The original post: /r/television by /u/Altruistic_Sail6746 on 2025-10-06 14:54:15+00:00.
First of all I want to start by saying I think the show is ok but a few issues hold it back from being really good in my opinion. Here’s a few scattered thoughts:
The shock factor has worn off. After 4 seasons of The Boys and 1 season of Gen V, the over-the-top nudity/grossness is no longer shocking but just feels pointless. I’m 3 episodes into season 2 and I swear they’ve ramped this shit up even more: tentacles from asshole, beer shooting into and then out of someone’s ass, a dildo shoved up people’s asses (implied but still), bunch of dicks in a locker room, someone crawling out of another guy’s ass. Just stop!!
The dialogue can get really cringe. Do we need pop-culture references every other minute? Do we need someone to swear/be vulgar every other minute? (I just realized this along with the other complaint might make me come across as prudish but I just think it’s excessive).
I’m also not a fan of the needledrops. Billie Eilish? Olivia Rodrigo? Chappell Roan? I love these artists/songs but it immediately takes me out of a show the minute a really popular song is used in the soundtrack.
Marie and Jordan’s relationship. I get that the show is about teenagers/young adults but I’m not a fan of the soapy teen drama. We’re still doing the “I love you” trope in 2025? Really? I feel like there has to be much better ways to depict this relationship. On the topic of characters, I don’t really care for Sam at all. I don’t find his story compelling.
It also feels like the narrative shifted too fast from how the last season ended back to the university. The execution of getting all the characters back at the school, especially Marie, felt clunky. But that might be a result of Chance’s untimely death so I won’t blame them for that. All things considered they handled his death well.
Overall, I know the show is part of The Boys universe but I wish it had a stronger, more separate identity from the main show stylistically. I also wish there were better writing choices. I’m curious how the rest of the season plays out. I like Cipher and I want to see what direction they take with Marie.