This series attracted quite a bit of buzz with both season 1 and then even more so with season 2. I was not passionate about watching a gritty, mature superhero series that capitalized and focused on gore. However, I was wrong because there is a lot of character development and the writers take several risks with its characters.

I am a huge fan of Jack Quaid now. I would even say that he is a better actor than his father, Dennis Quaid. His character Hughie is the heart of the show. He seems to be a constant, the one character that has a moral conscience and desire to truly be good. One of the best attributes of Hughie is his kindness and ability to empathize with several of the characters, including Billy Butcher. Karl Urban plays the rough Billy Butcher who is on a warpath to avenge Supes who have wronged him.

Billy Butcher creates a team named The Boys. Each member has been wronged by a Supe, besides Frenchie who seems to have a certain knack for determining weaknesses of Supes. The focus of the series is Supes vs. The Boys, but using a cloak and dagger structure in the first season. There are no outright conflicts, but continuous spying or reconnaissance throughout the first season.

This is why in season 2, it is surprising to see backstory for certain characters. They even allude to a certain mystery regarding Hughie's mother that will most likely be solved in season 3. The audience does not actually ask questions about the Boys' past or even Supes that belong to the Seven. I inferred incorrectly that Hughie's mother had passed away, so I was shocked when I was wrong. I wonder what other secrets the writers could be hiding.

Season 1 is far more focused on building this new world full of superheroes. A lot of time is spent with Homelander, the leader of the Supes. Most of the superheroes are modeled after heroes from Marvel and DC; Homelander is modeled after Superman. He does not have the same positive qualities of Superman. He is a complete sociopath and mentally deranged. There are very many examples of this throughout both seasons. His teammates, notably Queen Maeve and A-Train, are also explored in season 1. The Deep and Black Noir remain mysteries in season 1, but they are featured more in season 2.

Another surprise is the high mortality rate amongst the characters of the show. The writers are not scared to swiftly kill off characters. Some of the characters they kill off I disagree with. I feel that there could have been a fascinating exploration of character dynamics, it felt like a missed opportunity.

Lastly, there are a couple actors that appear from Timeless and Supernatural. I know this is because of Eric Kripke, but it is nice to see. I do highly recommend the show. I am disgusted by the amount of gore depicted so I always had my phone near me so I could look at something else when visually repulsive scenes occurred. I suggest you watch the show and recommend it to friends! I hope that you watch it and like it!