The Boys is a superhero drama on Prime Video about the slow insidious creep of fascism. It's also a withering satire that takes gleeful shots at big business, conspiracy theories, politics and Hollywood. Even when it's between seasons, its mission continues. Case in point: as part of the lead-up to the Emmy Awards, the show just released a For-Your-Consideration video to get its cast members some attention. Adam Bourke — the hacky in-world movie director responsible for Avengers knock-off Dawn of the Seven — advises actors on what to do if they want to take home some hardware. And the show can't pass up the opportunity to mock its competition. Watch Bourke's video below:
Bourke (played by P.J. Byrne) recommends getting cast in premium drama, perhaps one that features dragons and incest. "Dragons? Cheesy as hell," he says. "But banging your sister on a dragon? Jackpot!" That's obviously a reference to HBO's House of the Dragon, which features multiple dragon-riding incestuous couples. No one on that show has actually banged their sibling on a dragon...yet. If it happened, would anybody be surprised?
Bourke also takes a shot at HBO's zombie drama The Last of Us. “If they offer you a zombie show, that’s a hard pass unless there’s a random heartfelt gay episode about halfway through the series, because apparently one eighth gay is gay-okay. It’s gay-okay with me, and the Academy.” He's alluding to an episode from the first season of The Last of Us called "Long, Long Time," where we take a break from the main plot to digest the years-long love story between Frank (Murray Bartlett) and Bill (Nick Offerman). It's the best episode of the show so far, so I think they got away with it.
Bourke also gets in digs at Bridgerton and The Bear. And of course, it wouldn't The Boys if the show didn't make fun of itself. “Never do a superhero TV show," Bourke tells his acting students. "You might think surprising characters with nuanced performances or insightful commentary makes a difference, but it just doesn’t fucking matter.”
It's true that none of the actors from The Boys have won Emmys for their work on the show. Antony Starr, who plays breakout character Homelander, hasn't even been nominated for one. It's like the Emmy voters don't take him seriously just because he plays a character who goes around tonguing milk bottles. Where's the respect?
It's a little weird that The Boys is even putting out a For-Your-Consideration video; somehow I doubt they think their cast has much of a chance at the Emmys, even if they deserve the recognition. But if they're going to put out one of these videos, at least they did it in the most The Boys way possible.
The fifth and final season of The Boys is in production. It's expected to come out on Prime Video sometime next year. Meanwhile, the Emmy Awards air on September 14 on CBS. Maybe someone from The Boys can sneak in this time?
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