How The Boys became a case of Tragic Self-Parody

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  • čas přidán 14. 11. 2022
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Komentáře • 782

  • @MertKayKay
    @MertKayKay  Před rokem +37

    FlexiSpot Black Friday Sale Up to 31% OFF
    Biggest Sale Once A Year
    25th Nov. to 28th Nov.
    Link - bit.ly/3AA87vx
    #flexispotuk
    E8 Pre-order Event
    Join and you will receive an exclusive discount code of £130 off for E8!
    11th Nov. to 24th Nov.
    Link - bit.ly/3zCbj9b

    • @lakamokolaka
      @lakamokolaka Před rokem +8

      Sell me that cute little fluff ball kitty with it and you got yourself a deal

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +9

      @@lakamokolaka Seffy says she cannot be bought but she sends her love 🤠

    • @spiritupgrades
      @spiritupgrades Před rokem +5

      @@MertKayKay Nice ragdoll you got there

  • @Hugo_Tate
    @Hugo_Tate Před rokem +876

    Anthony starr’s performance as Homelander is insanely good. His facial expressions are so good. Made me look up more of his work.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +116

      He is SUCH a good actor

    • @Hugo_Tate
      @Hugo_Tate Před rokem +30

      @@MertKayKay he is!! I hope he gets more recognition and is other things in the future. As an inspiring actor myself, I’m insanely jealous of his skill lol 😭

    • @yeez13
      @yeez13 Před rokem +15

      Between this and Banshee, it’s hard to not place him as an A Lister

    • @pessimisticoptimist3107
      @pessimisticoptimist3107 Před rokem +5

      Banshee is a wild show

    • @Hugo_Tate
      @Hugo_Tate Před rokem +1

      @@yeez13 I’ve been meaning to check that out!

  • @ellielovegood6307
    @ellielovegood6307 Před rokem +480

    I disagree about Stormfront, her intentions were shown from the beginning, just subtle, how the first thing she points out about Homelander is his “blue eyes” and her earrings who at first glance might be lighting bolts are actually S’s

    • @rochelle638
      @rochelle638 Před rokem +88

      I never liked Stormfront precisely because I knew what she was instantly

    • @knuckledragger5493
      @knuckledragger5493 Před rokem +127

      @@rochelle638 I mean her name is fucking stormfront

    • @floofycow3575
      @floofycow3575 Před 11 měsíci +49

      I think the reason it can be looked over is that the US is starting to heavily get into facist territory. American's know who and what Stormfront is in an instant because we've seen and/or know her in real life. Anyone here can recognize the talking points, because they fall out the mouths of our politicians, our family, our friends, our co workers. I'm not qualified to talk about how fascism takes shape in Europe because I don't live there, but I think it just looks different in Europe then it does America and that could be some of the disconnect.

    • @InfallibleGoose
      @InfallibleGoose Před 10 měsíci +21

      Yeah she was so obvious I knew what she was immediately. I am shocked that people were shocked to find out what she was.

    • @michellestoaevertsson3830
      @michellestoaevertsson3830 Před 9 měsíci +4

      THANK YOU! @@knuckledragger5493 That's not exactly sublte.

  • @302956
    @302956 Před rokem +283

    The Deep's life was my favorite running gag of the series, especially in the later seasons. Every time it starts to look like he might be on the track to some sort of redemption, he doubles down and takes the worst option available to him; it's a wonderful mess.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +39

      Yes it's like Peep Show, he just NEVER quite gets it

  • @strisselstudios3932
    @strisselstudios3932 Před rokem +413

    Fucking died when Homelander threw Ryan off the roof and it cut to a midroll ad

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +82

      That's the kind of comedic timing I could never provide 🤣🤣

    • @springfaux6991
      @springfaux6991 Před rokem +5

      They had to censor what really happened to him

    • @acanthaceae7896
      @acanthaceae7896 Před rokem +1

      ​@@MertKayKay??

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      @@acanthaceae7896 eyo what's up

  • @lehahiah81
    @lehahiah81 Před rokem +424

    The climbing into the penis thing was nothing more than a reference to the joke people made about Ant-Man beating Thanos by going up inside him and expanding. They ended up doing this several times with other jokes everybody already made

    • @oppaloopa3698
      @oppaloopa3698 Před rokem +52

      It was still a bit gratuitous imo. The show has always been dark, gory, and gritty. We know that. It seems like the writers really just wanted to keep one upping past gross scenes even though they absolutely didn’t need to. The level of visible and implied sex and gore that we had in season one and some of season two showed us how deranged supes were just fine. The escalation feels like a way to distract from shit plot points. It also makes me worried for how far they’ll take next season.

    • @mirandawhittaker8481
      @mirandawhittaker8481 Před rokem +40

      @@oppaloopa3698 Also, the whole "lol, if you had super powers, you'd hurt people when you bang!" seems terribly mean-spirited. Like, it's a mean joke, but also the show wants to explore what it's like to be a victim of SA with Starlight? Pick an angle.
      What's more, all you have to do is look at the prevalence of young people learning that choking is "normal" from a lack of S*x Ed and an abundance of p*rn to know that people already get hurt during sex. You don't need super powers to hurt somebody.

    • @deprimada3560
      @deprimada3560 Před rokem +20

      Also how many gay characters are they gonna introduce just to brutally murder off?

    • @Topdoggie7
      @Topdoggie7 Před rokem

      @@oppaloopa3698 It's kind of a thing galore in the source material minus Soldier Boy balls deep in his son, Homelander. Sex workers are terribly abused and they are barely compensated If they survive the abuse. Because they have the money to bury all those dead sex workers like RL politicians can.

    • @acanthaceae7896
      @acanthaceae7896 Před rokem +1

      ​@@deprimada3560 it wasnt that its just they were gay .many characters were brutally killef

  • @CupcakKesBlueberry
    @CupcakKesBlueberry Před rokem +163

    Please tell me im not the only one who always imagined Souja boy when she said Soldier boy💀

  • @NeoInsomniac
    @NeoInsomniac Před rokem +440

    I think the point of Stormfront's character was lost a little on you.
    She's not grey in any of her actions and is intended to show how easily fascism can slip into the public consciousness and how fascists humanize themselves to the rest of the public forum.
    Even saying that you liked her at first, is kind of the point. It's a common saying in left spaces, "You are not immune to propaganda", "You" meaning no one is. You're supposed to want to like her, even casting an attractive actress to play her lowers many people's defences. But she's spitting alt-right talking points basically from her first moment on camera.
    You don't even need to have read the comics or know what her title "stormfront" is relating to, if you know the common talking points of those types of people. And her whole arc in seducing Homelander is to comment on how things like operation paperclip have allowed the influence of people that believe the things she does, have wormed their way into the very fabric of American society. She does become more cartoony later, but that's just the mask finally coming off. These people really are cartoony, they are just very deceptive until dragged into the light.
    The rest of the video, you make solid points, and I'm not even a fan of the show myself. That just struck me as odd.
    I highly recommend watching Jessie Gender's videos on the Boys, even if you're not a fan of the show, there is still a lot of clever stuff to unpack.

    • @forcefulstorm6187
      @forcefulstorm6187 Před rokem +46

      @charles gee do u unironically believe in horseshoe theory
      lmao

    • @SpoopySquid
      @SpoopySquid Před rokem

      Far Left: I want everyone to have the highest quality of life possible by providing health care, education and worker protections
      Far Right: i want to genocide minorities
      @charles gee : they are exactly the same

    • @kenamada5451
      @kenamada5451 Před rokem +1

      @@UberNoodle I think what they mean is that the end result is no different although the reasons are. For example in a car crash one person could be worried about the patron while the other is worried about the property dmg. They're both worried about the car crash... Just what aspect of it is the difference.
      Sure the trees may be different. One pine one oak... But its still a forest.
      And thats what the fine line is. A more direct example is racism. Theres direct racism as seeing me lesser then theres benevolent racism which is people wanting for fight for me because society sees me as lesser, so by extension they do too. Both parties see me as a dog. One directly calls me a mutt, the other coddles me. Both sides are still dehumanizing.

    • @shlomophobe5582
      @shlomophobe5582 Před rokem

      Why is there this a priori assumption that right wing = bad? When I look at how absolutely batshit insane modern Western society has become, the utterly depraved and godless nihilism, and the cultural rot of an ethnically incoherent hellscape, I’m gonna have to go ahead and say that since this is the world the victors created, I think the bad guys won the war

    • @azuredystopia3751
      @azuredystopia3751 Před 7 měsíci +1

      Thank god you're here we don't understand anything without a lot of extra words.

  • @treetheoak8313
    @treetheoak8313 Před rokem +412

    My wife had the exact same thoughts on the seven. When the Deep was first introduced she made him a monster (which he is don't get wrong). But as the seasons went on she went from hating him for being a predator. To hating him for being such a "pathetic little bitch" as she put it. She would never go as far as to feel "bad" for him. But a lot of his power influence and menace was Completely shattered.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +104

      Your wife exudes power 😎

    • @illusivekennedy
      @illusivekennedy Před rokem +22

      That was the point

    • @Topdoggie7
      @Topdoggie7 Před rokem +1

      He's clearly an inferior male mistreated who instead of expressing empathy, abused more people just to feel big. Deep is a victim who just turned around and treated people how he was.
      His character growth is realizing something he already knew but locked away in a box. And then being forced to eat his friends alive for no reason beyond savage cruelty and upping the kill count.

    • @joujou264
      @joujou264 Před rokem +30

      He was a pathetic worm from the very start, the whole point of his arc was to show that.

    • @chandllerburse737
      @chandllerburse737 Před rokem +15

      @@joujou264I kind of thought it was to reveal his insecurities all the seven seem to have backstories that are arguably sympathetic even Homelanders.
      A train is insecure about being less than the best and fastest he is obsessed with that title its actually a neat reflection of say The Flash or Reverse Flash since Barry doesn’t care but he’s far faster than A Train and Reverse Flash is obsessed with being The only Flash.
      Maeve is broken by the abuse and horrors of being a celeb superhero and wishes she never joined.
      Black Noir just wanted to be a bigger character and instead got brain damage from Soldier Boy and was forced into a lesser role due to his silence and HL being far stronger and crazier.
      The Deep seems to be insecure about his own appearance and how he feels he is mocked by everyone so he is controlling and manipulative.

  • @randomfluffypup9608
    @randomfluffypup9608 Před rokem +72

    30:34 billy's always had a brother, its mentioned in season 2 episode 5, his aunt tells hughie that he looks/acts like lenny

  • @thanatoast
    @thanatoast Před rokem +810

    The thing that kept me from enjoying this show from the start was definitely Homelander, not because of anything he did in particular (the show makes it pretty clear that he's a piece of shit), but because I could see from miles away the inevitable american psycho-ification of this character internet losers were about to inflict upon us.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +193

      LMAO that is absolutely what happened with him

    • @HiBuddyyyyyy
      @HiBuddyyyyyy Před rokem +99

      They did it with soldier boy as well. :/

    • @alexroy5854
      @alexroy5854 Před rokem +58

      So sad that those losers really make talking about great characters though.. I almost never talk about Frank Castle, Patrick Bateman, or Tyler Durden with people I don't know well in (realistic) fear of being thought of as a creep and/or weirdo lol

    • @nickname_donkey4456
      @nickname_donkey4456 Před rokem +5

      im dumb can u explain what u mean lol

    • @aymnno6734
      @aymnno6734 Před rokem +1

      ​@@sticklyboi "internet losers" really hit too close to home huh

  • @zeewalker2297
    @zeewalker2297 Před rokem +66

    Actually, I liked how they drew that parallel of Soldier Boy's dad and himself and he and Homelander. It seemed like part of him was conflicted about killing his own flesh and blood because he always wanted a son to raise up the right way, or whatever, but in the end he had a job to do, and he literally fought the guy in "Herogasm." He dismisses Homelander as a sorry excuse for a man just like his father did to him, and based on the expression on his face, it pained him to say it. Add to the fact that Homelander actually appeared to be a decent father figure to Ryan, I'm sure that didn't make it any easier for Soldier Boy to follow through.
    I also kinda felt for Homelander because he finally had a father figure he wanted to be a part of his life, and said father figure brutally rejects him. It clearly affects him for the rest of the sequence.

    • @chandllerburse737
      @chandllerburse737 Před rokem +9

      Soldier Boy seems to hate himself more than anyone.
      The dialogue where Homelander says “but i am you”
      And Soldier Boy says “ i know “ then proceeds try and kill him says to me he is so desperate to be this ideal man that his fathers resentment of him seems to be his focus he can’t even accept someone like him he feels he needs to destroy them.

  • @feralnebulous
    @feralnebulous Před rokem +59

    translucent's power reminds me very much of the invisible boy from the smash hit movie mystery men (1999) where he's only invisible when no one's looking. it's ridiculous and dumb and I love it

  • @HiBuddyyyyyy
    @HiBuddyyyyyy Před rokem +255

    I really wanted Kimiko to be a better character. I mean, the writers of the show gave her an actual human name! Not really a high bar, but it’d be a start. It did look promising because the show has done a lot better than the comic regarding treatment of women and shock moments. (Maybe that isn’t a high bar either considering homelander literally eats a baby in the comic.)

    • @jobbersupreme8720
      @jobbersupreme8720 Před rokem +37

      Homelander doesn't eat a baby in the comics, Black Noir (who in the comics is a Homelander clone) is the one who does that.
      The whole reason Homelander becomes an evil piece of shit in the comics is because Black Noir's inhumane actions gaslight him into thinking he really did those things

    • @HiBuddyyyyyy
      @HiBuddyyyyyy Před rokem +33

      @@jobbersupreme8720 good point, however my point still stands as someone still ate a baby to show how evil they are. Also, I’m glad they didn’t go down that route with the show it seems a bit… over the top.

    • @ninab.4540
      @ninab.4540 Před rokem +9

      @@HiBuddyyyyyy It's the same with Fables. Bigby was a Confedarate soilder even though he didn't care about human affairs. I'm thankful Telltale, like the whole Black Noir twist, cut that out.

    • @chandllerburse737
      @chandllerburse737 Před rokem +1

      @@ninab.4540Bigby being a confederate soldier actually makes his character even more interesting than it is and i’ve never played The game or read Fables

    • @spaghetto9836
      @spaghetto9836 Před 9 měsíci +19

      I disagree with her takes on Kimiko. They _could've_ went the male gaze-y sexualized route easily, but they didn't. A lot of female fans ended up liking her as I did, though I was cautious at the beginning.
      Her endearing herself to a male mute character but calling a female mute character "a fleshlight" despite her being more characterized & yet never sexualized, makes me upset. She also infantilizes her, saying Frenchie feeds her, babysits her and adopted her when that's clearly not the nature of their bond, and the plot itself sees her as a mature adult who can make her own decisions.
      I'm ace too, and could, from my perspective, see how Kim likes Frenchie. Them not displaying a typical (sexual) sort of desire or attraction towards each other, is part of what I like about them. They're both people who feel they've been used like weapons, objectified, while their sensitive sides aren't seen. It's an attraction to the person's mind, that makes you feel calm instead of all blushy or excited. ...They're just really cute, lol.
      I like Mert, but that whole part (and a few others) was so off.

  • @StonedHunter
    @StonedHunter Před rokem +193

    If you like the concepts that The Boys brings up but less edgy and nihilistic, I'd recommend an anime called Tiger & Bunny. It also covers a lot of the corporatization of heroism without a lot of the same shock value stuff that The Boys uses. It's a very different vibe but it goes into a lot of interesting concepts including being a teenage hero.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +38

      Oh wow thanks! Never heard of the series but I do love a good satire

    • @Topdoggie7
      @Topdoggie7 Před rokem +5

      @@MertKayKay Tiger and Bunny has been very niche but a great series. I highly recommend it, it also has some LGBT rep but corporate controls that too.

    • @chandllerburse737
      @chandllerburse737 Před rokem +3

      If you think this is edgy and nihilistic you haven’t read any of Garth Ennis comics including the original Boys one.
      Or let alone Crossed….

    • @StonedHunter
      @StonedHunter Před rokem +7

      @Chandller Burse it's TRYING to be edgy...and I know enough about the comic to comfortably say it's worse cuz it doesn't even try to say anything but "i hate super heroes and everyone is stupid for liking them"

    • @chandllerburse737
      @chandllerburse737 Před rokem +3

      @@StonedHunter Crossed is the worst crap i ever read though in terms of edge…
      Well maybe aside from Frank Miller’s All Star Batman which ruins an established character

  • @Wendigoon
    @Wendigoon Před rokem +764

    Mert returning with another banger! I've had trouble explaining why I felt the show had fallen off as of recent, besides the season 3 finale, but I think you did a great job bringing out several issues with the series. I think one of the biggest missteps was Soldier Boy. The show did nothing to convince me he was a worse trade off than Homelander. We've had three seasons explaining why Homelander is an unstoppable monster and then two episodes of why Soldier Boy is rude and violent. The choice to fight Soldier Boy in the final episode was so abysmal it made me realize the show wasn't as great as I thought it was, at least not anymore. Hopefully they do something cool with Homelander and Ryan in season 4 but I fear we'll get an entire season of edgy-Billy-doesnt-love-me-noone-understands-me Ryan. I agree Hughie and Billy have lost the plot. I hope Billy's choices with temporary compound V can help build something interesting in future seasons and it doesn't just get dropped. Although I did like the fight at the end of Herogasm, so maybe they'll atleast make him cool lol. My prediction is Billy will take permanent compound V and it will negate the physical damage of temp V, as lame a cop-out as that is. Hopefully something turns the show around, it has too much potential to be wasted, I hope. Great video, excited to see more!

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +116

      I don't know if you see my replies since I assume you get thousands of notifications per day, but thanks as always for dropping by my channel and supporting me Wendigoon 😁
      And congratulations on the 2 mil! I saw Kayla tweet that it was on the same day as your anniversary so I can imagine you celebrated double hard 🌟 so deserved!
      Also glad you liked the video 🤗

    • @lizabee484
      @lizabee484 Před rokem +43

      This little yt crossover between two of my genuinely favorite creators brings me so much joy! Creators being fans of each other, it just, it warms my blackened little heart 😊❤

    • @lovemeh7899
      @lovemeh7899 Před rokem +17

      @N oh god no not the comics id actually rather see a good premise turn into shit then read The Boys Comics 😭

    • @TheDawnofVanlife
      @TheDawnofVanlife Před rokem

      Yes, Soilder boy was a rude ar*e but the most he did was well, be rude and sleep around with women while Homelander seems like an active threat to the larger public and interested in world domination. In a world like ‘the Boys’ where problematic world views are standard, Solider Boy just seemed too lazy to care much about beyond being someone you maybe wouldn’t hang with at a party. Where as Homelander is a mass murderer on a fairly regular basis.

    • @JetstreamTheSexSam
      @JetstreamTheSexSam Před rokem +3

      ​@Dman the show is so much better. This woman just doesn't understand the point of the show

  • @mapleleaf65
    @mapleleaf65 Před rokem +111

    Damn, honestly, Frenchie and Kimiko really began to feel like the heart of the show for me. Totally depends on the person, I know, but they became two outliers genuinely just trying to escape the influence of super heroes in this universe once they found one good thing outside of it. There's a lot in their arc I don't like, for instance the infuriating back and forth of taking Kim's powers only to give them back and on and on. I started to feel like I was watching Heroes in middle school again XD. Regardless, love your takes. This show still has enough strong characters that it's hard not to show up for the next season.

  • @coyoteskip6302
    @coyoteskip6302 Před rokem +43

    I just really appreciate that Bobby Singer has returned from the Supernatural afterlife to pursue a political career in The Boys universe.

  • @cameron5367
    @cameron5367 Před rokem +75

    Past the first season, I thought that the boys lost a sense danger, it's hard to explain but everything in season 1 felt dangerous, after season 1 it felt like the boys had way too much plot armour, I do think that homelander had a lot of presence that made every scene with him scary, but because of how easily every important character escapes death, it rarely felt dangerous (especially in season 3).
    I think breaking bad is a shining example of how to create tension while keeping characters alive, putting those characters into situations that they need to figure a way out of, using their ingenuity to get out of situations instead of making up a reason that the characters are now safe.

  • @AlexisRoyce
    @AlexisRoyce Před rokem +125

    I generally agree with most of the stuff you said here; by season three, I kind of stopped expecting actions to have meaningful consequences, and a lot of the pacing was either too slow or slapped together in odd places.
    I do find it really odd that you felt like Stormfront being a Nazi was a casual decision, when it felt to me like it was the linchpin of the entire season. Her arc was steeped in something that I think a lot of white Americans experienced starting in 2016. A lot of us had friends and likable family members that we really enjoyed being around, but also kind of sent up weird vibes we couldn't put our fingers on. Lots of them went full on mask-off racist during that time, and it was painful and deeply shocking. But then we started to hear from minority groups who had always known those red flags all along, and could trace the roots back farther than we'd ever known. Stormfront really elegantly followed that pattern: anyone with their eyes open could tell what her name and her symbols were doing, but she seemed so cheeky and on your side that it's very easy to WANT to like her. A lot of white supremacists are like this, they have a flippant sense of humor and make for very charming people, so long as they think that you're "their people." Frequently, it is a narrative of learning that you do have to kind of throw the whole relationship out, because deep down, they're not willing to compromise and learn. They're just dedicated to being a waste of everyone's time.
    So yeah, I thought Stormfront was a really well-crafted metaphor, but I think I could see how she might not resonate as well with international audiences.

    • @xRaiofSunshine
      @xRaiofSunshine Před rokem

      Isn’t Stormfront the name of some awful actual n@zi website too? 😬

    • @spaghetti5914
      @spaghetti5914 Před 3 měsíci +4

      Also can I just drop here how GENIUS it was to tie stormfront with meme culture?
      Meme culture has often been connected with the downwards spiral of fascism. I can't begin talking about how many meme accounts I've come across who ended up being either extremist communists or fascists. Hell, memes actually lead me down an internalized misogyny path. It's terrifyingly accurate how stormfront represents those teen guys who go "Nah, I am not politically driven, I am trolling you snowflakes" or "You're just a stuck up from calling me out on a racist joke", and how this behavior can easily be mistaken as open minded-ness, humility and being laidback because "this person is being honest without being afraid of public outrage". I had the same reaction with her character when she was introduced. I was like "huh, she is speaking against vough's bs, she has spine, she seems cool" only for her to reveal her true nature, with her being the personification of the fascist side of 4chan and for me to go "ah, whoever wrote that script deserves an award"

  • @ClaraSkate
    @ClaraSkate Před rokem +149

    My BIGGEST problem with season 3 was the blatant retconning of well-established narrative limits. Like in season 1 and 2 V was this big deal where it was this huge secret no one knew about that made super heroes instead of it being an act of god like the public believed. There was this hospital in season 2 of all the people who took V and ended up very badly damaged as a consequence. And then in season 3 everyone uses it all the time? Not temp V, but the actual superhero drug. The blow your head woman (not that kind of head) uses it on her daughter without hesitation. Kimiko loses her power and then Starlight like walks into a pharmacy and gets this very important dangerous expansive private formula over the counter and has this meaningless interaction to Homelander so we are tricked into thinking that there were stakes at some point. Like they completely demystified one of the story’s key elements and for WHAT. Also there was no sense in killing Noir like that, it was just sooo anticlimactic and made every build up for his character useless.
    I’m of the opinion that there were good aspects to season 3 (Kimiko being there/Anthony Starr/the link between Homelander and reactionary white masculinity in America) and I do hope the writers have a redemption arc on the fourth and god willing final season.

    • @thatdragonguy5388
      @thatdragonguy5388 Před rokem +26

      I'm gonna have to disagree with what you said about Compound V. The existence of Compound V was exposed in season 2 meaning in season 3 people are more aware of it, it is no longer a massive secret. But it's still hard to get. The senator lady had to make a deal with Homelander in order to get ahold of the V, because it's not easy to get. The people in the hospital were not just random people getting hurt by V, they were people with psychiatric disorders that Vought was intentionally experimenting on, the same thing they did to produce Homelander. And Starlight breaking into Vought tower was not just her "getting V over the counter" she found a vial of it in a fridge in the main production lab. And her interaction with Homelander was not pointless, she exposed him threatening to kill her and Hughie on live instagram, which was probably the only way she was getting out of there alive. Nothing you said there makes any sense.

  • @annjay2581
    @annjay2581 Před 8 měsíci +12

    I think the point of Maeve doing nothing all the time was exactly that. Shes been a toy of Vought and Homelander for so long, shes completely mentally checked out. Shes hopeless and depressed and basically just dissociates all day long with the help of drugs, just so that she doesnt have to feel how miserable she is. I think she really hated the irony of being so powerless while being advertised as such a powerful woman and it was killing her inside. It takes her a realistically long time to overcome her bitterness and her addiction and drag herself out of her hole to actually stand up and fight. When she loses her powers at the end of season 3, shes finally gains back her life. Shes the only one not obsessed or defined by her powers and I really liked that about her.

  • @kiskara
    @kiskara Před rokem +20

    Re: Stormfront. While I understand that the name thing wouldn't have the same impact to non-US watchers. But I'm genuinely surprised you didn't see the obvious parallel in her personality shift to real world online edgelords that fall into the "alt-right pipeline".

  • @Redem10
    @Redem10 Před rokem +47

    I did thought it was weird how the show is called "The Boys" but they aren't exactly the central narrative and people kept talking about Homelander.

  • @jakobtheamerican917
    @jakobtheamerican917 Před rokem +19

    i think that you sort of missed the mark with butcher and hughie. For butcher in those seasons, the whole point is that he’s refusing to change, that he is accepting that he has to become his father in order to win, even though he has a change of heart in season three. As for hughie, he was clearly beaten out of his optimism and through seeing all that starlight has to go through in order to have even a shot at stopping homelander, feels incredible guilt that he can’t take some of that burden in matters that have to do with fighting supes directly. There is an arc for hughie and for butcher as well to a smaller extent. They definitely didn’t do a good job of convincing me soldier boy was worse than homelander tho. Man seemed like he needed therapy more than anything. He definitely seemed redeemable. though, I love jensen ackles so maybe that sorta poisoned my opinion lmao.

    • @jakobtheamerican917
      @jakobtheamerican917 Před rokem +7

      and geez you’re so tough on maeve. like what. she was an alcoholic an a cynic. she had no reason to live, but homelander wouldn’t allow her to die. also, I believe that there is like a level of invulnerability and super strength that all heroes have. like the tier list is lower supes, higher supes, invisibility guy, maeve, homelander.

  • @lizabee484
    @lizabee484 Před rokem +95

    This has very little to do with the actual video, I just thought it was interesting. So, Starlight’s hometown is supposed to be Des Moines, which is, coincidentally, also where I spent a good chunk of my time growing up. There’s this quote that has become a popular saying in that area, almost a weird point of pride, “The prettiest girls in the world live in Des Moines,” originally coined by Jack Kerouac, author of On the Road. And, in a strange, tangential way, that saying and Starlight’s treatment by her mother, Vought, and the sexist pigs she is forced to deal with throughout the series, coincide with each other in a way that makes a strange, horrible amount of sense to me. One of that area’s greatest claims to fame, the thing that is printed on t-shirts, a distinct point of pride, is that a beat author off his tits on cocaine called the women there pretty. ‘Come on down! Our “girls” are hot!’ It makes me cringe a bit. Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, maybe I’m being too harsh on one particular city (don’t get me wrong, I do have a great deal of nostalgic fondness for Des Moines as well) when sexism exists everywhere, that’s completely possible- but when so many forces within the world of The Boys try and squeeze Starlight into this box that just says “pretty,” it reminds me of my own experience in the area she grew up in, and all the other places where the most valuable thing you can be as an afab person is “pretty.” (Also not saying that Starlight or white afab people have it worse than other groups of people, absolutely not. Again, this is just a weird connection I noticed and felt would be hopefully interesting to share.)

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +35

      This is one of those facts that was either a genius and subtle inclusion by a writer who knew to not go overboard with it, OR a complete coincidence that happened to line up so well :D I love it

  • @afterdinnercreations936
    @afterdinnercreations936 Před 10 měsíci +12

    It's interesting because the franchise that's being parodied is clearly the Justice League. Homelander is Superman, Maeve is Wonder Woman, A-Train is The Flash, The Deep is Aquaman, Black Noir is Batman, etc.
    There are almost no Avengers stand-ins. Soldier Boy as Captain America, sure; but that doesn't matter. There is no Boys version of the Hulk, Iron Man, or Spiderman.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před 10 měsíci +2

      Yes, I misspoke there 🫣

  • @emilycrow8278
    @emilycrow8278 Před rokem +30

    I think The Boys runs into the issue that any popular shows finds themselves in. Where, it wants to say something, but doesn't want to chance the risk with saying something. So it becomes Marvel, but "we'll get edgy like they won't". Edgy being shock content rather than pushing the boundaries of social comfortability.
    I really did like the nuances of A-Train's character arch, when it came to race, and how the privileges of fame and riches can subvert the way systemic issues that surrounds intrensic qualities, such as race.
    Sadly, because it's just an edgy Marvel show, it won't understand how to combat systemic concepts, and will continue to plug in bad guys to be the thing that needs beating. I just hope they don't make A-Train into a Kanye allegory for future seasons.

  • @valenfr01
    @valenfr01 Před rokem +121

    I can't believe how opposite takes we have. To me, Homelander's relationship with Ryan couldn't be more hamfisted and is a desperate attempt to extend some sort of simpathy or hope that homelander could have some good in him. However, i think Kimiko is the best character in the show, and the actress that plays her does an incredible job at conveying so many emotions without speaking. I think that, sure, Frenchie is infatuated with her but he understands, cares and most importantly respects her. The boys, mostly frenchie, help her regain agency over her own life. She has really nice moments with Annie, MM and Hughie too. And while yes, Frenchie's character development feels stagnant, specially in season 3, it's wild to me that one could watch and not care about their relationship. It's your opinion and that's cool, i agree with other stuff you've said, but it felt off how you described the appeal of Kimiko or Frenchie, for that matter.

    • @joujou264
      @joujou264 Před rokem

      I didn't see Ryan as some kind of Homelander PR campaign at all. He frankly serves as another avenue to show how grotesquely warped his mind is as he essentially brainwashes this young child as his mother and pseudo-stepdad can do nothing but watch. And even in the moments when there's some positivity to be skimmed from a scene, you'll always have the thought in the back of your mind that Ryan is a product or rape and Homelander is his mother's rapist, so all interactions are fundamentally tainted by that knowledge.

    • @blackgirlmagicc
      @blackgirlmagicc Před 9 měsíci +4

      This is exactly what I was thinking I love Frenchie and Kimikos relationship they were my favourite scenes

  • @SodAlmighty
    @SodAlmighty Před 7 měsíci +8

    Something I think you missed: Hughie had no less than TWO opportunities to kill A-Train in season 1, and didn't take either of them. In fact, he goes out of his way to save his life. Considering he killed Translucent without a second thought, whose only crime was being a massive pervert - and who had literally just that moment passed up a chance to kill Hughie - that never really made a lot of sense to me.

    • @djmeagaaim17antman
      @djmeagaaim17antman Před 5 měsíci +1

      Cleary, that was done to keep him around, even though little point in doing so since he had nothing to do for the longest time.

    • @HeathThen
      @HeathThen Před 2 měsíci +2

      I think that demonstrates how far Hughie has grown in a season.
      At first, he just wants to get revenge as soon as possible no matter the cost (even though he still fears to do so). At the end of season 1, he started to become sympathize with the hero. He knew that even superheroes had feelings and the fact that A-Train had to go through what Hughie went through made he even more sympathize with A-Train. Remember before that, A-Train questioned Hughie, asking that as A-Train killed Hughie's girlfriend, Hugie had to kill his back in return. These questions made Hughie rethink his decision about superheroes which is why in season 2 and 3, he refused to kill and actively stopped Butcher in killing people.

  • @biospark4758
    @biospark4758 Před rokem +34

    I think the best example of The Boys devolving into self-parody is the creation of multiple spin-off shows (Diabolical and Gen V).
    Another one is that Eric Kripke, the series showrunner, made the conscious decision to keep Maeve alive so as to avoid the “bury the gays” trope, unintentionally making it feel like corporate pandering. They weren’t even able to do it convincingly. There’s no way someone with no powers could survive a fall like that. Regardless of her sexuality, her character arc was long over and her death would’ve been a conclusive sendoff.

  • @ellielovegood6307
    @ellielovegood6307 Před rokem +26

    I Wouldn’t say the whole Lenny thing came out of nowhere, his aunt mentioned in season 2 how Hughie was similar. And when begging Billy to save Ryan, Becca told him to “swear on his brother’s life”.

  • @doodoojohnson3526
    @doodoojohnson3526 Před 9 měsíci +10

    i cant see kimiko and frenchies relationship as a male fantasy. i dont think ur average dudebro would be willing to put in time and effort to support a woman through and with her trauma, receive no sexual gratification and be in a functionally non-romantic partnership with her. im a certified kimiko enjoyer, i think she started off as rocky and a weird amalgamation of a bunch of stereotypes of asian women but has grown a lot from there. apart from kimiko i agree on a lot of ur points. good video so i leave a comment for the algorithm :)

  • @danielheflin6658
    @danielheflin6658 Před rokem +16

    I liked Stormfront's arc. Her being a secret, social media savy nazi was very much intentional. You can say her characterization went out the window, or you can say the mask fell off as she felt closer to achieving her goals. You could say her characterization was thrown out the window, but her arc was representative of how fascism operates.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +3

      Very, very true! I guess I took a cynical stance when looking at her storyline in comparison to the others I felt were botched (specifically Soldier Boy), but you are right- could just be a mask off moment!

    • @danielheflin6658
      @danielheflin6658 Před rokem

      @@MertKayKay yay a reply! Should go without saying that it's a great video, including the parts where we disagree

  • @Vitoria-ug9cc
    @Vitoria-ug9cc Před 9 měsíci +9

    Ok, Mert, I can't believe you recorded, edited and uploaded the sentence "Frenchie and Kimiko have no chemistry whatsoever". Kimiko and Frenchie's chemistry is the BEST thing about The Boys and the only arc I feel I can't abandon the show without. It's a romanceship that I can only describe by comparing it to Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens) or Soul and Maka (Soul Eater), where they rely on each other with such intensity that they could not go on without the other, and they never end up actually together, and I fucking live for it. I have been shipping them since season 1 and I can't believe you just said kimiko is a catgirl for incels. Idk, I guess you just aren't the type to read fanfic and have ships? Because to those of us who are, you are spouting absolute heresy.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před 9 měsíci +2

      Lmfao yes, I haven't shipped/been interested in fanfics since I was like 15 years old. But I don't see what that has to do with recognising chemistry between two human beings 😅

    • @Vitoria-ug9cc
      @Vitoria-ug9cc Před 9 měsíci +1

      @@MertKayKay omg noooo, it does! They have a fanfic-like chemistry and it's *chef's kiss* the romance I live for. The whole "I can't go on without you" trope fits them perfectly. Not that the fanfic crowd has the best takes, because sometimes the pairings are just bogus (like, Black widow and Hawkeye? Rey and Kylo? Oh come on.) But the chemistry is there, I promise.
      Also I totally didn't expect a reply! I love your videos to bits! ❤️ I found your channel only earlier this year but I'm catching up at such a speed that soon I will have watched every single one. Oops.

  • @lionkingquan
    @lionkingquan Před rokem +12

    I feel like soilder boy telling homelander he’s disappointed was him talking about himself finally seeing what his father meant therefore continuing the cycle

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +6

      Haha yes the show made that very clear! I just thought it was rushed and last minute

    • @lionkingquan
      @lionkingquan Před rokem +3

      @@MertKayKay oh no doubt but I still enjoy the moment I think Jensen ackles is just a good actor

  • @NotYourRainyDay
    @NotYourRainyDay Před rokem +35

    Your style of writing and delivery is so polished and unique that I'm honestly surprised you don't have more subscribers! (god this is like a comment section cliché) I always enjoy watching your videos full on when they come out and then I find myself returning to them as background noise while I draw. I could honestly listen to you talk about anything and I'd still find it entertaining.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +5

      Thanks so much Sade!! 😁😁 I shall work hard to make you more background noise

  • @cinnamonpyroll
    @cinnamonpyroll Před rokem +57

    I honestly never watched The Boys because my first impression of it was that it was just mega edgy Marvel (and also hearing folks say "This is what superheroes would actually be like!" and then seeing a clip of Homelander jack off of a building didn't exactly sell me either lolol) It's a shame tho to hear that it actually started off rather solid and satirical and then just kinda became the thing it hated most. Really enjoyed the video on this!

    • @kabob0077
      @kabob0077 Před rokem +12

      The Comic is even worse, like the whole thing feels like a hit piece or mean spirited SI Fanfic of guys killing supers while said supers either commit horrible acts or are the most ineffective people alive. The author even admitted that he hated superheroes like Superman iirc.

    • @cinnamonpyroll
      @cinnamonpyroll Před rokem +3

      @@kabob0077 Yeah, looking through the comments, I've been hearing a lot of aspects of the comic were worse.

  • @fedoratheexplorar2143
    @fedoratheexplorar2143 Před rokem +62

    I have binged all three seasons a bit ago but I didn't know that some people think it fell off. Thought Season 3 was by far the best one and while Season 2 was dragging it still had some incredibly strong scenes and messages politically and so did Season 3. Didn't like Maeve surviving but that's a small thing. Oh well, opinions.

  • @jamesbarr4996
    @jamesbarr4996 Před rokem +29

    As someone who hasn't watched The Boys, my takeaway from all of this is: Black Noir is best boy, bring him back.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +9

      Exactly the message I wanted to convey 😤😤😤 thank you James

  • @consistentlystupid4726
    @consistentlystupid4726 Před rokem +23

    30 minutes in, but I have a big nitpick in that the video says season 3 invented Billy’s brother out of nowhere and that Hughie reminds him of his brother. I’m not sure how someone could watch all three seasons to make an hour and a half video and completely miss that Billy having a brother and it having lasting trauma on him has been talked about since at least Season 2, but I’m fairly certain it’s hinted at if not mentioned in Season 1 by MM at some point. I don't even think the show is subtle about it leading up to Season 3. Season 3 is simply the first time the show has delved into fully explaining what specifically happened. I never saw it as rushed since that's been the subtext of Billy's relationship with Hughie for almost the entire series runtime. While I love Mert’s content and will probably agree with other stuff in this video, that’s a pretty big detail to miss when trying to use it to talk about why Billy isn’t a good character in Season 3.
    Added an edit for one more minor nitpick. Soldier Boy telling Homelander that he's disappointed in him is heavily foreshadowed in how Soldier Boy views masculinity. It feels almost out of nowhere because it wasn't until the moment Soldier Boy met Homelander that he felt that disappointment. Homelander in their first meeting came across as needy and emotional, something by this point in the show we know Soldier Boy hates. Soldier Boy DID want to meet him, but Soldier Boy is a shitty human being and acts like a complete and utter dickhead to Homelander the moment they meet because Soldier Boy is a complete and utter dickhead. We see this in another flashback from Black Noir that is skipped over in this video where Soldier Boy beats the shit out of him because he dared to step into the limelight. Soldier Boy is volatile and is completely willing to hurt anyone if he feels like it. This was all laid out in front of us, along with Homelander's neediness for attention. Their meeting was never going to be "lets sit and discuss this" like adults.

    • @jakecloud9438
      @jakecloud9438 Před rokem +2

      i specifically remember m.m. saying that billy cared about hughie because he looked like his brother in season one i think?

  • @elinyancat
    @elinyancat Před rokem +31

    when they took kimikos powers away i knew 100% she would get them back no consequence, this last season was a bunch of nothing

  • @ptlemon1101
    @ptlemon1101 Před rokem +10

    "A penis? On my TV? Surely not!" We could have a good discussion about how when it comes to nudity in shows/movies, women are so sexualized and men rarely show their goods. But that's not what the video is about. Just like The Simpsons, Deadpool, Rick and Morty, etc if a parody gets too popular, they become the very thing they were making fun of. It is especially egregious in Season 3 because it started to reminded me of Injustice - whenever they had the upper hand against Superman, some random ex-machina would save him and next season they start all over again. I also disagree when people say "The Boys depict superheroes realistically if they existed." First, all superheroes in the Boys are manufactured. I have hard time believing that an alien like Superman or an uber rich guy like Batman would kneel to a company. Second, not everyone who possesses great power will be corrupted. Even History, with all it's atrocities, there were still emperors and kings that genuinely helped people. And even in the show, Maeve and Starlight show that heroes can be good. To me, "The Boys" was always more of a critique to Hollywood, the entertainment industry, celebrity worship, etc more than it is about superheroes. I don't know how many people miss the parallels between those two and immedietly jump to "Superman+evil=realistic". Soldier Boy was done dirty despite keeping his word. Butcher and Hughie acted like assholes the whole season but are barely punished compared to Soldier Boy. Also, the comic is just edgy trash lol. The show is miles better. The only thing that saved last season for me was Kimiki and Frenchie being cute together and Jensen Ackles looking like an absolute daddy (+ his moment where he sees himself in Homelander). Also, I know you dislike the Homelander/Patrick Bateman sigma male memes but Anthony Starr just kills it in the role once again. Other than that, this season felt like a waste of time. Great video, cheers!

  • @rachelcommon6941
    @rachelcommon6941 Před rokem +25

    1:08:00 - That's a problem Kripke has had since Supernatural; impermanence. They couldn't keep major characters dead, if they ever killed them to begin with. Mary came back for a couple seasons. Castiel came back one too many times, in my opinion. Even fan-favourite characters, like Gabriel. Season 5 had him make a sacrifice against Lucifer; eight seasons later, it's revealed he never actually made that sacrifice. It cheapens his actions in season 5, making the character look like a douchebag coward. And not the tragic anti-hero fans built him up to be. But, don't worry, he'll get his big hero moment three episodes later(!) So, pacing also became an issue in SPN.
    And, the whole Black Noir reveal after the finale aired; it's even worse in the show itself. Not even five minutes after Maeve's "sacrifice", she's seen to be alive but powerless. They couldn't even wait for the next season to make the reveal; they did it in the same episode, not five minutes later. They could've played it so much better, had a funeral and everything, given the audience a chance to mourn... nope, she's alive, folks! She's alive and walking!

    • @Ren_Davis0531
      @Ren_Davis0531 Před rokem +5

      Can’t really blame Kripke for the Gabriel thing. He left the show after Season 5.

  • @scootie_scoot
    @scootie_scoot Před rokem +15

    just wanted to say I adore your long format video essays. They make me very nostalgic for last summer when I was living away from my parents for the first time, I’d listen to your vid essays on games during my commute home or grocery shopping. still listening today! :)

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +3

      Sarah ; - ; it's actually so flattering to know I was there being your company during your first summer away! I do the same. :D people like Sarah Schauer have been my companions on lazy nights after work/in the gym for the same reason

  • @Turtlesism
    @Turtlesism Před rokem +8

    So one of the reasons that Season 3 is so unpleasant is because The Boys is trying to figure out how to be so unsubtle, so much of a blunt instrument, that you can't watch it and think Homelander is the good guy anymore. It's literally the Mitchell and Webb NAZI sketch in a TV series, because the creators can't believe so many people didn't get it. So by the time we get to season 3, they're using a sledgehammer to try to convey their point because otherwise people just *don't* get it.
    Even now, a certain section just doesn't get that the show is a critique of their incredibly shitty worldview.

  • @Tilleyforever44
    @Tilleyforever44 Před rokem +12

    I was talking about Supernatural to someone yesterday and listing off a lot of the same things. The fact that things are so high stakes in the beginning and then nothing matters after a while. Death seems meaningless and everyone is just too powerful. I suppose that's The Kripke Effect.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +3

      "The Kripke Effect" is a beautiful term, I will be using it forever

    • @doctorjoker87
      @doctorjoker87 Před 4 měsíci

      Eric Kripke actually left Supernatural after Season 5, which was his planned ending for the show. WB decided to keep it around, and Kripke very much didn't like that idea and didn't want to be around for it, so he straight up left. Everything after Season 5 was done by people who had no real idea about the meaning of the show, which is why it suddenly becomes hollow.

  • @thedenseone6443
    @thedenseone6443 Před rokem +6

    I keep mishearing "Soldier Boy" as "Soulja Boy", and it's really fucking with me

  • @ChuggleDBuglGames
    @ChuggleDBuglGames Před rokem +21

    90 minute video on a show I haven’t watched? Let’s goooooo!

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +6

      Chuggle never change your profile pic, I actually actively look for it now 😂 I appreciate you supporting me, thanks for all the comments

    • @ChuggleDBuglGames
      @ChuggleDBuglGames Před rokem +4

      @@MertKayKay lol I’ll try not too! Just glad CZcams alerts actually worked this time and I didn’t miss a video for a week!

  • @SarahBabe
    @SarahBabe Před rokem +7

    Mild point: Butcher's brother is mentioned in Season 1 at least once if not a few times. At the very least the brother is mentioned when Butcher meets his brother.

  • @dashiellgillingham4579
    @dashiellgillingham4579 Před rokem +8

    I couldn’t get into the Boys because I read Worm in high school. I only needed to and will ever want to have gone through that once. I hit maximum edge and have bounced back all the way to an extremely idealistic adult who firmly believes the average person is good and would do good if given the power to do so. Don’t get me wrong, reality is complicated and easy to get wrong, and some people think that things are obviously horrible will do the most good possible because they cannot conceive of a world without jackboots, but I am ultimately so done with grimdark it’s changed my outlook on life itself.

  • @SmoughTown
    @SmoughTown Před rokem +29

    Glad someone said it - I said this to all my friends, especially regarding season 3 and they all thought I was mad.

  • @amtm94
    @amtm94 Před rokem +14

    Literally by the last episode of season 3, I was thinking to myself "why am I still watching this?" Not realizing it was the last episode, probably because of the all the pacing issues you mentioned. I was weirdly relieved when the "skip to next episode" prompt didn't show up lol

  • @joeyeulo1489
    @joeyeulo1489 Před rokem +14

    With one amazing long format video after another, it's a crime that this channel doesn't have the massive subscriber count it deserves. Keep going, MertKayKay, your content is amazing 😍

  • @sethnicol8850
    @sethnicol8850 Před rokem +1

    I can’t believe I just found out about this channel yesterday! I’ve been binging everything. Great work and this channel deserves a lot more subscribers than it has

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      Thanks so much Seth! Pleasure to have you on board :D

  • @Levi-jz5rv
    @Levi-jz5rv Před rokem +27

    Hey keep up the great work! The amount of time and effort you put into your content shows, and we appreciate you for it!

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +9

      Thank you so much Levi, I appreciate how much you support my videos 😭 you deserve the world

    • @Levi-jz5rv
      @Levi-jz5rv Před rokem +9

      @@MertKayKay Thank you for being such a wonderful person and creator! 😄

  • @R1ngbanana
    @R1ngbanana Před rokem +10

    I love The Boys! I think something that felt off to me with season 3 was it felt like they tried to add a lot more of the comic book, which isn’t bad, but it felt very… off in pacing

  • @AntiSocialismo50
    @AntiSocialismo50 Před rokem +62

    The boys is a good TV show, too good to be canceled. Even if the devs wanted. Its predictable they would extend it.

    • @ivanpetrov5255
      @ivanpetrov5255 Před rokem +9

      I honestly think, that this should've been a 1 season show. Expose the supers as corrupt and dangerous, probably with the cost of some or all main protagonists being killed. The idea of the show is good, but not stretchable.

    • @djmeagaaim17antman
      @djmeagaaim17antman Před 5 měsíci +1

      ​@@ivanpetrov5255That is what I have been saying as well. The show would have been much better for it

    • @ivanpetrov5255
      @ivanpetrov5255 Před 5 měsíci

      @@djmeagaaim17antman
      🐄
      🤜🤛
      🥛

  • @jubjub897
    @jubjub897 Před rokem +1

    Thanks for writing these video essays. Your wit and candor are bingeworthy

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      Thank you Jub Jub, I will have to make more!

  • @TwoPii
    @TwoPii Před 6 měsíci +1

    After going through your other videos (some of them several times) i finally reached the point where i binged the boys so i could watch this video as well 🙏

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před 6 měsíci

      I hope you had an insightful time B)

  • @bearscenario5800
    @bearscenario5800 Před rokem +2

    Really enjoyable to see your take on a series and fun to see you branch out! Love your insights Mert!

  • @Hugo_Tate
    @Hugo_Tate Před rokem +3

    Yessss. This is gonna be fucjin awesome. One of my favorite shows. One of my favorite channels. Hour and a half long video. 😭😄

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      Fuck yeah Hugo let's get into it 👏👏 also love the L profile pic

    • @Hugo_Tate
      @Hugo_Tate Před rokem +1

      @@MertKayKay thank ya!! Big Death Note fan. Yours is cool too!

  • @daisy-td9qs
    @daisy-td9qs Před rokem +1

    great video! I haven't watched the boys but my friend talks about it so much I basically know the entire plot, so it was interesting to watch an in-depth analysis beyond the surface level details

  • @adamgoodrich9807
    @adamgoodrich9807 Před rokem +4

    MertKayKay the Seven are actually a Justice League satire, not Avengers. it’s depressing being a long suffering DC fan given Marvel’s slightly over a decade of dominance but we do exist. They satire the MCU yes and in Season 3 they satire Captain America but the core of the Seven is a dark Justice League.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      I know you posted this on the The Boys video but for some reason it's shown up on the Silence of the Lambs one! That's so weird

  • @sillymari01
    @sillymari01 Před 5 měsíci +1

    my only exposure to The Boys was this mildly infamous ad campaign on Tumblr where the only ads you were able to see on the site were for the series... and it started with this one awkwardly close-up of one of the character's face.
    it was a time

  • @BrytteM
    @BrytteM Před rokem +4

    The longer the video goes on the more I realize my mind has fast tracked and summarized SO MUCH after finishing season 3 🤣
    Like my mind only kept the good bits and fic fixed the rest and WOW did all the "ohhh I recall that plotline sucked ass, yeah" hit me deep

  • @smolcat2
    @smolcat2 Před rokem +10

    ngl I was so ready to become a full on hater when I saw the title of the video but since I usually line up with your opinions in other videos I gave it a try.. and I'm so glad I did. All of the "bad" things you pointed out, like the plot falling flat over time, retconning and just randomly thrown in character backgrounds - I didn't even notice them. Usually I do but The Boys kind of blinded me with how "unique" it is lol
    I hope you get what I mean. And also I am kinda mad you pointed all that out because now I can't unsee it. I will still continue watching it tho :D
    Very interesting video

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +6

      Aww I'm so glad you gave the video a shot! I know what you mean; I also do really love the series and I wanted to give it the kudos it was due. I will still be watching Season 4 and I hope you enjoy it when it comes out as well

  • @thesleepydot
    @thesleepydot Před rokem +2

    I've been really enjoying listening to you while I do my long tedious mindless tasks recently. keep up the great work!!

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +2

      Thank you Sleepy Dot! Really happy to see you in my comment sections again >:)

    • @thesleepydot
      @thesleepydot Před rokem

      @@MertKayKay and this wont be the last you see of me! >:D

    • @thesleepydot
      @thesleepydot Před rokem +1

      @@MertKayKay and thanks. I'm really surprised that you get around to reading so many comments

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      @@thesleepydot I could never leave THE Sleepy Dot on read 🥰

  • @MicahRibbentrop
    @MicahRibbentrop Před rokem +4

    The guy who wrote the boys comic hated super hero comics and it was his "interpretation" of the genre

  • @_xkikix_
    @_xkikix_ Před rokem +13

    I love this show with all my heart from episode 1 all the way through the end of season 3, never felt any different about it. So from the get go, i guess this isnt the video for me. But! I love your content, so I'll just play it in the back and give it a like anyways, hope the algorithm is on your side! :D

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +6

      Kiki thank you 😭 I'm so grateful for your fairness and kindness

    • @_xkikix_
      @_xkikix_ Před rokem +4

      @@MertKayKay you put so much thought and effort into your work, i love your videos! even if this ones not for me, i still wanna support you! :)

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +4

      @@_xkikix_ you gem

    • @ellielovegood6307
      @ellielovegood6307 Před rokem

      Agreed

  • @w1zardelf
    @w1zardelf Před rokem +3

    maybe im misremembering, but kimiko is a child in the comics so she is frenchie's surrogate daughter.....the romance angle was pretty shocking to hear about

  • @GuyFarruski
    @GuyFarruski Před rokem +2

    The boys is such a great show, I loved watching it! It's a great representation of how super heroes would be in this day and age, really looking forward to the next season!

  • @Chellekathryn
    @Chellekathryn Před rokem +26

    I'm sensing a 3 season theme from Kripke...looking at you, Supernatural.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +15

      Gosh Supernatural, what a show

    • @livik9582
      @livik9582 Před rokem +9

      Man, they did us dirty with the ending of spn

    • @lolcatize12
      @lolcatize12 Před rokem +3

      now that you say that : Dear fucking god somebody teach kripke to just fucking comit. You already bored us to tears with constant powercreep and artificial crisis after crisis in SN and now the boys.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +16

      @@lolcatize12 I loved when they started being like "NOW HES IN SUPER HELL" and it got so ridiculous

    • @lolcatize12
      @lolcatize12 Před rokem +9

      @@MertKayKay Or "we need this super special blade to kill the demons" only for them to go oprah with angel blades.

  • @josephmatthews7698
    @josephmatthews7698 Před rokem +14

    It really boils down to, the whole point of this show was "we shouldn't give people or corporations unlimited power, it's too dangerous even if you think they are good people the power will ultimately corrupt them. This is what really happens when we raise people to Godhood and have them walk among us."
    They completely lost the plot around third season and now the whole point of the show is, "We should give some people unlimited power if we really trust them to be good people so they can pew pew and POW! The real bad guys with unlimited power because unlimited power is super cool lol. Superhero fights are awesome lol, let's do some more cuz it's super cathartic and I don't want to think about the repercussions."
    They really are satirizing themselves without even realizing it at this point.
    I lost all interest the second they made compound v free and available to the 'good guys' too. If they had half the balls this storyline requires they would have turned the good guys into villains right after taking compound v and introducing new underdog heroes to face them.
    In fact it would have been the greatest thing ever if Voight convinced Hughie to join them to 'help clean them up' and fix the evil stuff they do and the show ends with Hughie racing through the streets to defuse a bomb and kills a woman's boyfriend exactly like A train killed his.

    • @t.dmattocks6119
      @t.dmattocks6119 Před 2 měsíci

      Other than that last paragraph being an interesting idea I really disagree. I don't see whats wrong with bringing a gun to a gun fight.
      The Boys are not Voight, they don't have any political or influential power, let alone as much as a megacorp. This makes it sound like the only problem is the supes.

  • @nativeoriginsent.entertain9637

    Finally a new video I love this channels content 💯💯

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem

      Thank you Native, you are the best!

  • @lErickl
    @lErickl Před rokem +14

    Wow never expected a the boys video, this one will be interesting to watch.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +4

      I really hope you enjoy it!!

    • @lErickl
      @lErickl Před rokem +5

      @@MertKayKay i did enjoy it and my favorite character was definitely hughie during season 1 and 2, but i have to give props to Anthony Star's performance on homelander, he did such an amazing job with homeland trough the 3 seasons.

  • @brabhamF1
    @brabhamF1 Před 7 měsíci +2

    I think a big problem with people loving a character in a show like this is, them actually just liking the actor and their level of performance.

  • @AngelofGrace96
    @AngelofGrace96 Před rokem +2

    This was a really interesting deep dive, I haven't watched the boys but I really enjoyed this video and your take on it

  • @summerchild_
    @summerchild_ Před rokem +4

    The relationship between the Female and the French man is so much more interesting, fun and LESS WEIRD than frenchie and kimiko

  • @blasterblade02
    @blasterblade02 Před rokem +15

    Maybe it's just that a lot of the show plays into specifically American politics, but The Boys (even the newer seasons) has always been about social commentary. The Deep never faces any real punishment for sexual assault because in real life celebrities and the rich rarely face any punishment for the same actions. I don't get your point on Stormfront, but from my perspective her being a Nazi plays into the Alt-Right and how Nazism and American-Christian Fundamentalism are closely tied together. The Alt-Right thrives off of social media and when Fat Neil (I only know him through Community) kills the cashier it's about how racist narratives are spread through mainstream media and radicalizes everyday people. We are currently seeing this more fleshed out with Todd.
    I am a huge fan of the boys and was a little let down by the Season 3 finale, but overall I liked the season and still think The Boys is the best TV show as of late. Since we're being nitpicky. A 1 hour and 30 minute video critique doesn't need an in depth recap if you're not going to explain any nuance going on during the scenes. I like your videos but this seems a bit out of left field content-wise.

  • @JosephCoenMason
    @JosephCoenMason Před rokem +5

    Besides the writing and characterization being viewed as good, the reason why the "Heroes" are written the way they are, in case you didn't already know, the writer behind the Comics HATES Superheroes and I mean he REALLY hates heroes, it's palpable. Haha

  • @yukitty_writes
    @yukitty_writes Před rokem +8

    ahh another entry into long analysis of series i've never seen but will eagerly watch because i love the creator making it
    edit: also every time you said soldier boy i heard soulja boy, and i kept thinking wtf is soulja boy doing here

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +2

      It's so flattering that you watch my stuff 😁😁 thank you Yoonkitty!

  • @Reynbow11037
    @Reynbow11037 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Compound V24 lasts 24 hours. Hence the name
    Also black noirs return is explained in the comics. The comics are a lot worse, in my opinion, have a bunch of interesting ideas that the show uses as inspiration and changes. A lot of the issues you had are originally from the source material that the show tried to incorporate
    The show also has a plan for a 5 season series. The writers have had 5 seasons planned out from the beginning

  • @carleeelizabeth
    @carleeelizabeth Před rokem +5

    i've been thinking this about maeve silently because all my friends were going on about what a queen she is and i was just thinking "literally why though"

  • @snowange.l
    @snowange.l Před rokem +6

    I am a massive fan of the comics so i was skeptical of the show, but I absolutely loved the first season and the direction they took for the plot and characters. However i had the same reaction as you as the series went on because it felt like they lost the one of the core ideas of the boys: the fact that Voght is the true villain. The supes are bad and that can never be ignored, but Voght creates, funds, and supports them no matter how depraved they are, and that is the source of first season and the comics satire

  • @willmill445
    @willmill445 Před rokem +14

    Thanks for this review. Season 3 of this show was relentlessly advertised to me and I wasn't interested in watching it, but now I get to scratch the itch of knowing about it without actually having to watch it.

  • @BM-jy2gh
    @BM-jy2gh Před rokem +4

    This is a great video, as always, but I also want to appreciate how cute your cat is

  • @Pdasniper
    @Pdasniper Před rokem +2

    I just spotted that I've been watching your channel out of order. Up untill now I mostly relied on CZcams recommendations, and they were all over the place. I've watched some videos from a year ago, then the most recent ones, then some very old ones as well.
    What's really impressive is I didn't even realize it untill looking at the dates. You have extremely consistent style and it really looks like it was already fully developed from the moment the first video was published. I'm amazed.
    My only problem is how little videos there are a actually :(.
    Didn't realize I watched everything except trophy related content

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      Aww I will make some more videos as fast as I can 😤😤😤 I'm so glad you like my videos!

    • @Pdasniper
      @Pdasniper Před rokem +1

      @@MertKayKay will you be interested in reviewing SIGNALIS? I've completed this game on release at the end of October and I can't stop thinking about it ever since. It's a passion project of just two people and, in my opinion, worth every penny. The soundtrack is one of the most memorable in recent memory, and the atmosphere is unparalleled. The story is quite convoluted, but very rewarding if you pay attention.
      I really can't let this game go, crying over the soundtrack once in a while. Was really interested of what you think about.
      I would just advice to go full blind except for maybe a trailer and a genre list on steam.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem

      @@Pdasniper I've actually just bought that game! 😮 I will have to see if it needs a full video or if a five minute review will be okay

    • @Pdasniper
      @Pdasniper Před rokem +1

      @@MertKayKay oh man I'm excited

  • @matheusarruda6462
    @matheusarruda6462 Před 6 měsíci +3

    I think the show is a victim of three things: 1) its own success 2) its source material 3) it's still ultimately a corporate product sponsoring corporate products.
    1) Its own success means the show is getting trapped in doing its own greatest hits forever rather than progressing the story forwards, so we can't lose any of the anchors (The Boys themselves, Starlight or Homelander) change their status quo too much. So no one significant dies, no major relationships get irreparably damaged, consequences are seldom-seen and so forth. It's just kind of running circles around itself trying not to rock the boat too hard.
    2) The source material means that if you have read the comic by Garth Ennis then you'll know the show is based on a fairly terrible, reactionary and puerile story and the show is unquestionably a gigantic improvement over it, so they don't have much to fall back on. They're already scraping the bottom of the barrel as is in many senses by taking one-note jokes like Soldier Boy and turning them into compelling characters. It's commendable, but it also means they're basically flying solo.
    3) The elephant in the living room is that this show very much the product of a massive corporate conglomerate (that is, Amazon) on the same wavelength as Vought. This is probably why they can do searing criticism against some rivals (namely Disney and occasionally some Fox) but any actual long-term solutions seem inexistent because they can't say "eat the rich", so the show is just stuck on showing shock-jock superhero antics for a mix of criticism and subversive enjoyment rather than exactly fighting against those things. This is part of why Homelander became a cultural icon rather than anyone else: he's the star of the show and the entertainer.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před 6 měsíci +1

      This is an incredible summary! I completely agree :D Thank you

  • @whypothetical
    @whypothetical Před rokem +3

    The Seven are more Justice League than Avengers (Homelander = Superman, A-Train = Flash, Maeve = Wonder Woman, Black Noir = Batman, The Deep = Aquaman), but Soldier Boy is definitely a Captain America spoof.

    • @MertKayKay
      @MertKayKay  Před rokem +1

      Yep that was my biggest blunder

    • @whypothetical
      @whypothetical Před rokem +1

      @@MertKayKay you make A+ videos, though. Miss watching you on Twitch and hope you're doing great!

    • @whypothetical
      @whypothetical Před rokem +1

      Lol also, I didn't mean to sound like one of those "ummm actuallly" condescending nerds, you totally ended up saying they were like specific members of the Justice League later in the vid.

  • @phaeton01
    @phaeton01 Před rokem +14

    The one big mistake they made was killing translucent and not black noir.
    Translucent was the perfect character to act as a spy and either represent a genuine threat to the group or a genuine asset, never knowing whose side he’s on.
    black noir (is his name an actual tautology?) says nothing, does nothing and dies

  • @clarkmichaels822
    @clarkmichaels822 Před rokem +17

    The Boys is really the last in a line of superhero deconstructions and satire. I'd argue that it is almost as old as the superhero genre itself. Watchmen is obviously the most famous example but there is also The Authority, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, One Punch Man, Super, etc.

  • @IceDelight
    @IceDelight Před rokem +2

    I watched each season when they were first released and really liked them all.

  • @sm24644
    @sm24644 Před rokem +11

    Honestly had a similar experience I really like the first season and second season was okay. I totally agree about sexual assault it feels like a cheap and easy way to inflict horror on the viewer. Homelander is scary on his own with his fragile ego you don't need to go to gross territory especially with the deep who was just a creep.

  • @charlietheuncreative6737

    OH MY GOD THIS SHOW IS THE ORIGIN OF THE LASER BABY GIF
    I SAW THAT GIF SO MANY TIMES ON TUMBLR AS AN AD AND I DIDNT KNOW WHERE IT WAS FROM

  • @cookiescream1993
    @cookiescream1993 Před rokem

    Greatness as always! ❤🎉

  • @fabiancaceres1473
    @fabiancaceres1473 Před rokem +4

    "like romeo and juliet, but approperly aged"
    i love your comments jadaasdha

  • @RedhoodJT
    @RedhoodJT Před rokem +8

    Honestly I like seasons 2 and 3. I skipped season 1, for reasons. Karl Urban's Billy Butcher is my favorite part of the show. He's the kind of foul mouthed, spec-ops, character that I love. They even flesh him out and humanize him more than in the comics.

  • @arcanefury3666
    @arcanefury3666 Před rokem +6

    Im just about 30+ in
    Maybe my knowledge of the comics is messing with my knowledge of the show but i actually think they did that brother comparison pretty decent in the show. I think its because I really latched on to MM's speach comparing Butcher and Huey to a canary in the coal mine. You know that scene in the show, where Butcher threatens to murder that guy's granddaughter, then smiles and thanks her for the tea she's prepared, the guy is like that allllll the time in comics. He can be friendly and downright evil but all the positive influences in his life all have the effect of stopping Butcher from going too far. Becka keeps Butcher zen and sober, Lenny kept Butcher from murdering his dad, and Huey attempts to do it in the story's ultimate climax and when Butcher tried to murder a team of idiotic but well meanning supes. Maybe the issue in the show wasnt the dialog but the lack of Huey and Butcher being together
    Ps. If you read the comic be warned there's a lot of piss, debauchery, and off putting events that got toned down or wont happen in the show

  • @emilybrooks8139
    @emilybrooks8139 Před rokem +3

    Your thoughts on Homelander reminds me a bit of Brandon Sanderson's book, "Steelheart". It opens with the same sort of character, with an ultra-powerful character with no regard for human life, but the way that it opens has stuck with me for years. I think I first read it in high school, and I'm in grad school now. I don't really remember how the other books in the series went, but that first one has stuck with me. I would recommend taking a look at it! You may like it.