The Boys: Season 2/ Episode 1, 2, 3 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
The Boys returns, and while you thought Homelander was one sick mofo, a new character may just give him a run for his money.
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The Boys returns, and while you thought Homelander was one sick mofo, a new character may just give him a run for his money.
| Director(s) | Phil Sgriccia, Liz Friedlander, Steve Boyum |
| Writer(s) | Eric Kripke, Rebecca Sonnenshine, Craig Rosenbeg |
| Aired (Amazon Prime) | 9/4/2020 |
| Introduced In These Episodes | |
| Stormfront | Aya Cash |
| Carol | Jessica Hecht |
| Eagle the Archer | Langston Kerman |
| Kenji | Abraham Lim |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
Recap
Episode 1 “The Big Ride”
Things are getting increasingly dangerous as Highlander’s new batch of terrorists and supervillains make themselves known or travel to American shores. Yet, this is what he wanted for the sake of Vought getting that military contract. However, while he thought this would mean more power and control for him, including the installation of Ashley in Madelyn’s former position – it doesn’t.
In fact, Mr. Edgar reminds Homelander he isn’t all-powerful, and while the face of the entertainment division, at heart, Vought is a pharmaceutical company. So, in the long run, Homelander ain’t running a damn thing, and trying to threaten Mr. Edgar with leaving is like a mouse trying to negotiate with a cobra.
But, on a lighter note, Annie and Hughie are still together, despite Annie struggling with him lying to her, and she is on her way to get some Compound V to help expose Vought. Who, with the government now knowing of its existence, is already trying to prep for the eventual exposure. However, with mention of Hughie there is a need to mention the boys who live at the mercy of a Haitian gang since they remain separated from Billy.
Now, how is that going for them? Well, Mother’s Milk misses his daughter, and Frenchie goes on as if nothing has changed. The same could be said for Kimiko, who seems more socially adjusted and is trying to learn English. Yet, with Hughie trying to play the leader, and this leading to CIA Deputy Director Susan Raynor getting killed, Billy is called in and thus reunited with his team.
Episode 2 “Proper Preparation and Planning”
So, at this point, Homelander seems to be growing attached to Ryan, which is to the ire of Becca. Someone who thought he would never meet Ryan, and now that he is asserting his influence over him, she is increasingly worried. However, being that Homelander has no known weakness, besides human connections, which was more an emotional than physical weakness, what can Vought do? Pretty much, they tell Becca she is on her own.
Which, for now, will remain true. For while Billy has gotten his crew back and made a deal with Grace Mallory, let’s not forget she retired, and he came to her under duress. For with him desperate and her mourning Susan, both are acting on their emotions. But, when has Billy not done so? Hence him trying to shoot the target, even when Hughie reveals it is Kimiko’s brother.
Oh yeah, the terrorist smuggled in, that is Kimiko’s brother, Kenji, who now has powers because of the Shining Light Liberation Army. On top of that, after their village got destroyed by an American Supe, he is very pro retaliation and seemingly is ready to carry out his mission. However, Kimiko stops him and seems ready to possibly turn him in over letting him tarnish who she knew back when they were at Shining Light’s camp together.
As for everyone else? Well, Kevin is learning to love himself, specifically the gills on his abdomen, and is confronted with the idea he violates women due to feeling they will embarrass and make him feel further insecure. So, being the immature man-child he is, he takes them down a notch before they can even say anything.
Which leads to Annie. She gets some Compound V, but with A-Train on her ass like spandex, she is forced to remind him she is capable of mutually assured destruction. So if he snitches on her, she reveals he killed his girlfriend, and they both can be, at best, stripped of their roles or, at worst, killed by Homelander.
Episode 3 “Over The Hill With The Swords Of A Thousand Men”
Thanks to the work of Annie, with encouragement from Hughie, Compound V is exposed, and with that Vought, Mr. Edgar especially, finds itself in a freefall with vultures all around. But, luckily for Mr. Edgar, while Homelander may not have appreciated his posturing about who runs Vought and what role heroes play, he isn’t petty and still allows Vought to claim some responsibility when Kenji is taken care of.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The only reason Homelander and The Seven catch wind of Kenji and The Boys is because of a combination of Frenchie and Kevin, aka The Deep. Now, how does he play a role? Well, after starting to learn his gills, Carol comes in with information on The Boys and Kenji, and it is seen that this could help him get back to where he was.
However, the problem with this idea is that it’s The Deep, and with Kenji nearly escaping once, and bringing down an NYPD helicopter in the process, what is a man who speaks to fish? Nothing. But at the very least, he does help slowdown The Seven when they show up, and The Boys are trying to escape through sewers.
Yet, it ends up being Kenji who really saves The Boys, but especially Hughie. For Hughie, after revealing he played a part in Vought being exposed, he does get some praise but not from Billy. In fact, Billy doesn’t really give Hughie any props, and while Billy isn’t necessarily a father figure, as the forced upon leader of The Boys, it would have meant something to at least get something out of him. But, as the handover of Kenji gets messed up, and The Deep further complicates things, it seems Hughie is ready to tap out until he sees Annie.
Sadly though, while he sees Annie, she sees Homelander, who wants her to kill him. Which would have been done if Billy didn’t sick Kenji on him, thus setting up the end of Kenji and nearly the end of Kimiko as well. For while Homelander is buried amongst cement, the equally destructive Stormfront decides to pursue both and nearly take out an apartment building to take him down. Which she does, with a few racist comments to boot.
Thus leaving us with Homelander not just having a rival for who is possibly the most violent and insane, but also leadership.
Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered
Episode 1 “The Big Ride”
- Kevin, aka The Deep, is approached by a man named Eagle the Archer, a mid-west hero with precision archery skills that wants to help him get back on The Seven. Not alone, however, but with the help of a woman named Carol. Someone who represents The Church of the Collective.
- A new member of The Seven, Stormfront, is introduced, after Homelander destroys another who was blind but had super hearing. At least until Homelander hit him in both ears and destroyed his eardrums.
- Homelander visits his son again.
Episode 2 “Proper Preparation and Planning”
- The reason Maeve has kept Elena away from her world isn’t so much Vought or the villains she could face but Homelander. For after one man chatted her up too long, she saw him killed, and she doesn’t want that for Elena. No matter how emotionally attached she feels to her.
- Stormfront, like Annie originally, is more about being a hero than a PR person. So she goes off-script a lot and pretty much calls out the negative aspects of Vought. Leading to Annie wanting to confide in her and being reminded how much she has sold out for the dream. Meanwhile, Stormfront has lived up to her top hero, Pippi Longstocking, and stayed true to herself.
Episode 3 “Over The Hill With The Swords Of A Thousand Men”
- Ryan, Homelander’s son, does, in fact, have powers. Now, beyond laser vision, durability, and maybe super strength, it isn’t clear what else he might have inherited.
- Was Desus, of Desus and Mero in the building that Stormfront was going through?!
- So who killed Susan Raynor?
- Is Homelander going to let go Annie not killing Hughie when she had the chance?
- Even with taking down a terrorist, surely there is going to be a shift at Vought, right? Like A-Train said, Annie messed with the money, and the stock was tanking. Surely it won’t suddenly bounce back due to taking out one terrorist, right?
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
F*** this world for confusing nice with good.
— Stormfront
Review
Highlights
Homelander’s Pursuit of Power & Family
With a non-existent childhood that resulted in him killing nearly every maternal figure he had, to watch Homelander try to bring him so normalcy yet also train him to use his powers creates an interesting bridge. One that shows Homelander does have some desire to give his son the life he didn’t have with an accessible father, a mother, yet in a far more open environment. But, as we’ve often seen, while Homelander can put up a front, something always shows how maladjusted he is.
Take, for example, him pushing Ryan off the roof. Granted, it is better than tossing him into the air or throwing him, but with Ryan not showing any signs of power previously, who was to say Compound V could be passed genetically? After all, most supers don’t have children (and I think can’t have them) so it is largely untested. Yet here is Homelander, possibly killing his only shot at having a child.
Though, alongside his pursuit of family, there also was him facing off against Mr. Edgar and Vought. Now, this conflict is of great interest, for we’ve been shown Homelander is very much capable of murder, as we saw with Madelyn. Mind you, it was because she presented a weakness, but there remains the question of, as he seeks normalcy and family, what will he do to increase his autonomy?
The Stormfront Addition
Stormfront shakes things up in ways that will keep season 2 from feeling like an obligatory sequel to season 1. For whether it is her white feminism, as shown by her partial support of Annie, and racism towards Kenji, or her more than willing to ruffle the feathers of the corporate side of Vought, and Homelander, she is a wild card. One that might be trekking in dangerous waters with getting on Homelander’s bad side, but he needs someone not afraid of him to replace Madelyn and be more active than Mr. Edgar likely will be.
Kimiko Reuniting With Kenji
Generally speaking, The Boys isn’t much for emotion and sentimentality. At least beyond setting up cute moments before someone dies. This is what we see after Kenji and Kimiko reunite, only for Stormfront to kill her before Kimiko’s eyes. Yet, it is with this relationship that there was a bit of hope that, beyond Annie and Hughie, we could see the softer side of multiple characters and get something beyond their desperation for survival.
On The Fence
The Boys
When it comes to Frenchie and Mother’s Milk, they are rooted in being supporting characters to the degree that the first three episodes don’t drive their stories anywhere. Mother’s Milk does have a desire to reunite with his family, but as for Frenchie? Pretty much, his focus is Kimiko with, like Mother’s Milk, a minor care for Hughie’s mental and emotional health.
However, as for the people they once were? That’s diminished to the point of them feeling like shells of their former selves.
The Deep and The Church of the Collective
Nothing about The Deep’s pursuit of redemption or self-love is appealing. Trying to justify or explain his actions through his hatred of his gills does nothing. Then, add in this new organization, which seems lacks any notable figures, because Carol surely isn’t a draw, and it leaves you wondering if he is going to further his descent into being a liability that should have been written off.
