from superhero criticism to political satire

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One of the most powerful men in the United States, a corrupt incarnation of patriotism, with an improbable blond hairstyle, is brought to justice in a Manhattan court. On the court square, his supporters and opponents exchange insults and projectiles. For those who had some doubts about the allegorical nature of The Boysthese sequences from the first episode of the fourth season demonstrate the perfect harmony between Homelander, the protector, the superhero with dictatorial aspirations, and Donald Trump.

Started in 2019, while the latter was still occupying the Oval Office, as a deconstruction of the mythology of superheroes, The Boys has become, over the seasons, a furious satire which gives a grotesque image (but, alas, not very far from its model) of public life in the United States. It’s not difficult, for example, to recognize Representative Marjorie Taylor Green in the character of Firecracker (Valorie Curry), a superhero with ridiculous powers, an influencer quick to spread the most absurd theories.

Gradually, political satire became the backbone of The Boys. The first seasons, by revealing (be careful, those who have not seen them are exposed to an inopportune revelation) that the powers of Homelander and his colleagues are the result of the experiments of a multinational, have overcome the mystique which surrounds the characters created by DC or Marvel. It is now a matter of dismantling the confusion between spectacle and politics, the collusion between industry and power. Which does not prevent the series from remaining faithful to its tradition of provocation. The purposes to which Splinter (Rob Benedict), gifted with the ability to reproduce his body infinitely, devotes this power would result in the series being banned for those under 16, if it were screened in theaters.

Melodramatic dimension

Finally, Eric Kripke, the showrunner of this adaptation of a famous comic book series, does not forget that it is also his responsibility to fulfill the destiny of each of his characters. Promised to end soon, Butcher (Karl Urban), the founder of The Boys, a unit fighting against “supes”, hesitates between redemption and chaos, while Annie January (Erin Moriarty) resolves, with death in her soul, to assume her status as a superhero in order to overcome the invasion of public life by its congeners. This melodramatic dimension is not the least endearing of the series, especially since it is carried by actors who have now mastered the fusion of the combination of histrionics and intensity necessary to carry conviction.

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