What do you get when you combine Eric Kripke (Supernatural) with Amazon Prime Video? A very crude, highly offensive, action, dramedy based on a comic book series called The Boys. The original eight episodes of Season One premiered on July 26, 2019, with Season Two following on September 4, 2020. Season Three started June 3, 2022, and fans had to wait two full years for Season Four to be released on June 13, 2024. One year and two months later, Season Four is finally making its way to home theaters with the Season Four Blu-ray release, on sale now.
The Boys is made up of a group of vigilantes, if you will, who are out to destroy "The Supes" - beings with supernatural powers who pretend to be heroes but who are really a group of corrupt individuals that can't be stopped by humans...and they know it. The Boys are led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban; Star Trek) while The Supes follow the direction of Homelander (Antony Starr: Wish You Were Here). Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid; Companion) becomes anti-supe when his girlfriend is accidentally killed by A-Train (Jesse T. Usher; Smile), but changes his mind when he meets Starlight/Annie January (Erin Moriarty; Captain Fantastic). Various other characters make up both sides of this war that has spanned 32 episodes so far.
Season Four has a strong political stance underlying the plot. With a Presidential election on the horizon, Homelander is in the thick of the race, not as a candidate, but as an interested party who wants the White House to be controlled by him. The Boys try to take down candidate Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit; Soulm8te), who is really a supe but tries to hide it. Homelander and the 7 instigate a riot and blame "the starlighters," which creates tension between the two sides.
The cast and the writing are two of the components that make this show so interesting and unique. Saying The Boys is crude is an understatement. From The Deep (Chace Crawford; Gossip Girl) having sex with an octopus to Homelander drinking milk from Firecracker's (Valerie Curry; Blair Witch) breast, Kripke finds no topic off limits and exploits all the episodes towards his obvious political bent. The actors are all well cast for the most part and are obviously willing to do just about anything Kripke demands of them.
Technical Aspects: The technical aspects of The Boys Season Four are pretty good overall. The 1080p resolution with 2.39:1 aspect ratio gives the show a sharpness that is not to be missed. The most minute details on costumes can easily be seen, and the color palette pops, especially with an abundance of red, white, and blue. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is equally as strong as the picture quality, with ambient noise surrounding the viewer while the dialogue sits in the front speakers for the most part. The sounds are crisp and clean, and the audio is mixed well by Matt Bowen (Summer of 69) and Christopher Lennertz (Pitch Perfect 3).
Blu-ray Release: The Blu-ray release comes with 2 discs that house all 8 episodes of season 4 and has a run time of 493 minutes. The discs also include 14 Deleted Scenes and 4 Gag reels.
The first season of The Boys was a wild ride with a blatant lack of respect for anyone, and much like a certain adult cartoon, it doesn't care who or what they offend. This formula seems to have worked because the subsequent seasons have all been highly anticipated, including the upcoming Season Five set to debut in 2026. While, like many shows, the plots have gotten slightly more ridiculous, the underlying premise remains the same, and the show is so outrageous at times that you can't help but laugh as you watch a boat plow into "Lucy, the whale" (Season 2).
If you are not overly sensitive, this entire series is one you want to own, and the Season Four Blu-ray collection will sit nicely on your bookshelf next to the first three seasons.
Grade: B
