'The Boys' are back and season three is out to shock

Just in case you thought the series couldn't get any more eye-popping, jaw-dropping, or whatever else you want to pop or drop, you ain't seen nothing yet.

'The Boys' season three picks up the action one year on from the seismic events of season two, and all has been relatively quiet for pretty much everyone. Homelander (Anthon Starr) seems subdued, especially now that his Nazi lover and former colleague Stormfront has been eradicated, all thanks to his son Ryan, who Butcher (Karl Urban) took into safekeeping after the child killed his mother, Becca. Butcher now works for the government, supervised by Hughie (Jack Quaid), while Starlight (Erin Moriarty) is busy keeping a steady eye on Homelander. However, the leader of The Seven is on a rise to power, and one that spells anarchy *again* for anyone who gets in his way. When The Boys learn of a mysterious Anti-Supe weapon that exists, it's a race against time as they figure out how to get to it - and how they can use it to take down the raging narcissist once and for all.

Shock value is something we're familiar with when it comes to some of our favourite fictional TV series in recent memory: 'Game of Thrones' and the Red Wedding; when Jesse's girlfriend Jane dies in 'Breaking Bad'; and pretty much all of 'Squid Game', especially that opening game of "Red Light, Green Light". We're used to our minds being majorly blown from time to time. Ever since its launch in 2019, 'The Boys' has been shocking audiences in daring to go beyond expectations, from the opening episode of season one right up until that season two finale and all of the whale splatterings in between. But how about season three? Prepare for your jaw to drop within the first 10 minutes. Twice.

Season three could have struggled with upping-the-ante when it comes to crude humour and sheer violence, but for the most part, it doesn't. While never managing to come across as a cheap shoo-in, some moments are present in order to push the series along, no matter how gross, bewildering or over-the-top satirical it all is. We'd go into specifics here - but our lips are sealed so as not to ruin any surprises (and we've also got a long list of spoilers to avoid) - so you'll just have to take our word on this one. However, Karen Fukuhara who plays Kimiko, said in an interview with GQ that there's a riff on that Kendal Jenner's Pepsi ad, and we can confirm that it's just as icky as the original.

When it comes to meme-able moments, but it's fair to say that most of these revolve around a specific character: Homelander. Anthony Starr's performance knows no bounds when it comes to playing a sadistic f**k, and audiences will quickly realise that this Supe has jumped out of the frying pan and is flying head-first into the fire.

Every character associated with Homelander is tip-toeing lightly around the sociopath, including Starlight, whose role is fleshed out a lot more this time around, including the appearance of an old flame from her past. Despite her quiet feelings towards Vought and the rest of The Seven, she's the driving force behind the new reality show 'American Hero', which is looking to cast two new members into the super team, and it is just as cringe as you can imagine.

The introduction of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) is kept til mid-way through the season, allowing the already established characters to find their footing before the original Supe makes his explosive debut. It's a good call, as once Ackles is on screen, he's pretty much the main focus and will certainly be one of the biggest talking points after the series concludes in July.

There's always been a sense of unease when it comes to the various characters in 'The Boys', but season three, in particular, feels like a huge transitionary period for all. We don't know what happens post episode five, but from what we've seen so far, there could be some pretty big shake-ups coming our way in terms of where everyone goes from here, especially for the likes of A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott), Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso). Also, there's that 'Herogasm' episode on the horizon, which we just know is going to be next-level.

It's been two years since 'The Boys' season two, and in that time there's been a lot of unfavourable pop culture happenings that have come out of the US. What season three is doing, essentially, is taking these various topics - whether it be Trump, corporations jumping on the LGBTQ+ bandwagon, or the subject of Black Lives Matter - and putting them on display in this fictional universe. We've already lived through (and are living through) these moments in history in real life, so why not put them on display for a more meta viewing experience? Depending on your outlook, this could be too much for people.

At the end of the day, 'The Boys' season three delivers on the type of content we've seen in the past from this rag-tag group of supes, public figures and vigilantes - but surprisingly, it's even more out-there. Packing more shock value and surprising cameos than ever, while still remaining fun and gross, we honestly struggle to see if season four will manage to live up to expectations after this juggernaut of a season (or if it'll still remain as confident and on-the-nose).

The first three episodes of 'The Boys' season three land on June 3, with a weekly drop thereafter. The season finale premieres on July 8.