This episode has a unique structure, as it is told from the point-of-view of multiple characters: Firecracker (Valorie Curry), Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell), Terror, Sister Sage (Susan Heyward), and Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles).
We begin with Firecracker, who tells Homelander (Antony Starr) that his introduction as the new prophet is going over well with the public. Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) also tells them that donations to the church are up. Homelander doesn’t love being called a prophet; he prefers to be known as a savior or lord. He doesn’t want to be known as the son of God—he wants to be known as God. Firecracker changes the subject by showing him The Homelander Bible. Sister Sage warns them about civil unrest, and Homelander suggests calling back all deployed soldiers. Firecracker gets a call from a Florida number but doesn’t answer.
Later, we see Firecracker enter a diner to meet with her old reverend. He apologizes for things he said in the past, and she apologizes as well. He tells her their church is struggling and they are losing followers to the Democratic Church. She is not sure how she can help, but he asks her to try. Instead, she attempts to recruit him into her new church, but he declines, saying that just because Homelander says something is true, doesn’t mean it is. He ends their meeting by telling her Homelander isn’t God.
Cut to Firecracker and Soldier Boy in bed; she tells him it’s the last time, and he laughs, since that was the sixth time she’s said it. She asks Soldier Boy whether he was baptized; he says he was, but he never stepped into a church again. She wonders whether Homelander will go easy on her old reverend, and Soldier Boy tells her that the "Homelander as God" thing is ridiculous, remarking that if there is a God, He didn’t come out of his balls. He then leaves for Los Angeles.
Firecracker goes to talk to Homelander but finds Oh Father instead. People are donating milk for Homelander. Oh Father can tell Firecracker is conflicted about what they’re doing. She then gets an update about a supe named Praying Mantis destroying a bunch of churches, including her old one. It’s the lead story for her show tonight. She later goes on TV and betrays her reverend, labeling her old church a hotbed for "Starlighters" and implying her reverend was a pedophile who groomed children—though not her. She says the country needs Homelander and urges people to join. She has tears streaming down her face as she delivers the news. Her reverend calls her again, but she doesn’t answer.
Now, we head to the story of Black Noir II. His real name is Justin, and we see him without his mask, walking into rehearsal for a play that Adam Bourke (P.J. Byrne) is directing. He offers some notes and Bourke loves them. They talk about acting, and Justin opens up about a co-worker who betrayed him. Bourke shares a story about filming The Seven movie and working with The Deep (Chace Crawford), whom he also found annoying. Without knowing who Justin is talking about, he tells him to start hitting back.
Noir goes to another podcast recording where Oh Father is the guest. The Deep has ideas for new commandments, but Noir interjects and tells Oh Father not to listen to him, calling The Deep a joke. Noir instead suggests Homelander bring Noir on stage and pretend to heal him, showing that his voice has returned and he can now fly. Oh Father likes the idea, but The Deep is furious.
The Deep follows Justin to rehearsal. Justin thanks Bourke for giving him the confidence to upstage his co-worker. They have forged a genuine connection and express appreciation for one another. Bourke tells Justin he’s going to make him a star on Broadway. Bourke then goes to the bathroom and is killed by The Deep, who sends an eel up his butt. Justin is furious and confronts The Deep, but The Deep threatens to tell Homelander that Noir was in a random play if he doesn't comply. Justin is forced to stay quiet.
The episode then jumps to a field where we see Homelander, but the scene takes a turn as he bends over to be penetrated. We realize that we're in Terror's POV and he's having a dream about humping his Homelander plushie. Annie (Erin Moriarty) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) enter the room to feed him and decide to wash his toy. Terror wakes up and goes looking for it, finding MM (Laz Alonso) and Butcher (Karl Urban) working on their latest plan. MM drops some chocolate and Terror runs for it, but Butcher grabs him first.
MM talks to Butcher about how he’s doing much better mentally. He says he knows he’s already dead, so he’s no longer stressed. He discusses how he spent his entire life seeking revenge against Soldier Boy, only to find out he’s immune and immortal. He asks Butcher, "What kind of cosmic joke is that?" Butcher tells him he should keep going for his family, but MM insists they’re better off without him. He tells Butcher that if he thinks there’s a chance he’ll see them again, he won’t be able to do what Butcher needs him to do.
Terror runs off to find Frenchie (Tomer Capone) in the kitchen. Frenchie opens up to Terror about how Kimiko deserves a normal life, but he doesn’t know how to give her that. He turns and realizes he burned the food and has to toss it. Terror knocks over the trash and starts eating the burnt food. Butcher and Hughie (Jack Quaid) walk in arguing about what to do with the V1. Hughie doesn’t want to torch it, but Butcher says they must destroy it before Homelander gets it. If Homelander gets the V1, he’s going to kill millions of people. Hughie again insists they have to at least try to save Annie and Kimiko. Their conversation is cut short when Terror starts acting weird; they realize he ate chocolate out of the trash. Hughie gets hydrogen peroxide and they get Terror to throw up, saving the pup’s life.
Terror has another Homelander dream and wakes up to find Butcher at his bedside. Butcher thanks Hughie for helping save Terror and then promises that if they find the V1 and it doesn't screw them over, he’ll give Hughie some to save Annie and Kimiko—but he doesn’t want Hughie to save him. The two share a moment while Terror gets back to humping his Homelander plushie.
The next scene replays the meeting from the beginning of the episode, but from Sage’s POV. We see her talk to Soldier Boy about Homelander possibly becoming immortal. Soldier Boy heads out to talk to Stan Edgar. Then, Ashley (Colby Minifie) comes to visit Sage. The Vought stock is tanking across the globe. Sage offers her a drink and tells her she wants to talk to "Back Ashley."
Sage reveals that she’s been working behind Homelander’s back to ensure he doesn’t find any V1. She wants Back Ashley to read Soldier Boy’s mind to figure out what he’s thinking and whether he’s actually warming up to Homelander. Back Ashley agrees to help, but Ashley is too scared. Sage gets her to open up about her mother and how brave she was before dying from cancer. Sage tells her she can be like her mom if she helps, and Ashley realizes she’s being played. She asks Sage what she’s actually planning.
Sage finally reveals that Phase 1 of her plan was helping Homelander take over the country. Phase 2 will be the end of the world. Sage wants the supe-killing virus to be released because once supes realize humans are behind it, war will break out between the two groups. Sage plans to watch the end from a bunker outside Colorado Springs; when it’s over, she just wants to read all day with no one bothering her. She wants peace and quiet forever—and she wants Homelander dead too. She invites Ashley to join her in the bunker.
Now, we go back to the meeting at the beginning of the episode, but in Soldier Boy’s POV. The pair go to question Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) in his cell. Edgar questions why he’s still alive, and Homelander tells him he’s keeping him as a pet. Soldier Boy brings up Tempe, AZ, and Edgar asks if that should mean anything to him. Soldier Boy tells him that’s where Zoe and Sameer are hiding. Edgar tells them he doesn’t know where the V1 went, but he knows someone who might: Mister Marathon (Jared Padalecki).
Soldier Boy and Homelander head to Los Angeles to meet with Mister Marathon, who is a big fan of Soldier Boy. Mister Marathon used to be on The Seven but was kicked out after A-Train beat him in a race. He’s now a successful actor in Vought-adjacent movies run by Sony TV that can’t mention the VCU. He also deals pills, and based on his house, he’s doing well financially.
He takes them to meet his friends: Kumail Nanjiani, Seth Rogen, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Will Forte, and Malchemical (Misha Collins). They’re all worried because many of their actor friends have been taken. Seth asks Malchemical to help them stay safe, but he isn’t sure what he can do. They all decide to take a stand on Instagram. After some funny banter, including Forte claiming the best day of his life was when they executed his former SNL castmate Bill Hader, the group is shocked when Soldier Boy and Homelander enter the room with Marathon.
The actors enthusiastically greet them, but Homelander isn’t interested in their groveling and inquires about the V1. Mister Marathon walks them into his private office, which is full of memorabilia and baby oil. Soldier Boy notices a photo of Stormfront. Homelander asks Marathon if he has any V1; he doesn’t, but he knows Bombsight does. He is one of Marathon’s best customers, and Marathon offers to call him over.
As they wait, Soldier Boy and Marathon do lines of cocaine—a proper reunion for the Winchester boys. Malchemical and the actors offer Homelander beer and pot, but he declines. Mister Marathon asks Soldier Boy if Homelander is still weird, and Soldier Boy says yes. Homelander overhears the conversation and confronts Marathon, threatening everyone in the room. Malchemical steps in and sprays Homelander with his gas, knocking him out. Soldier Boy is confused, and Marathon tells him they have no problem with him, but they all hate Homelander for destroying their lives. They want to kill him and need Soldier Boy’s help. Marathon and Malchemical plead with Soldier Boy, who is conflicted.
Malchemical tells him to use his chest blast on Homelander so he loses his powers. Soldier Boy tells him, “Nobody f**ks my son but me,” which is not exactly what he meant to say. He then kills Malchemical and begins to fight Mister Marathon, whose powers are wonky due to the cocaine. Marathon accidentally kills Will Forte and then runs after Soldier Boy. Craig Robinson comes out of the bathroom and is also killed by Marathon. Chris and Kumail are recruited and instantly betrayed by Soldier Boy, who leads them to their deaths by Marathon. Soldier Boy catches Seth Rogen and throws him in Marathon’s direction, where he is ripped in half. Marathon and Seth have an emotional farewell before Marathon mercy-kills Seth.
Soldier Boy heads back into the office and uses the baby oil to incapacitate Marathon, breaking both of his legs. He confirms that Bombsight has the V1 but Marathon doesn't know his location. Soldier Boy spares him, but Homelander steps on Marathon’s head, killing him.
Later, Homelander wants to know why Soldier Boy didn’t let them kill him, and Soldier Boy deflects. He seems to be warming up to his son. He tells him Bombsight has the V1 and admits to hooking up with Firecracker, adding that her pillow talk was horrible. This piques Homelander’s curiosity. Soldier Boy grabs an old comic of his, and they leave.
Back at Vought Tower, Firecracker returns with her old Jesus action figure. She throws it away and goes to her room where Homelander is waiting. He confronts her about sleeping with Soldier Boy, and she admits it. He tells her he doesn’t care about the sex, but he cares about her questioning her faith in him. He wants to know whether she believes in God or him, insisting she should only believe in him. He tells her he believed in her, but he knows she doesn’t believe in him. He fires her.
Firecracker pleads with him, crying and professing her love. She tells him she’s the only one who has ever loved him and calls him the best man on earth. She calls him God and calls herself Mother Mary. She says she felt blessed to nurture someone like him and has been saddened since he cast her out. She again tells him she loves him, saying, "We all need love don’t we? Even God."
It looks as though she’s gotten through to him; Homelander touches her face for a second—and then kills her by slamming her head through a statue.
RIP Firecracker.
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The Boys Season 5 will premiere the first two episodes on Wednesday, April 8th, followed by weekly episodes, leading up to the epic series finale on Wednesday, May 20th.
In the fifth and final season, 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.