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The Boys producer on how far the show will go in Season 3: 'I'm not sure there is a line'

By Nivea Serrao
The Boys on Amazon

In just two seasons, The Boys has already proven there's no line the Prime Video series is not willing to cross, whether it's accidentally killing a sexually charged dolphin in Season 1 or actually including a super-powered individual known as Love Sausage in Season 2 — with the man actually attempting to kill one of the heroes with his extremely long, um, member

"I'm not sure there is a line," says producer-director Phil Sgriccia on a recent episode of The Boys official podcast. "We've got some stuff planned in Season 3 that's even more pushing of the envelope... Every time we get to a line and say 'Can we do that? I guess so.' Might as well try and ask for forgiveness later."

Considering the new season will tackle the infamous Herogasm storyline, yeah, we'd imagine they're pushing pretty hard to find that line at this poiint.

In fact, one of the few things the show initially got some pushback on was the superhero sex club that appeared in the first episode of the first season, as well as the depiction of self-pleasure — something the show (and Amazon Studios) have since gotten past, as seen in the final scene of Homelander (Anthony Starr) at the very end of the second season. 

"I can say there was a big argument about some characters masturbating," reveals executive producer Evan Goldberg at a later point in the podcast. "There's been many arguments about that early on. We got through that."

Co-executive producer Seth Rogen agrees, adding that most of those conversations were about the first few episodes of the show. "It was just different. But once it came out and in general people accepted it and saw that we had a good gauge as to what was and was not something people would like to see on television... If anything I'm amazed at what they let us do." 

As bold as the series (which Former President Barack Obama has also binged) is about what it depicts, it's also not afraid to poke fun at itself or some of the other shows and movies that are currently dominating popular culture, from the Deep (Chase Crawford) appearing on a Bachelor-style dating show within the show, or members of the female members of the superhero team the Seven actually starring in an intentionally-terrible Justice League or Avengers-esque fake movie, titled "Dawn of the Seven" that depicts a more fictional take on events that actually transpired. 

"I loved writing 'Dawn of the Seven' dialogue. It's my favorite thing. You have to walk this fine line of bad but not so bad," says showrunner Eric Kripke. "'Dawn of the Seven' seems like the worst movie. It's got this weird prologue with this drug dealer and somehow there are mutants. When you try and place all the pieces together it makes no sense."

But despite that, a full script actually exists, along with all the notes one of the characters (Aya Cash's Stormfront) has for it, shares Kripke about the production design's attention to detail. "In between setups, I was just kind of hanging out on set and I happened to pick up the script and page through it... That was not just fake pages. I was reading it. Someone really wrote [Dawn of the Seven], and then, someone really wrote real notes all over it."

Of course, part of the parodying within the series comes from the fact that the show wasn't able to get any sponsors because of its more R-rated sensibilities. Kripke says that's why Vaught actually manufactures and sells most of the products within the world. It's also become a fun running gag now. Though there is a particular brand the series has been trying to spoof, laughs Kripke. "One that we've never gotten yet is a Goop-like product line called Vaughtality." 

Season 3 — which is currently being filmed — and the college-set spin-off in the works will no doubt feature more of that, along with the possible return of Seth Reed and Evan Lambert, two recurring Vaught marketing guys who tend to pitch their often cheesy ideas to various members of the Seven. Rogen confirms that both characters are indeed named after him and Goldberg.

"It's very much a joke at us, made by Kripke." Rogen laughs. "I think he got us." 

You can currently stream the first two seasons of The Boys on Prime Video.


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