Review: 'The Boys,' Season Two, Remains Intense and Bloody

Making America Safe Again!

Or are they? That the questions posed Amazon Prime's genre-bending action series "The Boys," which is back for its second season.

Based on a graphic novel series of the same name, and produced for television by Eric Kripke, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen, the series turns the superhero drama on its ear. In a world ripped from the comic books, the public depends on its superheroes to save the day, and thanks to The Seven fighting for truth and justice, a safe America is guaranteed.

But as Hughie (Jack Quaid) quickly learns, "supers" are above the law. His girlfriend is killed by one of them. And when a national conglomerate named Vought International intervenes on behalf of the supers to bribe him into silencing his voice, something doesn't seem right about it to him. Then when a hardened-looking shady character calling himself Billy Butcher (played by "Star Trek" star Karl Urban) turns up on his doorstep, the pair get sucked into an all-out conspiracy. It isn't long before "The Boys" are the most wanted men in the supers' crosshairs.

When Season 2 premieres, the "hero" named Homelander (Anthony Starr) has all but inserted himself as the leading authority behind the brand. The Homelander has his own agenda, and that means slowly asserting his will and protecting America's interests and values with an iron fist. Hughie and the Butcher learn the truth: That superpowers aren't a naturally occurring event in the population; it's the product of a drug manufactured by Vought, and it's getting weaponized and sold! Hughie befriends Starlight (Erin Moriarty), The Seven's newest recruit, and seeks her help.

After getting preyed upon by her teammate The Deep (Chase Crawford), Starlight is no longer jaded by the allure of the spotlight afforded to The Seven and is convinced that Hughie and The Boys may be on to something. Determined to fight for what is right, Starlight has moved up in the ranks of The Seven, especially after revealing The Deep for the slug he is and forcing the organization to deploy him to the dankest outpost. While The Deep tries to crawl back from the depths, Homelander is setting his plans in motion and is willing to take out anyone in his way.

The series drew a lot of attention in its premiere season (almost as much as its star Chance Crawford, who plays the aquatic hero The Deep, drew for his particularly well-fitting swimsuit) for its ironic sense of humor and darkly relevant spin. The series continues to push the envelope in its second season. Filled with more conspiracy theories, plot twists, and ghastly violent gags aplenty, "The Boys" is heading on a trajectory that is sure to surprise in each episode. With most of the mainstream hero shows currently on pause, "The Boys" is the ticket!

With intense character development, thrilling special effects, and tightly defined abs and glutes to gawk at, you'll find yourself rooting for the underdog, as well as hoping that true love does conquer all. The second season of "The Boys" has everything the dedicated genre-geek could ask for, and with the current vacuum to fill – The CW's primetime heroes aren't expected to return until 2021 – the Amazon Prime Original Series is the best game in town. A word of caution: "The Boys," like its heroes, doesn't pull its punches – leading to many bloody messes!

"The Boys," Season Two, is now streaming on Amazon Prime.