I finished watching The Boys seasons 1 to 4 recently and I wanted to write some thoughts about it. The Boys is a satirical show about superheroes and a team of misfit vigilantes who try to combat superhero abuse.

Overall, I quite like the show as I find it to be funny, the social commentary to be timely, and some characters having interesting depth and dynamic story arcs. However, my affinity for the show waned as the seasons went on. There are a few characters who have significant screen time, but seem to be rather static, and the show in general has the same quality that many American TV series have: it overstays its welcome by dragging out the story and filling it out with scenes that don't have much impact.

Another way I think about it is that it has some kind of hand-wringy feeling to it. For example, Butcher is a static character, though it doesn't appear to be this way at first. The story likes to start giving moments for him to grow and become more than just an asshole to everyone else, only for him to relapse into his old, stubborn ways as soon as the arc is over. And this happens multiple times! It's quite frustrating, especially as I don't find Butcher's behavior and interactions with others to be very enjoyable to watch.

Some other characters are great. I really like Homelander, The Deep, Hughie, and Frenchie. I think they all have a good amount of depth and great story arcs (though I do think at times some of their story arcs are a bit lacking).

I really like the show, but it's just short of being a favorite thanks to its drawn-out feeling and some underdeveloped characters.