The Boys: Cherry

 "You're not the hero of this story..."

The second episode is, if anything, even better than the first as both Hughie aStarlight continue to disciver how deeply twisted is this world, with its cynically corporate and utterly immoral superheroes- and the whole thing manages to be great fun while this is happenning. It's all very, very Garth Ennis.

The plots drive forward perfectly while developing the themes. Starlight manages to get back at the pathetic Deep after last episode's #MeToo moment, but proceeds to get in trouble for stopping a rape without permission. And her first official patrol (with the Deep) proves to be a cynically stage-managed affair.

Meanwhile, Madalyn (Played by Jennifer McFly!) cynically and deliciously blackmails a senator in her ongoing plan to take over the US military, and seems to have a disturbing relationship with breast milk fetishist Homelander, who proves to be just as cynical and amoral as them all. This story may have an obvious political point, but doesn't forget to be darkly funny while making it. That awkward scene with A Train and the kid with cancer is magnificent.

Hughie, though, is truly dropped in the deep end. yes, his plot strand this episode consists of wonderful black humour as he, the now even more mysterious Butcher and the intriguing Frenchie spend most of the episode working out how to kill Translucent. There's an excellent dialogue between Hughie and Translucent which, I suspect, points towards the arc we can expect as he slowly morphs into a kind of hero. Or not. There's also a nice scene with him impotently punching a wall, showing very much that he's no superhero. And, of course, he ends by popping his kill cherry.

Translucent's death, though (by ass bomb, which is genius), is hilarious. I'm loving this.