The Reel Rejects - THE BOYS Season 5 Episode 3 REVIEW – SHOCKED BY WHAT HOMELANDER DID TO (SPOILER)

Starting point is 00:00:00 LG. It's a little Greg. Appliance extraordinary. Let's watch the boys! In a violent show, maybe the most violent thing I've seen. That was The Boys Season 5, episode 3. I'd like to thank Prepper for editing down such easy, palatable YouTube content. Woo!

Starting point is 00:00:34 Appreciate it. If you guys want to sync up with your own copy over on Patreon, watch it in its entirety. Also, exclusive watch along with these gentlemen. Greg, what do you think? I think a lot of things, Quo. Do you? First reaction. Be gentle with them in the comments. Every day.

Starting point is 00:00:54 Jesse T. I sure was credited. I wonder if that's because he was in the opening, no, he wasn't. Anyway, you were saying? There's probably a picture. This season's going to nail it. Yeah. This season's going to nail it. My God. I really was, I was like, maybe he's dead. he's not who knows when it came to fucking right right and i really i go either way they kill him off great i love that homelander turned against him ultimately and he has just gotten lost and to be

Starting point is 00:01:24 thinking he's the new jesus christ that's genius right there where else do you go it's great it's genius for a show that has been commentating on how one side of the political aisle tends to really weaponize Christianity. I love it when, you know, there you got someone who's in power who thinks they are the second coming of Christ. Can't know where that. Where does that come from? What? Huh? Anyway. So, yeah, that was like a really fun. And this is like just the immediacy stakes are so strong. It is like pulse pounding in a way where you really don't know where it's going to go. A lot of times by the time you get to a final season, you're like, well, it has to land here, right? It's got a land here and we got to wrap up this thing and we got to wrap a bath thing

Starting point is 00:02:08 and then now they're wrapping this shit up. But they keep mixing stuff up with a homelander and soldier boy and putting out that he is his, that's his dad and then soldier boys then sleeping with fire start, fire star, what are they? Firecracker? Firecracker. Firecracker. You know, there's like some parts where I feel like some of the executions are tad off, specifically when it comes to the stuff with like

Starting point is 00:02:35 Samir and Zoe it's not all like it's not an outright bat or something like that it's the part of the execution that I feel like is not as strong as it's surrounded by a lot of incredibly strong elements then you got those one part where it feels a tatter-rushed but outside of that man this is just damn good television I have no idea

Starting point is 00:02:58 really how it's all going to wrap up or go outside of like I imagine Butcher and Homelander both die by the end. They both seem like they should die. Outside of that, yeah, I think it's a damn good television, man. I'm really happy with the way this is all progressing. Likewise. John?

Starting point is 00:03:14 I would agree. I mean, this has been, I feel like this has been the strongest it's been since season two in a consistent manner. And I feel like they've recalibrated in a way to where, yeah, like the shocking stuff is a little bit more, uh, it is done with people. purpose rather than we're just having fun and it feels nice to have like less an array of like here's a bunch of stuff happening versus here's like the yeah we feels like the plot has its momentum and is like headed toward a destination and i can feel like you said the the pulse and the tension of that and yeah like there are certain things here that feel like if you weren't in a final season they could be expounded upon like all the stuff in the bunker and all the stuff with samir and zoe especially seems like especially just like especially just to you having that kind of boiled to one scene for how significant the virus is, feels, yeah, certainly abrupt.

Starting point is 00:04:08 But all the, yeah, the homelander Ryan butcher stuff, especially, I thought was really strong and interesting here. And, you know, the way that, uh, soldier boy factors into all that and this, yeah, this like strange little dynasty that they have. And, uh, and yeah, I like the part of the fun of the whole show is like, what on earth is this homelander personality going to mutate to when pushed. Like, it's so fun to watch him get pushed into these positions where he's uncomfortable or overwhelmed. But then those always come at the cost of some either greater malevolence or in this case, something that's quite fascinating, which is, yeah, like a break from reality into the divine.

Starting point is 00:04:52 And it was really great just to have a moment with Elizabeth Shue again, because that is one presence that I've really missed since season one. And there have been a lot of great other characters and a lot of great, you know, flavors that have come into and out of the show since then. But it was really, that was like a standout moment, that, that vision that he has in that exchange that they have. And, uh, and yeah, I'm digging the shit out of this for the most part. Uh, I co-sign all, all, both of you said, I think for me, the, the week episode, the weak element of this episode and it's, it got fixed, uh, was I wasn't really identifying with Huey's choices. And then the speech with, Starlight really I mean it's one of those things where it's like this is the thesis of the episode but it really worked

Starting point is 00:05:36 I really liked him trying to prevent the legacy of violence and the difference between like stopping something going wrong and trying to do something right I really enjoyed that dynamic because it contextualize everyone's choices so at first I didn't like how heavy handed it they made it obvious it was heavy handed in everyone trying to stop him from his guilt and going so far above but it really wasn't working for me until it was like set out loud

Starting point is 00:05:57 and then it kind of gave everything like a nice little shine to it. But for me, the highlight is definitely Homelander's fragility has always been really fascinating. If you've got someone that can do anything, what do they want? And he wants to be loved so much. And every season, it's a different version of that. And every season, his insecurity is his greatest weakness. And it's always him in a place of fragility and insecurity when he ascends to another top. But when you've got a Superman, what do they,

Starting point is 00:06:27 believe is higher than what they already are. And the actual planet Vought becomes planet homelander visual at the end of his own grandeur, but also the reality of leadership. Like I think if you look at the individual, like a person, I know I myself move the finish line at all times. Like anytime I accomplish something that would have been the dream of five years ago, it's nothing. And I just go to the next thing. Anytime I look back on my years, I'm like, oh, right, I did that thing. And I thought this would make me happy and it doesn't like i spent years just trying to make a living without having to like pick what groceries i was buying by what was on sale and i thought once i could grocery shop that would be like the peak of of comfort and then of course you want more and more and

Starting point is 00:07:14 there is never a point i don't think for ambitious people to feel like they did anything much less something big and so right there's no end to i mean that's why humans go to everest and die. We always strive for more. And especially with ambitious people, if you add delusion to that, if you add like madness to that, so many stories of leaders becoming mad with power. Like, look at the great leaders or the infamous leaders. So I was really curious where Homelandra could go past where he reached in three and four. So I love the element of adding full delusion and like the imagery they're playing with and the psychosis and those things because the point of these shows is to be an elevated version of our reality.

Starting point is 00:07:59 And if in our reality, we've got the things we have going on with pure madness, how do you put a cape on that? And I think this does a really good job of being incredibly beautifully sacrilegious while also being a wonderful commentary on the brokenness of men who think that power will make them happy. Terribly said, Coy. Always. Are you trying to put words together in an order that is coherent?

Starting point is 00:08:29 Badly English, please. I don't know what it is we do here. Help. You're not quite the oratory you think you are. I'm just trying to say

Starting point is 00:08:41 what I thought of my head out loud. These were here and I was trying to put it here. It was here. I hope the words were $5 because everything's so expensive. I can't afford your words. I don't want inflation to be

Starting point is 00:08:54 about my words. It's so costly. Afford me. Everything you're saying is you know, for the most part, correct. Ish. I got a couple of nip- You're almost there. It's fair.

Starting point is 00:09:05 I'd take another pass of that draft. Give me a little, you know, correct me wherever wrong. Please let me know what I said wrong. Here's where your opinion really started to go off the race. When you're speaking about the madness of the leadership side, Homelander, at the end of the day, it's like, he's always been illustrated as this guy who's like, well, as long as mommy likes me, as long as daddy likes me. My kid likes me.

Starting point is 00:09:31 What happens when you get rid of needing the kid's approval? What happens when you get rid of needing dad's approval? Like, he brings both back into his life. And I like the idea of him being, thinking is Jesus, because Jesus is the son of God. And it's him thinking he's like the ultimate God. You're right. And in Christianity, you believe that Jesus and God are one.

Starting point is 00:09:52 Like, Jesus is God, plain and simple. It's not like, you know, there's Jesus, but God's above him. You know, they're one. He's the deputy God. No, there's just. So to say like, oh, why would you like Jesus more and then to liken it to the idea of how he's also persecuted to and Christ was also persecuted? He was crucified. He's become literally the symbol of the cross.

Starting point is 00:10:14 And him being told by Elizabeth Shoe, which of course is his own psychosis, that you should just get rid of the people who don't agree with you. Yeah. Baptize them in their own blood. It has them in their own blood. It's like clever way. It's cool in creative writing because it is the clever way to put grammar when you're talking to the public and you're like, wait, are they talking about genocide? They're talking about genocide, right?

Starting point is 00:10:44 Giving it a little flavor. But when you frame it, when you put a framework around it, you can have people not realize that they're talking about genocide right now, but other people look at it as like, no, we're doing this for God. everything about Homelander is a rock solid stuff do you guys like

Starting point is 00:11:00 what's going on with Butcher here about him being like because as we were all saying like the father and son Jesus God father and son Tales what did you say about his dad again What butcher said he took him down to the Thames What does that mean?

Starting point is 00:11:17 Oh the Thames is the big river outside of London Yeah Oh So the implication being put them out the pastor The fish is? Yeah But maybe you just bought him a nice little, you know, flat by the temps. We'll see that his dad actually the last second got V.

Starting point is 00:11:32 Yeah. He'll show up at a power-dust. He's fishing on the tent. Yeah, he fights the deep. That's how he went. Well, like him taking Ryan to the bar is very visually symbolic of what his dad was doing with him growing up. It seems like, though, that I'm the kind of guy who likes if Butcher just decides to just really commit to the, the goal and become the most ruthless, heartless person? I think he's going to take V1 himself,

Starting point is 00:12:00 and he's going to be the one that fights Homelander. I think the heart of him will come back out because of storytelling and protagonism. We need to care about him before he dies. I'm like, I'm fine with him throwing Ryan down the pit. I'm cool with just like, go all cynical on my ass. I don't really give shit. I think that would be fun. But I can also see how that can perhaps undermine some of this five-season journey we've been on with this individual. I worry something's going to happen to terror because he's been in so many episodes now. Well, do you think French is going to die? Or do you think they're setting them up to have a happily ever after?

Starting point is 00:12:34 I think either they both die or they're the only ones that make it. Or Kimiko gets pregnant and Frenchie lives on. No, no, I think Camico gets pregnant. He dies and then she gets the kids. Yeah, and the French she lives on and the babies. He names, yeah, she's names them all Frenchie. Right. La Frenchie too.

Starting point is 00:12:51 Frenchita, Frenchita and Frenchie. Francois. or two boys in a girl whatever Stan Edgar Stan Edgar They made him interesting again I haven't really been invested in that character in a little bit

Starting point is 00:13:00 Yeah as he was talking I was like oh yeah that's right He showed up in when I was started To not like Gen VCs too Yeah That was reminding me of that like Oh they he's just here to give exposition That's all fucking Stan Hanger does now

Starting point is 00:13:13 He just shows up to monologue I feel like that's all they let Giancarlo Esposito As an actor do now generally In other projects and this They're like we need someone to talk Gus Frank We need someone whose presence punches up the exposition nature

Starting point is 00:13:25 of this dialogue. Because so many movies in the 90s where he gets to be like an actual actor. Like I feel so bad for Gungarlow post Breaking Bad where it's like, guys, I have many layers and he's like, no, you have one and it's exposition man. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I like them through season three, two through four, but they had the layer of like, what's

Starting point is 00:13:41 the mystery behind his motives, the way he interacted with Starlight, of course with Newman. So they had depth and then you think there would be some more depth with him. He keeps calling Zoe his granddaughter, but I never really feel like they're grand connection. Yeah, I don't really see that connection.

Starting point is 00:13:57 No, not at all. I don't really get an award with their relationship. Well, in fact, the stuff we have spent the most time with is the harshest stuff. So it does feel like a pretty nasty. Yeah, all that feels, again, like if it wasn't the final season or something, we could have done a whole episode focused on being there and the things happening around this place or something. Because, like, they've bothered to have Zoe be a part of the show for so long. and her reuniting with Samir,

Starting point is 00:14:24 it should be a, it should be like, you know, it's not gonna, they're not the mainest character, so it's not gonna hit as hard as others, but like it should hit, I feel like, and register as an emotional significant,

Starting point is 00:14:34 a beat of emotional significance. Yeah. Rather than like the hyper perfunctory treatment, it kind of gets here. It does feel like a plot mechanic here, which is sad. I felt the, the moment with Samir destroying everything pretty strong.

Starting point is 00:14:46 I felt that moment. Yeah. But then there was a quick resolve to that. That would bother me. I, like, The reuniting I felt a little tickle and then it quickly was like, got to pivot to the damage. And then the damage I felt and I was like,

Starting point is 00:14:57 got to resolve it. That's one, two, three punch could have been like 10 minutes and I would have felt all of it more. This felt like it was a longer episode that they had to find a couple clever ways of like removing portions from. Yeah. Because it was already an hour.

Starting point is 00:15:12 I also wanted to see what her and Ryan's dynamic is a little more than just that one exchange. I felt more for Ryan getting you know, beaten to death than I would have expected. That was one of the more brutal scenes of the whole show for me. Like that was like look away hard to watch a couple times. And this show's a violent show. So it's when something stands out, that's saying something. Well, that's a moment that highlights me like, like the difference, I guess, between violence and splatter is like there's a lot of like shocking stuff that's treated wacky. But like,

Starting point is 00:15:43 this is a simple, familiar, tangible act that is also, because of the way like movie censoring works like so one thing i've heard in so many movie commentaries is we had to cut this down from like 10 or 12 or 20 strikes to three and so when you see stuff now where it's like one yeah five seven 10 it's like it really hits and registers and it was really harsh and nasty and like that's a moment where i'm like i don't love hateful moments but i'm like that's a very effective and then you cut away and part of me is always like if we cut away and they're not dead they're not dead uh but at the same time you still feel like the toll of that. So it kind of cancels out

Starting point is 00:16:23 for me the sort of like need to figure out the outcome for just the actual impact. Well, they're talking about the cycle of violence and the cycle of revenge and everything about father and son and how history can repeat itself through generations. And even though

Starting point is 00:16:39 Butcher was not the one to deliver that to Ryan, because of how Butcher motivates Ryan, I could see how Butcher could feel responsible for what just happened. 100%. In the same way about how Butcher was constantly beat by his own father. So it's just like perpetuating itself.

Starting point is 00:16:55 I didn't expect to see him bring it at the end. That was a moment. I thought he was dead. I kind of wish I didn't see it. I would have liked to have just one of the episode, leave it for a week. I think it would have felt a little like a cop out if we thought he died for a week.

Starting point is 00:17:06 Like I, you know what I mean? If he breathed the first moment of the next episode, I'd be like, you're not a doctor who the fan. It's what they do. Yeah. People be dying. You're going to clivang us with the worst case scenario

Starting point is 00:17:16 and then first minute of the next episode. It's fine. He's fine. Actually, he's fine. He's fine. Actually, he's better now. Stronger. He absorbs some

Starting point is 00:17:24 Homelanders power. I'd love to know what you guys think. It was a hell of an episode. It's been a hell of a season. We are a third of the way into the final season of the boys. That is effectively Act 1. We got ourselves a Jesus. We got ourselves some father's son guilt.

Starting point is 00:17:38 We got some tension amongst the boys and the seven. He's going to team up with David. Some V1's coming. Yeah, and now that biblical... Homeland or megachurch is coming. That little biblical moments. Got a lot more context now. That seed's been planted.

Starting point is 00:17:50 flowering into full delusion. Yeah, we'll be back next week for episode four. Stay tuned for lots of coverage of this. Daredevil movies, all the stuff. Hit that subscription bell, press all the buttons. Leave a comment. Let us know what you thought. We'll see you soon.

The Reel Rejects - THE BOYS Season 5 Episode 3 REVIEW – SHOCKED BY WHAT HOMELANDER DID TO (SPOILER)

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.