Director: Batan Silva
Writer: Ellie Monahan
Cast: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capon, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Aya Cash, Giancarlo Esposito, Shawn Ashmore, Greg Grunberg, P.J. Byrne, Barbara Gordon, Lovina Yavari
“We Gotta Go Now” Air Date: 18/09/2020
The Boys Season Two is currently available to stream via Amazon Prime with new episodes releasing every Friday.
This is a FULL SPOILER review of the fifth episode of The Boys: Season Two, “We Gotta Go Now.” Check back for more coverage of The Boys S2 each week as new episodes release.
This week’s episode opens with a big wink at DC Comics and Zack Snyder. The in-universe film “Rise of the Seven” leans into bleak cinematography and melodramatic dialogue. It’s funny—at first—but the Snyder digs feel a bit tired in 2020 with a Justice League “Snyder Cut” on the way. Still, that opener landed a snort from me when Ruby (Lovina Yavari) asks, “So who are you, Maeve?” and Maeve (Dominique McElligott), while filming, replies, “I’m not like you. I’m gay.”
Of course The Seven would be playing themselves in a Hollywood movie, with Homelander (Antony Starr) controlling every decision—including the handling of Maeve’s sexuality. I appreciated that the show explicitly acknowledges she’s bisexual and how Hollywood often “gay-washes” bi people.
Maeve is clearly fed up with Homelander this week, and the final moments tease an alliance with The Deep (Chace Crawford). We may be heading toward an “enemy of my enemy is my friend” scenario in which The Boys need help from a few supes to take down Homelander and Stormfront.
The leaked Homelander video—where he lasers through a civilian and triggers a public backlash—also echoes Batman v Superman’s “who controls Superman?” thread. Unlike Clark Kent, Homelander is hardly apologetic. There’s even a moment where it looks like he’s snapped and massacred a crowd, only for it to be a daydream.
Our core Boys are still at odds. Butcher (Karl Urban) rejoins after a near-fatal scrap with Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell), but the continuing friction with Hughie (Jack Quaid) isn’t doing much for me.
Kimiko is off doing contract hits and, somehow, out-brutalizes Homelander by literally tearing someone’s face off. She’s fully off-grid from the team playbook.
I’d have enjoyed the episode more if it wasn’t having quite so much fun with the “Rise of the Seven” gags. Still, everyone’s moving into lanes heading into the final three episodes, and Homelander’s relationship with Stormfront (Aya Cash) is… intense. Their end-episode sex scene is one of the most graphic and brutal I’ve seen on TV in a while, and it really seals their chaotic bond. The question is how long Homelander will play ball once it’s clear Stormfront has an actual plan—likely global domination.
Black Noir reporting directly into Stan (Giancarlo Esposito) is worth keeping in mind, as is the small appearance of “Man in Scrubs,” played by Shawn Ashmore.
Also: shout-out to Terror finally showing up.
