TV Review: ‘The Boys’ Has Lost Its Pacing With Season 4, Episode 5
by Frank Martin
The Boys has largely been successful as a show because of its pacing. The plot moves forward tremendously every episode and events transpire so quickly that audiences don’t have time to stop and think about the show’s ridiculous shock value and wild characters. But that really hasn’t been the case in Season 4. Previously, Homelander (Antony Starr) was depicted as a wild animal who can snap at any moment. That led to very tense climaxes and it felt as if everything was building to an end. Things have quieted and slowed down a bit this season, which is fine in the first couple of episodes as Homelander was on trial and built up a following. But this week, it felt almost entirely of filler and the show has lost its pacing because of it.
This episode focused on The Boys trying to find the virus that can kill superheroes. This leads them to getting Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) out of prison so he can help them find it. He takes them to a farm where Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) was working on producing the virus. Because of an accident, it was lost and a whole bunch of farm animals gained powers. The group was barely able to escape, but not before Butcher (Karl Urban) kidnapped the scientist who can make more. Meanwhile, Hughie’s dad (Simon Pegg) gained powers of his own and lost his mind in the process, forcing Hughie (Jack Quaid) to euthanize him in a very emotional scene.
The installment did have a lot of positives. Hughie’s storyline was very emotional and seeing super-powered, man-eating sheep was hilarious. Also, the Vought Expo was very poignant and great satire, but there wasn’t a whole lot of substance in terms of storytelling. The plot moved forward very little after a full hour of television. And although emotional, the Hughie storyline felt forced as there were tons of opportunities for that tragedy to be avoided. The only thing at this point saving The Boys is the incredible performances from its entire cast.
The Boys streams Thursdays on Amazon Prime.
