In an industry where Disney and Netflix dominate the headlines, Amazon Originals are struggling to get the same attention. The Boys does exactly that, it grabs your attention. It grabbed my attention a bit too well and I binged it over 2 days. Mild spoilers ahead.

The Boys is a much needed, darker take on not only the superhero genre, but also the role of social media in our societies. It doesn’t take long before the story gets going. The first episode makes some big statements and is very well paced, a pattern seen in nearly every episode. There was only one episode which felt a bit weak compared to the others.

A major theme during the season is the struggle to maintain integrity. This is most apparent in the character arc of Annie aka Starlight. As she becomes a part of The Seven, an Avenger-esque squad of superheroes, she struggles with the role she gets pushed into. The other ‘heroes’ each have their own struggles, some accept their fate as pawns in a bigger game, while others are more ambitious.

Homelander is especially a character to watch. Charming on the outside, cold, pragmatic and manipulative on the inside, it’s a very dangerous recipe. It’s clear that he’s ambitious, but how far is he willing to go? We need to watch out for this guy.

Annie and Homelander are only the tip of the iceberg. The cast is incredibly diverse and most main characters have enough depth to them. The only part that I didn’t like too much was with Frenchie and the Asian girl. Some characters are left underdeveloped, Black Noir being one of them. Considering how large the cast is, this isn’t surprising. Season 1 feels like the start of a much bigger story and I hope characters like Black Noir get some more attention in the future.

In The Boys, every superhero trope that you know of will be turned on its head throughout the season. The writers did not mess around. With an abundance of graphic scene, there is no room for doubt: this show is for mature audiences. Season 1 shows us great potential. It feels like this is just the beginning. The stage has been set. Now we see how the action unfolds.

P.S. I loved season 1 so much, I will be watching Season 2 not long from now. Stay tuned for my review in the coming days!

Rating: 9/10