The fifth episode of The Boys Season 4 that aired last week is one of my favorites. If you look beyond the spectacle, this show can be surprisingly emotional – and this episode is one that will make you feel, juxtaposing heartbreaking, tender and over-the-top violence in scenes that end up being powerful and memorable.
As we get ready for the next episode in the wee hours of Thursday morning, here’s a recap of what happened in the last episode and where we are now. (Oh, and episode 6? Pivotal!)
SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 5 AHEAD…
It’s Hard to Be One of ‘The Boys’
Before we get to the emotional part of the episode, in other news (that often mirrors the actual news in alarming ways), Firecracker is on a roll attacking Annie and pressing assault charges, painting their altercation and rivalry as “a biblical war of good versus evil”. She’s painting herself as “the Lord’s Savior” for their new division, Vought Faith, all of them trying to manufacture some tears with a playing of “I Will Remember You” for Ezekiel. Annie’s also being blamed for the murder of Ezekiel, which was apparently done by Butcher somehow.
MM is increasingly worried about Janine, who’s been suspended for fighting a kid who called Homelander a hero. It’s hard to know the truth and stay quiet about it, isn’t it? MM tells her fighting isn’t the way to solve problems but she counters with why not, that’s what you do? Point, Janine. I look forward to Janine’s journey as she increasingly has the blinders taken off. I can relate, as I’m sure many of us can.
Billy and Joe meet on a park bench in the cold. Their exchange, as always, is crude and full of back and forth psychological volleys as Butcher struggles with his conscience. (Fandom is doing a lot of speculation right now about who Joe really is, and no spoilers here, but it’s pretty fascinating to watch, isn’t it?)
When Billy complains about the cold, Kessler has a typical answer, steeped in misogyny.
Joe: Well, I was thinking we could meet in your mum’s pussy but I wanted somewhere more private.
He’s also got a lot of criticism for the Boys.
Joe: Your team’s a joke. MM’s on the verge of breakdown, Frenchie’s a druggie, Hughie’s a pussy and the two supes on your side…
He also pushes Butcher to stay the course and be as brutal as it takes to get rid of Homelander.
Joe: Brother, I don’t get you. Half your brain is a fucking tumor, last chance at Homelander and now you decide to go soft? You and me – we don’t belong with decent people.
Ouch. It’s exactly what Butcher has always struggled with, torn apart by guilt over his little brother’s death and still believing so much of the hurtful things his father said to him.
Side note: Butcher’s not the only one struggling to figure out right and wrong. Homelander bonds more with Ryan, letting him make his own decisions and saying he’s proud of him for doing that, that he was manipulated by people his whole life and doesn’t want to do the same thing to Ryan. Ryan tries to do some good in the world by defending a woman that director Bourke is making uncomfortable, but teaching him a lesson about that inequitable power dynamic turns into reiterating one as Ryan enjoys watching Bourke get his ass beat way too much.
This is all pretty bleak, but there is hope – Butcher finally tells them he’s found the virus that kills supes that we saw developed at Godolkin U on the first season of Gen V. Unfortunately, as we know, Neuman has it.