After nearly three years, The Boys are literally back. Prime Video’s satirical superhero series returns this weekend with the first three episodes of season three. After binging those first few episodes, I can confirm that it was well worth the wait; however, there is also quite a lot to unpack.

 

Now, the first 15 minutes of season 3 are easily the funniest piece of television this year. Before the logo even appears on-screen, fans are treated to an in-depth look at the show’s blatant Justice League rip-off Dawn of the Seven as well as a brilliantly bold sequence that explores the hilarious question-turned-meme “What if Ant-Man just went up Thanos’ butthole?” If those two things alone don’t tell you that the season ups the ante considerably, then just you wait.

 

The show picks up nearly a year after the events at the end of season two. Starlight and Hughie are still going strong, with the latter now working on taking down Supes the right way as a government official. Butcher, Frenchie, and Kimiko work in tandem with Hughie’s office, on the ground in a much less violent capacity. Mother’s Milk (or simply MM) has retired from the hunt to spend more time with his family. Homelander and the rest of The Seven are still some of the worst heroes and people you’ll ever meet, but that’s because the series has yet to introduce you to Payback. More on them in a bit.

 

Despite a wicked introduction, the first episode is probably the one with the slowest pacing, but you’ll hardly notice because of the series’ trademark entertainment and humor. The episode is also the slowest because it’s meant to show our characters at a point where they think they’ve finally won. Without giving away any major spoilers, it isn’t until the episode’s cliffhanger ending that we learn that Vought has only tricked our protagonists into thinking they won.

 

There are plenty of new plot points introduced as well. For example, after the release of Dawn of the Seven and the revelation that Stormfront turned out to be a Nazi, a new reality series is created to fill the team’s roster. Think of it like American Idol or America’s Got Talent, but for superheroes. Or imagine if Stan Lee’s Who Wants To Be A Superhero? was real. It’s every bit as ridiculous as it sounds, but it also introduces the audience to a former flame of Starlight’s, who may or may not have the best intentions. Since Homelander’s very public fallout, he’s been demoted to co-leader. He shares the title with a very popular, shining Starlight.

 

One of the bigger plot points of the season so far though is that there is a new drug Vought has developed for the military to make temporary heroes. While you probably know that Butcher gets his hands on it from the season’s trailer, I think it’ll be how he gets it and how he chooses to use it that will ultimately surprise viewers. By episode two, it’s made apparent that, despite some slight leverage over Homelander, he’s a ticking time bomb that must be destroyed. That ties into the main MacGuffin for our characters this season: a potential weapon that can kill Homelander. 

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Rumored to have been used to put down this universe’s hilarious rip-off of Captain America, Soldier Boy, the gang eventually goes down a rabbit hole to try and find it. That’s how they uncover the truth about Payback, the superhero team that predated The Seven.

 

In an attempt to try and track down the weapon, Butcher and his gang spread out to speak to some surviving members. It isn’t until episode three, through a harrowing flashback, that we finally see just how much worse they are as both human beings and heroes. While we also learn why the group fell apart, in an interesting parallel, by the end of the third episode The Seven is complete again. The episode also ends with Homelander making a bold move to prove that he is still the one in control of the team and its image.

 

Three episodes in, and I absolute love where season 3 of The Boys is headed. Admittedly, there are a lot of plot points to follow, particularly some I didn’t mention regarding A-Train and Frenchie. But even the least exciting ones are building up to something better that I cannot wait to explore in the coming weeks. If I had to take one thing away from these first few episodes, it’s that the series is as fearless as ever. The ability to take as many fun risks and still be this rewarding is a superpower in and of itself.