Episodes viewed: 3 of 10###“Fuckin’ diabolical.” As character catchphrases go, Billy Butcher’s (Karl Urban) couldn’t be more on the money. Barely an episode of The Boys’ first season went by without at least one totally outrageous, potentially triggering, “what the actual?” moment. An invisible man being exploded by a grenade up 
his jacksie, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding example. Or a sex-crazed dolphin acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting jettisoned through a car’s windscreen, then run over by a lorry. Or the moment Superman/Captain America hybrid Homelander (Antony Starr) revealed his true nature by destroying a plane containing a political foe… and that foe’s young, Homelander-fan son.###So the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous question going into Season 2 is, can The Boys keep its edge keen and sustain the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ’s previous levels of fuckin’ diabolicality?###The answer is, hell yes. Showrunner Eric Kripke doesn’t hang with regards to’concerning’with respect to , dropping us straight in there with a sequence that flips between silent, permanently masked superhero Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) on a mission to assassinate a ‘super-terrorist’ in Syria, and Vought boss Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) negotiating an acceptable Supe-caused collateral ‘casualty allowance’ with the US Defense Department (34 per cent, it turns out). After the boardroom satire and extreme stealth-violence are over, we’re ‘treated’ to a conclusion involving a small child, a fluffy bunny and the decapitated head of the kid’s father.###Elsewhere, the Season 1 dolphin moment acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s levelled up with something even worse happening to another beloved sea creature (which feels like fan service, but is hard to fault in/with regard to’concerning’regarding glorious awfulness); we see a limb-regenerating Supe selling their services as an extreme S&M hooker; and there’s plenty more atrocity courtesy of Starr’s spoiled-brattish psychopath Homelander.###Antony Starr remains the, er, star of the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue , the intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully embodiment of its black-hole-dark comedy concept.###Appropriately abundant’ample’plentiful , Starr remains the, er, star of the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue , the intensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully embodiment of its black-hole-dark comedy concept: with great power comes a complete disregard in/with regard to’concerning’regarding any in/with regard to’concerning’regarding m of responsibility, accountability or morality. He is to superheroism what Donald Trump is to the American Presidency — a narcissistic, rattle-hurling man-baby with terrifying authority. He is, thankfully, far more articulate and entertaining than his real-life executive-branch counterpart, and Kripke evolves the character through his creepy-funny attempts to bond with his son Ryan (“Sometimes it’s hard being superior to e grossly single other person on the planet,” he shares during one bedtime chat), and a rival in the in/with regard to’concerning’regarding m of new Seven recruit Stormfront — a social-media-savvy, take-no-shit cape-wearer played with citric wit by You’re The Worst’s Aya Cash.###There is also some delicious friction in Starr’s scenes with Esposito. One involves the mother of all staring competitions, between two actors who possess’own’nurse mastered the glassy, dead-eyed glare. Never has a long silence felt more frosty, to an Antarctically deadly degree. The actors are perfectly matched, and while Esposito is fundamental ally re-channelling Breaking Bad’s Gus Fring, his presence sure helps compensate in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the absence of Season 1 firm’enterprise boss-person Elisabeth Shue.###As in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the ragtag anti-Supe gang which gives the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue its name, maintain’sustain ing members Frenchie (Tomer Capon) and Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) remain overlookably sketchy, aldespite’in spite of’albeit the mute Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) is given a promising subplot. Once again, it’s left to the tension between rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent -kid Hughie (Jack Quaid) and the coarse Billy to keep us engaged, as they yin and yang it out over how you do the right thing. There is also more to explore in Hughie’s strained romance with Starlight (Erin Moriarty), even despite’in spite of’albeit they’re necessarily separated into their opposing camps, with Starlight putting up a rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent front as a loyal Seven ‘family’ member, and Hughie trying to keep a grapple on his humanity, even despite’in spite of’albeit it’s become slippery with the blood of others.###Their presence, and their relationship, is crucial to the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue . It’s what stops The Boys from skidding into all-out offensiveness. Both Moriarty and Quaid are exertion lessly likeable, and their characters bepossess’own’nurse how you’d hope to in their situations. Also, you genuinely want eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullything to work out in/with regard to’concerning’regarding them. Not merely’barely in/with regard to’concerning’regarding them to prevail over institutional corruption and self-serving corporations, but also acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her and maybe possess’own’nurse kids who’ll make the world a better place. You need a glimmer of hope amid all the shock laughs and horrific action. Though, of course, it is impossible to discount the threat of something fuckin’ diabolical happening to them.