The Boys | |
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Season 1 | |
Showrunner | Eric Kripke |
Starring |
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No. of episodes | 8 |
Release | |
Original network | Amazon Prime Video |
Original release | July 26, 2019 |
Season chronology | |
The first season of the American satirical superhero television series The Boys, the first series in the franchise based on the comic book series of the same name written by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, was developed for television by American writer and television producer Eric Kripke. The season was produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Point Grey Pictures, Original Film, Kripke Enterprises, Kickstart Entertainment and KFL Nightsky Productions.
The show's first season stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Kapon, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, and Elisabeth Shue. The story takes place in a universe where most of the superpowered individuals are recognized as superheroes, but in reality abuse their powers for personal gain, information the public is kept unaware of. The series follows the eponymous Boys (led by Billy Butcher), a group of vigilantes looking to bring down Vought International and expose its corrupt superheroes. When his girlfriend is accidentally killed by A-Train, Hughie Campbell joins the eponymous Boys to get revenge against the Seven. Meanwhile, Annie January is forced to face the truth about those she admires, after she joins the Seven, led by Homelander. The Boys attempt to stop Vought from receiving government support for superheroes by uncovering the company's secrets. When Hughie and Annie begin a romantic relationship, the conflict is muddled despite the two of them initially being unaware of each other's affiliations.
The season premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on July 26, 2019, with all the eight episodes being released in a single day. It managed to attract a wide audience that led to a high viewership, making the show one of the most successful originals ever released by Prime Video at the moment. It received largely positive reviews from critics and audiences, with high praise for its social commentary, story, black humor, faithfulness to the comics, screenplay and the performances of Urban and Starr. On July 19, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season.[1]