Where ‘The Boys’ Characters Pick Up in Season 2
The Boys cast and creator got together virtually with moderator Aisha Tyler for Comic-Con@Home to discuss the show’s highly anticipated second season .
During their panel discussion, plenty of secrets about what’s to come were revealed, including where the characters are when the story picks up and where things are heading. Set in a world where Superheroes (“Supes”) are real, The Boys follows a group of vigilantes hell-bent on keeping those with extra abilities in line. Among the panel participants were executive producer Eric Kripke and stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capon, Karen Fukuhara and newbie Aya Cash.
“It’s a lot more intense,” Kripke said of Season 2 during the chat. “Everyone’s in a really tight spot. The Boys are wanted fugitives coming off of last season … they’re hunted. They’re basically totally screwed and they’re doing their best to fight back at Vought however they can.”
Vought’s the conglomerate which oversees Supes including the Seven (think of a satirized version of Marvel’s The Avengers). When Season 2 picks up, baddie in disguise Homelander (Antony Starr) takes his spot at the helm after the group’s manager Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue) was murdered in Season 1 (by him, no less). “He’s increasingly out of control,” Kripke says of the lethal Supe. “He’s making Vought a scarier place.”
“Starlight is trapped in this nightmare.” Kripke says of Homelander.
“We try to make it kind of a commentary on the up-to-the-minute world we’re living in,” Kripke shared of the topics The Boys tackles. While in Season 1 viewers witnessed the effects of movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp — especially in Starlight’s (Moriarty) story — the latest chapter will touch on even more topical concepts. Kripke teased that Season 2 would go after white supremacy, white nationalism and systemic racism. What form those will take remains to be seen until the premiere.
One thing is for sure though … things are getting bloodier and more practical. During the presentations, viewers were treated to a new clip that saw Billy Butcher (Urban) at the head of a speedboat as he raced against the Deep (Crawford) who was riding a whale. Using the creature as a blockade of sorts, Butcher decided the best way to get past the aquatic giant was to go through it, as the boat sailed into the whale’s belly, impaling the animal in a bloody mess.
“I think hands down, that’s one of the weirdest thing we’ve done in our careers,” Urban joked about the scene which he revealed was done practically with the assistance of a fake whale. “They built a huge prosthetic whale … it was a pretty surreal experience.”
The stunts were also real, too, because Urban also shared that “we were in the water,” hinting that the cast were involved in the filming as opposed to a stunt crew. “What showrunner would ever let their cast … get in a dangerous situation?” Urban questioned jokingly. Kripke added that the whale scene, “was so expensive too” and “not just a CG effect.”
Below, we’re breaking down the Season 2 revelations including unusual character pairings, struggles the Boys and Supes will experience and more.
The Boys, Season 2 Premiere, Friday, September 4, Amazon Prime Video
Butcher’s Wife Problem
“Season 2 becomes about saving her,” Urban said of Butcher’s motivations when it came to his long-lost wife Becca (Shantel VanSanten) who mothered Homelander’s Supe son, unbeknownst to him. “He has some tough choices to make,” noted Urban, who questioned, “Will he again, jeopardize his team?”
Homelander’s Indentity Crisis
As for Homelander, Starr said, “Season 2 is a lot about him finding his place,” before he acknowledged that his character drinks Madelyn’s leftover breast milk in the Season 2 trailer. “There’s nothing more internal than milk,” he jokes. But in all seriousness, Starr said about Homelander that “the strongest physical man on the show is the weakest emotionally.”
Hughie Transformed
“He feels very alone. He feels terrible about lying to Annie [in season 1],” Quaid said of Hughie’s state of mind when the show returns. “He starts realizing, ‘What do I do now?'” The actor teased of the character’s evolution, which will lead him down a depressing path. “In Season 1, he latches onto people who tell him what to do … he realizes now he can do that on his own.”
Quaid also hinted at Butcher’s return to the Boys. “Butcher comes back and he’s not excited about it,” he revealed. But there are some bright sides to the season as the star teased a reunion with Annie (a.k.a. Starlight). “He sneaks a few conversations with Annie,” said Quaid without revealing too much about what else will occur.
Starlight Under Pressure
Meanwhile Urban shared that Starlight and Butcher will make an unlikely duo as they team up — but Starlight’s protective walls will be up. “She’s a little bit inaccessible,” Moriarty said of her Supe character. “She kind of steps into her own power … and strength,” she shared. But, while Starlight’s objectives will remain the same, “her means to obtain that objective totally change.” Despite her annoyances with Hughie who lied to her about his involvement with the anti-Supe group the Boys, Starlight will have to work with him to achieve shared goals.
A-Train Faces Reality
“Physically, A-Train is in bad shape,” Usher said of his speedy Supe character in Season 2. He and Moriarty hinted at some tension between Starlight and A-Train following his Season 1 revelation that she was connected with Hughie. “There’s a lot of confusion there,” Usher admitted of A-Train’s feelings, “Everywhere he looks he feels betrayed.” Disabled from his full Supe capabilities following a Season 1 finale heart attack, A-Train will be forced to face his demons.
Love for the Deep?
The last time viewers saw The Deep, he was alone in Sandusky, Ohio and feeling pretty down, but he’ll be lead on an interesting journey in Season 2. “He’s not very self-aware, he was finally confronted with his own inner turmoil,” Crawford said of his Season 1 experience. “He goes on a few different quests to find love and connect in that way,” the actor previewed, but promised plenty of humor around his fishy character and teased that someone from his past will join him in Season 2.
Kimiko and Frenchie
Fukuhara and Capon promised that Kimiko and Frenchie will share more time onscreen in Season 2, but there will be tension. “In Season 2, she can’t take it anymore,” Capon said of Kimiko’s need to spread her wings. “He needs to deal with his traumas,” Capon added. He also revealed that viewers will learn more about Frenchie’s “origin story” and “get to know his real name.”
As for Kimiko (a.k.a. the Female), Fukuhara said, “In Season 2 we kind of dive into her psyche and her physical state.” Expect plenty of action and stunts from the actress, who teased a scene involving a move known as “the black widow stunt.” Kimiko’s need to learn more about herself and grow “alters the relationship she has with Frenchie,” the actress added.
Stormfront Lands
Aya Cash joins the Supes this time around as Stormfront, who the cast agreed was a worthy match to the awesomely evil Homelander. The actress described her character as “someone who I violently disagree with.” Could she have something to do with the season’s issue of white supremacy Kripke mentioned? Cash did say, “What I think is so great about The Boys … is that it’s so topical … it allows us to look at current issues with distance.”
While that’s no confirmation about ties to Kripke’s aforementioned topical issues, Cash did add that she was thankful to the showrunner for “allowing [Stormfront] humanity, but hopefully punishing her” as well. Needless to say, when a character is compared to Homelander, we know they have anything but pure intentions.
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