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Last week in the media/review section of The Wall Street Journal, there was a review of the new Amazon series The Peripheral. This is a brand spanking new “Amazon Original” series based upon the first of the books in William Gibson’s Jackpot trilogy. The review (likely hidden behind a paywall – sorry) is based on viewing only the first two episodes. This series, like many Amazon Originals, is being released serially.

It wasn’t entirely clear to me that the reviewer liked the show. He states the viewers, like the main character, may wish to be able to travel into the future so as to “binge watch” the show and solve its “mysteries.” I suppose that’s a positive review of sorts. I wouldn’t want to binge watch a bad show, would I? The critic seems familiar with Gibson’s source material (which the miniseries does not entirely follow) and may be basing some of that anticipation on expectations gleaned therefrom.

I happen to like both Chloë Grace Moretz and the works of William Gibson. Add to that, The Peripheral gets some very high ratings on IMDb (again, after two episodes). I was tempted to jump right in early, making this here review actually timely and relevant. I balked.

Instead, I clicked on an even higher-ranked (again from IMDb – Netflix suggests 3.9 for most users, but a mediocre 3.0 for me) “Amazon Original” series called The Boys, a 2019 adaptation of a circa 2006 comic book run.

I found this show courtesy of a “meme” on some social media platform. It referenced a phrase that I’ll not type here; a phrase that I had to google (and then subsequently I clicked on the link). More importantly, all those people (like-minded net denizens, I might add) who did understand the reference* seemed very pleased with the show.

The Boys is crude and rude and the complete opposite of family-friendly. For at least half the episodes, the list of viewer warnings makes it sound like we are about to watch some hardcore pornography. While the dialog can run about as course as it comes, it doesn’t exactly make the program X-rated. Yes, there are very strong sexual situations but as far as skin and rubbing together thereof goes, The Boys is on par with your typical HBO feature series.

I think this is the reason that Netflix has discounted its rating so much for me. I suspect their algorithms have picked up that I look askance at the adult-content-for-its-own sake in film and TV offerings. I’ve also gleaned that there is a segment of internet commentators that are bothered by what they see as an anti-Christian theme in the show. Netflix, like my high school girlfriend, has me pegged as a moralizing, religious right-winger. Sometimes I act like one and sometimes I do not.

The Boys is built from a lot of pieces that tend to appeal to my baser nature. It is black humor, about as black as it comes. The violence, blood, and gore is so extreme to almost be funny in its own right. It is used to punctuate that broad, physical humor that I’m so reluctant to admit that I enjoy. On top of that, I’m pretty sure I am watching some decent social satire – although I don’t want to ruin the experience by looking too deeply** into that aspect of it. I’ve only, now, just finished the first season. Maybe I can read some college-level dissertations about the greater context of it all once I’ve made it through, at least, the third season. Amazon is already working on a fourth.

The Boys could have been a cheap knock off of The Watchmen. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this was my impression the first time I saw Amazon Prime push the series at me. It is not, although it no doubt builds from some of The Watchmen‘s ideas. In fact, I am reading that the comic book run got canceled and then moved to a different publisher because it was too “anti-superhero.” Oh, the irony. It also, despite the leadership of Seth Rogen and company, does not seem overly political. I guess if it’s your ox that has been gored, though, it becomes that much harder to just sit back and laugh.

This is not a show for everyone. It’s probably not even a show for most of us. However, if you’re inured to extreme violence and don’t mind the casual use of the k-word*** plus like to laugh at entirely inappropriate things, well, The Boys does all that pretty well. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not billing this as high-brow entertainment. What it does do, though, it does well.

Game pairing: The Matrixxx, a flash-based porn parody game of The Matrix. I googled but I didn’t click the link. Be careful.

*If you clicked that second link, you’ll see I am referencing a line from the show Supernatural. Supernatural’s creator, Eric Kripke, was also the creative force behind The Boys‘ adaptation. I know someone named Kripke myself, but for some reason can’t place the name. This is frustrating.

**The superhero “franchises” and social media are obvious targets. I’m thinking that, with a little work, I’d find more hidden meanings.

***A drunken gal at a fraternity party once complained about people who used the “k-word,” which, way back then, was as offensive as you could get. It was one of the funnier slip-ups that I’ve ever heard and created the perfect soft-reference to a forbidden expletive – except that nobody ever understands what I’m talking about unless I retell the fraternity-gal story.