The Boys season 3’s most disappointing arc significantly weighed it down, but the show’s 1950s prequel has the perfect opportunity to rectify its biggest mistake. Loosely based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book series of the same name, Amazon’s The Boys only borrows some foundational ideas from the original comic books but drifts far away from many of its story elements. Given how the show has consistently landed in critics’ good books and is also among Amazon’s most profitable IPs, drifting away from comic books has clearly benefited it in several ways.

However, as The Boys season 3 suggests, not every creative liberty has worked in the show’s favor. The third installment of the franchise was expected to accurately adapt one of the most memorable arcs from the comic books. Unfortunately, the show’s portrayal of the arc did not even come close to being as hard-hitting as the comics’. Now that a prequel to The Boys has been confirmed, it can finally fix season 3’s missed opportunity.

The Boys Season 3’s Herogasm Didn’t Live Up To The Hype

The Boys season 3 Downplayed Herogasm

“Herogasm” was one of the most highly anticipated arcs of The Boys season 3. Although the season had a lot to offer and even featured some of the best fight sequences from the series, “Herogasm” failed to live up to the hype because it just was not as provocative and boundary-pushing as it was expected to be. One of the biggest issues with The Boys season 3’s portrayal of Herogasm was that, even though it was supposed to be one of the season’s biggest highlights, the show took a little too long to get to it.

In an episode where the comic books’ most shocking and controversial arc was supposed to be the highlight, Homelander’s fight with Billy Butcher and Soldier Boy became the primary focus.

Even season 4’s episode 6, titled “Herogasm,” was supposed to solely focus on the event. Unfortunately, it did not feature the supe orgy until halfway through its runtime. And even when it did, the main event was not its focus as it kept cutting away to several behind-the-scenes story elements. The scale of the event also felt significantly smaller in the series compared to the original comics, where it unfolds on a private island. To make things even worse, none of the main supes in The Boys were participants in it.

In an episode where the comic books’ most shocking and controversial arc was supposed to be the highlight, Homelander’s fight with Billy Butcher and Soldier Boy became the primary focus. During the lead-up to The Boys season 3, its Herogasm arc was also overhyped, which raised audience expectations. Sadly, the reality of the episode did not match the hype. The Boys season 3 failed to capture the essence of the comics’ “Herogasm” storyline, but the show’s upcoming spin-off can make up for it.

Vought Rising Can Revisit Herogasm (& Finally Do It Right)

Vought Rising Has The Perfect Opportunity To Portray The First Herogasm

Custom Image by Dalton Norman

The Boys‘ upcoming spin-off/prequel, Vought Rising, has the perfect opportunity to revisit Herogasm and finally do it right. As Vought Rising‘s story details confirm, it will unfold in the 1950s and follow Soldier Boy and Clara Vought (better known as Stormfront in The Boys). Although it will primarily revolve around a murder mystery and explore the early days of Vought’s development, it can also give a glimpse of how the Herogasm event started.

As The Boys‘ original lore reveals, Herogasm was founded by Soldier Boy and Clara Vought in 1952, which would perfectly fit into the spin-off show’s timeline. Unlike The Boys season 3, which merely brushed over the annual supe event, Vought Rising could walk through all the bizarre things that happen during the orgy and deliver what the parent series couldn’t. Given how graphic and messed-up the Herogasm arc is in the original comics, Vought Rising will also have to hold back from capturing the full scale of the event. However, it can still portray it way better than The Boys season 3.

The Live-Action Herogasm Should Be More Like The Comics

Vought Rising Should Avoid Treading The Same Path As The Boys Season 3

Instead of taking The Boys season 3’s approach, Vought Rising should ensure that its portrayal of Herogasm is not too different from comics. Not every graphic detail from the comic books can make it to the audiovisual medium, which will likely prevent Vought Rising from accurately capturing the extreme aspects of the source material. However, given how Amazon’s The Boys has already pushed many boundaries with its portrayal of gratuitous sex and gore, Vought Rising should be able to take things a little further when it explores twisted supe fantasies in its Herogasm arc.