You know, I could copy-paste the first part of my review of The Boys Season 5 Episode 3, change up one word, and everything would still be true.
The Boys has, at times, been frustrating because it plays out like one long procedural.
I’ve never reviewed this show before, so I may have missed my exact problems with it, but it’s the detours.
With Sameer having destroyed the virus he’d made, the mission now is to go to another site to find and destroy V1, the same V1 Homelander hopes will make him immortal.
So the detour this hour is to find V1, and if you ignore the frustrations of these constant bottlenecks, you’re left with a solid hour of The Boys that is just pure fucking fun.
Homelander Ascends to God Status
At this point its become clear that Homelander has no limits, and why would he?
The country is a fascist state drowning in Homelander and Vought branding, so his idea that he is god seems like the only natural escalation.
This development, especially in the days after the Trump-Jesus fiasco, is quite the timing that even the best writers could never have dreamt of.
I just know Prime Video was holding off on releasing the episode early because it would have dominated the conversation.
Predictably, Homelander’s minions have a way to spin it almost immediately.
They even have a meeting to figure out how to soften it for the masses.
If this were a month ago, I’d have thought the writers were crazy, but it feels like we just lived through it.
With the power of Oh Father, Homelander just made himself god, and that’s nothing anyone has ever tried before.
America is about to become North Korea for real, especially now that Homelander knows that his father will never love or respect him.
If there weren’t the risk of everything in this episode going over their heads, pastors should be made to watch it.
Religion has long been used to manipulate the masses, and pastors are always at the front lines.
The Truth Cannot Be Hidden
While the detour was disappointing, it provided the opportunity to see many characters in a light that they’ve never been seen before.
The trip to Fort Harmony is the most fun The Boys has ever been because I never thought I’d hear Hughie speak his mind like that.
He’s such a good guy; sometimes hearing him curse seems like hearing a nun do the same.
But even more importantly, the trip reinforces the assessment that these people don’t like each other, and they are their breaking point.
The pores floating in the air from a very ugly supe that Soldier Boy has a history with brings out the worst in everyone.
Hate and anger reveal everyone’s true feelings, and if they don’t die while taking Homelander down, they will never see each other again after all is over.
Codependency between Frenchie and Kimiko has run its course, while it’s becoming clear that almost everyone has become the very thing they hate.
It’s a detestable state of affairs that, if the mission were not nearing its end, everyone would have gone their separate ways.
That’s how I feel about this show, by the way.
Elsewhere, Annie gets much-needed clarity from her father and leaves with good parental advice to hold those she loves close.
This meeting with her father feels like a turning point for Annie as she’s been consumed by anger for so long.
Now she sees her father did what he thought best, even if the consequences were dire.
Everyone lives their truth in this hour, and they seem to have some answers. Where these answers lead them is a question for another time.
Finally, Soldier Boy gets to spend time with his disappointment of a son, and things become a bit heavy for him.
While this episode features masterful performances from the cast, Jensen Ackles stands out, not for the deadpan humor, but for the emotional intensity he brings to topics like Stormfront and Quinn.
There seems to be a story there, even if quite subtle, that hints at what Vought Rising will tackle.
And Soldier Boy really hates Homelander, but if he wanted to kill the man, why leave him in a cage that he was going to break out of at some point?
It seemed like the writers wanted to divulge Butcher’s virus secret to Homelander without doing much work.
Gut Check
“King of Hell” is just pure fun. Seeing everyone — well, almost everyone — have their personality flipped was quite refreshing and made the V1 search worth it.
Everything ends on a positive note as the spell is broken and normalcy returns, leaving some relationships healthier than they were.
Intrusive Thoughts
- Homelander and Firecracker’s conversations are how I imagine Trump and Karoline Leavitt communicating.
- “It’s like he’s my heart walking on the outside…” Jesus Christ, I’m so single!
- Vought+ never releases streaming numbers. Oh, you mean Prime Video??
- “The Democratic Church of America.” If this phrase sounds normal to you, no vote!
- Mambo No. 5 has always been a bit silly, but oh my god, my ribs!
- The Morning Show wishes they could strike out as The Boys has with the Homelander is Jesus storyline.
- Waking up to Vought posters, going to Homelander school, and watching Vought+ for The Deep’s content. That generation is so cooked!
Over to you, The Boys fanatics. What did you think of this episode? Is the show laying the groundwork for Vought Rising by softening Soldier Boy? Are the detours boring or are you enjoying the story regardless?
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
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