‘King of Boys: The Return of the King’ Slightly Loses Thrust with Overly Ambitious Plot Twists

Iyke Bede

The Kemi Adetiba standalone 2018 film ‘King of Boys’ returns as a seven-part series ‘King of Boys: The Return of the King’ on Netflix last weekend.

The series continues where the original left off with the homecoming of Eniola Badmus (Sola Sobowale), a ruthless underground ruler whose sole intention is to grab the highest position in the state – the office of the governor.

However, her return to the country presents a rather tamed Eniola, who mourns the loss of her children, and as a result of her direct involvement in their deaths, constantly chastises herself. In a similar vein, she restricts herself from retaliating against others by shunning her inner demon that appears in the form of her younger self (Toni Tones). At this point she acknowledges her advancement in age, telling the shrewd Reverend (Richard Mofe-Damijo), “I am old… I am tired.”

To achieve her aim, she leverages other means, such as paying a clandestine visit to the incumbent president, presenting alternate facts to tarnish the image of her opposition (the Randles), while maintaining an affable persona in public. All these, mirror the political landscape. Left like that, the script makes a perfect film built on real-life logic, but the hunger for plot twists soon manifests with the reincarnation of the character Makanaki (Reminisce), Eniola’s archenemy.

Makanaki finds his way back into the new script, five years after a skirmish that left him dead. No doubt, the character is a bold, unforgettable one that served its purpose. However, his return to inflict revenge on his enemies wasn’t fully achieved, especially after reaching a truce with Eniola.

Of course, there is a certain nostalgia that comes with reviving a lost loved character, however, in his case, backstories and flashbacks would have achieved the same effect. What’s more, it makes room for new characters to avenge him, and further, lengthen the life of the script.

Makanaki’s reintroduction only creates a tangled plot that leaves its viewer more dazed than they are filled with suspense. In the chaos that is the final episode, nothing adds up amid radical gunshots, thick smoke that blankets ricocheting bullets, and a repentant Makanaki who emerges to pay allegiance to Eniola — an inexplicable occurrence considering the length he’s gone to eliminate all his enemies.

Sadly, the viewers are left in the dark for a potential sequel, but even that was no harbinger of any sort.