‘The Boys’ Season 3, Episode 7 Review: Everybody Has Their Own Nightmares
One more episode before the end and episode 7 of the third season of The Boys comes as one of the heaviest in nature. The show has always been well known for going the extra mile into the transgressive territory. Throughout these three seasons, we have seen a lot of blood, guts, sex, and depravity all around. However, for the first time, The Boys has gone completely into the psychological with an episode that puts the characters through the wringer of their most personal nightmares.
Episode 7 is one hell of a shocker of an episode, and it really goes to show just how good The Boys can be. Sure, there are many other TV shows out there with a lot more budget, a lot more visual effects, and a lot more famous actors. But here, the writing is king, and Eric Kripke, and the rest of the writing team, are doing wonders when it comes to taking the story in crazy new directions. What happens in episode 7 is quite juicy, and it makes perfect sense, but let’s say no one really saw it coming.
The entire calls pull off amazing performances thanks to the wonderful script by Paul Grellong, who debuts as a writer on the show. And also thanks to the fantastic directing by Sarah Boyd, who comes back to the director’s chair after having done the job on season two. The two artists’ collaboration really outperforms the rest of the previous episodes when it comes to delivering stunning lines, and also staging breathtaking scenes between the actors. Amazon should be proud.
Homelander, keeps being the center of attention for most people out there, but this episode is all about three other characters; Butcher, Soldier Boy, and Black Noir. We actually get backstories for both Butcher, and Black Noir, and we get extended time with Soldier Boy. We get to know Soldier Boy quite well, and unfortunately, we are also given a revelation that will shake the status quo of the show once again.
Karl Urban kills it in this episode as Butcher. We have heard about how bad was Butcher’s childhood in the past, but in this episode, the show decides that telling is not enough. And instead, we are forced to watch Butcher fall into a Nightmare that goes beyond everything that has ever been shown about him. After this sort of flashback into Butcher’s past, now his relationship with Hughie makes perfect sense. It is a very sad tale and one that sadly many people have to live through every day.
Black Noir, one of the most mysterious characters in the show, also goes into full flashback mode. However, this flashback is very special because it is delivered literally in the way Black Noir sees the world. His childhood friend, a bunch of cartoons, appear out of nowhere and begin giving Black Noir the help he needs. Noir’s story is as harsh and tough as Butcher’s. There’s a whole conversation to be had about bullying and mistreatment after seeing this episode.
Jensen Ackles also gets to shine in this episode. The actor has been given very few amazing moments, but in episode 7 the character is set free into the world, and it is as amusing as it is terrifying. We get tons of the best lines from the episode thanks to Soldier Boy, but while funny, these lines depict a depraved mind, one stuck in a past age that no one really wants to go back to. It is, for sure, a conversation that is relevant nowadays, as very old men with very old views are able to tell how other people should live their lives.
Even Starlight, or Annie, to be more specific, gets to have fantastic moments where the character really shows that brute force is not everything. And that the public relations space might be the hardest fight to be fought for today’s celebrities and politicians. Nothing is sacred, everybody can know everything about everyone, and Starlight is using that in such an effective way against her enemies, that the effort needs to be applauded.
Kimiko, Frenchie, and M.M. also get great moments. Really, not even one character is wasted in this episode. This is the prime example that the writers really know what they are doing, and there is no reason to fear that the last episode next week won’t deliver in the expectations department. Get ready because the revelation at the end of episode 7 might make things even more dangerous for The Boys’ next episode, and future seasons for that matter.
Not being able to tell what is going to happen next episode is quite exciting. More often than not, many TV series have already wasted all their ammo before the final episode of the season, and pretty much everything that will happen can be predicted very easily. Season 3 of The Boys might have started quite slow, but the second half of the season has been the best the show has ever been. With season 4 already in the works, maybe some surprises might be ruined, I mean, the show will continue, but the impact of this episode and the last will remain.
