Today's episode of The Boys, titled "One-Shots," is split up into multiple points of view, starting with Firecracker. Clearly struggling to come to terms with Homelander declaring himself a God, she's left even more conflicted when her old pastor asks for help dealing with the threat posed to his congregation by the Democratic Church of America.
Ultimately, she goes on TV and alludes to him grooming children, remaining loyal to the leader of The Seven, even as she continues sleeping with his father, Soldier Boy.
Elsewhere in the episode, The Deep kills Adam Bourke, sabotaging Black Noir's chances of becoming a Broadway star, and Billy Butcher shows he's still got a shred of decency left by agreeing to let Starlight and Kimiko take the V1 (if and when they find it). This comes after Hughie helps to save Terror, who accidentally ate some chocolate. Sister Sage, meanwhile, is happy to let a war between humans and Supes break out, as she'll be hidden away in a bunker...after helping facilitate Homelander's demise.
The meat of the episode is with Soldier Boy and Homelander, who are pointed in the direction of Mr. Marathon and Malchemical by Stan Edgar. At the former's mansion, Seth Rogen, Will Forte, Kumail Nanjiani, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are all there playing poker, clearly terrified of being branded Starlighters like many of their peers in Hollywood.
Malchemical uses his powers to knock out Homelander, and he and Mr. Marathon try to convince Soldier Boy to kill his son. Unfortunately, he's warming to the psychopath—"Nobody f*cks my son but me"—and proceeds to break Malchemical's neck.
The Supernatural reunion goes completely off the rails when Mr. Marathon attempts to flee, running through all the celebrities above (and Craig Robinson) as Soldier Boy uses them as human shields. Rogen gets the worst deal when he's split in two, though Mr. Marathon puts him out of his misery by breaking his pal's neck.
Soldier Boy snaps Mr. Marathon's ankles, learning that Bombsight does indeed have the V1. Homelander then crushes his head before he and his dear old daddy continue to bond.
Back at Vought Tower, Homelander confronts Firecracker because of the doubts she's been having and tells her to leave The Seven. Professing her love for the villain, it seems she's saved herself until we see just how far gone Homelander is; he slams her head into an eagle statue, leaving her limp body standing there as he exits the room.
He's too far gone for anyone to get through to him, though Soldier Boy at least has some power over him. How that will develop as we near The Boys' series finale promises to make for compelling viewing.
In the fifth and final season of The Boys, it's Homelander’s world, completely subject to his erratic, egomaniacal whims. Hughie, Mother's Milk, and Frenchie are imprisoned in a "Freedom Camp." Annie struggles to mount a resistance against the overwhelming Supe force. Kimiko is nowhere to be found.
But when Butcher reappears, ready and willing to use a virus that will wipe all Supes off the map, he sets in motion a chain of events that will forever change the world and everyone in it. It's the climax, people. Big stuff's gonna happen.
The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jensen Ackles, and Daveed Diggs.
The series is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers, and was developed by executive producer and showrunner Eric Kripke.
The Boys Season 5 is now streaming weekly on Prime Video.