The Boys is back on Prime Video for its third season and the first three episodes of The Boys Season 3 carry over the best parts of the earlier seasons while giving the characters more depth and time to shine.

The Boys is a satirical superhero TV series on Prime Video based on a comic of the same name. This series takes a look at what a world with superheroes would really be like. The first three episodes of the third season of The Boys debut on Friday, June 3rd, and then roll out weekly until the finale on July 8th. This show is not for the faint of heart. The first two seasons are filled with swearing, crass and dark humor, drama, gore, and much more. And its third season brings us much more of that.

The Boys Season 3

The Boys looks at the world of superheroes through a pessimistic lens. These heroes on the show are mostly in it for money, fame, and power. With their superpowers, it is as if they are gods among humans. And their supposed heroics hide lives of debauchery and dangerous self-centeredness. Season three catches up with the team of mostly regular humans whose lives have been terribly affected by superheroes as they strive to keep those superheroes in check. Back again this season are Hughie (Jack Quaid), Butcher (Karl Urban), Marvin “Mother’s Milk” aka MM (Laz Alonso), Frenchie (Tomer Kapon ), and Komiko (Karen Fukuhara).

The third season of The Boys continues with the great writing of the first two seasons. The characters’ dialogue feels natural and never forced. The show adeptly bounces back and forth between sharp wit, crass humor, and drama. All of the characters are really given moments for us to connect with and understand. The quirks of every character do not feel forced for the plot, humor, or dramatic effect. This is just who these people are.

We start off with fast-paced episodes where we’re constantly bouncing back and forth between storylines. One moment we’re learning about the sketchy past of Vought Industries, the next we’re seeing how Hughie and Starlight’s (Erin Moriarty) relationship and lives have evolved in the year since the last series of events.

The Acting Continues to be Incredible

The acting in The Boys season three is incredible. The main cast seems to have become comfortable in their roles, and it shows. Even more so than in the other seasons, they feel like they ARE the characters. Antony Starr stands out and is fantastic as Homelander. In every scene, you can see the cogs turning in Homelander’s mind along with only the use of subtle expressions.

A lot of credit also has to go to the directing of Phillip Sgriccia, who is getting so much out of these actors. A skilled director gets good performances out of every actor, and that’s on display here. Almost every actor has a speechless moment where their face communicates volumes.

From the biggest stars to the smallest of parts, no character felt overly dramatic or too subdued. A great example of this is when characters like Homelander or Butcher try to be intimidating. They don’t need to yell and scream, instead, their voice drops slightly, and they talk slightly slower and have more menacing glares.

Homelander continues to be terrifying and Butcher is unhinged

Homelander is a dangerous psychopath, and Starr is able to convey that with just a glare. So far this season we continue to see Homelander’s slow descent from Hero. When you think he can be no more monstrous, he finds a way. Homelander feels like he could snap at any moment and kill anyone and everyone, he also has a history of extreme violence. This colors every conversation he has with tension and an ominous tone.

Karl Urban also stands out as he continues to do a great job as the team’s gruff leader, Butcher. Constantly spouting off swear-filled tirades while being just as intimidating as Homelander. In the previous seasons, we have seen clearly that Butcher has a heart but is also willing to do anything to get what he wants. And if people aren’t cooperating, he will threaten their family, their children, or their life. This season we see that he really leans into that.  He’s so intimidating that it never feels like an empty threat. He is a man willing to get his hands EXTREMELY dirty if it means he can achieve his goal of stopping control supes, especially Homelander, who he’ll sacrifice almost anything and anyone to kill.

Where The Boys are this season

Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) feel like they’ve stepped into the forefront as the heart of the show. Kimiko still cannot speak, but her facial expressions give us volumes. It plays so well off Frenchie’s soft heart. Frenchie clearly loves and cares for Kimiko, and they have developed new ways to communicate with one another. Together they try to make sense of the roles they play.

We continue to see Hughie (Jack Quaid) struggle with feelings of inadequacy related to dating a superpowered woman. In the first two seasons, Hughie was a gateway character to the world of The Boys. Being completely inexperienced in this world, Hughie panics very easily, and after any death or danger, we’d be privy to several scenes of Hughie complaining to the rest of the team. Thankfully in the newest season, this has been toned down significantly as he has started to come into his own.

We also get to catch up with characters like MM and get a glimpse into the struggle he faces trying to be both a good father and fighting to stay out of the Superhero world.  We also start to get a little into the back story of how MM came to be part of this anti-superhero defense team.

Soldier Boy is introduced

A lot of the promotion and coverage of season three have featured Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy. We get a few intriguing flashbacks to Soldier Boy’s history, but they’re very limited. So far, it’s teased that he will somehow be very important. But we don’t see much more.

The first three episodes of The Boys season 3 carry over the best parts of the earlier seasons while giving the characters more depth and time to shine. No moment overstays its welcome and it keeps the show at a brisk pace while knowing exactly when to slow down and hold on to a menacing stare or a moment of devastation. These first few episodes are filled with intriguing plot lines that just scratch the surface of what’s to come. It continues to be a great show that improves season by season. And hopefully, the rest of the season will live up to these first three episodes.

There are plenty of moments in the first three episodes that will no doubt make the audience’s jaw drop and let out an audible gasp. The Boys series seems to take pride in marrying over-the-top gore and WTF moments with great a story. The first three episodes of the third season of The Boys debut on Friday, June 3rd, and then roll out weekly until the finale on July 8th.