!

How to Sell a Lunatic as the New God

Samaritan’s Embrace is bankrupt and Homelander is convinced he’s a God, and those two things work together to make a dark statement about religion and power as The Boys continues to reflect some of our darkest reality in a truly disturbing way. Homelander continues to fascinate me as he uses his hallucination of Madelyn and the delusions of grandeur that followed to move ahead with his plan to be the savior of the world. He’s still very much obsessed with his own family though, the episode opening with him sadly looking at a phone of him and Ryan and then accusing Firecracker of smelling like Soldier Boy (which he’s absolutely correct about).

He tells Firecracker that he was visited by an angel who foretold his destiny.

Firecracker: Well praise be – what is it?

When he answers ‘God’, she thinks he means serving the lord, but he quickly corrects her. He won’t be serving the lord, he’ll BE the lord. The messiah.

Homelander is making sense of his tragic life and all its hardships as the price he’s had to pay for being special and destined to be god, and he’s convinced Firecracker saw it all along and she’s not about to dissuade him. Therefore, he informs her, he’s chosen her to spread the word – since they control the media.

Homelander: Jesus would kill for our marketing.

Firecracker: WTF face

(This is a theme throughout the episode, which is peppered with small humorous moments like WTF faces to break up the too-close-to-reality darkness).

We get a typical The Boys scene intended to make most people say ‘ewww’ with Ashley and Oh Father, who married for PR but have discovered that she loves punishing him and he loves being punished, so they make enough noise to disgust the guards at the door and send his ball gag flying with enough force that it breaks the wall when he screams in ecstasy, ‘Back Ashley’ enjoying the show as voyeur. She reads his mind when he’s unguarded though, and realizes that the church is bankrupt.

Just then Firecracker shows up and gets to deliver a Soldier Boy-worthy gross line – “Dang, smells like a wet shit in a Waffle House in here”.

I admit that got the “ewww” the show was going for.

Some of the Seven minus Homelander and Soldier Boy meet at Vought Tower to brainstorm how they can make Homelander being God palatable to the masses.

Worm: What we need is a good story, who’s read Joseph Campbell?

I like Worm. Bring him some tasty dirt, someone.

The PR lady, on the other hand, does not like Worm, saying no wonder his last film got a low rating on the AV Club (which is a real thing and a nudge at fandom ala what Supernatural used to do in its meta episodes, so it made me smile).

Worm: I had to service fourteen main characters and cross over a bunch of assholes – you try to make a good finale out of that!

(Writers getting meta and putting a writer character into the canon, it’s the series’ last season after all and Kripke has spoken openly about being worried about fan reception of the series finale – he didn’t write the ending to Supernatural, but that finale certainly came with a range of reactions!)

It’s Firecracker who comes up with the idea that they need a church that preaches America and convinces the masses that the real American hero is Homelander, and he’s their savior. The Democratic Church of America. Voila, kill two birds with one stone, rescue her hubby’s failing church and find a way to get people to accept Homelander as god.

I am sincerely shocked that doesn’t exist with exactly that name already, to be honest.

Fathers and Daughters

A variation on the theme of fathers and sons that has so characterized this season and this show, Annie pays her estranged father a visit. I know some people thought this was a needless detour but I loved exploring her backstory more and finally knowing what the real story was with her dad. Turns out he’s remarried and Annie has a half brother, Mason.

Annie: WTF face.

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The Boys Episode 3 Tackles Intergenerational Trauma – with a Punch!

The Boys Episode 3 Tackles Intergenerational Trauma – with a Punch!

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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE BOYS SEASON 3 EPISODE 5!!

Also warning for lots of Soldier Boy, since this is originally a Supernatural website and we might enjoy lots and lots of Jensen Ackles characters. You’ve been warned!

“Every One of You Sons of Bitches” was a tough episode to watch. The theme of fathers and sons and how that can go wrong, and the repeated depiction of intergenerational trauma, plays out in vicious fashion. Literally hard to watch at times, but the episode left an impact (yes, figuratively too).

And we got a lot more Soldier Boy, which is always a win in my book.

Soldier Boy Joins the Seven

Soldier Boy officially joins the Seven, going along with Homelander’s plan at least for now, with the propaganda machine working smoothly to get the public to revise their negative view of him. “America’s first hero, defender of liberty, branded a traitor by legacy media, scapegoated by Starlight, Soldier Boy has been reborn.”  Apparently he was working with “our friends in Russia” to rout out traitors in Ukraine, as evidenced by a photo op of him shaking hands with Putin.

The Deep notes that Russia was the first nation to not put up with trans bathrooms, which sounds like it should be a ridiculous thing to say except over the several years since this season was written, it’s unfortunately gotten even more believable as something we might hear on TV.

Ashley presents Soldier Boy with the “democratic medal of patriotic freedom” and he beams, his narcissism well fed. Seriously, how many times am I going to watch a scene in this show and be able to call to mind another REAL one that looked exactly the same??  Some silly made up honor and a big gaudy gold medal placed around some narcissistic leader’s neck while he grins like an idiot.

 

Sorry, Soldier Boy, but oof.

Both Antony Starr and Jensen Ackles say so much with their facial expressions and posture in this scene. Soldier Boy accepts the honor, which Homelander probably played a part in setting up, but as he watches his father soak up all the glory, you can see that it pains him. He can never allow anyone else the limelight without feeling like it should be him (Soldier Boy is the same way, as Black Noir found out the hard way).

Homelander expresses everyone’s gratitude to Soldier Boy and says they hope “he can forgive us as he takes his rightful place in the Seven.”  That’s a bit of a Freudian slip, as Homelander is at the moment worried about Soldier Boy’s more personal forgiveness – he’s afraid that his father has not forgiven him for sending him after Butcher clueless about the supe-killing virus that almost took him out.

Homelander also can’t resist sharing that he’s also very proud to say that “this great hero is my father” – Soldier Boy looks ambivalent about making this public, to say the least.

When they’re out of the public eye, Homelander tries to butter his father up, saying he’s still got it, that social media is blowing up, calling them “America’s sexiest dynasty.”

This show’s intersection with reality is so ridiculous, this could be an actual People cover or a fan-made creation and I would believe either explanation!

Soldier Boy is not amused.

He has been silent this whole time, but the look on his face is chilling. (The chapter I wrote about Soldier Boy in the book on ‘The Boys’,  ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes,’ dives into Ackles’ extraordinary ability to convey more information with his face than most people can with a page of dialogue, and he shows that here.)  Homelander insists he would have never sent Soldier Boy in if he knew Butcher had the virus – and reminds him that he said not to engage, so it’s not really his fault anyway – but you can clearly see that none of this is convincing to Soldier Boy.

Homelander is lying about not knowing, but he did apparently tell his father not to engage – the farthest someone like him can go to protect someone he cares about (even if that caring is mostly just selfish).

Soldier Boy never says a word, but looks scary as hell – and pissed. Narcissists do not do well with betrayal and it’s clear he feels like Homelander betrayed him. It’s an Achilles heel for him, people he trusts betraying him, and something that keeps happening – as Soldier Boy doesn’t exactly inspire loyalty. That’s the Catch 22 of being a narcissist, desperate for people’s love and approval but constantly holding them to standards that they’re bound to fall short of and being such a dick that they inevitably betray him. (It’s a pitfall that both father and son are falling into, with Homelander taking it up to a whole other level).

Setting Up Vought Rising: V1

‘The boys’ figure out that Soldier Boy wasn’t killed by the virus because he has V1 in his bloodstream as Frederick Vought’s first iteration of Compound V. Which means, as MM puts it, “this motherfucker is unkillable.”

Sage explains the same to Soldier Boy. It only worked on a handful of supes – Bombsight, Torpedo, Private Angel, him and Stormfront. To Soldier Boy’s questioning look, she explains that’s Dr. Vought’s wife Clara.

Sage: I think you know her as Liberty.

The look that passes over Soldier Boy’s face at learning that speaks volumes, setting up some of the plot for Vought Rising starring Soldier Boy and Stormfront/Liberty. They clearly have a history and I cannot wait to find out what it is!

V1 is why Soldier Boy doesn’t age. Homelander asks hopefully if he too is immune to the virus, but the answer is no. (Back at the boys HQ, Samir clarifies the same thing – and that if Homelander gets his hands on some V1, he’d be immortal too. The boys vow to find some V1 before Homelander can).

Homelander to Sage: Bring me some.

I liked the way these parallel scenes were shot, with both the boys and the supes figuring it out at the same time, and both determined to get some V1 for their own uses.

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‘The Boys’ are Back – Season 5 Kicks Off with the Return of Soldier Boy!

‘The Boys’ are Back – Season 5 Kicks Off with the Return of Soldier Boy!

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The Boys Are Back!

One thing about waiting for literally years between seasons of a show you like is – it builds up A LOT of anticipation! So let’s just say I was really excited to finally watch the season premiere of the fifth and final season of The Boys. I’ve been watching since the very beginning – I’ll give any show a chance that has Eric Kripke’s genius attached to it, and I was captivated by The Boys from the start because of its eerie reflection of what was already happening all around us. The comics began the tradition of calling out things that are wrong with our society, but by the time the series aired, the reflection started to seem less like fiction and more like reality. Season 5 was mostly written well before the last election and there’s no way Kripke and company could have known how disturbingly close to home some of the story lines would hit right now – but I’ve said more than once that the man is eerily prescient. As I watched the first two episodes, I can’t even count the number of times I started swearing out loud “OMG how could they be so spot on?!” or “This is impossible, Kripke how did you anticipate THIS??”   It’s certainly not a good thing that a show meant to be an over-the-top parody of all that’s gone wrong in modern (especially American) society ends up feeling so realistic and relevant, but it makes me feel better that someone else is seeing it too. That’s a first step to maybe stopping it, right? Right??

And yes, that’s a theme in the show too. You see why I love it so much?

Season Five Premiere – Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Prime Video released the first two episodes of the new season on Wednesday, so what follows is a spoilery review of how the new season kicks off and how our favorite (and not favorite) characters are doing. If you haven’t watched yet, you may want to come back when you have – I love this show and I love digging deep into it and its complicated characters, hence the spoiler warning.

Homelander’s Crisis Continues

The season premiere kicks off with spectacle, which is fitting for The Boys. It’s a full on mega church moment as Homelander appears at the Vought shareholders meeting to the religious ecstasy of his followers – I mean, shareholders. Promises of a safer, more God fearing nation…. Does this sound familiar yet? Meanwhile, Starlight disguised as a Firecracker backup dancer is hacking into the system – suddenly the footage of Flight 37 appears onscreen of Homelander callously threatening the doomed passengers as he looks on horrified in the present.

His eyes start to glow ominously, and then Sister Sage shakes her head to calm him down. I immediately thought, they’ll probably just say it’s AI – and sure enough, that’s what they do. Remember, this was written years ago, but they get it right anyway, solidifying people’s willingness to disbelieve what their own eyes see if it’s an inconvenient truth. Memes making fun of the “AI altered footage” hit the internet; Homelander points out that he has seven fingers in the altered footage. How did they know that would be such a thing?

Peter Thiel gets a shout out as calling Sage for advice, the little bits of reality name dropped just making it all more eerie. She’s fine with the ongoing conflict the leak caused. Homelander, predictably, is not. What he cares about is being worshipped – he’s more pressed about the unflattering memes about him than how his ratings are.  In fact, he says, posting those kind of critical memes should be a crime. (Yes, I was yelling about how spot on the show is once again at this point).  Homelander can’t stand being disrespected, his fragile ego too brittle to withstand it.

“I need people to be devoted to me,” he whines.

I can’t help but feel a little bad for him even as I’m horrified by him. He’s so DAMAGED. In the season opener, Homelander continues the psychological crises that plagued him in Season 4, knowing everyone around him has their heart rate skyrocket when they’re near him because they’re all afraid of him. His handy dandy little maternal fixation with Firecracker has dried up too (as did her milk once she stopped taking the drug that was damaging her heart to make her lactate).

Antony Starr is brilliant in making the strongest man in the world look exactly like a petulant toddler who’s been denied his favorite toy.

Homelander isn’t too happy with the other supes who are still loyal to him either. The Deep has a podcast because of course he does, along with Black Noir version 2. He’s all about the “men’s lives matter” and staying away from women because “bitches like Starlight make you weak”, claiming he’s never felt manlier.  Later he spreads his bare legs for an overhead camera to sell his red light for the perineum contraption, which if you recall was a real thing on the internet for a while with guys out there sunning their perineum. Homelander calls in the Deep and Black Noir after the Flight 37 video debacle, demanding to know why they let Starlight get away and haven’t found A Train or Butcher. He wraps his hands around their throats as he hovers over them like a predator, the stage manager who was working the shareholder meeting dead (and decapitated) beside him as a visual warning. Antony Starr is very very good at making Homelander very very scary – the fact that he’s unhinged combined with all that power and the sadistic desperation is a terrifying combination. Apparently the stage manager liked some Starlight posts, and that’s why he’s dead.

(The whole liking social media posts can get you killed thing, btw, is too close to home right now, but spot on once again).

The Deep doesn’t hesitate to offer up his phone to have his social media posts checked, sycophantic to the end (or at least so far).   He’s not pleased with Noir not backing him up, reminding him that he’s not the real Noir, he can talk! Noir remains both silent and mysterious. Ominously so.

Back home, Homelander stands in front of the capsule holding his bare-chested underwear-clad sleeping father, which is in his living room. He sighs. (Yes, that description is relevant, as are the many Soldier Boy photos and gifs that will inevitably grace this review – this is originally a Supernatural website, after all…)

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The Cast of ‘The Boys’ Dishes on Those Complex Characters and What They Hope For in Season 5!

The Cast of ‘The Boys’ Dishes on Those Complex Characters and What They Hope For in Season 5!

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Last month was the first Creation Entertainment convention for Prime Video’s hit streaming series, ‘The Boys’ – which, as I write this, somehow seems more prescient than ever. Filming for Season 5, the final season of the show, begins in a few weeks, with Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy returning for hopefully every episode (and maybe being joined by his former Supernatural costar Jared Padalecki for some episodes too!)  As filming draws near, I couldn’t wait to hear what the actors were hoping for and what might be next for their characters.

Lucky for me, the convention was held in Whippany, New Jersey, so I was able to drive up and join the fun. It was the cast’s first Creation convention, which are modeled differently than multi-series Comic Cons or Fan Expos. The entire con was devoted to ‘The Boys’, so they had a great time getting to interact with fans of the hit Prime Video series. The cast is clearly as excited as we are about the upcoming final season of the show, as well as its spinoff Gen V and the prequel starring Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy) and Aya Cash (Stormfront), Vought Rising. Here are some highlights of the convention and what the actors are hoping for for their characters in the final season.

I brought copies of the new book that takes a deep dive into ‘The Boys’ and all its complicated characters, Supes Ain’t Always Heroes, to give a copy to the actors, most of whom contributed interviews to the book, including in depth exclusive chapters from Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash, the stars of Vought Rising.  There are also chapters devoted to figuring out what makes all the characters tick, written by people who can do that – psychologists, sociologists and media experts. The Boys is such a smart show, I love digging deep and analyzing what makes IT tick too! Turns out, the cast is just as thoughtful about the show.

Colby Minifie, who plays Ashley, was as delightful onstage as she is onscreen. Yes, I know she’s not exactly one of the “good guys” but I love her character and she plays Ashley with such wit, I love watching her. There are several chapters in Supes that analyze her character, and she was excited to get a copy of the book. In fact, she could hardly believe there WAS a book about the show!

Here are some highlights of her panel and the others. She puts a lot of thought into her character, which is clear in her answers to some fan questions.

Colby: The dominatrix scene made sense to me because Ashley needs control somewhere in her life. We had lots and lots of meetings to be sure everyone felt safe.

We had lots and lots of meetings to be sure everyone felt safe. We have an intimacy coordinator on set. For example, I asked Jack if he was okay with it before I licked his feet.

Something you can only say on a show like ‘The Boys’ and just have everyone nod.

Another fan asked, what didn’t happen that she would have loved to see?

Colby: I would have loved to see what would’ve happened if Ashley did go escape with A Train. But I trust the writers.

(I for one was hoping Ashley would take A Train up on it when he suggested that things were about to go to shit and they should just get the hell outta there! I may have been yelling ‘run Ashley run!’)

It’s hard to answer a question about the “most shocking scene” in a show that’s known for its shocking scenes, but Colby weighed in.

Colby: The salad tossing human centipede… and the dick explosion. There are also simple things that are shocking in The Boys. I really do think the commentary on celebrity and the entertainment industry is quite out there and bold in its satire. It’s interesting from the tiniest thing to, you know, dick explosions.

(I told Colby that there’s a chapter that delves into the show’s commentary on celebrity and industry in Supes – I’m guessing she’ll read that one first!)

Some of Colby’s insights at the con were hilarious – and on point for the show. She told a story about how she pitched that Ashley’s super power should be that she has acid pee.

Me: I can’t believe you didn’t go for this, Kripke!

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The Boys Season 4 Wraps Up With a Bang – Can’t Wait for Season 5!

The Boys Season 4 Wraps Up With a Bang – Can’t Wait for Season 5!

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The aptly named season finale, Assassination Run, kicks off (in universe) on January 6 – because of course it does. Honestly this season is hitting almost TOO close to reality right now, as the real world gets more and more terrifying. And yet I still find it validating to know someone else is seeing the chaos going on and reflecting it back to me.

So, here’s all the twists and turns and surprises the season ended with – SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE SEASON 4 FINALE!

Directed by none other than Eric Kripke himself.

The story lines all converge in the finale, as they should. It’s January 6 and the news about A Train comes out (and the cancellation of that fabulous film Training A Train alas…)   Vought puts out a PSA with supes saying they take responsibility… which is exactly what they don’t. Congress counts the electoral votes as Frenchie works with increasing desperation on extracting the virus.

Torn Between Two Identities

The shapeshifter pretending to be Annie surprised Hughie by asking him to marry her, and he surprises her back by running to get his own ring and asking the same, and….yep, back in bed.

Hughie: Wow, that was great… two fingers was a lot…

Next season I hope Hughie gets to really open up about all the assault he’s endured this season.

The show has been able to say some nuanced things about female sexual assault in its four years, and it’s certainly had plenty to say about the trauma every single male and female character have endured, but Hughie’s sexual assault is an opportunity to say/show more about something not often talked about enough.

In between sleeping with Hughie, the shifter goes back to real Annie to recharge, confiding her own rather sad story. Sure, she’s a sociopath, but what did anyone expect?  She’s the ultimate example of the identity crisis every single character is having this season, literally not knowing who she is.

Shifter Annie: I barely remember what I look like. One minute I was me and the next I was Miss Jamison, my preschool teacher, and I could see every memory she had. She felt justified in doing all those shitty things…you all do. You all think you’re the hero of your own story.

Another major theme of The Boys. Erin Moriarty did an amazing job with this story line – it has to be, always, so difficult to play two versions of yourself!

While Shifter Annie is gone, Hughie calls Butcher, who tells him a story about a steakhouse in Nevada where he was gonna go with Lenny. The kind of memory you bring up when you know you’re running out of time.

Butcher: Funny what you think about when your time’s up.

He asks Hughie to go there, and to tell the Boys he’s sorry. Tears in his eyes, he hangs up.

Hughie and not-Annie and MM take Robert Singer (Supernatural’s Jim Beaver) to a secret bunker where they hope to be able to defend him and that they hope the shifter won’t get in. Oops, too late…

Singer: If you’d killed Neuman like I’d ordered, we wouldn’t be stuck underground playing pocket pool… ya idjit.

Every Supernatural fan everywhere: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS HE SAID IDJIT!!!

To make it even clearer, he adds: Balls!

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The Boys Season 4’s Penultimate Episode ‘The Insider’

The Boys Season 4’s Penultimate Episode ‘The Insider’

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Suddenly we’re almost at the end of The Boys season 4 – it seemed to go by very quickly, didn’t it? This season’s reception has been a bit more uneven than the nearly universal kudos for the previous season, especially for the last episode and the treatment of Hughie’s assault. It’s undoubtedly challenging to keep upping the game with a show that started out with such high levels of shock, sex and especially violence right from the jump. That may be the source of some struggle this season, but I’m still thoroughly enjoying what this show does best – hold up a mirror to some of the worst parts of our real life and poke at them. There’s so much that’s over the top in reality right now, sometimes The Boys feels a little too real – but mostly for me it’s validating to see the reflection and be assured that yes, someone else sees the insanity too!

I also enjoy watching the show through the lens of what it’s trying to say, which is slightly different each season. It’s why my colleague Matt and I edited a book on The Boys, examining those themes with input from actors, psychologists and media experts. I was fascinated then, in Season 3, and I’m still fascinated now. (You can find Supes Ain’t Always Heroes at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon)

We have one more episode that will air in the wee hours of Thursday morning this week – and believe me, you do NOT want to miss it!

So, what happened last week in Episode 4.07? A lot!

The Life of Ryan

The theme of this episode – attempting to be your own person and who you really are — is expressed in a biting parody of one of my favorite shows of all time, Avenue Q, which I saw on Broadway with my kids a long time ago – and adored.  Vought Studios presents, of course, Avenue V, complete with puppets of all the supes and poor Ryan looking uncomfortable with every single thing they sing about.  Most of that is encouraging kids to rat out their parents and teachers and neighbors for anything that might be ANTIFA or Christmas hate.  Ryan keeps calling ‘cut’, though the director insists his dad approved the lyrics. Homelander, overwhelmed with issues of his own, leaves Ryan a snippy message to just suck it up and do it, but that doesn’t go over too well.

Ryan eventually stops the filming and addresses the camera, much to Homelander’s anger and disappointment (though he’s taking his father’s previous advice not to let anyone else prevent you from speaking your mind…Be careful what you wish for, Homelander)

(I feel like Cameron Crovetti had a blast filming this…)

Ryan: That song isn’t cool, none of this is cool. Your family isn’t your enemy, your family is all you’ve got. I’ve been thinking about my mom a lot. She died but she loved Christmas…and Terms of Endearment…and her husband Billy. But she wouldn’t love this and she wouldn’t want me doing it. My mom always told me to tell the truth.

Ryan is as torn as everyone else this season – in his case, between two dads.  At Homelander’s place, Ryan sees a package under the Christmas tree and recognizes the return address as “dontbeacunt”. It’s a photo of his mom and Butcher and their dog.

Butcher, watching Ryan’s speech on a TV in a bar, tells Kessler aka himself that’s why he’s got faith in the kid.

And then he collapses on the floor of the bar.

Butcher also reunites with the Boys in this episode, telling them about the virus Sameer is working on and that it would cause global pandemic and a supe genocide. They all notice for the first time that Butcher is sometimes talking to no one (as Kessler calls him an asshole and warns him that he’s pissing away their best shot).  Butcher agrees that they’ll only use the virus on Homelander and Neuman, much to his alter ego’s disgust.

Kessler confronts Butcher, aka Butcher confronts himself. Why does he have such a soft spot for supes? Is it because he fucked Maeve? Cares about Ryan, who’s not even his? Butcher says he gave Becca his word, but Kessler scoffs that if their love was so perfect and pure why did he go around fucking waitresses?

Nobody is better at convincing Butcher that he’s a fuck-up than Butcher himself.

The Boys are starting to pull together again, though. Butcher also got Mallory to pull some strings and free a reluctant and still guilt-stricken Frenchie. MM asks Butcher to be back in charge, saying he’s better off doing research instead of being the skipper – and trying to follow doctor’s orders. Hughie, Butcher and Annie start to figure out the assassination plot for January 6 (of course) and also find a supe shapeshifter that Sister Sage put on the job. Uh oh.

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