When it comes to the outlandish, as fans of The Boys we've come to expect a lot, and with good reason.
For three seasons, the depraved superhero show has set itself up as a place where exploding penises and octopus-fellatio are the norm, and so our hunger for more grew.
So much so that it spanned into a spin-off where our appetite for the lewd and bloody was satiated by Gen V's Godolkin supes in training.
Enter season four and the creator Eric Kripke has done it again – stacked our plates full of salad-tossing, face-bludgeoning action. But is it possible we've had our fill?
The Boys season four has done what is expected of it in getting creative with its execution of the explicit.
It's a varied mix of weird sex and insanely gory maimings that pop up like a jack-in-the-box, but instead of that heart-racing thrill of the surprise, we meet it with little more than a shoulder shrug. It's a formula we're used to and while it's still an enjoyable experience it was only a matter of time before the same old tricks feel just that: old. And we are left craving a fresher approach to superhero satire.
What to Read Next
Despite that shocking season-three finale and the events of Gen V's debut season laying the grounds for a punchy outing, season four gets off to a slow start.
Three episodes in and what seemed monumentally significant before doesn't carry the same weight. It is pushed to the side in favour of the season-four drama, which has several pockets of plot that split concentration and dilute the impact.
It's not all bad – while the individual stories may not feel cohesive enough just yet, they are compelling and set the stage for some interesting character development.
There are identity crises aplenty for both Antony Starr's Homelander and Erin Moriarty's Starlight (sorry, Annie January now that she's ditched The Seven).
While Annie's past encroaches on her present and forces her to re-examine who she is, Homelander becomes hyper-focused on mortality – and that's all we can say on that point lest we go treading into spoiler territory.
Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) also has mortal matters to contend with. As we know, his abuse of Temp V last season has drastically shortened his lifespan, leaving him with limited time to make things right with Ryan (Cameron Crovetti).
While his compulsion to win Ryan over and save him from Homelander isn't exactly unexpected, it is interesting to see Urban's approach to giving Butcher a more vulnerable edge while still maintaining that no-nonsense, crass, hard shell that we adore.
Equally, A-Train's (Jessie T Usher) journey this season is one to keep an eye on as he continues to be pulled in different directions, but those running feet keep dithering.
Much like Annie, Frenchie's dark past is threatening his present happiness and that's all before we've even got to Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) or the other villain of the piece, Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) – we told you there's a lot going on.
If you're feeling overstimulated by the sheer amount of plot that's about to unfold, you'll be grateful for Black Noir mark two (Nathan Mitchell). The new take on the formally enigmatic supe offers some palate-cleansing comic relief.
It's certainly a clunky start to season four but nothing feels irredeemable. Not only are there seeds of potential within the many (many) storylines, we've also yet to welcome Gen V's Sam (Asa Germann) and Cate (Maddie Phillips) whose arrival was confirmed in the trailer. Their skewed morals and chaotic nature are sure to inject some much-needed freshness by virtue of seeing the hero landscape through their malleable, already manipulated eyes.
With Team Homelander no doubt bolstered by the keen Gen V recruits, we can only hope that that means Marie (Jaz Sinclair) and crew will be joining The Boys, culminating in a showdown.
This may seem like an additional storyline to an already burgeoning season but their arrival may actually focus the underlying plot involving Victoria Neuman and the supe virus, which is exactly what this season needs – a dose of newness and something to pull the story together.
The Boys season 4 premieres its first three episodes this Thursday (June 13) on Prime Video, with new episodes weekly. Seasons 1-3 and spin-off Gen V are also streaming on Prime Video.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
