'The Boys' Courageously Takes On an Unconventional and Gruesome Comic Storyline, Defying Expectations

Amazon’s The Boys has ventured perilously close to the line of good taste, but Gen V adapts the one comic story presumed to be off-limits.

The Boys has never been known for its subtlety or tact, but Gen V adapts the one comic book character widely believed to be beyond what Amazon would ever allow. Despite repeatedly mentioning the character since season 1, The Boys has routinely avoided including the comic book supe Tek Knight. This comes as no great surprise, as the Batman parody is arguably the most controversial figure in a franchise where controversial figures are lurking around every corner. The problem with adapting Tek Knight for live-action rested wholly in the character’s unquenchable thirst for 𝑠e𝑥ually penetrating any and all orifices.

Reports had already confirmed that Derek Wilson would play the highly-anticipated Tek Knight, and had joined the Gen V cast. The big question of whether Amazon would dare to include the character’s comic book obsession, however, remained unanswered. While the satirical franchise routinely pushes the limits of good taste – such as with The Boys season 3’s Ant-Man scene – the live-action adaptation has pulled back on occasion. The disappointing anticlimax of Herogasm in The Boys season 3, for example, proved there were lines even The Boys couldn’t cross in live-action, putting Tek Knight at risk of falling down a censorship rabbit hole.

Gen V Adapts Tek Knight’s Problematic Obsession

His Sexual Proclivities Are Directly Addressed

Somewhat surprisingly, Gen V episode 4 is more or less faithful in how it adapts Tek Knight’s unusual 𝑠e𝑥 habits. The Boys‘ college spinoff begins with a series of less-than-subtle hints – Tek Knight gently tracing his finger around the center of a tape dispenser, for example. Rather than stopping at simple allusions toward Tek Knight’s comic issues, however, Gen V‘s Dean Shetty exposes the whole truth, complete with unsettling CCTV footage and a hilarious back catalog of examples where Tek Knight inserted himself into inanimate objects while on campus property. Even the addition of Tek Knight’s brain tumor is canon to Garth Ennis’ original The Boys comic books.

Tek Knight’s antics confirm ongoing suspicions that Gen V has an even higher ceiling for extreme scenes than The Boys. The main show’s pinnacle of distaste came with season 3’s Termite explosion scene, but Gen V has outdone that twice – firstly with a close-up of the shrunken Emma hanging off another student’s member, and then with a far more graphic penile explosion scene courtesy of Rufus. Toss Tek Knight into that mix, and Gen V has a holy trinity of unpleasantness that lifts it far above The Boys in terms of graphic content.

Gen V’s Tek Knight Doesn’t Go As Far As The Comics (But The Boys Season 4 Can)

Despite hitting the main Tek Knight beats, Gen V still holds back a few choice details from Garth Ennis’ comic story. The printed incarnation of this Batman parody, for example, loses his Alfred after 𝑠e𝑥ually assaulting the butler’s ear hole. Darker still, Tek Knight’s 𝑠e𝑥ual compulsion forces him into sending away his young sidekick, a lampoon of Robin named Laddio, out of fear for the boy’s safety. Gen V completely avoids involving other humans in Tek Knight’s secret problem, limiting his attraction to foodstuffs, local flora, cleaning equipment, and other objects.

Even though Gen V does bring Tek Knight down a few notches, the character’s story still has time to develop further in The Boys season 4. Derek Wilson’s appearance in the spinoff sets Tek Knight up as a Vought investigator, giving him the perfect reason to appear in the main show as another enemy for Billy Butcher’s crew to battle. Additionally, much of Tek Knight’s The Boys comic arc remains unadapted, leaving plenty of room for additional appearances. With Laddio a potential addition to The Boys season 4, the real depths of Tek Knight’s hole obsession may yet come to light following the character’s already-stomach-churning debut in Gen V.