Amazon's high profile adaptation of Garth Ennis' series of Graphic novels was enjoyable, but I hoped that would be so in tune to me that it would have been one of my all-time favourite shows, particularly with some of the notices that it has received. Unfortunately it never quite scales those heights.
Hughie (Jack Quaid) is making plans with his girlfriend when she's inadvertently smashed to pulp by A-Train (Jessie T Usher) the fastest man alive and a member of the Superhero group "The Seven". He's given the opportunity for a measure of revenge by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) a former CIA agent who has his own reason for wanting payback against the group, and particularly its leader Homelander (Anthony Starr). Meanwhile a new hero, Starlight (Erin Moriarty) is given a chance to join "The Seven" but soon discovers that modern corporate heroism is a far cry from the job she's dreamed of
I've read the graphic novels, and I felt like Karl Urban would be a great choice for Butcher and, on the whole, he is great, a compelling lead. His accent however is appalling, so bad that they should just have abandoned any idea that the character is English and let him use his natural speaking voice. Apart from his propensity for one particular word, it doesn't really play into who Butcher is very much anyway. Jack Quaid is good as Hughie too, initially meek but finding the courage to take his revenge and then to stand up to Butcher later in the run.
I'd have preferred it to stay closer to the Graphic novels in terms of storytelling I think. Have the team actually work for the CIA to take down rogue powered individuals rather than setting the whole thing as "The Boys" vs "The Justice League" from the first episode. Build that storyline in slower and seen more of the parodies and characters that the novels have. That said, the show has taken some other deviations from the series that should prove interesting in the seasons to come.
It's not that I didn't like it, I did. I just didn't quite fall completely in love with it as I thought I might. Maybe that's more my fault than the shows. We'll see whether next season can reel me in.
Hughie (Jack Quaid) is making plans with his girlfriend when she's inadvertently smashed to pulp by A-Train (Jessie T Usher) the fastest man alive and a member of the Superhero group "The Seven". He's given the opportunity for a measure of revenge by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) a former CIA agent who has his own reason for wanting payback against the group, and particularly its leader Homelander (Anthony Starr). Meanwhile a new hero, Starlight (Erin Moriarty) is given a chance to join "The Seven" but soon discovers that modern corporate heroism is a far cry from the job she's dreamed of
I've read the graphic novels, and I felt like Karl Urban would be a great choice for Butcher and, on the whole, he is great, a compelling lead. His accent however is appalling, so bad that they should just have abandoned any idea that the character is English and let him use his natural speaking voice. Apart from his propensity for one particular word, it doesn't really play into who Butcher is very much anyway. Jack Quaid is good as Hughie too, initially meek but finding the courage to take his revenge and then to stand up to Butcher later in the run.
I'd have preferred it to stay closer to the Graphic novels in terms of storytelling I think. Have the team actually work for the CIA to take down rogue powered individuals rather than setting the whole thing as "The Boys" vs "The Justice League" from the first episode. Build that storyline in slower and seen more of the parodies and characters that the novels have. That said, the show has taken some other deviations from the series that should prove interesting in the seasons to come.
It's not that I didn't like it, I did. I just didn't quite fall completely in love with it as I thought I might. Maybe that's more my fault than the shows. We'll see whether next season can reel me in.