‘The Boys’ Season 2 Episode 7 Review: “Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker”

With one issue left to go after this entry, we take a look at the toll the events of this season have had on an in-universe fan. The cinematography and performances of said fan culminate our curiosity until it becomes clear what is going to happen, rendering his actions into yet another testament to the infuriating nature of this series.

The set-up of this episode’s conflict finally cuts ties between certain characters, to some extent, and will show how they stack up against each other in the coming seasons. The Boys, planning their attack on Vought’s ultimate mission, are actually unbeknownst to it, which makes the duality between the two plots intriguing until the very end.

Family is underlying, yet incredibly thematic in this episode. We take a good look at fathers and how they affect the characters that either are or feel like family to each other. Butcher (Karl Urban) deals with quite a bit himself but comes to blows with how much his true family relations bolster all his others, and he furthermore seeks what may come for his long-lost son. Lamplighter (Shawn Ashmore) even becomes quite integrated into one of this episode’s missions, getting sentimental and creating a solid dynamic in realizing what his life as a Supe has come to. He, too, seeks to do his father justice, and this guides him through the episode, it seems. Speaking of Supes, Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) has dealt with plenty of tension in her relationship this season, and its strain seems tightest in this episode. With everything that’s snowballed, her presence, although slight, is significant.

Delving deeper into family’s truer blood ties, there is some affliction to a family that’s been a focal point of the entire season. One character, in particular, interacts with this family and, in doing so, builds up to a revelation that sets up our finale to a tee. It does beg the question, however: who was in the right and who was in the wrong when it comes to this family? Personally, this audience member believes that both ends are at too much of an extreme when it comes to their viewpoints on how to conduct their households.

When our vigilantes’ main goal is reached, the result is quite chaotic. It harkens back to events previous that now become even more curious. Will we truly understand the roles in this multifaceted conflict? Will we ever truly know who has the power? Guess we will have to stay tuned for Season 2’s finale!

Be on the lookout for reviews on the rest of The Boys season 2 coming soon, and for everything cinema, all the time, follow The Cinema Spot on all social media!