How The Boys should have ideally ended
This is my perfect ending for Season 5, Episode 7 & 8
Why was the finale (or rather the whole season) unsatisfactory?
— Predictable, dull, repetitive, and bathetic
— Relied too much on Soldier Boy as a plot lever
— Where was the gore? The dark humor? The fun? And why was there no BGM at all for important scenes?
— Too many characters lived by the end
— Gen V kids were given less screen time than Terror, a joke.
— Criminally misleading marketing campaign (The final fight couldn’t even do a fair amount of damage to the White House properly, space destruction and “scorched Earth” my a**)
— Power balance and stakes were off — killing Homelander felt too easy
— Weird frekin funeral for Butcher, horribly weird ending, super rushed.
— So on and so forth…
How would I have written it post-episode 6? (They should have hired me)
Episode 7 — The Frenchman, The Female & The Man Called “Mother’s Milk”
S1 — The episode starts on a grim note, perhaps on a stormy day, as the Boys brainstorm pensively what the next plan of action is. Hughie says “we’ve lost” and that they should pack up. Butcher refuses, tries giving an “Avengers” style pep-talk, but somewhat fails. Mother’s Milk and Butcher agree that they should release the virus anyway to kill off the rest of the supes and somehow take advantage of that moment when Homelander is knocked down (just like Soldier Boy was for a brief period) to lock him up somewhere temporarily, like the suspension chamber (E4), and figure out a way to take him out.
Frenchie says that’s impossible now that Homelander has V1 and that they should not release the virus. Hughie agrees, but Starlight argues that the other supes need to be purged to make the world a better place (the same old conflict). Mother’s Milk turns to Sister Sage and asks her how she was planning to be “safe” from the virus in the vision of her grand plan. Sister Sage, who is now doubting her every thought and is spiralling, doesn’t respond cohesively. Mother’s Milk pulls out a gun and threatens her to guide them on how they can keep Annie and Kimiko safe when the virus is released. Hughie, of course, is not okay with any of this. Frenchie is assigned the task of negotiating with Sage, whereas MM and Butcher decide to find a way to contain Homelander for a long period, if not kill him.
S2 — Back in the White House, Homelander sits in the President’s chair, smiling to himself. Oh-Father introduces Elon Musk to Homelander and Homelander disposes him off in space (that scene remains same). Ashley and Oh-Father, slightly afraid of Homelander, have arranged for a huge “God Speech” ceremony for him to be attended by thousands of Americans, which will be Homelander’s official emancipation to Godhood. When Homelander realises that Steven (The President) is not a believer because Ashley exposes him when asked (just like in Ep.7), he smushes his head. Oh Father and Ashley are terrified. Homelander commands the Deep, Sheline, and Dogknott to get him Starlight so that he can kill her on live TV with the goal of crushing the “hope” of Starlighters so that they turn into his devotees since Homelander believes that those who aren’t naturally subservient to his God-hood are in denial because they look up to Starlight (another one of his crazy delusions)
S3 — Starlight and Hughie meet Marie, Jordan and Emma to recruit them, and they readily concur. Marie mentions here that she apologizes on behalf of Cate and Sam, who helped Homelander and the team take the Boys in as prisoners. She says that they’ve changed but will not go directly up against Homelander. Starlight and Hughie understand.
S4 — In the meantime, Zoey approaches Ryan at his small shack, who is in Russia. They hug (non-platonically) when they see each other. Zoey requests Ryan to help her rescue Stan Edgar from Vought Tower. Ryan says he’s weak and incompetent in front of Homelander. Zoey tells him that he is her best chance. They kiss (of course, there will be a good build-up for this), and Ryan agrees.
S5 — Back at the Boys base, Frenchie, after a long conversation with Sage, convinces her to help him make the entire base a safe haven for supes and then help him also create an antidote for Kimiko and Starlight. “In return, we will offer you space and protection,” Frenchie says to Sage, his approach amicable. She finally agrees, and they begin creating the safe space design.
S6 — On their way back to the base, Hughie, Starlight, Jordan and Marie are attacked by the Deep, Sheline and Dogknott. In a 5-minute-long action sequence, Marie and Jordan take on Dogknott (Marie has already fought him once) and Sheline, while Annie fights the Deep. Annie pounces on the Deep and takes the fight to the shore (which happens to be nearby), and the scene from the last episode continues exactly the same; Kevin is killed by the sea creatures (sorry, the peak does not survive yet another episode in my version). Marie kills Dogknott by exploding his body (Hughie is covered in blood again), and Jordan blasts Sheline into a sharp edge of an open pole of a nearby house (super gory deaths for all)
S7 — Butcher and Mother’s Milk hunt for a zinc cubical strong enough to hold a weakened Homelander. Bucther says that perhaps the best punishment for Homelander can be an eternity full of misery, hunger, and suffocation. They plan on locking him up and releasing doses of the virus in his environment to keep him like a drugged animal in a cage. Mother’s Milk says it’s a long shot. Butcher pulls one last string and, using a connection of Valerie’s for old time’s sake, they find a supe who helps them construct this zinc box.
S8 — Soldier Boy and Homelander meet at Vought Tower, where Homelander tells him that he is constructing an amusement park in his name, etc, etc and that he will officially become God in his christening-like ceremony the day after. Soldier Boy says he wants to leave, Homelander chokes him and puts him in his box (exact same sequence). Homelander is very upset that his father turned his back on him. He blames Sage suddenly, as he remembers that she betrayed him and tried to turn Soldier Boy against him. Homelander receives the news of the Deep’s death.
S9 — Homelander flies to the Boys’ base to kill Sage. Sage and Frenchie believe that they have successfully created one room in the base house of the boys that will keep supes free from the virus. Frenchie is warned of Homelander’s incoming arrival. Sage says that the only way to survive right now is to use the virus on Homelander and to hide inside the small room that they’ve prepared to be virus-free. Frenchie says that it is a terrible idea since it could kill her and Kimiko, and eventually Homelander would wake up and kill them anyway, and that their one shot at imprisoning Homelander would go to waste. Sage says she will think of something smart when Homelander is unconscious. Frenchie looks at Sage with despair and says that true intelligence lies in accepting fate, even if it is grim. Homelander lands and stands in front of Sage, Frenchie, and Kimiko.
He says to Sage that she truly stabbed him in the back, humiliated him, and made him feel small, and now it’s her turn to feel small. He says that being the smartest person on the planet is useless after all, and that she will now be punished by God’s judgement. He grabs her by one leg and soars high into the sky, breaking the ceiling. High up in the air, Homelander says, “Let’s see what that big brain does now,” and simply drops her in the air. Sister Sage falls with increasing momentum to the ground, her head exploding like a watermelon fallen to the surface.
Kimiko and Frenchie run. Homelander sees them flee from the sky and chases them down and blocks their path. He says that the next day he will become God, and though he may not have Starlight, to set an example of what will happen to those who truly do not believe, he will make a public example regardless. “This one grows back, but you- he points to Frenchie. “You’ll do just fine; anyway, the French don’t belong in the New America.” he says something like that and flies away with Frenchie as Kimiko screams in anguish.
S10 — Starlight, Hughie, Marie and Jordan return to the base, so do Butcher and Mother’s Milk with the Zinc cubicle. Kimiko tells them what happened. They look at each other with a disgruntled look.
S11 — The next morning, Homelander prepares for his Holy ascension. A huge crowd has gathered in front of the White House. Ashley and Frenchie have a very brief conversation where Frenchie tells Ashley to tell Kimiko that he loved her with all his heart and that she should escape the first chance she gets. He also tells her she can escape before it’s too late. Ashley, Oh-Father, and a few of the other patriots stand behind Homelander, and Homelander gives a comical speech about him being God and that those who would defy him would end up like Frenchie, Frenchie, who stands at the pedestal in chains. Homelander asks him on live TV if he believes, to which Frenchie spits in Homelander’s face. Homelander is about to kill Frenchie when Starlight jumps in and asks Homelander to stop. People gasp. She says that this madness has to stop.
“Let him go, and I will ask all of them, even those who believe in me, I myself, I-I will surrender to you, our God; will that make you happy?” she says. Homelander smiles to see Starlight being submissive to him on TV.
“No, once a traitor, always a traitor,” Homelander says, and he lasers Frenchie in the guts and cuts him in half in rage. The crowd gasps. Starlight cries out loud to see Frenchie dead. Homelander makes another speech about what will happen to those who truly never believe. Starlight tries attacking Homelander, but he lasers her and pounces her away ten feet. He asks the crowd again, “Do you believe?” and waits intently to hear their heartbeats. They are all afraid and miserable.
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“You should believe now, I am GOD; there is nobody else now, no Starlight, no Jesus, no Vought, only me,” he says.
A man in the crowd stands and says, “I don’t believe in you. You are no God”. The crowd goes silent. (A recreation from the scene in the first Avengers film, but of course, this time, no hero clad in the American flag comes to the rescue).
“Fine,” Homelander mutters (Antony Starr gives the best microexpressions of his career before losing it), and HE LASERS EVERYONE. Ashley and Oh-Father panic as Homelander lasers the entire crowd, down to the very last person, on live TV. Ashley and Oh-Father run. Starlight, now conscious, watches the destruction for a brief period and flies away. Butcher, Kimiko, Hughie and Mother’s Milk have the last shot as they watch on live TV how Homelander pulls a page out of the Daenerys Targaryen playbook.
Episode 8 — Blood and Bone
S1 — The episode begins with a news channel report that demonstrates how Homelander has gone nuts and is randomly blowing apart big buildings, data centers, big government bodies, and the Statue of Liberty.
S2 — The Boys meet Starlight in the middle of a highway and conduct a small funeral for Frenchie. The funny parts about him seeing everyone’s a**hole remain the same. Marie and Jordan join them. They all plan to escape to Canada, with Butcher being the only one who revolts and says that they will figure out a way to defeat Homelander. Everyone looks at him hopelessly. Marie then says that maybe there is a way. If they can hold Homelander down for some time, perhaps she can draw the V1 out of his bloodstream, and then they can infect him with the virus. Butcher says something like “I like this cunt”. Kimiko agrees to give it a go for Frenchie, soon to be joined by the rest. They regroup and plan.
S3 — Ashley and Oh-Father escape to the Vought Tower, where they catch Ryan and Zoey freeing Stan Edgar, after having killed some people on the way. Ashley begs Ryan to help and somehow stop Homelander. Ryan says there’s no way as they look at the live footage of Homelander destroying everything. Oh Father says that perhaps this is the new beginning, perhaps a new God is creating a new Earth, and that he would like a divine place by God’s side in this new plan or some shit like that. Bashley and Ashley dump Oh Father and join Ryan and Zoey and Stan and leave, but Oh Father attacks them and holds them back, saying that when Homelander returns, he will have earned a spot by his seat by being loyal and keeping Ryan there. He tries to persuade Ryan and even Ashley to be on his “holy” side and accept Homelander in all his madness. Ryan lasers Oh Father to death, and all of them escape.
S4 — We get a shot of Homelander maddened in his rage, destroying churches and mosques and even a poster of himself as he lands pensively at his fake old house, crying to himself. He speaks to Madelyn, shouting at her in the air, blaming her for not prophesying correctly. He realises he is lonely and has nobody else to kill or blame. Suddenly, a huge metal cube drops from the air, and Homelander is trapped inside. The US Army comes in large numbers. Ashley and Stan Edgar are coordinating with them from a safe haven, and we are told that Stan had planned this, should this day ever come. Homelander breaks free from the zinc box and, in a brutal genocide, kills everyone on the scene. He tells Stan on the phone that Stan forgot to calculate the V1 in his bloodstream and that Homelander has finally outsmarted him. Stan calmly roasts Homelander even on the phone, where he says that instead of living a pathetic life till old age and death, now Homelander would live a meaningless and futile life of misery and hate, immortally. He lost his father and his son, and now the affection of the people that he so dearly wanted. Ashley, in the meantime, organises for a private helicopter and escapes to Paris.
“What purpose do you have left now?” Stan says. A triggered and hyperventilating Homelander mutters “Butcher” under his breath and flies off into the sky.
S5 (The Big Final Fight) — The Boys (OG team + 3 Gen V kids) are on their way to Vought Tower to face Homelander. Upon reaching the base of the Vought Tower, Homelander lands with great force. In front of him stand all our heroes. He talks to Butcher, saying that their bet is the last thing that is keeping him going, and that Blood and Bone would perhaps show him the way ahead. He is almost crying, asking hopelessly why the people did not believe in him. Butcher tells him that he shouldn’t worry; they’re all about to finish him. Starlight, Butcher, Marie, and Jordan attack Homelander all together. Hughie, Mother’s Milk, and Emma run to the corner. Kimiko also comes up close to Homelander and punches him in the gut. He throws her away as he tackles Butcher, Starlight, Jordan, and Marie all at once. He lasers Marie out at first as she falls unconscious in the corner. He grabs Starlight by the throat and throws her away again. He punches Jordan out of his way. Butcher and Homelander have a huge fight, but Butcher ultimately loses (much like their fight in the Oval Office). Homelander is about to kill Starlight when Ryan pounces in (same as he did in the “real” finale)
Homelander tries to convince Ryan that he could change and that they could start fresh, realising that he has only Ryan left. He says that he will spare everyone’s life if Ryan agrees to be his family again. Ryan refuses and attacks him. In the fight between Ryan and Homelander, Vought Tower falls, as Homelander lasers the base of the tower with great prowess. Butcher grabs Marie, Jordan, and Kimiko by his tentacles and runs, as a huge (she up-sizes) Emma tries to stop the tower from falling. Ryan and Homelander take the fight up in the air. Starlight quickly flies Hughie out of danger, but MM is crushed under the Vought Tower and dies. Kimiko runs to MM’s body and mourns. Homelander slams Ryan into the ground as Ryan lies unconscious.
Homelander comes down. He looks cinematically at the Vought tower’s collapse. “Maybe I am done with the human race after all. Maybe I am the creator. Maybe it’s time for a new age, a new era, a new planet perhaps, a new species,” he says smirking, primarly to Butcher who lies on the ground, coughing. Suddenly, Marie appears from behind and chokes Homelander down with her “telekinetic blood powers”. Butcher immediately releases his tentacles that engulf Homelander’s neck. Starlight blinds him with a shiny blast. Ryan, now conscious, comes in and holds his legs down as Jordan (male) helps. Marie screams as she drains the blood out of Homelander’s nose in the air. The V1 is out of his body. Homelander breaks free as everyone is thrown a mile away. Within a second, Hughie comes in and slams a dart (the virus) in Homelander’s neck from behind. Homelander turns, confused about what happened, and smiles.
“NO!” Butcher shouts, and one of his tentacles throws Homelander to the side away from Hughie. The virus fumes in Homelander’s surroundings.
“Run,” Hughie says to Starlight, who looks proudly at him and flies away with Kimiko. Marie, Jordan, and Emma also escape in the car, realising that the virus is out. Butcher looks at Ryan, who stands a few feet away, injured, looking at his father lying in the debris of the tower. Butcher requests Ryan to fly away to safety and find Starlight. They have quick, sentimental eye contact, and Ryan flies away. Butcher walks closer to Homelander. Hughie asks him to leave, but Bucther refuses.
Homelander lies on the ground, semi-unconscious. He tries lasering Butcher, but his lasers falter, and he is barely able to stand up. The virus slowly weakens Homelander as blisters appear on his face. He begs Butcher to let him live. He says that they ought to have a fair fight, and Butcher must excuse him for he let him live many-many times when he could have killed him. “This is a fair fight,” Butcher says as he punches Homelander several times in the face. Butcher realises that he will soon die, so he slams his crowbar in Homelander’s head. Homelander dies.
Butcher falls to the ground. Hughie comes in and holds him in his arms. Butcher tells Hughie that he never thought Hughie would be the one to spill the virus and kill Homelander, especially when it went against his morals and his virtuous nature. Hughie cries, and tells Butcher that they don’t live in a world where morals and a good heart are useful. “You taught me that,” he says.
“But soon that won’t be true, I hope,” Hughie says.
Butcher tells Hughie that he sees Lenny in him, since day one, and that he should promise him that he will never, ever, become like Butcher. Hughie promises Butcher, and Butcher dies in Hughie’s arms.
S5 — Zoey and Stan make their way to the Boys’ base on Ryan’s command, who tells them that there is a safe room. On their way to the base, a flying supe infected with the virus falls on their car, dropping dead. Zoey dies by getting infected with the virus with the other supe, as Stan mourns her death.
S6 — Annie, Kimiko, Marie, Jordan, (a really small) Emma, and Ryan arrive at the base at different times and fit themselves in the small chamber that is resistant to the virus that Sage and Frenchie had engineered. Hughie and Stan Edgar reach the base later on. Hughie keeps his hands on the glass wall of the chamber, and Annie keeps hers on her end. Everyone has a brief conversation about the impending epidemic. Hughie reassures everybody that he will find them the cure.
“We’ll find a way; we always do,” Hughie says.
“Was it all worth it, the price we had to pay?” Annie says.
“I’m pregnant,” she reveals to Hughie.
S7 — Stan Edgar waits outside in the open air for Hughie to join him. Hughie asks him where Zoey is, and he tells him that she died. Hughie expresses his condolences. Stan says it feels nice, finally, to be the powerful species again. He looks at the news, as reports show that supes are dropping dead like flies, Homelander is dead, Vought Tower is destroyed, and that no Ashley, the president, has escaped to France.
“Now what?” Hughie asks.
“We find Zoey’s dad. If anybody can make us an antidote, it’s him.”
“Why would you or he help us? Zoey is dead, wh-why would you — ” Hughie is confused.
Stan Edgar remains silent.
Hughie smiles to himself and says, “There’s some humanity left in you, huh? You lost everything. But you care?”
Stan Edgar says that they won’t tell Sameer that Zoey is dead; of course, neither would he tell Ryan. They’ll only reveal the truth after he has created a vaccine. Stan says that an antidote/vaccine would be Vought’s next product. Perhaps a new compound, perhaps a new supe, perhaps something else, but Vought will go on, whether Hughie likes it or not. Stan Edgar walks away like a boss. The shot zooms in on Hughie, who looks at the ground. He then looks at the sky. The noise around is cancelled. He looks at Stan Edgar. He slowly takes his gun out and walks out of the screen. Blackout.
