If you are tired of capes, cosmic cubes, and quippy one-liners, The Boys Season 1, Episode 1 is the antidote. It is a ruthless critique of celebrity culture, late-stage capitalism, and the American military-industrial complex, all wrapped in the skin of a superhero blockbuster.

The genius of the writing in Episode 1 is the parallel between Homelander and Hughie. Both are being managed

: The manipulative, supe-hating leader of the group known as "The Boys".