The Boys are almost back in town for Season 4, and if you haven't checked out the Prime Video series before, it's a much darker look at superheroes than its DC or Marvel compatriots. Of course, when kids hear about superheroes, they want to watch... But this series is decidedly not for them.
Loosely based on the comic books by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the series takes place in a world where everyone knows that superheroes are real. In fact, the Supes are celebrities, with people following their every move and wanting to snap photos with them. They all know they’re beloved, and that causes some serious problems.
Instead of using their powers purely to save people, they use their powers for their own gain. It’s all about their numbers with the fans, and who cares if innocent people are hurt along the way? Well, a group of vigilantes care -- called The Boys -- and they will stop at nothing to make sure the world knows what the Supes are really capable of, and bring an end to their celebrity statuses.
The Boys parents guide: The TV-MA age rating explained
This is a show that is full of violence, gore, and language. That’s what you’d expect from something involving superheroes, right? Well, showrunner Eric Kripke enjoys pushing boundaries, making this series earn its TV-MA rating from the start.
Sex & nudity: Oh, there is a lot of this throughout the seasons. We see full-frontal nudity whenever the series has a chance, and there are plenty of scenes of people having sex. In fact, at one point, there is an orgy that involves a Supe with a penis that grows long enough to strangle people. You can’t escape the nudity.
Language: The series does not shy away from language, with Kripke making use of the fact the show is on Prime Video. You will hear a lot of F-bombs and the C-word all the time. I don’t think there is a scene without any swearing. Karl Urban's Billy Butcher is a huge fan of the C-word, but he’s not the only one who uses it! You can even turn to the social media channels for the series to see how much those involved in creating the series love to use it, too!
There are also a lot of slur names and terms used in the series. This is especially the case in the second season when the show introduces a Supe who is a literal Nazi.
Violence & gore: The very first episode of the series will show you the level of gore and violence to expect. A-Train is The Boys’s version of The Flash, and he literally runs through a person on the street. We see this poor girl get completely annihilated by A-Train in every little detail. There is also a point where an invisible Supe has a bomb placed up his butthole and that bomb explodes. Despite the character being invisible at the time, we see plenty of body parts all over the walls afterward!
That’s just the first couple of episodes of the series. As the show goes on, we get exploding heads, being killed through laser eyes, and graphic wounds shown on screen.
Alcohol & drugs: Frenchie (Tomer Capone) is a drug user, and we see him taking drugs regularly both through flashbacks and in the present day. We also see many of the characters drinking, even just as a way to relax. After what they see in a normal day’s work, that shouldn’t be all too surprising.
The third season introduces a superpower-infused chemical that is used like a drug. Characters soon start to rely on it, creating an addiction-like storyline.
Overall verdict: Who is The Boys appropriate for?
Keep the younger eyes away from the screen. This could be too much for some teenagers, as it’s too much for some adults. This is a series that doesn’t shy away from the realities of superheroes and their powers, especially when it comes to the level of gore they can create!