THE BOYS [Comic-Con@Home]: F*&%in’ United.

If you don’t want to spend an hour watching a detailed panel, I got you. And like the show — which I love equally to the Garth Ennis/Darick Robertson graphic novel — The Boys Comic-Con@Home panel did not mess around. Amazon Prime Video presented Aisha Tyler as the moderator, Executive Producer Eric Kripke, and castmembers Karl Urban (Billy Butcher), Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell), Antony Star (Homelander), Erin Moriarty (Starlight), Jesse T. Usher (A-Train), Laz Alonso (Mother’s Milk), Chase Crawford (The Deep), Tomer Capon (Frenchie), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko/The Female), and newcomer Aya Cash (Stormfront).

Within the near hour that the panel takes place, every actor gets to talk about their character and where they are in Season 2. Chatting with the host, Kripke explains the appeal of The Boys that lies within the show’s satire and social commentary. The Boys takes the superhero genre and “turns it on its head” according to the EP, and I agree. Season 2 is set to be crazier than season 1, more emotional, and with the stakes being higher for all the characters…

The Boys are fugitives after their actions in Season 1 (check our review here) and Season 2 finds them making sense of their current situation. Much like the inaugural joint, S02 will have social commentaries that reflect current world politics– white supremacy and white nationalism, with the connection of systemic racism.

Then the clip. Aisha Tyler states “no whales were harmed” after premiering the footage which you can see just below. This moment prompted the cast to bring up an anecdote about filming the scene with the sea giant. Urban stated that he had driven the boat for the scene and Quaid was the only cast member unhappy with it. Knowing that this next season is introducing new elements and characters, such as the tech and social media savvy Stormfront, only makes an already good show.. better. The Boys already felt like it blurred the lines of what modern television is constructed under.

Tyler went on to spend her time going one-to-one with the actors following the clip. Here’s the lowdown:

• Urban spoke about his Butcher and the revelations at the ends of S01, feeling more concerned about his ex-wife and protecting her than revenge. He promises that S02 introduces unlikely pair-ups from members of The 7 and The Boys, such as Starlight with Butcher.

• Starr broke down Homelander and how his character might have to take the name Mother’s Milk this season, building on character development and the mental/emotional repercussions due to the death of Stillwell at his own hands. Or eyes. Her death at his eyes. Expect an internal journey with a duality that finds him the strongest in the group, but emotionally weak…

• Season 2 Hughie finds himself alone because of the fallout from his betrayal to Annie. Great news for the audience: Starlight and Hughie will still put us through the whole “will they, won’t they” situation. Yay! To note on Hughie, Campbell does say that the character finds himself ready to lead a life without needing validation.

• Moriarty spoke on how Annie will adapt to the circumstances and outcome of S01, often requiring the character to look at her morals and ideals and changing her own dynamics for S02 — which includes Starlight’s complicated relationship with fellow member, A-Train.

• Speaking of which, A-Train has to confront his abuse of Compound-V and the heart attack from the product. Train’s impairment is also put out on the spotlight because he is an athlete, but, hey, there are more speedsters and he isn’t alone. Worst part for the supe is now that he is slow, life is catching up.

• Mother’s Milk becomes the impromptu leader and the conscience of the group. Alonso also talks about how he interprets his TV persona versus the comic book parallel.

• Crawford says The Deep is still trying to redeem himself and will be back to his former grace in The 7.

• Kimiko dives into her mental state and possibly why she never speaks in S02.

• Capon teases that there is a possible look into Frenchie’s origin story and how he possibly grows apart from Kimiko.

Season 2 shows that with the heroes of the show, absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, but the power reveals who the supes are inside. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg drop in at the end of the panel to announce a pick-up of Season 3. Tyler also announces Prime Rewind: The Boys, a follow-up weekly program she will host that airs directly following the show. With a lot of chemistry among the cast in the Zoom — despite not being able to be at Hall H — this was pretty alright, for fucks sake. 4/5 Bibles.

-Frank Simonian

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