The Boys: More TRAUMA

[@TheCrazedLorry98]

I love that when MM is sharing what happened to their family with his daughter his OCD flares up and he continually taps the picture of his grandfather, only for his daughter to hold his hand to calm his nerves. Its a small detail but it added a lot to a scene that really resonated with me. We dont need our parents to be perfect or strong all the time we just need them to be present and open. To level with us and share their trauma and experiences so that we dont repeat their mistakes.

[@tigerbattle]

10:53 It's not just that everyone begins to cheer at the gruesome display, it's that the person who starts the cheering is Todd, Monique's boyfriend. It's terrifying that he's the one who starts it as the stepfather of one young child and the teacher of a dozen others.

[@zyaicob]

it's a nice look at radicalisation

[@cd0m613]

@@zyaicob radicilize these nuts nigga

[@etj2127]

Todd was my second favorite new character this season, right behind Soldier Boy

[@concept5631]

Well, Good thing we won't have to worry about him anymore.

[@alexlennen]

seriously blown away by your work ethic Leo, the fact that you can put out so many videos and still maintain such a high production value is genuinely inspirational. Killing it with the use of music too

[@ImplicitlyPretentious]

😱😱😱Thank you so much bro! I'm a massive fan, so its mind blowing and weird that you watch my stuff 🤯🤯🤣

[@williampearson6299]

@@ImplicitlyPretentious It's NOT trauma if they keep doing things to harm people anyway. They're just assholes

[@LarryCucumber]

I had to read this in the Alex Lennen voice

[@salt8921]

No fucking way you guys both watch each other. I’m low key fanboying, loved the wall video 🥹

[@NegaTimeYT]

Oh man what a crossover

[@AlexA-ko8lu]

Hughie's trauma was having his love murdered in front of him and not having the power to get any type of justice. He and MM at least had parents that showed them unconditional love...

[@livingtaco7876]

That's true but it seems like in season 1 him and his father have grown distance and I honestly can't remember why his mom isn't around. So at the moment his love one is dead he doesn't have his dad too much and his dad doesn't listen when he says she was a step if the curb and tells him to take the pay off and is stuck in the relationship they use to have when Hughie was younger. I'm not saying his dad doesn't love him he just doesn't understand.

[@leoflanagan6079]

@@livingtaco7876 his mum left him when he was 6 she just disappeared is what hughie says

[@stoopidapples1596]

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. I think a large part of him trying to “save” Annie comes from him reliving that helplessness and channeling it into Annie. When he looked at the vial of V in the finale, I was worried because this was literally what happened in the latest Thor movie, and I figured this would yet again be another “person knows doing this will kill them but does it anyway for LOVE!” But instead, we get a beautiful scene of Hughie realizing that he can instead provide support to her, rather than saving her. Genius writing.

[@AlexA-ko8lu]

@@stoopidapples1596 I didn't see Thor, but I agree, great writing. It absolutely calls back to Hughie's trauma. Annie is almost too good to be true in her understanding. She is the only one who seems to have risen relatively undamaged by her trauma. I think Annie is the one comic book hero archetype they allowed in the series to contrast off of the rest of the monsters. Hughie is the imperfect everyman that makes some bad mistakes and does a few bad things (because of his trauma)...but overall is a good person. If anything the story seems to be shaping into Hughie's struggle to face and remove how his trauma(s) damaged him.

[@SkyBoxGaming]

That's how I looked at it as well... He felt like he was going to lose his only reason to be happy all over again. He hated being a coward, he hated running he wanted to be able to make a difference without having to be in the shadows.

[@Ledecral]

I love that some people get why S3 is so good. Some say it went nowhere, but character wise, we got more development than the first 2 seasons combined.

[@ceilingfanenthusiast6041]

In my opinion we got incredible character development throughout the season and then it was all flushed down the toilet by the finale, case in point, Kimiko.

[@Le_Vernes]

@@ceilingfanenthusiast6041 actually i think Komiko was great. She always blamed herself and her powers. She internalized that hate so much she stopped talking. Until she relizes that although she was given powers against her will and to be used as a weapon she became free to use them as a shield for those she loves *cough cough* Frenchy. That was what her whole ark was- self acceptance. So she started to talk again she started to heal, that was what her ark was and personally i think it was done perfectly.

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

I already said this in response to another common but I think at least a part of the reason behind the split in opinion is that a lot of the fan base are likely regular everyday superhero fans who aren't used to character development anywhere close to this in the stuff they normally watch. so when not much happens plot wise they accuse the season of being filler. which is like.. what? like you said we witness the most character growth we've seen thus far in the series

[@ceilingfanenthusiast6041]

@@Le_Vernes she didn't start talking again though right? Outside of musical sequences? Obviously in the hospital she talks, but thats 10 secinds before the musical implying it's imagined imo. Also I liked the part of the arc that you described. I thought it was well handled. Then in the finale she listens to maniac and is going so ham mutilating a corpse that she fails to protect Frenchie. Thats scene feels like the exact opposite of her arc. She realised she doesn't have to be a monster. She's not cursed by her powers, she can choose who she is and she can choose to protect people. And yet she's getting off on mutilating this random guys corpse so much that she stops protecting Frenchie??? Like who wrote that? The whole point of the arc (as I saw it) was that she realised violence could used for good instead of just enjoying killing. I can sort of see what Kripke was going for tbh. If you pretend that human life has LITERALLY NO VALUE, a lot of the scenes in this show make more sense. For example, Starlight doesn't care that Hughie has been LITERALLY ASSASINATING PEOPLE and endagered so many people at Herogasm (who later died because of his negligence). Instead, once he apologises for the bad things he did in their interpersonal life, everything's A-OK. When he apologises for his insecurity, coldness to her and endangering of himself, she forgets he literally murdered people and enjoyed it (i.e., laughing after murdering that guard).

[@ceilingfanenthusiast6041]

@@anthonyhenriques7654 I strongly disagree. Most people loved season 2 despite it having very inconsistent characters and extreme plot holes/contrivances. They liked it because of the spectacle and because the boys felt like they were in danger at times. Imo season 3 was doing an incredible job picking up the pieces of season 2. Like genuinely phenomenal. My mind was blown that season 3 could be so good. It felt like every character was being used effectively and had fitting growth/change and an incredible, emotional arc. The finale comes around and it's all flushed down the toilet in the most baffling way. That's why I hate it.

[@uchihabomber1296]

I definitely do wish Black Noir would’ve been able to get his revenge to soldier boy but I felt like his death truly was tragic

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

to be honest though SB was getting his revenge on his team for getting their own revenge on him for all the abuse he subjected them to in the first place. they were all honestly pretty bad people anyways lol

[@spanishnameisjesus]

I knew he was gonna die; I'm not sure how, I just did. I didn't expect him to die before even confronting him, though, until he went back to Homelander. Once I saw Noir walking through V Tower, I knew Homelander was going to kill him. A tragic shame, but a realistic one.

[@graverobbingcleric2745]

I don't think he's dead. Remember, SB quite literally beat his brains out of his skull and he lived, I don't think that little gut-punch actually killed him. I am more worried that he is going to become Homelander's personal punching bag next season...

[@shu830]

Personally didn't feel anything for him. He's a bad person like the rest of them who did fucked up shit for the company. And it seems he had a but loose even before Soldier Boy, would be interesting to know where that came from tho but idk how since he's dead now.

[@goofygoober5270]

​@graverobbingcleric2745 that was a cartoonist scene so who knows if he really got his brains beat out

[@kubz3407]

I feel like so many people miss the true meaning that superpowers had to Hughie. He’s traumatized by his own inability, he blames himself for every time the team chose to save/help him over furthering their own goals. He is shown to be tired of always having to be saved and wants to give back. He doesn’t want to be the one who drags the team and Annie down. To him the V made him worthy of standing alongside people who have superpowers and incredible training, despite being some random pawn that managed to stick around. The conclusion of his arc is that he doesn’t need superpowers to stand alongside the team, he is already worthy of being with them. His strength isn’t in some bottle, it’s in his ability to support them and lift them up, he is the anchor to reality that holds everyone back from going too far. It’s exemplified in what he said about his dad. His strength is being there for those he cares about and not giving up on them.

[@brobs0463]

The Boys has a lot of heart, underneath all the blood and guts

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

well yeah, that's where hearts usually are located 😆

[@Frawt]

@@anthonyhenriques7654 Wow, thanks for spelling out his joke. I was really bothered by the presence of any subtlety whatsoever.

[@Yharims]

@@Frawt looking a little pretentious there pal

[@zyaicob]

@@anthonyhenriques7654 beat me to it

[@zyaicob]

@@Yharims the word you're looking for is twat

[@zanethezaniest274]

A lot of people looked at Butcher betraying SB in the end as being kinda rushed, while I do agree it could have been worked on more, I think it is the natural progression for Butcher’s character to finally stand up against a blatant abuser and bully instead of using them to get even with Homelander. In Butcher’s own view after the Mindstorm incident and Ryan almost getting killed by SB, I think he’s slowly learned that his self destructive nature is not only pushing away his friends but now literally poisoning him giving him a set deadline.

[@creativename2567]

In real life we generally don't get time to work our mind. If it made sense for him to do that then it should be fine.

[@10ReasonsWhy]

I feel like people who didn't see that coming were either dense or didn't watch/understand the mindstorm incident. The fact that the knocked out Hughie at the start of the episode and the fact that the show put Ryan there was enough set up for him making thay choice. I'm also annoyed at people who said this season was filler since they ended up where they started. Besides actual changes like Noir's death, Maeves faked death and Ryan turning to HL, it has been a great season for character development: Butcher discovering whats important to him, Hughie trusting Annie instead of feeling the need to save her, MM opening up to Janine about his past and why he hates supes and Kimiko and Frenchie accepting that their past is not what defines them. I feel like if it's not adrenaline filled action some people just fucking turn off their brains and then complain about stuff that was properly set up.

[@daboyz6106]

Homelander is x1000 the abuser and bully that Soldier Boy is.

[@creativename2567]

@@daboyz6106 How could you know? We only saw a glimpse of his past and he abused basically everyone for no reason.

[@masonlund8715]

I think a lot of that also involves the theme of scorched earth throughout this season, both Butcher and Homelander decide to do whatever it takes and it really just ends up making everything worse for everyone, Butcher realizing that he can't drag everyone down with him is a great arc

[@Nikola_DZ]

Black Noir this season was great. I always felt like the show was waiting to play his card, and now that they did, I'm happy it turned out the way it did. Also, his imaginary friends were a very neat addition in all fronts, like the animation was amazing and the insight they offered into Noir is very much appreciated.

[@KinqNick]

black noir was such a interisting char the whole series. One of the most out off character moments for me was th scene where he found out he got compound v. there he sits scilently on the floor like he was crying. With the information from season 3 i can imagine that he thinks that if he never gotten the injection he would never felt such traumata from soilder boy etc. In my opinion one of the best character on the show. im kinda sad that he died.

[@cumincalamity9867]

It's interesting you say that... and I think I agree. It's interesting how a lot of people were also waiting intently for when the show was gonna explore him but I think they were pissed because he was immediately killed off afterwards, and he didn't even get a moment to be a badass. But I think I think by exploring Black Noir we learned that he actually wasn't some badass ninja fighter but rather a sensitive person who would much rather be a comedian than a superhero. He died achieving peace rather than going on to live as someone subservient to those who just want him to be.... as Kimiko... a gun. Black Noir didn't die as he lived, but he died as he would've wanted to live. However, I should say that even though the actor quit I do kinda hope Black Noir comes back, but only if they have a good story for him.

[@BaxsStudios]

@@cumincalamity9867 I also dont belive black noir is really dead, he survived half his brain blown out I and he had no problems getting shot and stepped. I think he haa probably a shity healing factor not like Kimiko but more like it heals but not 100%

[@cumincalamity9867]

@@BaxsStudios well.. hopefull he can come back. but as I said I think his ending here is acceptable to me and I don't want him to come back unless there's a good story.

[@Reynbow11037]

@@cumincalamity9867 maybe he is dead, but will be replaced by a Homelander clone for media purposes and a homelander failsafe, kinda like the comics. This way, the twist wouldn’t be out of nowhere and feel kinda boring, cause at least most of the Seven will know the secret. I remember they addressed Maeve’s “death” to the media in the finale, but did the media ever say black noir was also dead? If not, they could easily replace him with another person because no one would be able to tell the difference other than a couple people and the show’s audience. I feel like losing 2 of “earth’s most mighty” would not be a good way to make people feel safe, so they would have to cover it up if they wanna keep the people’s support.

[@markbardevski5411]

Butcher, a victim of abuse helps an abuser, Soldier Boy, murder his victims 🤯

[@b.l7491]

Butcher himself was also kind of an abuser, he treated The Boys pretty badly, and manipulated the hell out of Hughie in the first season

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

@@b.l7491 not to mention how he treats his younger brother before leaving for the army. man was that she wants hard to watch. at least the butcher we know in the show isn't quite a very redeemable as I've heard he is in the comics

[@etj2127]

@@anthonyhenriques7654Lenny was a little poof anyway

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

One thing, Hughie is very much motivated by trauma just like the others, it's talked about in season 2 how affected he is by his mother abandoning him, and how much it motivates who he is and how he makes decisions. "I guess that's why I always hang in there, no matter how bad it gets, because... I don't want to be like her." He's unique among the cast not because he's the only one without trauma, but because he's the only one who expresses it non-destructively, at least for the most part. But throughout season 3 the more destructive side of it is brought out of him as well, as he goes off the rails on V due to his life leaving him with some degree of an inferiority complex, and a resentment of being powerless and thus unable to stand up for himself. His arc is about facing and working through that side of himself, much the same as Butcher's is.

[@prophecygirl93]

I was feeling a little confused about how I felt about the season finale but you gave me a different perspective that I really enjoyed. Amazing video

[@Michael-McCollum]

So how did you feel?

[@prophecygirl93]

@@Michael-McCollum I felt a little disappointed that nothing ‘major’ changed in the finale and they ended the season in a similar place to where it started. But I also knew it wasn’t bad and I felt like I was missing something. I think I was just missing paying attention to the character development and not just plot development

[@yeee7284]

@@prophecygirl93 same

[@StudioNBS]

I saw a reddit post complaining about how none of the plot progressed, that the story basically resolved to the same beats at the end of the season. Trusting Kripke, I figured this take was wrong, but couldn’t figure out why. Thanks for such a clean essay about the actual progress made during this season, for pointing out the significance of them ~choosing~ to be in the positions they are at the end.

[@lunaspx3914]

The fact this only took you 5 hours to make is nothing short of incredible, amazing video!

[@subh1953]

WHAT? this feels like 50 hours of work

[@charlottemunroe8725]

not possible unless he has a big goddamn editing team

[@RinIzanami]

Now I see why this series always hit me so hard, as a survivor of trauma and with someone who deals with PTSD the last two episodes hit me hard and I couldn’t fully understand why I was crying, until now lmao now it makes so much sense why the series was low key triggering for me

[@wyndgrove9452]

People might come to this show for all the crazy - the violence, the blood, the orgies - but I hope they go away with the beautifully subtle character work. it's in the development of the characters, and the intimate moments of growth and realisation that we witness, that it really sings. Holy moly, this is impressive work.

[@ClubberOntop]

Loved how the ending of season 3 is a mirror image of s2 ending!

[@BenChanNYC]

I have to disagree with (or at least addendum) your statement that Hughie "was only exposed to love." I'm not sure how this fits with your overall thesis, but his mother's abandonment - the ultimate amputation of love - was this trauma. As he stated, it made him choose to not be the kind of person who abandons others - to be the man who holds on. Ironically, we see his second major trauma ,(Robin's death) as he's literally holding on to her hands even after death. The value of passivity he had is shattered and is replaced by Butcher's manly activism. I think his journey is more that he went from passive victim, blaming his father for not being more active, to becoming an active potential abuser, to realizing how to be active without aping the behavior of abusers like Butcher. To quote Thor, "It's what heroes do."(Hughie's discussion with Lamplighter about cuckolds and his subsequent figurative cuckolding by Homelander is important as well, but yada yada...)

[@vdm_draws]

I kinda wish you talk about when Hughie got the apology he wanted from A Train.

[@mr.bulbaboi7233]

Dude this video is literally poetry

[@matthewmishley8457]

Wow just wow. Gave me chills. You broke it down to a molecular level in about 20min for a simpleton. Incredible work. A+++

[@Okayplaguerat]

I'm so glad I watched this video, I think many people forget the boys is rooted deeply in trauma and how hard it can be to cope with it and what it can do to someone. Excellent video essay doing the show justice, the ending got me tearing in up as well. You're killing it dude!

[@shogunraid4302]

I watched the last Trauma video one hour ago, impeccable timing!

[@Indie3444]

Thank you for being one of the few video essayists who analyze and add to the media instead of mostly summarizing it

[@obsidianwarrior5580]

Season 4 retrospective will be Mostest Trauma

[@trillaggaming2404]

This whole video is absolutely beautiful just blown away, but I damn neared teared up when you did the tribute at the end. It was just editing so perfect I can’t stop watching that part

[@Eledyy_]

Your 2 videos on this show are absolutely fabulous, really. They are easy to follow, the analysis is on point, and one can easily feel that you're incredibly passionate about every subject you're talking about ! Tho the only point I don't agree with is the moment when you say that Butcher leaving his home for the army is an act of neglect that led to Lenny's death. I don't really understand how it's his fault instead of... Idk, his abusive father or neglectful mother ? Yes, he was the oldest, but protecting his little brother from his father should never be something he had to do in the first place. And Billy clearly didn't neglect his little brother : they shared a strong bond, he's shown to be playing with him, he deeply cares for him, he takes the beatings to protect him : he has a protective and caring nature, and those sides of him reemerge when people he loves are in danger (Hughie or Becca). And, yes, in this scene we can see Butcher talked to Lenny using the very same words than his father, but you can also see he instantly regrets doing so, unlike their father who thinks he's doing a great job at raising his boys to be strong. The same way he feels regrets for pushing away his friends and Ryan later on. Lenny killed himself because of the physical and verbal abuse he endured from his father. Sure, if Billy stayed, Lenny would have gotten some support, but I can hardly blame Butcher for leaving before reaching his breaking point, it would be frankly unfair. When you're in an abusive family, there are no good decisions, and whatever happens you end up screwed up, often reproducing the behaviours of the very people you hate without even realising it, especially without any therapeutic help. One can see that Lenny's death haunts Billy for the rest of his life, he feels guilty and deeply hates himself, unlike his father who sees it as "natural selection". What happened with Becca broke him even more and then he becomes obsessed with vengeance to the point of neglecting others. It doesn't excuse the shitty things he does, and he does cross some serious lines in every season ; he can be a jerk, he treats his friends like shit, he's reckless, he's arrogant, he's violent and sometimes mean, but him leaving his little brother wasn't an act of neglect, at least I can't see it like that considering the reason why he left.

[@nonapplicable6619]

This is such a masterfully done video. Your analysis of these characters is poignant and interesting. The editing is on point too. Good job.

[@heartthrobbb]

I would like to say this is one of the best videos I’ve ever watched. I loved everything about it. The analysis, the breakdown, the music. Incredible stuff.

[@NathanielRose]

This was an absolutely fantastic video. Will reference this because the explanations go beyond the boys. It touches the humanity we all experience the writers convey through the show

[@adityakrishna4137]

A bit of commentary on the A TRAIN situation was the only think that stopped this video from being flawless

[@enkiduhanma2659]

Just finished watching the first video u made about them hearing how you were talking about Ryan and immediately had to see if there was a follow up

[@klun-go]

I barely discovered your channel & I gotta say: please keep creating content like this!

[@mongrel_97]

when you start looking into the source material as a casual viewer (me), you know it's good shit

[@mattcaston9546]

Damn I just finished the first one, nice turn around

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

like you said in your first video this show truly has elevated itself beyond the genre and sits comfortably amongst the most prestige television. I'm still reeling from season 3.

[@mikaylamaki4689]

This episode almost made me cry. Thinking of the traumas people in my life have gone through and how they are also choosing and changing… thank you for making this ❤️

[@Rageren]

*This is an excellent video essay, great work!*

[@markw987]

bro this channel is so underrated

[@DenKulesteSomFins]

Please do a video on the soldier of Trauma Boy

[@boigmord]

Season 3 skyrocketed the show from an amazing show that I love to my absolute favorite show by a longshot. I genuinely believe this show is one of if not the best written shows ive ever seen

[@marioalfredo5542]

4:58 Minor nitpick, but I think this moment is present Butcher trying to talk to young Lenny, that he is not a person to idolize and his brother should try to get a life away from his father. Otherwise, brilliantly told!

[@improbbalyaperson428]

I just got to say I love these videos. This is probably like my 5th time rewatching your vids on The Boys. They are so well made, that they feel deep but understandable while also showing personality. Not being afraid to show some of your silly mistakes and not taking yourself too seriously. While also not feeling like it invalidates the serious moments. So, thank you for the great content.

[@ricksmith3617]

You have me in tears right now. Just recently found your channel and you have such a magnificent insightful voice. Thank you.

[@meatybanana4320]

another banger. please keep up the good work!

[@josephwilliams1251]

Great video, would never have thought it was a short turn over time. Also, you’re doing the batman telltales!?

[@rinehardt6837]

great video. the boys is an over-the-top parody not only a superheroes but of society. the sad thing is so many other things that you talked about that the show talks about the trauma that a lot of these characters have endured gets overlooked. the MCU has a lot of characters that have been traumatized by past events in their life and they make jokes out of them. I get it we don't want to go see an MCU movie where it feels like a visit to a therapist office. that's why I like a lot of the Disney Plus shows because they delve deeper into these events with shape the hero. that was a very poignant moment where homelander says to Soldier Boy I'm you and he says yes you're a disappointment. that was some powerful shit but pretty much the only thing people are going to talk about from that is the big fight that went on and that's fine it was pretty amazing but those character moments are so important to a show like this.

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

that's exactly the way I feel, the action is cool for sure but it's the character moments that keep me watching. funny you mention the Disney Plus marvel stuff and how they have a little bit more room to authentically explore their characters. honestly I've always been kind of take it or leave it with the MCU and then I watched WandaVision and enjoyed it so much that I went back and checked out some of the older movies for context. now while I'm still pretty take her to leave it when it comes to the MCU it was a nice change to watch something like that that really had some powerful emotional moments and good character development. I think a lot of the latest negative reviews from the fans are due to the fact that the a lot of the shows fan base are just regular superhero fans who aren't used to this type of character development, so when there's no huge flashy plot things happening they're disappointed which is sad cuz they're missing what's so great about the show in the first place...

[@Rorington]

Another beautifully done video. Still loving every one, keep it up man.

[@fullfledgedlife1892]

for someone with lot of trauma like me this helps. Thks neglect,abandoment and hate can turn angels to demons

[@Sm0k3turt]

I just wanted to listen to a good video about the boys and I fell into therapy. Excellent video mate! Nice job!

[@paulwright1814]

First, i just want to say, that you put out some absolutely killer content! I’ve been watching your videos for a while now and they keep getting better and better. Not only do you have an expert understanding of superhero storytelling, what works and doesn’t work. You also have extremely insightful ideas about, story structure, character arcs, themes, etc. i suspect that not matter the genre, your understand storytelling so well that you could probably make a compelling video about romantic comedies. You have a fantastic understanding of pop culture, that allows you to have very interesting and intelligent takes.

[@laurenpaus7608]

lenny’s and billy’s story is so heartbreaking. ive seen time and tome again through real people and therapists that in the end in an abusive household you need to save yourself even if it means leaving your younger siblings at home and ive seen the effects it has on the older sibling that leaves. i know why billy feels guilty. he so desperately wishes he could save lenny and judges himself for not making it work. but that was what he had to do to make sure he didnt face an early grave as well :/

[@joshuaspector8182]

I’m not crying! YOURE crying!

[@whyme7996]

Your biases are rampant in your analysis. Fascinating.

[@adriantillman8203]

This almost made me cry. These are always so good, thank you IP

[@catramax]

Oh man, Trauma discourse is incredible analysis of the human condition, I love this video and I will follow you now, please don’t stop 😩

[@WickedKiss]

Your work is always incredible. :D My fingers are still crossed for an Arcane video in the future!

[@julianbailey3203]

The first time I watched Huey say that appreciative stuff about his father to Starlight, I paused the show before the next scene and turned off the tv. That post happy ending message made sense to me right there. That shit hit me like you wouldn’t believe. We are the products of our pasts, but we are not the destiny of our devices. We can grow and we can still fall, but YOU are stronger together. Encourage Bravery

[@Sageleader3]

your videos truly are Amazing. I just wanted to say thank you Also which video was your favorite to make

[@alexrazim4467]

It’s videos like this that get me so eager for more of the Boys.

[@mein553]

YES YES YES YES YES MORE OF THIS AWESOME SERIES

[@barneythedinosaur8044]

i was so dissapointed in the finale before but then after watching your analysis it's making much more sense now that i don't hate it anymore. incredible work!!

[@KurosakiRuka]

The editing was great, made me even tear up in the end. Respect and thank you.

[@neen2660]

It’s my deadbeat dads birthday today. Needed this.

[@cameronmoses7296]

Just found your channel and let me tell you it's ficken awesome it breaks the shows/movies down in a way I didn't think about it.

[@HelixMaster12]

While I really like this video I think Hughie not having trauma isn’t true at all, it’s just we’ve witnessed all of that during the show. However I think you captured why he’s different because Hughie, MM, and Starlight all had better role models growing up and so act as moral compasses of the show.

[@ScrewLooseSkeleton]

Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy is actually really good

[@FishAnvil]

It's a shame they had him make fart jokes for 10 seasons of Supernatural, he's a genuinely awesome actor.

[@Bryan-dr5qy]

Does Kimiko choosing to take Compound V again contradict MM's belief that no one should have that kind of power?

[@langadube9611]

Yes. Yes it does but no one will talk about that

[@BenChanNYC]

We need a scene between the two of them. I feel this show, not just MM, let's Kimiko off the hook because she's presented as some pure soul, which goes against the grain of the show.

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

well, yes. but like you stated, that's MM's opinion, doesn't mean everyone else on the team shares it. and that's one thing about the show that makes it so interesting is how each member of the group's beliefs challenge and/or contradict the other's. and from this comes a lot of character growth. and who knows, MM may change his opinion, especially if Butcher ends up making the choice to take the permanent V because it's the only thing that will save him from dying like I'm theorizing might happen in season 4

[@BenChanNYC]

@@quicklyform5162 And Hughie just wants to protect Starlight. Is it more okay because Annie's a supe and Frenchie is not? I just think it's worth addressing, but the show doesn't seem to want to.

[@Local_commentor]

@@BenChanNYC pure soul dude I don't think ripping off the face of someone Chimpanzee style is pure I rather see homelander do warcrimes

[@lifeisberserk9566]

You are easily one of my favorite TV reviewers

[@anonymous_upsc_asprnt]

Been watcNice tutorialng your vids for a good few weeks now, learning new sNice tutorialt each day. my worksoftow has improved so much since watcNice tutorialng

[@Huckleberry27]

I have to say,this video essay is absolutely brilliant.Love it!

[@langadube9611]

I just have one question aside from temp v being fatal can someone please explain to me how Hughie's reasons to go on the V are more Toxic than Kimiko's They wanted the power to protect their loved ones but Hughie's reasons are considered Toxic please explain

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

I have an answer but I'm not great at articulating my thoughts but I will try since I haven't seen anyone even attempt to give you an answer yet for one thing the reasons for their use of compound V are completely different. losing her powers made Kimiko realize that it wasn't her powers that were the source of her problems like she always thought. and after realizing that makes the personal decision to regain her powers to use them for good instead of constantly being ashamed of them. it's a personal choice that everyone understand, respects and is aware of. not to mention she knows exactly what she is doing now contrast that with Huey who has has never had super powers who is using the temporary fee for all the wrong reasons, the main one being his insecurities and his subsequent need to take care of Starlight and everyone else he loves. all of his reasons for taking the temporary V are actually quite selfish even though Huey doesn't think see it that way at first. he also was doing it behind everyone's back, including Butcher, and later Starlight after having already promised not to take it anymore. and my final point, unlike kamiko he had no idea what he was doing. it was extremely reckless to take the temporary V especially considering it's still in development and has completely unpredictable effects unpredictable . my apologies I feel that was a bit long-winded but I did my best to try and answer your question but like I said I'm not incredible at articulating my thoughts sometimes and brevity is not my strong suit lol

[@HellsingMayCry]

Hughie's motivations were centered on himself. If it was purely out of love he would've listened when Annie told him to stop. Instead, he was motivated primarily by his own insecurities. He needed to be the masculine hero because that's what his father wasn't. He needed to fight for his woman, not for her sake but for his own. Because that's being "strong". Such toxicity is the sprout that eventually grows into the likes of Homelander and Soldier Boy. That's why at the end of his arc he's reflecting on his father and realizing what real strength is. Kimiko thought V robbed her of her agency. It turned her into a weapon that killed because that's all she was good for. It's only without the V that she realizes the drug can't control who she is. She kills to protect Frenchie instead of being told to. This frees her into deciding who she is and how she wants to help. She's not Butcher's gun anymore. Hughie took V because he didn't understand himself. Kimiko took V because she did understand herself. That's the difference.

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

@@HellsingMayCry dude thank you, as I explained to my comment above I'm not usually very satisfied with my failure to articulate my thoughts and you explained it as good as I would have liked. I'm glad someone came after me to word it better

[@damianstarks3338]

You are spot on once again in your analysis of this 3rd season of the boys.

[@MrZalb]

For me the show's root message has always been about masculinity in the modern age. How we need to unlearn toxic behaviour passed down to us, challenge its systemic problems, and learn to embrace a new more emotionally intelligent and mature view of masculinity. Homelander, for example, is a perfect exploration of a stunted male, desperate for love and approval, thinking strength and perfection are what constitutes a "real man". You could analyze each and every aspect of the show and its characters with this framework. It's such a rich story and me typing on my phone would not do it justice. Needless to say I appreciated you touching on this point with Hughie electing to elevate (figuratively and literally lol) Starlight instead of giving into his masculine urge to be badass in the moment. It was a really beautiful scene showing that a "real man" props others up, not himself. I use "real man" in quotes because I think it really just comes down to being a responsible compassionate person, regardless of gender, but you get my point lol. Ultimately I think the show is about how we "The Boys" need to grow up 😅

[@simonriley4131]

Excellent. Very well spoken and articulated, agree with every single word. Even though the show's writing might be lacking at times, it really does keep a consistent theme

[@bignateismydad5167]

Every single male member of The Boys suffers from some specific aspect of toxic masculinity, such as Butcher’s controlling tendencies and Hughie’s need to “save” Annie for once

[@MrZalb]

@@bignateismydad5167 yes exactly! You could also look at modern day superhero culture as a sort of resurgence of neoclassical/romantic art. Mythic tales where morality is often clean and tidy, violence is justified by the heroes who are perfectly sculpted and might be used to stoke some national pride (cough cough captain america even when he fights the governement, bcuz thats the american dream is it not? lol), etc.. historically you often see a rise in ultranationalism with a rise in popularity of neoclassical art, where the art appeals to the fascist vision of the ideal (men are men sort of thing). Anyways I think The Boys draws a clever line between all of these things. It's no mistake it has such disdain for the MCU, and its plots touch on nazism, incels, racism, far right trum-homelander supporters...it's all the same root problem in my mind-TOXIC MASCULINITY.

[@langadube9611]

Just have one question only one aside from temp v being fatal(something no one new about until the finale) can someone please explain to me how Hughie's reasons to go on the V are more Toxic than Kimiko's They wanted the power to protect their loved ones but Hughie's reasons are considered Toxic please explain

[@jerrym1218]

@@MrZalb I like that line by Hughie, which was, let’s try to save everyone, even our enemies. In my opinion, that’s the most heroic thing to do.

[@nareshpurohit6576]

Please consider making a video on "Hannibal" someday. It's right up your alley!

[@JudForest]

this was a fantastic video man keep it up!

[@arkoarko9559]

i say the only parent that every character needed in the show was Hughie's dad........................imagine what could have been the outcome.

[@dm9364]

Fuckin beautiful dude I ended tearing up right before that tribute which was just perfect timing, amazing work 👏

[@Oneton371]

So after I binged the first two seasons I watched the other one and have been patiently waiting for this.

[@theinventiveidiot]

Absolutely beautiful video

[@allisonwatson3837]

It's official, this is my favorite channel on KZbin.

[@kruegerpoolthe13th]

I think season 3 was really good and I’m very excited to see where it goes from here

[@iasminaraujo7109]

You put into words my reasons to like the show, that I couldn't explain

[@Vindico0711]

was waiting for something like this

[@hazint2684]

I dub thee “the trauma guy”

[@jaredvennett4036]

What a gem of a channel did i discover?

[@WSendam]

You should make a video about venture bros it’s amazing

[@theresanoelle]

Ashley deleting the footage of Maeve surviving is the only time I ever respected her

[@MaxAndCheese0917]

This show is fucking incredible. That’s all.

[@oliviaconstanzewoodward-wh7361]

MM and Frenchie really are the best characters in this show.

[@ALEXD4WN]

Geez I got here early, three hours?! (These trauma vids r my favs tbh) Edit: CANT WAIT 4 ARCANE VID FROM U!

[@joshuatrott193]

I'm glad someone shared these insights.

[@bunsenn5064]

The fact that there are so many polarized debates in the comments is just a demonstration of what this show conveys about us as a public populous.

[@Гева-б6ц]

I found out about "Beach Boys" And "God only knows" when I was 11 yo in Shadowleggy video. Now I'm 21 and it is sure obscure to find lyrics of the song in description of "The Boys" esse about trauma.

[@anthonyhenriques7654]

wait til you watch his vato about trauma . lol

[@medonageh7613]

You left out the mist important one... Black Noir

[@frazfrazfrazfraz]

The "trying to keep the lights on" connection destroyed me

[@theirishpotato6588]

Congrats on 100k

[@jerrym1218]

We are who we are. That’s the real tragedy in it all. 🎭

[@ethan2297]

Amazing video!!