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"The Boys" is an exciting new television series set to premiere on Amazon Prime in 2019. Based on the comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the show boasts a cast full of quality talents including Karl Urban ("Star Trek"), Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead"), Antony Starr ("Banshee"), and Karen Fukuhara ("Suicide Squad"). Series leads and producers visited New York Comic Con to offer up a first look at this subversive addition to the superhero genre.
With an upspike in superhero content in both films and television series, the task becomes all the more necessary to set oneself apart when creating and adapting new properties in the genre to bring something new and fresh to both casual viewers and fans alike. The premise is interesting and highly relevant to today's world, as the superheroes in the story are not upstanding beacons of morality. Instead, they embrace the unethical privileges take come with fame and celebrity. The group known as "the boys" are a group of vigilantes that work together to take down these corrupt superheroes. These 'boys' come from a more blue collar background and offer a dynamic contrast to the privileged elites.
Karen Fukuhara was the first thing that drew me to the project, as it's rare to find other Japanese women finding success in Hollywood without having to portray stereotypes. It was at first disheartening to find out her character was known as "The Female" and that she doesn't speak in the role. At first glance it's hardly an advancement for us as a whole. But upon being asked about these matters, she is more than happy to clarify that her character will have more depth than the original source material would've allowed.
"What drew me to the character was that, when I spoke with Eric on the phone before we started filming, I found out that we were going to stray away from the Female's back story that was in the original comics and create a new one. That had a lot to do with how she joins the Boys and the direction the Boys go in during season one. I think she's an essential part of the Boys, which drew me to the character, and, exciting news, she gets a name. I am named!" shares Fukuhara.
Producers elaborate that this development of her character was very important in bringing her to the screen. An additional surprise revelation at the show's panel is that the character of Hughie, who was artistically rendered in the comics to resemble Simon Pegg, will have a father in the show portrayed by Pegg himself. The audience erupts into cheers when Pegg is called to the stage as a surprise addition to the panel. Actor Jack Quaid will be portraying Hughie and the banter between him and Pegg bodes well for the chemistry to be portrayed in the show itself.
"I've never been more insecure in my life that I wasn't Simon Pegg," says Quaid. "Especially since Simon Pegg is my literal hero, genuinely. I've got a British dad now. He is literally in my phone as 'British dad', I'm not joking."
Pegg also shares about the journey from getting the call that he was 'in' the comics through character design to now being in the show. "I'm thrilled and I always anticipated this moment would happen. When it was announced, I knew I wasn't gonna play Hughie. I knew it would go to a brilliant young actor. I didn't realise quite how brilliant, I'm so proud of my son!"
"Best moment of my young life," Quaid chimes in.
"It was a very weird thing," says Pegg. "I think Darick Robertson who drew the comic book was a bit of a fan of obscure British comedy. Back in 2004 when he was drawing it, he'd seen 'Space' which was a show I'd done in the UK. It was a little sitcom in the UK in the late 90's and I think Darick saw me in that and thought, 'Oh he'll never amount to anything, I'll draw him.' Then suddenly around the time 'Shaun of the Dead' came out I heard from Darick and I found out that my face was being used in this comic book and I was extremely flattered and thrilled and I was very much in favour of it. DC, who published it at the time wrote me a frightened letter just saying 'Please don't sue us!' I said, well of course I'm not gonna do that. I'm absolutely flattered beyond belief. So I spent that time as Hughie and it was always going to become something visual cause it's such an amazing story. It really lends itself to an adaptation. I'm so happy that when this happened and then I got a call about maybe being in the show. We discussed how and it seems so perfect to be Jack's father.
Karl Urban responds with some banter of his own. "That's a great answer but the real reason that Simon is in 'The Boys' is because we have a competition between us about who can be in the most franchises. He kind of edged ahead after being in Star Wars after we were together in Star Trek. I'm like, 'Hey I'm gonna be in The Boys' and he was like, 'Me too!'"
"What are you gonna do? We're a couple of franchise-whores!" jokes Pegg.
Watch the New York Comic Con panel for "The Boys" here:
Harry has begun his training of the witches, an interesting subversion from the original "Charmed" series. With the opportunity to receive a more formal education on the ways of magic, we gain a greater perspective into the psychological mechanics of each sister.
Maggie is still struggling to balance her new life as a witch while still trying to live up to her sorority commitments. After an awkward encounter with her sorority-sisters she indulges in some magic to help her decorate the house for a Halloween party.
Macy hits it off with a new co-worker named Gavin with whom she has a mutual attraction. It's a charming flirtation and Maggie even takes the initiative to invite him to the Halloween party to try to give Macy's love life a push in the right direction.
Mel continues to clash with Harry the most in regards to this training since he disapproves of what he perceives to be her reckless use of her powers. He forces her to wear a special talisman that will allow him to better track and consequently punish her if and when she misuses her magic. But their clash must be put aside when the group decides to use the party as an opportunity to lure out the Harbinger.
Angela has been completely taken over by the demon and has managed to avoid detection, even when Mel attempted to test her with some sugar cookies Macy designed to try to detect the Harbinger. Angela receives an invite to the party and shows up to continue her binge of human victims.
The sisters learn about three virgins that were killed on campus and drained of their blood. They decide with Harry to seal off the house but as Angela has already entered the house, they don't realise that the threat is already there. Upon learning the truth they work together to overpower Angela but nearly kill Macy in the process due to the force of the spell that they use.
The greatest material of the episode comes from the greatest clash, that of Harry and Macy. Macy reveals that becoming a witch has made her feel smothered and hidden in a way she never had to be, as her mother always accepted her for who she was without ever making her feel compelled to conceal her sexual orientation. This prompts Harry to also open up, and share that he once worked with some other witches and in the process, one of the witches named Fiona ended up killing herself after she was sent to an institution. It seems likely that this Fiona character may come into play at some point in the future, be it through a resurrection or visit from a spirit, or simply through flashback sequences to further develop Harry's history. Character-clashes and consequent breakthroughs facilitate a more dynamic range in material and grant viewers a greater access into the psyche of the starring group. It's only natural that there will be a case-of-the-week feel for some sort of demonic or other supernatural threat. But in order for this "Charmed" reboot to survive and find it's own footing, the character content and the relationships between them need to be well-developed. Hopefully this is just the start for even more interesting character moments.
Charmed airs on Sundays on the CW at 9/8c.
In this latest episode of "Titans" Kory finally meets some other members of her eventual squad. First up is Rachel, whom she rescues from the clutches of the evil Nuclear Family. The two end up back at a convent where Rachel had previously stayed though she doesn't recall much about the place. Memory loss and memory recollection is recurring theme, as Kory continues to struggle with filling in the missing pieces of who she was and how she came to be on this search for Rachel. Dick is also repeatedly flashing back to his time as a lost orphan taken in by Bruce Wayne.
These flashback sequences offer a more artistic neonoir flair on top of the deeper character exploration. Dick was a difficult and troubled adolescent prone to rebelling, though Bruce doesn't appear to be the type to keep him on a tight leash. Then again the flashbacks have yet to explore the indoctrination into vigilantism.
Though Rachel finally meets Garfield Logan, it's just a brief and sweet flirtation at an arcade. Once Dick shows up, the good times are over since he wants to take her back into safe custody after her kidnapping. It's quite the picture as Dick and Kory are already inching towards a parental-like role for the tormented Rachel as she lashes out with her dark powers and demands to be brought back to the convent. There's still no sign of further integration of Gar into the group but his introduction gives Teagan Croft her first chance to show the other side of Rachel's youth. She's not merely a tormented orphan, but a young girl who should be free to play arcade games and flirt with cute boys.
Dick's conversation with Rachel in the church following her outburst is an important dialogue, as it presses Dick further down the path of assuming a greater role of responsibility. But the question remains as to whether Dick will be able to do a better job helping a young orphan than Bruce Wayne did for him, given that Bruce was unequipped to teach anyone what healthy coping mechanisms are following a major trauma.
Rachel's story is particularly tragic, as the sisters at the convent opt to lock her in the basement after Dick and Kory leave. Dick had followed Kory who had stolen his car and gone off to a warehouse where she is able to finally get an insight into who she was before and what she was doing. There's a bunch of research that she had been digging into regarding doomsday prophecies. A Russian trafficking ring had supplied Rachel and her mother with new last names and Kory's research is what lead her to Rachel and to learn about a prophecy involving an apocalyptic "raven".
Once Rachel has been imprisoned, her dark self re-manifests and lashes out to cause an explosion which allows Rachel to escape from captivity. Though Rachel has been put in a position of feeling alone, it's interesting to see how the show has ben gradually weaving threads through the different characters as they are brought together. Rachel and Dick are able to connect through both the dreams she's had of him before they met and their shared loss and trauma from a young age. Kory has an unintentionally maternal aspect about her in how her protective nature towards Rachel, such as sending her out of a diner before Kory unleashes a can of whoop-ass on a violent abuser, enhances their connection. It also allows Kory to further parallel Dick, since they both have a reluctant parental dynamic towards Rachel in addition to their shared investigative prowess. Now all that's left is for the audience to wait to see how Gar will fit in to these developing parallels.
"Titans" airs on Fridays on DC Universe.
Peace is often short-lived in the town of Midnight, Texas. After the heroes of this highly underrated supernatural-fantasy series defeated a demonic threat in the season one finale, this premiere episode wastes no time jumping back into the action. Manfred struggles to cope with the after-effects of being possessed by multiple spirits in order to defeat Colconnar, as his nightmarish sleep-walking takes on an increasingly forboding tone and he once again has visions of his grandmother's ghost. With only ten episodes per season, "Midnight, Texas" is a show largely free from the baggage of filler content. Every character action and plot development is purposeful. There are numerous strengths worth discussing in this gem of a show, but we've narrowed it down to just three from the season two premiere to convince you of why it is a must-watch for every Friday night.
Out With The Old, In With The New
With former series regulars Yul Vazquez (Reverend Emilio Sheehan) and Sarah Ramos (Creek Lovell) set to depart from the show, a space has opened up for new characters to fill the void left in their absence. One character that debuts is Walker Chisum, an openly gay demon hunter that helps Joe fight off some demons in a brawl outside a bar. All of the lead characters have displayed a desire to live a quiet, peaceful life in Midnight that would keep them out of trouble or danger. But with the introduction of Walker we see the opportunity to explore the action-oriented side of Joe. With all of Joe's strength and abilities, there is plenty of room for him to be a mighty foe for any supernatural evils that would threaten the tranquility of Midnight. While season one may have teased at Joe's power and formidability, season two is embarking on this deeper exploration of his character which can allow the audience to better understand him and what he is truly capable of.
The most notable addition to the show is married couple Kai and Patience Lucero. Kai's introduction is highly well-executed for how it subverts expectations and keeps the audience on their toes with the twists and turns regarding whether he is good or bad. With countless stories of cult leaders spouting false promises of the ability to heal and hiring actors to con new followers into believing these claims, Kai's first scene is one that plays on the baggage that viewers bring to their viewing experience which guides how they predict this character will be based on premise alone. But over the course of the episode, the show intelligently ebbs and flows in characterizing him. Kai saving Manfred from possession instills a sense of hope that he may not be so bad after all, only for the incredible twist in the episode's final scene that Kai has a head in his closet that he talks to, promising vengeance. Now that is how you end an episode!
Love Will Keep Us Together
One of the greatest reasons that fans have become so attached to "Midnight, Texas" is how strong a heart it has. Whether the connections are romantic or platonic, at it's core it showcases the importance of fostering a strong support system. The fact that these lead characters are able to become a family despite their vastly different backgrounds (vampires, psychics, witches, etc.) serves as a source of hope to the audience that no matter what they may have been through or what they feel they lack in their current relationships, it is possible to find a place to belong.
In season two, we see that Bobo has converted a bar that previously belonged to Nazis into a more welcoming establishment. The shocking revelation that Bobo had been brought up in a white supremacist group has fostered greater development and growth in his arc on the show. Not only has he left behind this darker chapter of his life, he has found love with Midnight's resident witch, Fiji Cavanaugh. Dylan Bruce and Parisa Fitz-Henley have brought to life a beautiful, captivating love story. The honesty with which they portray this relationship makes it all the more upsetting when an unknown force is teased at that will threaten their connection. The actors and show-runners have stated in various interview that Fiji's family magic originates from dark magic and that a curse on her family is what will be threaten her relationship with Bobo. Without the audience being invested in this romance, the threat would not feel so significant. The central theme of fighting for love stays constant in Midnight, but the manner in which it is threatened is what shifts across the seasons. This exemplifies how the show maintains a consistent identity while keeping the stories fresh.
Here's... Manfred!
François Arnaud delivers the stand-out performance of this episode, with his possession story offering up some truly masterful filmmaking. From the body horror, makeup, special effects, and scoring, every detail is carefully crafted while his raw power as an actor serve as the driving force for not only his own story but the episode as a whole. Manfred had always been an important figure for the viewers to relate to. As the newcomer to Midnight in season one, he learned about the town and it's residents just as the audience did. Arnaud's arc as a man possessed by the demons of his past actions is made all the more powerful not only because it came from doing something selfless to save his friends, but because of how visceral his performance is. It's a performance comparable to Jack Nicholson in "The Shining," given their story similarities of men who terrorize their loved ones. But while Nicholson's performance is a linear downward spiral into madness, Arnaud had the added challenge of bringing a broader emotional range. The back-and-forth transition between his possessed self and his real self fighting to break through while tied to a chair and begging the woman he loves to kill him before he can hurt anyone else is one of the most poignant moments of the show to date. When a character is pushed to their absolute limits, it gives a unique insight into not only the one being watched but the audience themselves, as they too can ponder how deep a sacrifice they would make for the lives of the ones they love.
"Midnight, Texas" airs on Fridays on NBC at 9/8c.
Watch the "Midnight, Texas" season 2 NYCC panel here:
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