The Deep, Ashley, and the Cost of Getting What You Think You Want
The penultimate episode of the final season of ‘The Boys’ is called ‘The Frenchman, the Female and the Man Called Mother’s Milk’, which makes sense considering some of the pivotal things that happen. It kicks off, though, with a musical! All the kudos to Chris Lennertz and Daveed Diggs for the opening number with Oh Father and his scantily clad dancers reminding everyone that Homelander is now bigger than Jesus, totally American, and ready to get rid of anyone who doesn’t conform (all served up with some blatant sexuality while no doubt preaching something puritanical).
As they’re working on that propaganda piece, we finally see the scene that was teased long ago, Homelander sitting in the Oval office, feet up on the desk.
He gives the president his marching orders — DCA will be the official sanctioned church, every boundary between church and state will be dissolved, and troops will be sent into every sanctuary city that took in Starlighters…
(Yes, I had to stop and scream about how RIGHT this show got its predictions for like the hundredth time because wow)
Because he’s Homelander he also wants to outlaw any milk that’s not actual milk and make breastfeeding mandatory lol. (Hey, I’m a big breastfeeding enthusiast but come on, Homie… I guess that’s the point though, he doesn’t give a damn whether or not it’s even possible for everyone). It’s good for me to have scenes like these to remember just how unhinged and uncaring and narcissistic this crazy dictator parody is, no matter how good Antony Starr is at sometimes making him so sad. He also wants to disband Congress, which the President says he doesn’t have the authority to do. Uh oh. One tiny bit of doubt and you are in danger of being taken out; that’s how dangerous Homelander is, and how easily his ego is bruised. Homelander asks Ashley to read the President’s mind to see if he’s a true believer. He yanks off Ashley’s wig and exposes Back Ashley, who says the president is terrified of him and thinks he’s “a tiny bit psychotic”.
That’s that – the president’s head is smashed in and Homie is covered in blood, which he wipes all over the gold embroidered furniture. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd now Ashley is President! Back Ashley tries to be the voice of reason, but Ashley marvels that she lost every single student council election, if only all those people could see her now. She’s trying hard to just enjoy it, but Back Ashley keeps pointing out the cost – that she can’t sleep, that she’s yanking out her hair, that she hates herself.
Back Ashley finally gives up and leaves, which is what Ashley thought she wanted – but now she is well and truly alone.
She’s not the only one whose relentless loyalty to a corrupt regime and dictator has left her anything but happy. The Deep apologizes to Homelander for killing Noir, who he insists was saying some really mean shit about Homelander. Homelander says it’s fine – then announces he’s abolishing The Seven, who haven’t had seven members in a long time (a recurring joke in the fandom). Deep tries to get Homelander to give him The Seven, citing his loyalty, ending with “please, the Seven is all I have”.
Homelander coldly says don’t make this about yourself and wishes him the best. The Seven is now The One.
Cut to a giant mural of The Seven on the side of a building being repainted – to just Homelander.
The Deep sits on a dock drowning his sorrows and throws the can carelessly into the water.
Zander the shark swims up and says he should come in and grab it – Zander (played by none other than Samuel L Jackson!) tells him to get in the water, that they know he’s responsible for the March 15 genocide. He finally sets out a threat: If he steps one foot in the water anywhere, all aquatic life will make sure he’s killed. It’s kinda a fate worse than death for the Deep. But damn, he really ended up deserving it. The ultimate sell-out.
As he’s pondering what to do, people on the beach start clamoring for him to save an old man who is drowning, his PR person reminding him this is his whole brand. He looks on in horror knowing he can’t as the old man sinks, people recording it all on their phones.
The theme of this episode is the cost of going against what you think is right and the consequences of hating yourself for it, and we see that vividly with Ashley and the Deep. Both had a chance at redemption arcs once upon a time, but neither was able to be brave enough (or unselfish enough) to take it.
The Fragility of Hope
Meanwhile, Hughie awakes from a mournful Billy Joel song to Kimiko’s screams as Butcher and Frenchie subject her to radiation – they figure that’s what was done to Soldier Boy to make him as powerful as he is, so Kimiko is trying to do the same to try to make her just as powerful.
(Where did they get all that uranium? Who knows!)
Kimiko insists it’s her call, that they have to do something.
Butcher is all for figuring out what Oh Father is up to, but Hughie says no, tearfully admitting “it’s over, we lost.”
Butcher then uses Posh Spice as the unlikely inspiration to keep fighting and not give up. Everyone agrees his pep talks are the worst, but it works anyway.
Frenchie keeps dosing Kimiko, hating every minute of it, wanting to stop.
(Weird that they can open the door and leave it open when there’s radiation in there, btw)
Frenchie chooses this moment, in between radiation doses, to tell her he’s changed his mind about having children (probably a bad idea after all that radiation). He shows her a photo of a rescued dog, tells her to stay strong.
Me: Uh oh.
She starts seizing in his arms.
Frenchie asks for Sage’s help (in between her self lobotomizing and indulging in whatever pleasure strikes her fancy) with irradiating Kimiko (which Sage calls the Turducken of fourth quarter longshots – I’m considering that a Supernatural shout out). He says he loves Kimiko; Sage says love made her blind, and made her miscalculate how Soldier Boy and Homelander could actually be brought together because love makes people unpredictable – and therefore she is useless.
Frenchie pleads with her to save herself, but she lobotomizes herself instead – the real life counterpart of just trying to ignore the insanity going on around you and escape for a few hours of watching your favorite TV show or whatever else distracts you temporarily. I maintain that’s not a bad thing, but it also allows the bad guys to keep on winning if you do it all the time.
The theme of hope, and trying to hang onto it in the face of repeated trauma and losses and impossible odds, reappears several times in this episode (and of the show in general).
Frenchie tries again later to get through to Sage, this time through bonding over their love of Reality TV shows. She’s reminded of her grandmother’s love for her and she finally agrees, but says she needs a few hours to get her brain good. She lubes up her Vought-themed vibrator and sends him off.
Homelander and Soldier Boy: Daddy Issues
Nobody is doing very well in this episode, frankly. The fragile peace between Soldier Boy and Homelander does not last long. Soldier Boy visits Homelander in Vought Tower; he excitedly shows off his plans for the Disney-esque “Homeland” being developed, including Homeland Mountain where Homelander was “visited by an angel and ascended to Godhood.”
Soldier Boy (not exactly on board): Right…
Homelander keeps going on, trying hard to please his dad. It’s heartbreaking, transparent, and so obviously doomed to failure it’s kind of pathetic. He says proudly that there’s also a part of the park that’s an homage to Soldier Boy, Father of God. It’s the part of the park with all the fastest rides and a ticker tape parade every night honoring him. You can see how hard Homelander is trying – Soldier Boy/Ben did want that once, but he has always only wanted it if it was authentic. He sees through the manufactured idolization much more clearly than his son, and he doesn’t want that. Like Sage, at this point he just wants to escape into sex and drugs somewhere far away.
Soldier Boy tells Homelander he’s headed to Bogota to “fuck my way through the banana republics”.
Homelander’s smile fades; he asks when he’s coming back.
Soldier Boy: Probably not for a …. Ever.
Homelander is clearly rattled, saying if he doesn’t like the park fine, if he wants hookers and blow he’ll get him all the wrinkly old whores in America.
Soldier Boy: No, you’re not hearing me.
Homelander tries to make his father hear him instead – he’s grateful in his own way, feels he got where he did because Soldier Boy helped him, so he wants to give him whatever he wants. And it’s clear he does want his father’s love and acceptance, though he really doesn’t know what love is at all.
Soldier Boy: What I want is to get away.
Homelander: From what?
Soldier Boy averts his eyes. Homelander realizes.
Homelander: Or from whom?
Soldier Boy has evolved in the several seasons we’ve seen him. He’s not as cruel with his son, seems to genuinely be trying to soften the blow of not wanting to stay here and be a ‘dad’ to him.
Soldier Boy: This just ain’t my bag, kid.
Homelander is such a needy child in this scene, saying he welded his shield back together but Soldier Boy doesn’t use it, he hired him a 3 star Michelin chef but all he orders is chili and meat loaf. It’s every child who tried hard to please his parent but no matter what he did, it was never enough. It’s Ben’s story too, tragically.
Homelander protests that he even had LJ mock up a new supersuit for Soldier Boy – amusing because LJ is actually who makes their supersuits for real – and amusing also because it’s Soldier Boy covered with American flags and red white and blue and not nearly as macho as the one he’s been wearing forever and so very not him.
Soldier Boy: Oh god, that’s what I’m talking about, I don’t want that.
Soldier Boy: And another thing, I gave you the V1 because of Clara, because that’s what she would’ve wanted. This was never gonna be a play and catch on the front lawn or fixing up the old Impala bullshit (another Supernatural shout out, this time a big one). You’re too weird.
Homelander: Stop fucking saying that!
Soldier Boy: And you’re no God. No angel came to you. You had a wet dream about a hot chick with big juicy tits. If that makes you a god, then I’m a god every fucking night.
Homelander: I AM GOD!
But he still takes a step back when Soldier Boy advances on him.
Soldier Boy, however, softens a little when he sees how hurt Homelander is.
Soldier Boy: Would it help if I said it’s not you, it’s me?
It’s every person who wants a break-up trying to let the other person down easy, but it’s also in part true in this case. Soldier Boy is being, for him, both gentle and honest here. He doesn’t just leave, he attempts to explain, and to make it more about him than a criticism of his son.
Homelander: If you wanna go, go.
He looks crushed though, tearful.
Soldier Boy claps him on the shoulder, says “Good luck, son.”
It’s the most paternal thing Soldier Boy has ever done for him. Homelander can’t bear to lose it.
He grabs Soldier Boy from behind and chokes him out, then cradles his head, lays his cheek against his father’s hair and confesses tearfully, “I love you.”
It’s a shocking, painful scene, no matter how much you hate these two. And as I’ve said before, I both hate what they are and feel for them, two profoundly broken men. Homelander cannot survive another abandonment, another lost father figure. Even the small amount of gentleness and almost-affection he got from Soldier Boy is so critical to him, he cannot fathom not trying desperately to hang onto it. Not that choking someone out ever really accomplishes that, of course. But I believe that Homelander does love his father – it’s just that his version of love is not really love at all, it’s too twisted and selfish and narcissistic. But his anguish is real.
I had all the emotions from that scene – Antony Starr and Jensen Ackles, you really should be up for all the awards. Seriously, I felt for them both even though they are bad bad bad bad.
Later, Homelander stares at his father back in cryo storage in his living room. As you do.
It’s with a mix of fondness, love, longing and sadness. Antony Starr somehow manages to convey all of those with just a look.
Surprise JDM!
Meanwhile, the Boys are still fighting, but are really struggling with that whole hanging onto hope thing. MM and Annie meet with Gen V’s Marie and Jordan. They report that Oh Father has been spending most of his time at Vought Studios. Annie tells them to stand down, asking Marie what good all her power is if she can’t control it, but they say they’re not going to stop fighting.
Marie throws Annie’s own words back at her from her audition for The Seven: Since when did hopeful and naïve become the same thing?
Marie’s disappointed, saying I guess you’re not who I thought you were.
Annie: Guess not.
Th Boys follow up on their intel and break into Vought Studios. Annie and MM stop to watch Worm directing an AI written episode of some show that’s basically anti immigration propaganda with an actress playing evil Starlight. The lead actor protests the show being cancelled and them not even getting a decent finale (Kripke and company’s finale anxiety coming out!) They smoke some weed to try to prevent all the psychics from reading their thoughts and catching them.
Oh Father greets the handpicked press in their Supe Lives Matter tee shirts and takes them to a VIP experience ala Comic Con press pop ups – the way I first encountered The Boys at San Diego Comic Con way back in (I think) 2019! They’re the test audience for a propaganda film that starts like that iconic wheat field scene in The Gladiator with Homelander encountering none other than Jesus in the field.
Jesus asks Homelander to take over the fight – against the FBI and transgender immigrant rapists. Jesus puts his crown of thorns on Homelander, who “reluctantly” takes it. While all the influencers claim to have accepted Homelander as Jesus and to love the film, the psychics in the room are reading them; they let some people go and make some stay.
Hughie and Butcher watch Oh Father’s spectacle, giving Homelander some credit – as Butcher says, for being “Fucking Hitler on the outside, Fosse on the inside”.
Synapse the super psychic is there (who some speculated might be who Misha Collins was going to play) so they try to disguise their thoughts with lots of Billy Joel rankings. Synapse finds them anyway and Hughie and Butcher wake up chained to chairs, Butcher’s powers switched off. Hughie is once again ready to give up, but Butcher refuses, no matter the cost.
Hughie: Wow, that was kinda hopeful.
Synapse fakes Hughie’s voice and calls Annie to find out where she and MM are. (They’re watching the screening and Annie is wondering what’s the point of trying to save people when they’re just happy to eat up the propaganda and don’t want to be saved? Ah, what a timely question!)
MM gives her a parallel pep talk, both Annie and Hughie struggling with hanging onto any hope (understandably). It seems like an unlikely time for a long inspirational story, but MM relates the story of a pigeon with a busted wing that he tried to save as a kid, feeling if he could save just one life, it might make up for everything else. Predictably, it made the kids already bullying him more relentless – they called him Mother’s Milk as an insult.
MM: Right up to the day when that bird flew out of my house, good as new.
He says that he ended up loving the new name because he loved helping people – it became a badge of honor for him. In the detention center, he felt like his heart got scarred over, broken by the world one too many times, and being cynical made it easier, but he also hated himself a lot more. (Again, the theme of what giving up your own values or of any hope at all gives you in self hatred).
MM: Giving a shit in a world where nobody gives a shit ain’t soft, it’s hard as hell. And that’s the real me – and the real you too.
It’s a good speech, and it definitely has real life parallels that I think about every time I’m trying to keep doing just that, like many of us are. Cat Girl comes looking for them and somehow they manage to hide in the ceiling, watching her lick her own… butt? I think? The super sniffer guy comes in and smells something – it turns out it’s her. He smells her butt and can tell what she had for lunch and she does the same and MM and Annie make some great disgusted faces which probably matched my own. It would not be an episode of The Boys if we did not have some 12 year old boy humor.
Meanwhile, Hughie and Butcher kinda bond again, reminiscing about the steakhouse that Butcher and Lenny loved, The Juicy Rack. If – when – they get out of there, they plan to go. Synapse comes in and says he knows Butcher wants to rip him apart (which makes him a little bit erect because this is The Boys). He says he wants to be out of Butcher’s head, there’s so much pain in there.
And voila, he’s Kessler!! Welcome back to Season 5, Jeffrey Dean Morgan!!!
Synapse embodies Kessler, so Hughie can hear him too. He says he served with Butcher, that they were besties. He calls him a psychopath who knows he has a darkness inside him, that he has no conscience. Kessler was the one who pulled him back from the brink. He tells the story of one time Butcher wouldn’t give the order to back off, how he told him that the target wasn’t worth it, how he smacked him in the forehead and gave him that scar he still has, but it didn’t work. They got the target; Butcher was the only one who survived. “Lotta dead canaries in Butcher’s coal mine”, Kessler says.
Synergy/Kessler knows all their plans, to their dismay.
I’m just stoked to have JDM back – and he’s so damn good!
Butcher admits that what Synapse/Kessler said was true. Kessler comes back with a knife and threatens Hughie and to make Butcher watch. Hughie’s smart though, filling his mind with images of Synapse’s brother dying so that he keeps seeing them too – apparently a trauma that he experienced, watching his brother die after he made him gut himself.
Hughie: We were just distracting you.
It works. Butcher gets free and shoves his tentacles through Synapse from behind and explodes him all over poor Hughie. They try to call Frenchie to warn him.
The End
Oh Father calls Homelander to say they’ve detained Butcher and Hughie, but Homelander is more interested in knowing how the screening went – how many believe he’s the one true God?
Six out of thirty means Homelander is not happy. Oh Father says he can convert them, but Homelander has never been one to forgive. One strike, you’re out.
Homelander: Oh no, give them the full VIP experience.
So Oh Father addresses the non-believers, saying their own thoughts betray them. In this new world, he says, there is no room for heresy. It’s left to cat girl and super smell man to attack them all like animals, ripping throats out with their teeth. Suddenly Annie and MM break in, trying to save them. MM distracts cat girl by tossing a rat to her to eat and then stabs her in the back. Annie eventually subdues super smell guy.
Once they get the influencers to safety, one of them stops to thank Annie. Maybe there’s hope for people blindly following a dictator like Homelander after all? Or maybe Kripke is more hopeful than me at this point!
They go to Marie and Jordan for help.
Back at the hideout, Sage corrects Frenchie’s numbers and they try again with Kimiko. She falls to the floor unconscious just as an alarm goes off that someone’s on the roof, likely Homelander. Frenchie carries Kimiko and hides her and Sage in a little closet with zinc coated walls Homelander can’t see through. She wakes up enough to not want him to leave, but there’s no room.
Frenchie: There’s no time, I will find somewhere else to hide.
Homelander is instantly suspicious of the door he can’t see through, naturally. Frenchie lures him over to him instead. He gives him the finger, defiant, insisting they succeeded in replicating Soldier Boy’s power. He exposes them both to the uranium, saying he bets Homelander never danced a day in his life.
Homelander flies away after; Kimiko finds Frenchie bleeding out, gutted.
Kimiko: Thank you for saving me.
Frenchie: No, you saved me.
Kimiko: Don’t leave me, please.
Frenchie: Never.
They kiss and he dies in her arms. Hughie and Butcher find them there, Kimiko sobbing and holding his body.
“Dream A Little Dream of Me” plays over the credits. That’s a Supernatural episode name, so maybe I should consider that a shoutout too. (joking)
I liked this episode, especially the emotional scene with Homelander and Soldier Boy and just having Kessler and JDM back on the show before the end comes. Some of the speeches about hope were a bit heavy handed but it’s the penultimate episode, so the characters have to have their crises of hopelessness and then come out on the other side for what will likely be a big last fight in next week’s series finale. I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen – will the Boys wake up Soldier Boy for him to go against Homelander again? Would he even do that? (I do not want that to happen btw). Will Kimiko be strong enough to do what Soldier Boy can? Who will survive?
We’ll find out next week – stay tuned!
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–Lynn
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