Jasper Savage/Prime Video
This article contains spoilers for “The Boys” Season 5 Episode 6, “Though the Heavens Fall.”
From the top of the Hollywood food chain to a humble employee of “VMC Theatres” (an obvious spoof of the AMC theater chain) at the mercy of whichever Supe who happens to walk through the doors, show business is a dog-eat-dog world, folks. “The Boys” Season 5 has unleashed plenty of twists and turns in its final stretch, but none can compete with the return of one of the show’s most inspired casting choices. If nothing else, the war against Homelander (Antony Starr) makes for some strange bedfellows.
In its third season, industry icon Paul Reiser portrayed the aptly named The Legend in a small supporting role. Canonically, Vought’s former Senior Vice President of Hero Management was once the toast of the town, a glad-handing, drug-snorting, womanizing mover and shaker who happened to have some past shady dealings with the likes of Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) and Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue). Now, well, time hasn’t exactly been kind to him since he helped out our motley crew of anti-Supe renegades, ran afoul of Vought, and ended up on the run and living anonymously right underneath their nose.
When MM (Laz Alonso) tracks The Legend down and firmly requests his help once more to track down another Supe named Bombsight (Mason Dye), it’s both a sign of the desperate straits our heroes find themselves in and a welcome blast from the past. Of course, this first requires a side quest through his high-flying past and his sordid affairs with a retired Supe named Golden Geisha (Naoko Mori). In short, it’s a perfect use of Reiser’s talents and a reminder that, at its best, “The Boys” can do homages with the best of ’em.
The Boys brings back Paul Reiser’s The Legend in a surprise role
Prime Video
When you have the chance to give Paul Reiser some serious screen time, you do it. “The Boys” may have come under fire lately after criticisms of “filler” (unfairly, if you ask me), but it’s hard to imagine that anyone except the most humorless fans out there would label this latest hour as anything but a total blast. It begins when Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) accompanies The Legend to gently persuade “Goldie” for her help in acquiring the last of the all-important V-One serum before Homelander does. Not surprisingly, her past history with The Legend makes her less than enthralled to lend a hand, no matter how many smooth-talking double entendres he can fire off. You have to hand it to Reiser — nobody plays frazzled indignation quite like he does.
The real highlight, however, comes after the Boys have kidnapped Golden Geisha and Homelander tracks down The Legend. Having threatened him into revealing the Boys’ (now-empty) hideout, Homelander’s subsequent confrontation turns into a tense but darkly hilarious acting stand-off between Antony Starr and Reiser. Despite The Legend’s cowardice, his realization that Homelander doesn’t plan to let him leave alive gives way to something unexpectedly poignant. Recognizing the look of someone who’s getting put out to pasture, The Legend relates Homelander’s existential fears of failing to achieve godhood to his own cold-blooded experiences calling the shots in show biz and pushing other Supes out the moment they became irrelevant.
The Legend’s tough love saves his life, inadvertently gives Homelander the means to track down Goldie’s V-One, and gives him a rousing monologue to go out on. That’s a win in our book.
New episodes of “The Boys” streams on Prime Video every Wednesday.
