Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for The Boys Season 4, Episode 5.
The Big Picture
- Hughie discovers his father transformed into a Supe after being injected with Compound V.
Gen V
's Sam Riordan and Cate Dunlap become the Guardians of Godolkin and introduce their new movie.- The Boys discover Sameer's secret relationship with Neuman and his connection to Zoe.
Last week's episode of The Boys was one of the strongest hours of the series to date. Homelander (Antony Starr) returns to his "childhood home," unleashing bloody havoc on a team of Vought scientists. Annie (Erin Moriarty) beats up Firecracker (Valorie Curry) live on television after the alt-right Supe revealed that the former had an abortion, resulting in her losing a lot of support. Frenchie (Tomer Capone) finally admits to his former lover Colin (Eliot Knight) that he was the one who killed his family, ultimately bringing their romance to an end. Hughie (Jack Quaid) is shocked when he learns that his formally estranged mother Daphne (Rosemarie DeWitt) has injected his nearly dead father, Hugh Sr. (Simon Pegg), with the vial of Compound V he had A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) steal from Homelander's penthouse. We also had the pleasure of witnessing The Deep (Chace Crawford) give a lobotomy to Sister Sage (Susan Heyward).
Episode 5 of Season 4, titled "Beware the Jabberwork, My Son," details the devastating aftermath of last week's cliffhanger as well as taking some of the Boys on an unusual field trip. This episode also ties into the events that took place in the spin-off Gen V, as the so-called Guardians of Godolkin, Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan (Asa Germann) are officially welcomed into the Vought family, and the Supe-killing virus leads Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso) to form an uneasy alliance with two of the last people they ever expected to work with.
The Deep and Cameron Coleman Host V52 in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 5
After a brief introduction, Cameron Coleman (Matthew Edison) and The Deep are welcomed onto the stage at the V52 Expo, Vought's convention that claims to be "powered by fans, for fans." (And yes, you are correct in your assumption that this is the equivalent of Disney's D23 expo in The Boys' universe.) As the two take the stage, Homelander stands backstage, experiencing some traumatic childhood flashbacks, before his mind goes to his son, Ryan (Cameron Crovetti). Realizing his vulnerable state, Sister Sage proceeds to mock him, but the star-spangled Supe is unphased and only twitches in response. The Deep and Coleman unveil "Phases 7-19" of Vought's franchise of movies and TV shows, including the previously introduced Training A-Train as well as titles such as The Deep: Gods & Dolphins, Teenage Kix: Home for Kwanzaa 2, and G-Men: Days Past From the Future.
At Hugh Campbell's hospital suite, Hughie is in a state of disbelief that his father has woken up and apparently feels "great." Hughie and Daphne leave the room, where the latter admits that she injected the V after it fell out of Hughie's jacket pocket. Hughie stresses to her that he's seen Compound V plenty of times before, but she reminds him that Hugh seems to be acting like his same-old self. Meanwhile, Annie watches the latest episode of Firecracker's show, where the Supe reveals that she'll be pressing charges before declaring that it's "hunting season" against "Starlighters." Annie walks around the Starlight House, barely holding back her tears at the sight of the building now been vandalized by Hometruthers. MM and his ex-wife Monique (Frances Turner) try to talk with their daughter Janine (Liyou Abere), who got into another fight with a classmate and has begun acting even more erratically in the wake of her stepdad Todd's (Matthew Gorman) murder.
Butcher meets up with Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) once more, where he is given an opportunity to go on a mission that could prove to be vital in the war against the Supes. However, Butcher seems unsure, especially since he already has two Supes, Annie and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), working alongside him. Back at The Boys' office, Annie questions Frenchie about Colin's sudden disappearance, which he brushes off. Butcher waltzes into the building and informs them about Kessler's mission: a team of scientists at Godolkin University have created a virus that latches onto Supes and kills them but is harmless towards humans. Butcher wants to steal the virus from Vice President-elect Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit), kill her, and then chase after Homelander — but before that, he asks MM to get the team "one presidential pardon." During the "Vought Faith" portion of the V52 presentation, which includes a clip from the upcoming movie Firecracker: Lord's Soldier and an in memoriam for Ezekiel (Shaun Benson), Sage confronts A-Train, hinting that she suspects that he stole the footage that acquitted the men Vought framed for the murder of the three Hometruthers.
Giancarlo Esposito Returns as Stan Edgar in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 5
Butcher and MM visit former Vought CEO Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) in prison. Edgar denies his knowledge of the virus and doesn't seem interested in helping them get their hands on it, even if it grants him freedom. He is ready to walk away before Butcher informs him that Neuman injected her daughter, Zoe (Olivia Morandin) with Compound V, making her a Supe, and then promises Edgar that he'll not only get him exonerated but also grant him custody of Zoe.
Hugh Sr., now wide awake, happily reflects on his honeymoon with Daphne, proclaiming that they need to go on another family vacation. Daphne also gifts Hughie her engagement ring to give to Annie when he proposes. Hugh Sr. apologizes to Daphne about not letting her talk to Hughie after she walked out, and she tearfully leaves the hospital suite. Hughie questions his father about why he gave Daphne the power of attorney, to which he responds by telling the story of how Hughie refused to allow him to put down their family's cat, Jar Jar, when he was deathly ill. He claims that Hughie has always held on tight to everyone he loves, but has always struggled to let them go. Moments later, Hugh Sr. asks where Daphne has gone, and a confused Hughie reminds him that she went to the restroom.
Butcher, MM, Annie, Kimiko, and Frenchie travel with Edgar up to one of his old estates, where Neuman has been performing tests with the virus. The team walks down to the basement where they discover that Neuman has been overseeing tests on animals with Compound V. Everyone's noses begin to bleed, except Edgar, as Neuman makes her entrance, revealing that she has been keeping track of Edgar's ankle bracelet. She demands to know where a man named Sameer (Omid Abtahi) is, believing them to have kidnapped him, which they deny.
At V52, A-Train shows off the trailer for his new movie Training A-Train, where Will Ferrell stars as his coach. The Deep and Coleman talk backstage, with the former being angry at the latter for covering his firing as Vought's Head of Crime Analytics. The two walk back onstage, where they introduce Vought's new diversity initiative, "Black At It," gloating that the Seven now has two Black and one "racially ambiguous" hero. Backstage, Adam Bourke (P.J. Byrne) pitches Ryan on the new Vought+ original series Super School, which will be built entirely around him. However, the young Supe laments that he isn't interested. Homelander, in an attempt to win back Ryan's approval, praises him for speaking up for himself, telling a humiliated Bourke to cancel the series. Walking down the hall, Homelander tells Ryan that there will be "no more rules" in place for either of them, giving them total emancipation. Meanwhile, Coleman breaks up with Ashley (Colby Minifie), wanting out of their toxic relationship because she's no longer in a position of real power — just a figurehead at Vought.
Back at Edgar's estate, Neuman, Edgar, and The Boys walk into a farmhouse, only to discover the corpse of one of Sameer's scientists. Before they can say anything, a flock of superpowered chickens, injected with V, begin to attack them. They flee the farmhouse and board it up, as an angry Neuman reveals to the group that Butcher made a deal with her: he'd clear Hughie's files on her and, in turn, he'd get Ryan back. Butcher pleads with Annie, telling her that he didn't go through with the deal. While continuing their search for Sameer, Neuman mocks Annie about her attacking Firecracker, leading her to retaliate by punching the VP-elect in the face. Butcher finds a dying rabbit on the ground, presumably injected with Compound V, and watches as mini tentacles spring out of its torso. While he puts the rabbit out of its misery, both he and we can't help but wonder if a similar fate awaits thanks to the worm crawling under his skin.
As Tek Knight (Derek Wilson) introduces a presentation of his new movie The Tek Knight, A-Train and Ashley talk backstage. The speedster admits to Vought's former CEO that he was the one who leaked the footage of the Hometruthers' murders and blackmails her into helping him, saying that if she tells on him, he'll rat her out for vandalizing Homelander's bathroom. Now that Ashley's effectively been named his accomplice in the leak, A-Train says, she needs to help him make this go away.
Hugh Sr. Becomes a Supe in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 5
Hughie returns to his father's hospital suite to find his dad's bed empty and Daphne calmly reading a book. When questioned, Daphne tells him that she thought Hugh Sr. was with him. Worried, Hughie and Daphne search the hospital and find Hugh Sr. with his back turned towards them, sulking and staring at the wall. Hughie calmly approaches his father, trying to talk with him, but freezes when he sees the corpse of a patient with a hole in the middle of his torso. Hugh Sr. turns around, his lower body covered in blood, and he's shown to be holding the patient's heart. Hughie tries to calmly talk to his father, touching his wrist, but Hugh Sr. fails to recognize him. A nurse walks in, sees the carnage Hugh Sr. caused, and screams, calling for security. Panicked, the jacked-up-on-V Hugh Sr. runs through the wall, revealing the new ability that Compound V has given him. He then runs through the body of a patient flirting with a nurse, killing him instantly and leaving his body a bloody cake of organs.
Hughie and Daphne confront Hugh Sr. in the hallway, but he still fails to recognize them and mumbles about having to take Hughie to a toy store to buy him a Tek Knight doll, believing that his son is still 11 years old. He begins to recognize Daphne, but grows angry at her, blaming her for ruining his and Hughie's lives. As he walks towards his terrified wife and son, a security guard blocks him, but Hugh Sr. kills him by impaling him with a vibrating fist, which goes through the guard's body like paper.
Sam Riordan and Cate Dunlap are welcomed onto the V52 stage as the Guardians of Godolkin, where they introduce their new movie, The Guardians of Godolkin: Flipped. Backstage, The Deep harasses Coleman, and the VNN news anchor tells him that he knows about his affair with Ambrosius the octopus (Tilda Swinton). Homelander tries to bond with Ryan, and his son reveals to him that he wants to use his powers to genuinely help people, instead of just starring in performative and fake "saves" on social media. Ryan spots Bourke making Bonnie, a female intern (Conni Miu) uncomfortable, so Homelander calls them over. Homelander encourages Ryan to intimidate and humiliate Bourke into apologizing, forcing him to get on his knees and submit to being slapped repeatedly by Bonni, as Ryan watches, calmly sipping his milkshake.
A Herd of V-ed Up Sheep Attack in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 5
Annie catches Frenchie praying with a rosary as they take a rest from their search for Sameer. Annie asks him whether or not he's Catholic, which he admits, asking her if she still believes in God. Annie responds by saying, "I want to. It's just so hard, sometimes." Frenchie confesses to still believing in the Holy Trinity, but rejecting the Sacrament of Penance. Annie tries to reason with him, telling him about the importance of forgiveness. While Frenchie claims to be a forgiving person, he does not believe in being forgiven, claiming some things deserve "eternal damnation." Sensing Frenchie's pain, Annie urges him to talk to Kimiko. Frenchie responds by saying that he is afraid that she wouldn't forgive him if he told her the truth. Their spiritual conversation comes to a screeching halt when a bull injected with Compound V approaches them. Just as it seems that the bull is about to make a move, a flying and rapid sheep bursts through the animal, screaming, getting ready to attack The Boys. More flying sheep join the chase, dismembering several of Neuman's scientists. The group then seeks shelter in a boarded-up farmhouse.
Upon their arrival, Sameer comes out of the shadows, and it's revealed that he has been romantically involved with Neuman and is Zoe's biological father. Edgar informs The Boys that Sameer was his top man at Vought R&D, but was fired after his romance with Neuman was uncovered. Sameer tells the team that he only has one syringe full of the virus left. The group debates what to do with the syringe before deciding to stick it into the corpse of a dead scientist, using him as bait to transmit the virus to the V-infused sheep.
Hughie and Daphne are seeking refuge in an operating room at the hospital, as sirens are blaring. As Hughie searches for sedatives, Hugh Sr. enters the room using his powers and begins to walk towards a terrified Daphne. Hughie steps in between the two, telling his father the story about buying the Tek Knight doll, confessing that Tek Knight was never his hero; Hugh Sr. was, and still is. The confused Hugh Sr. finally recognizes his son and breaks down in tears, claiming that he doesn't know what to do with himself.
The V-ed up sheep finally make their way into the shelter, leading Neuman, Edgar, and The Boys to flee the scene. They're quickly cornered by a sheep covered in tumors from the virus that begins to vomit profusely before dropping dead. As the remaining sheep are killed by the virus, Neuman realizes that Sameer is missing. MM sends Edgar back to prison,claiming that the deal was for him to give The Boys access to the virus, and since the only vial of it was used to spare themselves from the killer sheep, he failed at his end of the bargain. As the FBSA clears the scene, an agent informs Neuman that they were unable to find Sameer's body, and the only trace of him left is his amputated leg.As Edgar is driven back to prison, Neuman explodes the head of his chauffeur and takes him with her.
Homelander gathers the Seven and the Guardians of Godolkin for a meeting at Vought Tower, telling them that there will come a time when they will no longer act as celebrities but rather "vengeful gods." He then brings up the security footage leak and calls for The Deep to bring in a man with a bag over his head, who is revealed to be none other than Cameron Coleman. Ashley watches from the sidelines, as it's implied that she framed Coleman to clear herself and A-Train. The Seven proceed to take turns beating the news anchor to death.
Kimiko tries to get in contact with Frenchie, but doesn't get a response. Frenchie is then shown walking into a police department where he turns himself in for his past murders. Meanwhile, Hughie and Daphne have finally gotten Hugh Sr to calm down. The three come to the devastating agreement that euthanization is the only solution. The three share their tearful goodbyes, and once Hugh Sr. passes, Hughie cries into his mother's arms. The episode ends with Butcher bringing Kessler to Edgar's estate, where it's shown that he was the one who amputated Sameer's leg and has now kidnapped the scientist to force him to create more of the virus.
Following in the wake of last week's sensational episode, it feels like The Boys Season 4 has finally found its flow with these past two episodes. The showdown with the V-ed up sheep did hearken back to the series' earlier seasons, and if it weren't for the presence of the Supe-killing virus, it feels like a bottle storyline. Watching V-ed up sheep and chickens devour humans alive is amusing, but we've seen the show do similar set-pieces. That's not a complaint, as this subplot never felt slow, but it didn't have the impact that many of this season's other storylines have had. While the gross-out moments of violence, terror, and body horror are still ever-present, and its satirical takedown of Disney's D23 event and the Phases of the MCU did bring in more than a few good laughs, this episode truly found its stride in the emotional moments.
Hugh Sr.'s brief transformation into a Supe may have the same amount of violence as you'd expect from the show, but much like Robin's death in the opening moments of Season 1 or Becca Butcher's death in the Season 2 finale, this sequence isn't made out to be some joke. If last week's episode was the ultimate acting showcase for Starr and Moriarty as Homelander and Annie, then Episode 5 is the ultimate showcase for Quaid. Hughie has always been a major highlight of the series, and Quaid's performance has brought a sense of relatability amid the series' absurdness. Quaid's acting is raw and vulnerable in his final moments with Pegg, never once melodramatic. Pegg and DeWitt are also fabulous here, with Pegg in particular giving one of the most heart-wrenching but powerful performances of his already impressive career.
REVIEW
The Boys
The Boys Season 4 continues to double down on the emotions, with Jack Quaid giving a stand-out performance as Hughie is faced with a difficult decision.
- Much like Antony Starr and Erin Moriarty stole last week's episode, Jack Quaid's turn as Hughie in this episode is his strongest work as the character to date.
- V52's lineup has some promising titles, if I say so myself. It was also an amusing takedown of Disney.
- While seeing Giancarlo Esposito return as Stan Edgar was more than appreciated, the subplot as a whole felt more like a bottle episode.
The Boys Season 4, Episode 5 is now available to stream on Prime Video.
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