Review: The Boys “Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed”

Overview:

Hughie, Butcher, and Soldier Boy are picking themselves up after almost defeating Homelander once and for all. Starlight invests in her new teammates after quitting The Seven. Moreover, Homelander discovers a new piece of his origin story that is about to change everything. Meanwhile, Black Noir is putting the pieces of his past together as he decides how to navigate his next steps forward. Nevertheless, he is going to need the wisdom of his old friends to get him through.

Our Take:

The Boys has been one of the most entertainingly adult superhero shows on television. We have been enjoying all three seasons of Butcher and the gang killing off every powered hero they can while being drenched in blood and other bodily fluids. It was extra special earlier this year when The Boys went animated with their presentation of Diabolical, an eight-episode collection of shorts featuring different animation styles.

However, much like the rest of you, we were surprised to see animation take a major role in the latest episode of The Boys. Season three, episode eight, “Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed”, features some significant moments on the tail-end of the major “Herogasm” episode of the week before. The show constantly delivers shocking twists and brutal violence. Thankfully, the violence and twists were a part of the animated segments included in the latest episode.

The episode features Black Noir after making a break from The Seven. Surprisingly, the “hero” is off to do some soul searching which lands him in a child amusement restaurant, similar to a Chuck E Cheese. As such, the characters of this establishment come to life in the form of traditional 2D animation. However, the apparitions are likely a manifestation of the brain damage that Black Noir has received throughout his tenure on superhero teams.

Thankfully, even these child-friendly cartoon characters are not immune to the violently gory visuals that are a constant on The Boys. Performing a couple of re-enactments of Black Noir’s past, a black sheep dressed as the hero receives a significant beatdown from his teammate Soldier Boy. Twice. Most dramatically, the very beatdown that caused the significant scarring on Black Noir’s head that has kept him from speaking the entire film.

As another special treat, you can stick around after the episode for a Marvel-inspired after-credit scene that also features these wacky cartoon characters.

It is always great to see some adult animation mixed in with highly popular shows. There is a long tradition of animation embodying mental health disorders on television, as seen on shows like Happy! and Community. However, the fact that The Boys took this a step further by showing these cartoons be violently beaten up was both unexpected and very on-brand.

It will be interesting to see if Black Noir’s visions play a part in the series going further. But considering that the non-vocal hero is about to face judgement for his actions against Soldier Boy, there is a high chance that the character doesn’t last much longer in the series. Regardless, the animation was a fun addition to a show that is already ground-breaking.