The Boys season 3 takes both blood and sex to the extremes, but within it is also a deep theme of family and a power struggle that is more intense than ever.

Ahead of season 3’s premiere, Shadow and Act spoke with series stars Erin Moriarty and Antony Starr about the battle Starlight and Homelander find themselves in this season, as well as how the concept of family– both biological and chosen– is a key part of this season.

“Initially, she sees it as an opportunity to make an impact in terms of potentially changing the level of corruption within this corporation,” Moriarty said. ‘However, I think that as soon as she finds herself on, supposed an equal playing field with Homelander and having equal amounts of power, she’s working alongside the character who’s the most drunk on power, sociopathic, massively insecure…and so her increase power makes him feel threatened. So he begins to threaten her and I think that it really makes her realize that perhaps this opportunity isn’t what she expected it to be. And it could even get her killed.”

Starr spoke on what propels Homelander this season, and it’s something that has come up in the series before: love and family– and the search of it.

He explained, “That’s the ultimate drive…to find loving connection and family…and that’s what he wants, right? He’s just so screwed up that his baggage and the damage make it very difficult for him and kind of impossible for him to find that. This season is no exception. He’s always on that quest to try and feel some sense of connection.”

Trailers released ahead of the season show that his son, Ryan, also appears in this season, accompanied with glowing eyes just like his dear old dad. Starr teased the impact of this as well.

“His son comes into it later on in the season…that’s not a spoiler I don’t think…[laughs] but from day one, the idea about family and what family is and who we choose to give our love and receive love from has always been a theme of the show, especially with The Boys. That is a messed up family, but [has] all the elements of love and the family dynamics. Season 3 definitely expands on those ideas.”

The first three episodes of The Boys season 3 drop on Amazon’s Prime Video this Friday.

Watch the interview below: