Nothing, and I mean nothing, is too big, too small, or too many on The Boys. After all, the Prime Video superhero series and its spinoff, Gen V, have both featured penises of, um various sizes. But there has never been this many in one episode—and they’ve never been used in that configuration. Welcome to what will forever be known as the “human centipede sex episode” of The Boys.
Episode 2 of Season 4 demonstrates how the ability to multiply yourself is handy in confrontations and self-pleasure situations. Clothing is not an option in either case.
(Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Boys.)
His time on the series might be brief, but the new superhero character of Splinter (Rob Benedict) joins the ranks of Termite (he of exploding his boyfriend from inside his dick fame) and Love Sausage (of the “tentacle”-sized member) in the Supe Peen Hall of Fame. It’s easy to empathize with Splinter’s adversary, M.M. (Laz Alonso), who moans, “Ah, hell no…” as Splinter lives up to his name: He duplicates himself. Each new version of Splinter is fully naked, and he jerks it while five naked clones of himself perform analingus on each other. (Or “toss the salad,” to borrow a phrase from Frenchie, played byTomer Capone.)
Supes aren’t afraid to bare all, and who can blame them when most are at their peak physicality? It wasn’t too long ago that the 70th Annual Herogasm (yep, an orgy for superheroes) took place, and naked interactions incorporating unusual kinks or comic book violence is a Boys signature. Across 30-plus episodes, dildos double as weapons, a man’s head was crushed mid-oral sex during a role-play-gone-wrong, and arguably the most powerful living supe, Homelander (Antony Starr), masturbated while standing at the top of Vought Tower.
However, there is more to Eric Kripke’s series than empty, provocative gestures and irreverent satire. It balances salty language and unorthodox sexual antics with underlying emotions and character development. It is still doing the most, but it is doing it well.
In Episode 2, for example, the supes head to TruthCon, a conspiracy-fueled convention where the nods to QAnon are overt. (For example, Firecracker, played by Valorie Curry, is one of the alt-suit movement’s most outspoken figures and leading voices, and she delivers a deep dive into how Oprah and Tom Hanks are involved in a Satanic home delivery service.) Splinter is crushing on Firecracker, but doesn’t stick around for the star’s entire panel.
When M.M. dispatches Kimiko (Karen Fukahara) and Frenchie to follow Splinter, who has entered the fitness center, they have zero idea what they are about walking into: a rimming train featuring one man and his matching minions. Yes, Splinter and his five selves are going at it ass to face (while the prime tugs it to a photo of Firecracker). “This isn’t what it looks like,” he tries to explain. But it is precisely what it looks like.Theo James giving himself head on The Time Traveler’s Wife just got blown (sorry) out of the water for eyebrow-raising acts of self-gratification.
Peen Party
Of course, the convention is a trap, and Firecracker and Splinter soon find themselves battling it out with the Boys.
Splinter has to pop out a few more doubles to compete in the face-off, and hats off to the VFX team, who show this ability in all its naked glory, right down to how and where the body separates—including the elastic skin pulling apart from Splinter’s member. Now, there are four guys in the buff with everything on display; there is no stepping in front of objects to preserve modesty.
TruthCon isn’t the only event taking place at this hotel. Unfortunately, a teenager is about to get her The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-themed Bat Mitzvah completely overshadowed by naked men fighting to the death. Admittedly, as a fan of Mrs. Maisel, I was thrilled by this unexpected Prime Video crossover—and I would like to know the conversations that led to this getting approved.
Splinter keeps on splitting, and more naked fighters enter the arena. One gets drowned by Frenchie in the chocolate fountain; another gets beaten with a menorah. Butcher joins the tussle, finishing it off by driving a crowbar directly through the Splinter’s head. Killing the prime means the others cannot survive, and at least nine naked bodies litter the dance floor of the ruined Bat Mitzvah. I’m sure Midge would have the perfect joke for this moment.
What this episode does is tee up provocative titillation with self-rimming before neutralizing it with the sexless nudity in the fight. Yes, Frenchie brings up what he and Kimiko saw Splinter doing to themselves, but there is nothing horny occurring here—or in the previous scenes.
It isn’t as disturbing as the exploding genitalia from Season 3 (see also the Gen V cocksplosion), nor the Deep’s (Chace Crawford) proclivity for boinking creatures from the ocean. It certainly isn’t as sweet and whimsical as Gen V’s puppet sex hallucination.
Over the last few years, male full-frontal nudity has become more common on TV. The Boys embraces the trend in bombastic style, from the practical oversized effects to having a character like Splinter getting it all out without acting coy or covering it up. Whether it is a prosthetic or not (as this has become a go-to method), this dedication to showing naked men still feels relatively revolutionary.
Ultimately, this series continues to depict extreme and out-there things. Still, it will never ask you to suspend disbelief that a clothed man can multiply himself into other clothed men—because there are some things a superhero cannot do.
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