The sophomore half of Amazon's smash hit "The Boys" kicks off with an episode that unfortunately marks the nadir of its storied history. The series has always thrived on its relentless momentum; when it stalls, as it does loudly in this installment, it devolves into mere cacophony. It's a show that demands swift progression, not plodding through redundant dialogue scenes that revisit well-trodden ground. Clocking in at just over 60 minutes, what transpires? Homelander and Stormfront forge an unstoppable alliance, while Billy essentially reunites with his comrades. Both developments were as predictable as dawn. A series built on shocking twists and unexpected turns should never become this predictably formulaic. What truly dampens the spirits of "The Boys" enthusiasts is the inability to skip ahead to another episode to dispel the lingering bad taste. The weekly rollout strategy might aid in generating buzz, but it almost seems to exacerbate the show's shortcomings, particularly in a transitional episode such as this.
"We Gotta Go Now" unfolds as another episode preoccupied with intense image management. Homelander's public relations crisis continues to spiral out of control when footage surfaces of him killing an innocent bystander, which he handles with characteristic ineptitude. Meanwhile, The Deep resurfaces in the public domain through the parodic Church of the Collective, a send-up of Scientology. Queen Maeve grapples with how to address her public outing by Homelander from the previous week, which has now been incorporated into the in-show film, "The Dawn of the Seven." A-Train strives to fend off his impending expulsion from the group, which is also being documented for the movie. And, in a twist, Annie somewhat reunites with her mother, albeit under the manipulating thumb of Stormfront, who finally finds her perfect match in Homelander — first, to transform the fallen superhero's public persona and then for some kinky, superhuman sexual escapades.
It's a myriad of plotlines crammed into one episode, yet none of them seem to be progressing anywhere meaningful. Consider Homelander's arc: He has been losing face with the public for quite some time, and the footage of his lethal act should have been a pivotal moment. The episode's standout scene occurs when he makes a dramatic entrance at a rally outside Vought, only to fail miserably in winning over the crowd. In the episode's most jaw-dropping moment, his eyes turn red, and he unleashes laser beams on everyone in the plaza. Imagine if that weren't just a fantasy. Imagine if Homelander actually transformed into a supervillain. Perhaps "The Boys" is steering towards that direction this season, but the "Homelander isn't happy without adoration" storyline has been simmering for far too long. Let's take it off the backburner and do something substantial with it.
At least the episode's conclusion appears to nudge his arc forward slightly. Stormfront has completely won Homelander over to her side, convincing him that he doesn't need fans, just soldiers. The two indulge in wild, high-flying, crash-landing, chest-lasering sex. Homelander, the most powerful superhero in the world, finds his only remaining ally to be the show's neo-Nazi stand-in. This alliance bodes ill for the future.
How about Billy and his compatriots, you might ask? Similar to the rally scene, the trajectory of Billy's story in this episode largely feels like a deceptive feint. It transpires that Billy isn't actually headed to Argentina! This leaves us pondering how the screenwriters will interweave him back into the lives of Mother's Milk and Hughie. The guys track Billy down at his aunt's abode, where he's gone to retrieve his quirky stuffed pig-humping dog. In a conveniently timed twist, Black Noir also catches wind of Billy's whereabouts, paving the way for a climactic confrontation near the episode's conclusion. Just imagine if a shocking revelation had unfolded here. What if Billy had vanquished Black Noir? Or what if Black Noir had terminated Mother's Milk? This series desperately needs to amp up the stakes.
Instead, Billy "communicates" with Mr. Edgar through Black Noir's body camera, unveiling that he possesses incriminating evidence proving Homelander's rape and the fact that Becca birthed his offspring. Edgar instructs Black Noir to spare their lives if the evidence is destroyed. Likely, this won't be the case. However, it does seem to partially rekindle the camaraderie among Billy and his crew. Surviving an assault by a sociopathic superhero has a way of doing that to people. Again, how did Black Noir manage to infiltrate a populist ensemble like The Seven?
Beyond the Annie/Mom saga, which fails to resonate narratively or emotionally, Kimiko has transformed into a hired super-assassin, while Frenchie persists in his endeavor to redeem her. Meanwhile, Elena, Maeve's sweetheart, is hesitant to be part of her public persona as America's newest super-lesbian. Perhaps this season is overstuffed with plotlines? Often, when a show must juggle such a multitude of characters and subplots, the writers struggle to propel them all forward concurrently, opting for the safer route of gently nudging each element across the board. With just three episodes remaining in this season, the show has garnered its following not by shuffling pieces around but by tossing them into the air and altering the rules. Let's hope the writers recall this for the homestretch.
