Summary
In the penultimate episode ofThe Boysseason 4, the titular team hits their lowest point yet. It seems impossible considering where they’ve been before, but it’s not just Hughie, Annie, Butcher, MM, Kimiko, and Frenchie who are on the brink. The entirety of The Seven and Vought’s corporate structure is in disarray, leaving everyone in a precarious position heading into the season finale.
Cast
The only person who isn’t totally dejected is Vice President-Elect Victoria Neuman — she’s fully embracedHomelander’s planand the political violence it will take to achieve it. When the alternative is Supe genocide, which would kill her and her daughter, it’s not hard to understand her choice. Heading into the season 4 finale,The Boyshas a lot of ground to cover, and the episode does its job of setting up what is sure to be an explosive episode. But it seems there might be only one direction the series can go to justify what has been a lackluster season.
It Looks Like Homelander’s Plan Might Work
Obviously, this isn’t a good thing — even for Homelander
Homelander has been in crisis all season, but it seemed to be working out for him for the most part. He brought Sister Sage on board, the world’s smartest person, and they crafted a plan for world domination. The psycho Supe couldn’t help but give in to his worst impulses, though, and he’s now pushed Sage aside in favor of Firecracker and her obsession with pleasing him. Instead of strategic smarts, it looks like Homelander may execute his grand plan through brute force rather than cunning strategy.
While this seems almost certain to work out for him —Homelander’s powersmake him the mightiest Supe, after all — he lacks the brains that are a vital part of his operation with Sage. In a confrontation between the three Supes, Sage reveals that she knew A-Train was the leak all along and that his distribution of information was intentional. To what end remains unclear.
With nothing to hold [Homelander] back and the fifth season serving asThe Boys' last, it feels like anything could happen for the first time in a long time.
Now, Homelander is surrounded by a bunch of Yes-Men, which doesn’t bode well for his takeover plan. In a sense, Homelander’s right back where he started at the beginning of season 4, only this time he’s angrier than ever. This is kind ofThe Boys' thing — Homelander goes on some journey throughout the season before ending it scarier and more powerful than ever before. This time, though, it worked.
The takeover plot heightens the stakes of Homelander’s actions, but most of all, Antony Starr continues to deliver a stunning performance, somehow avoiding the trappings of the script to exude something even more terrifying. It’s a promising sign heading into the finale, with nothing to hold him back. And with theseason 5 beingThe Boys' last, it feels like anything could happen for the first time in a long time.
Episode 7 Sets Up A Promising Ending For The Boys Season 4
The stakes are high heading into Singer’s inauguration
In its fourth season,The Boyshas shown some signs of wear and tear. Its social commentary has grown stale no matter how prescient it seems to be, and the scenes meant to shock and awe have either not topped what’s come before or have been surprisingly tone-deaf (Hughie’s sexual torture being the worst of it). Episdoe 7 doesn’t fix all of these mistakes, but it sets up a finale that could change everything.
The gloves are off and Homelander has sent The Deep and Black Noir to attack Butcher and Annie. A-Train has been exposed as the leak. Sister Sage has been fired. Annie has been kidnapped and is seemingly a part of whatever the plan is for January 6. In a season that has felt motionless at times,The Boysfinally feels like it has some life in it again.
The Boysseason 4 episode 7 is now streaming on Prime Video.
The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
