The Boys season four review: bloodier and more violent than ever

Until now, Boys Two things distinguished him. On the one hand, this is a cruel, bloody and cynical answer to the superhero universe shown by Marvel and DC. The other extreme, growing as her characters become more complex, depraved and evil. And all this in conditions of gray and reprehensible ethics. But behind all this unpredictable style and almost always close to cruel satire is his ability to transform and develop. Much more to surprise the fans, despite being taken from the popular comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis.

Season four has all of these elements and takes it to a crazy and violent level that is surprising in its frontality. In fact, one of the most surprising things about the new installment is that it leaves behind some of the self-imposed restrictions that the Prime Video series seemed to adhere to. From brutal deaths to the most unexpected betrayals, overcoming the possibility that the entire art world is about to submit to fascism led by super. The idea of ​​evil, degradation and greed becomes a scenario that surrounds all the characters and turns them into, without a doubt, the worst version of themselves. So much so that the thin line between those who try to stop evil – as the series suggests – and those who embody it becomes indistinguishable.

Of course, there is nothing that hasn’t been done before and that the production has been more than explored since its premiere. But there is one element that makes the fourth season Boys more cruel. The Butcher (Karl Urban) is about to die and is currently abandoned by a group of renegades. Which puts him on the brink of any desperate decision, without control and, which is decisive for the premiere episodes, without any sense of guilt. The character has nothing to lose, everything to gain, and in the worst case scenario, he will kill his greatest enemies with his fall. So, the first chapters of the new part are devoted to one issue. What will the Butcher do now, alone and by necessity driven to a kind of suicide?

The boys are more wild than ever

With the effects of Temp V, capable of providing powers for 24 hours but at a very high physical cost, on his body, Butcher reaches what will likely be a point of no return for him. The script pays special attention to that the founder of the only resistance against Superlost the north in its eternal battle. Moreover, he no longer cares about acting against those who were his allies in the past. The season takes a step toward bringing the character closer to evil than ever, and especially to the point that his eventual conclusion will not be redemption, but greater tragedy.

Ultimately ousted as group leader by MM (Laz Alonso) after lying and manipulating to further his personal vendetta, there is little he can do about it. But this new Butcher, who has already tasted power and is happy with it, in the fourth season becomes a cynical creature, ready for anything and determined to die. The other side of the gray shades of the worst superheroes in his world and without any restrictions on risking his life. Do this by taking everyone you hate with you to the grave.

Which will lead him to meet one of the greatest players of the season. Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) will be the point of no return that The Butcher must face in the midst of his decision to seek revenge before dying. A character who shares Butcher’s hatred for super, is ready to formulate whatever he decides for the grand finale of his life. But his motives are not entirely clear, nor is his loyalties to whom he is loyal. Because of this, Kessler, who has ambiguous morals and hides his nature for most of the episodes, will become an unanswered question. By the way, the chemistry between them is one of the highest indicators of the season. At the same time, a moment that takes the plot to new places – like a viral phenomenon – completely changes the script.

What does it include that information has been added to the series? Jean W., to further understand the behavior of the Butcher. As we remember, in the season finale spin off, a discovery has been made about a possible deadly pathogen for all those with extraordinary abilities. So, the Butcher, who now knows perfectly well what the virus is capable of, Super goal, He will try to use this to his advantage, for the total revenge he has been craving since the beginning of the story.

The hero turned into a killing machine

Certainly, Boys It wouldn’t be the same without The Patriot (Anthony Starr), who reaches his craziest point yet in the new season. The argument that previously suggested that super The most symbolic was the center of a kind of anti-culture based on violence, which finds its central point in new episodes. No matter what El Patriot does – no matter how vile and cruel he is – he will always be popular. And the proof of this allows the series to have some of the most disturbing scenes, and now closer to the idea of ​​a brutal and unstoppable creature in a superhero costume.

Of course, one of the notable aspects of the new installment is the newborn and unstable relationship between Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) and Patriot. Much more, when the baby begins to make his own decisions about what to do and how to understand his abilities, many of them are to be discovered and which are part of the great moments of the season. The script takes special care that this young super, must move between his maternal heritage, which unites him with the Butcher, and his paternal heritage, which effectively turns him into a monster. Finding himself on the battlefield between enemies, Ryan ends up making a decision that is sure to become one of the central themes of future installments of the series.

But the main character remains the character of Anthony Starr, who has reached a new level of freedom, allowing him to commit all sorts of outrages in the name of a perverted sense of freedom. All of the above is under the guise of tough and pure conservatism. Boys He leaves behind innuendo and jokes to become more outspoken than ever.

Thus, the behavior of the Patriot, who advocates for a more “normal and decent” world, metaphorizes the crisis of ethics and morality that North America is currently experiencing. So the degenerate superhero becomes a mixture a creepy situation between a deeply rooted politician—note the winks at Donald Trump—and an unstoppable vigilante.

Especially when, in several important twists, it becomes clear that Victoria Neumann (Claudia Doumit), in turn, has become a symbol of power in her own right. Which means for the script to become a consumable version of The Patriot for the masses. The congresswoman’s race for the presidency is now the driving force behind all the superhero’s actions. That he was determined to put her in the Oval Office to gain complete control. The big question is whether he will achieve this, and The butcher on his heels or with the boys is going to start a war against him.

Two confused points of good and evil

In this scenario, most of the fourth season Boys, is preparing for a clash between both characters. Or rather, how both use their best weapons to destroy their enemy. As a result, the script by Eric Kripke, Anne Kofel Saunders and Ellie Monahan this time focuses on a train crash that leaves behind a variety of victims. With some of the season’s most brutal, extravagant and edgy scenes, The Patriot will show just how far he’s willing to go in the White House. What, create what is considered a dictatorial regime based on power.

A butcher who no longer quite understands why he is moving forward. So he will fight as hard as he can and as hard as he can to kill everyone. Super on my way. But where once the character was a combination of his good and bad decisions, now he is only a combination of his desire to do something concrete – and final – before dying. Which leads him to new regions of degradation, hatred and now, a feeling of cruelty that surpasses any revenge or even a sense of justice.

Both storylines try their best to liven up the series. First of all, give it a completely new energy. Which should, at least in theory, lead up to what will happen in the already confirmed fifth season. But Boysloses its basis – and more often than we would like – in favor of even greater exaggeration.

Also, taking its most famous elements to the extreme. However, despite all attempts, the series fails to resume. The place, it seems, is to delve into what is already known and do this, with the known decision to make the room more unpleasant, uncomfortable and mocking. Something that doesn’t always work. And in fact, this is the lowest point of the season.

Problems of already known history

Obviously, the new season needs to rethink its main themes or spread them out in different places. Especially when all of his characters seemed to have undergone definitive changes from before. But the new part not only does not do this. The formula itself is starting to feel familiar and has nothing to offer other than exaggerated twists. What I regret most is that I have nothing to add to what was said in previous seasons.

Overall, the weakest season Boys, better than any other entry in the modern superhero genre. But this brutality in approach and development of the story is not enough to save it. Will it have an unexpected and surprising end? season, at what point do you need to finally push into different regions?

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Probably yes. Much more if you take into account spin off and other added stories that await the series in the future. So the fourth season can be seen as a prologue to the creation of the universe. How good or bad is this? Let’s see. But right now Boys it needs to close down its classic moments in favor of risks that season four didn’t dare take. Your biggest problem.