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The Boys Season 5 Episode 6 finally brings the hunt for V1, the compound capable of making Homelander immortal, to an end. Of course, to keep things spoiler-free, I won’t reveal whether Butcher and gang actually find it or if it’s simply confirmed that none of it remains.
But umm, now that Episode 5 is done with, let’s talk about that cliffhanger: Homelander (Antony Starr) casually killing Firecracker (Valorie Curry), even though she went along with his diabolical plan to play God and launch his own Democratic Church of America. I want to say it was surprising, but honestly, every scene with Homelander raises my anxiety levels a bit because you never know who he’s about to laser to dust next. Besides, after finding out Firecracker has been sleeping Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), her death was inevitable.
Anyway, back to Episode 6 of The Boys finale now… titled “Though The Heavens Fall,” the episode ramps up everyone’s hunt for the elusive V1, which many believe may be in the possession of Bombsight, a superhero contemporary of Soldier Boy who also happens to be ageless and immortal. Frankly, the reveal of Bombsight felt a little underwhelming, as I’m pretty sure fans were expecting a bigger-name actor for the role. But considering this likely isn’t just a one-off cameo (it’s easy to imagine Bombsight showing up again in the show’s prequel ‘Vought Rising’), casting a hugely popular star may simply not have been practical.
Nobody really seems to care that Firecracker is missing, even the people who know she’s dead couldn’t care less, so she doesn’t get a high-profile sendoff like A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) did. Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) continues playing her own long game against Homelander, while the boys AKA Butcher (Karl Urban), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), Frenchie (Tomer Capone), and MM (Laz Alonso) chase a new lead connected to Bombsight. This time, the gang isn’t at each other’s throats as much and their search leads them to a retirement home for Supes, not a safe place to look for anything. The retirees might be old, but they’re still superheroes.
Meanwhile, Starlight/Annie (Erin Moriarty) and Hughie (Jack Quaid) patch things up and head off on a side mission to strategically plant the supe-killing virus in a location that could give them the perfect shot at taking down Homelander, that is assuming he doesn’t get his hands on V1 first and make himself immune to it. Viewers who’ve been waiting to see what exactly Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) can do, will get too see him in action.
While the pace of this episode feels a little off, the second half features a gritty face-off between two supes, one which could’ve frankly benefited from better lighting and stronger action choreography. This time around, the dysfunctional father-son dynamic between Homelander and Soldier Boy emerges as one of strongest plot points for the Boys finale; it’s hilariously dark and just a little confounding. On the surface, the World War II-era superhero still can’t stand his biological son or his narcissistic god complex, yet he keeps missing crucial chances to kill him. Will that hesitation continue till the very end, or will the father eventually turn on his son? You never know.
Overall, The Boys Season 5 Episode 6 takes a major step toward the endgame, closing out with a cliffhanger shocking enough to rattle even Sister Sage herself. Which, admittedly, slightly undercuts her whole “smartest person on the planet” gimmick, because someone that intelligent should probably account for anomalies too. But then again, this is The Boys, a universe built around deeply flawed superheroes, so maybe Sage is allowed one bad read.
Stream The Boys Season 5 on Prime Video.
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