Amazon Prime's The Boys and Hanna

Remember the last Super Bowl? On top of it being incredibly boring, they constantly played a trailer for Hanna. “Watch episode 1 now for free!” it kept repeating.

Episode 1 was pretty interesting, so was episode 2, and 3, and 4. Things are sometimes more enjoyable if you go into them blind. I vaguely remembered the trailer and the one thought of “I might like this.” Boy was I right.

This show is basically Jason Borne, but if he was a 16 year old girl, with no technology but can kill you with a bobby pin (hint hint).

What is different though it is not just a super secret spy show. This show is about Hanna and her discovering a world outside her cave. Backstory: Hanna’s father kidnaps her from a hospital and after a long and harrowing journey through random Romania, they hid out in the woods for 15 years. We’ve seen this set up so many times. Half the time the actor just plays everything off like a dumb dim wit. But, when Hanna asks, “What’s a text message?” She sounds sincere, you feel her innocence and naivety come through in her performance. Then in the next scene she jumps around a room killing three guys, it’s utterly fantastic.

Action shows sometimes suffer from a pacing problem. The producers try to balance the violence to drama ratio and this show isn’t without fault. What is great about it, is the story is pieced together so nicely. Take Mission Impossible for instance, 3 minutes into the movie you know who’s gunna die and how to save the world. Hanna is more subtle, it is by no means is groundbreaking, but it lures you along without giving away too many clues to keep you interested.

On top of all this, Amazon once again just makes a really pretty show. The cinematography is captivating, you feel her isolation, wether around people, the forest, or especially her father.

If you liked season 1, get excited a second is on the way!