The Boys (TV series)/Season 4

Season 1 2 3 4 5 Main The Boys is an American superhero television series developed by Eric Kripke for Amazon Prime Video. Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, it follows the eponymous team of vigilantes as they combat superpowered individuals who abuse their abilities. "Department of Dirty Tricks" [4.01] Butcher: Listen, Ryan, I got a lot to say and fuck-all time to say it. I got a lorry out back. I can get you out of here. Ryan: What are you talking about? Butcher: I know you're angry with me, and you got every right to be. But you know how dangerous Homelander is. Ryan: He's my dad. Butcher: Ryan, he–he murdered some poor sod right in front of your eyes! Ryan: But that guy was a pedophile. Butcher: Ryan, it ain't true. He's lyin' to ya. Let me take ya to Grace, alright? And then you don't gotta see me no more... Please, son. I'm beggin' ya. It's what your Mum would want. Homelander: [walking into the room] "No" means "no", William. This isn't the Neverland Ranch. Don't worry. Nothing bad's gonna happen, right? [pause] Oh... Seems it already has. Look at that big, black mass curdling around your brain. What do you got, six months? Less? It's too bad, we're not gonna have that last dance together. I'll miss us. Butcher: Bloody hell, you wank to your own voice, don't ya? Homelander: That's the spirit, champ. [Hughie is left behind as the Boys rescue Frenchie and Kimiko from being killed by Neuman's daughter, Zoe, who is revealed to be a Supe] Hughie: Thank Christ. Can we go now? [recoils in shock when he sees Neuman] Jesus! Neuman: Hey, Hughie. Hughie: Hey. Neuman: You gotta teach Butcher the meaning of the word "covert". He just got made by a 12-year-old. Hughie: You mean Zoe, who just murdered two guys? Vic, you–you shot your own daughter up with V? How could you do that to her? Neuman: I needed to keep her safe. Hughie: Safe? You turned her into a fucking monster. Like you. Neuman: I'm sorry. That sounds like the pot calling the kettle a teleporting dude with his dick out. Hughie: Worst mistake I ever made. [pause] Vic, you and me, we were… We were like family. I mean… Was everything just… bullshit? Neuman: I almost told you once. That night of the blackout, you remember? You brought every bodega snack you could carry for Zoe. We played Uno with her for hours until the lights came back on. And I thought… you were one of my closest friends. I mean, hell, you're dating a Supe. If anyone would understand, it'd be you, right? Hughie: Why didn't you tell me? Neuman: I was scared. Hughie: Scared you'd have to pop my head. Neuman: I was scared to lose you. [Hughie sighs] I always cared about you, Hughie. That part was real. Hughie: Hey, Vicky… Fuck you! [Hughie splashes acid onto Neuman, which only manages to burn a hole in her business suit] Neuman: Seriously? [scoffs] I have to be on TV in, like, ten minutes, you fuckin' asshole! Hughie: We're gonna out you! We're gonna go to the press, tell them you blew up Congress! I still–I still got the Red River files! Neuman: Okay, okay, okay. Have you ever seen WarGames? What am I saying, look at you. Of course you've seen fucking WarGames. Hughie: We're making jokes? Neuman: Mutually assured destruction. I hurt you, you out me. You out me, I kill everyone you've ever loved. The only thing that makes sense is a truce. [Butcher sneaks up to Neuman's right with a gun aimed at her] Butcher: Or Plan B. [He shoots Neuman in the head. Hughie ducks for cover as the bullet bounces off Neuman and ricochets off the walls inside the van.] Hughie: Jesus, fuck! Neuman: [groans] How is it you guys are actually getting worse at your jobs? [hears her phone chime and checks it] Mmm. They just called Arizona. Guess I better go change. Joe Kessler: Billy Butcher. Butcher: Joe Kessler. Fuck me, how long's it been? Kessler: I'd say eleven years, but officially speaking, none of that shit show ever happened. Butcher: Then how come I remember you high on opium, rimmin' out the General's wife? Kessler: Well, fuck you. [laughs along with Butcher and hugs him] Hey, let me buy you a bad cup of coffee. [Cut to Butcher and Kessler sitting in a break room] Kessler: Demoted from your own fucking team. What's your shitty code name again? Butcher: The Boys. Kessler: Oof. Who came up with that shit? Why you putting up with it? Walk away. Butcher: No, my son, I've got plans and schemes. I'll be back at the head of the table in no time. Kessler: Well, you better. You know, a lot of the guys are thinking you got benched at the worst possible time. You know, Mallory's so focused on killing the VP-elect 'cause that's what Singer wants, and half of goddamn Langley's on it. Butcher: Well, you know Grace. She's always been a bit of a political animal. Kessler: And what are you focused on? Butcher: Homelander. He killed that poor cunt in broad daylight, and they fuckin' cheered. I mean, what d'you think that taught him, eh? No. We're whistlin' away towards a fuckin' apocalypse, and Grace's eye ain't on the ball. Kessler: You had a clean shot at him, right? With Soldier Boy? You didn't take it. Was your eye on the ball? Butcher: Why do I get the feeling we ain't just bumped into each other? Kessler: You remember the Panjshir Valley? Butcher: Yeah. Pretty hard to forget. Kessler: You dragged me out of there and dropped how many bodies to do it, without giving it a second fucking thought. Butcher: And yet you still didn't name your son after me, eh? Kessler: We need someone like you, Billy. Right fucking now. Before the Supes start rounding us up and dumping us off in camps. Ashley: [to Homelander] Sir, after that debacle at Godolkin–thank you again for saving my life–the board felt we should find new candidates for The Seven, ASAP. The selection committee has narrowed it down to 25 choices. [Ashley switches to a Supe leaderboard on the monitor. Homelander has his back turned towards her.] Ashley: Um… Okay, great. If we're going purely on socials, I might suggest Talon out of Redlands. The Deep: Pass. She's a butterface. Her body's on point, but her face... Ashley: Yeah, I get it. Thank you so much for explaining. [under her breath] Chauvinist prick. [looks at Hyperion's profile] Ugh, not that slutty cum rag. [She clicks on the profile of a male Supe named Dogknott] A-Train: Hold up, I thought he ate a dog. The Deep: He ate out a dog. [A-Train and Ashley give concerned looks] It's a big difference. [Ashley clicks on the next profile, which shows…] A-Train: Sister Sage? Hell no. She was with me in Teenage Kix for, like, barely a year before they canned her ass. The Deep: What's her power? A-Train: She's the world's smartest person. She's not smart enough to know when to shut her mouth. [looks at the profile of a white male Supe named…] Wrangler. Isn't he a– Ashley: Texas nutjob. The San Antonio office had to cover up those migrant murders. Homelander: I kinda like him. Ashley: Of course, he bumps us with suburban women and white men over 50. Amazing choice, sir. The Deep: Yeah, I totally agree. He's a mensch. Did I use that word right? Mensch? Homelander: [to Ashley] You just said he was crazy. Ashley: What I meant was we would be crazy to, you know, not bring him in. Homelander: [beat; groans] I am surrounded by sycophants and fucking imbeciles! The Deep: It's just that you make a lot of really great points, sir. Homelander: Deep, just… [beat; turns chair around to face The Deep] Blow A-Train. The Deep: What? Homelander: I'm not kidding. Go over there, pull out A-Train's cock and blow him. [The Deep just scoffs before reluctantly getting up from his chair to stand next to A-Train] Homelander: [to A-Train] Get up. [A-Train stands up and faces The Deep, who kneels down to eye level with A-Train's crotch. Ashley is surprisingly turned on and grins.] The Deep: [chuckles; to A-Train] Sex is just a spectrum, right, bro? Homelander: Get off your fucking knees! [The Deep quickly gets up and returns to his seat] Homelander: This is exactly what I'm talking about. Not one of you has the stomach to challenge anything I say. [gets up and starts walking out of the conference room] Oh, my God. I have gotta carry this entire fucking company on my shoulders. Ashley: You're… right? [Homelander stops for a moment, then sighs and leaves] The Deep: [notices A-Train staring at him] I wasn't gonna do it. [Homelander arrives at the apartment of Sister Sage, one of the top Supes Ashley is hoping to recruit into The Seven. Sage opens the door and sees him in casual attire.] Sister Sage: I am almost never surprised. Homelander: May I come in? [Sage lets Homelander inside. He stares at the books piled and scattered all around her living room.] Homelander: Sister Sage… Sister Sage: Just Sage. Homelander: Right. Sister Sage: Vought added the "Sister" part. Can't have one of us without a racial qualifier. [Homelander chuckles] Never seen you without the suit. Why incognito? Homelander: You know, I would've thought the smartest woman on Earth would have a nicer place. Sister Sage: Smartest person. And that person's too smart to give a fuck about Pottery Barn. Homelander: Okay. Preach, sister. Well, um… You're so smart, show me. [pause; Sage looks at him, perplexed] Show me. Sister Sage: Based on your public appearances, your stylist is dying your hair more often. Used to be every month, now it's every 2.4 weeks. Did she tell you you're going gray, or is she hiding it? [Homelander just scoffs] So between that and your enlarged prostate– Homelander: My fucking what? Sister Sage: Look at your hands. You've been washing them more often, so likely you've been peeing more often, which makes sense. You got a lot of power, but you do age. Plus, there's that small matter your own father almost killed you. Homelander: [smiles and chuckles] Wow. Sister Sage: Any mouth breather could see you're going through some existential midlife… whatever. Homelander: That's pretty ballsy for someone whose power is a party trick. Sister Sage: You are welcome to laser me, but I'm guessing you need me and my party trick for something. Homelander: Hmm… I need advice. From someone on my level. Of course, if you breathe a word of this, I'll pull you apart bit by bit. Sister Sage: Naturally. Homelander: God, I've spent my life scaling to the peak of Vought. It's all I ever wanted. And now that I have it– Sister Sage: You're still not happy? Homelander: [sighs] I save people, they cheer. I fucking kill people, they cheer. It's–It's meaningless. Humans are nothing; they're–they're less than nothing. They're just toys for my amusement. And yet they control everything. It's unnatural. What kind of legacy am I gonna leave to my son? A shithole country in a shithole world, or something better? Something… pure and cleansed. Like marble. Sister Sage: You do realize that probably won't make you happy either. Homelander: Still. Tell me how you'd go about it. Hypothetically. Sister Sage: Rome, Greece–all democracies–they fail because people are fucking stupid. You don't need an army of supermen like Nazi Bae wanted. So German. If you crush the masses, who builds your monuments? Who tongues your taint? No. The people will tear it apart themselves; just gotta nudge 'em a little. Then, you get to swoop in, be the one saving it. Homelander: Like Caesar. Sister Sage: Like Caesar. Statistically, it's inevitable. Homelander: [beat; walks to Sage's front door] I'd like you to join The Seven. Sister Sage: No fucking way. Homelander: Why not? Sister Sage: Because I'm not wearing some vaguely racist supersuit in front of a bunch of clapping seals. Plus, I'm a black woman who is a thousand times smarter than you. Your ego can't handle it. Homelander: I'm pretty smart myself. Sister Sage: See what I mean? Homelander: Smart enough to listen. I mean, really listen to you. [Sage sighs] You can stay here, reeking of Taco Bell and loneliness, or we can put some of your theories into practice on a global scale. When's the last time you got a chance like that? [The Seven, accompanied by Sister Sage, are with three HomeTeamer supporters waiting to meet Homelander. One of the supporters is Monique's ex-boyfriend, Todd.] A-Train: Sage, it's good to see you again. [quietly] What the fuck are you doing here? Sister Sage: Homelander's tired of being surrounded by morons. Homelander: [walking into the room] Hello, everyone. Todd: Homelander! I just wanna say, it's a huge honor to be here with you… Homelander: Right. Now, I can't stay long, but I heard that you are some of my biggest fans, supporting me when others turned their backs. I just wanted to personally say… Thank you for your devotion. And your sacrifice. Todd: W... Well, really, it's you who gives so much to… Homelander: [holds up finger to silence Todd] You people are more than just fans. You're martyrs to the greatest cause on Earth. [to The Deep] Open it. The Deep: You got it. [reaches into a duffle bag and pulls out three baseball bats] Whoa. Bats. Homelander: Yeah. I want you to take these bats and beat these gentlemen to death. [The Seven all glance nervously at the HomeTeamers, who look at each other fearfully] Todd: [beat; laughing] You're funny. The Deep: Oh, it's like one of your tests. You want us to say no. Homelander: No, Deep. This is not a test. [hands a bat each to A-Train and Black Noir II] I want you to beat these gentlemen to death... now. Todd: I think maybe we should go. [Black Noir II bashes the head of a HomeTeamer who attempts to leave] Todd: Oh, Jesus! Homelander: [to Black Noir II, who holds up his bloody bat] Mm-hmm. [Todd watches The Deep beat the other HomeTeamer to death with a bat. Black Noir II repeatedly swings at the body of the HomeTeamer he just killed. A-Train looks on with disapproval while Homelander leaves.] Todd: Jesus! [A-Train runs towards the door and stands in Todd's way, allowing Black Noir II to sneak up from behind and fatally bash Todd in the back of the head with his bat.] Sister Sage: Stay here. Wait for further instructions. [exits the room] Black Noir II: [beat] Yo, what the fuck?! That was so fucked up, you guys! "Life Among the Septics" [4.02] [Butcher has just informed the Boys he has six months to live] Hughie: Jesus. You're just telling us now? Have you seen any specialists? Have you… [Kimiko walks into the Boys' office] Mother's Milk: How long you got? Butcher: It's none of your fuckin' business. I'm not sure why I'm tellin' you at all. Kimiko: [signing to Frenchie] What's going on? [Frenchie makes a throat-slitting gesture] Butcher: Let's just say I got an angel on my shoulder. And she's a right bloody nag. Annie: Butcher, I tried to warn you that that shit was poison! Butcher: You ain't one of us. Hughie: Hey! Mother's Milk: Alright! [to Butcher] A word. [M.M. opens the door and leads Butcher out of the Boys' office into a hallway] Mother's Milk: You're done. Butcher: Yeah, what? Mother's Milk: Fired. Grab your shit and get the fuck out. Butcher: I level with you lot and this is the thanks I get. Fuck me. See what bein' honest gets ya? Mother's Milk: Honest? Motherfucker, you've been lying to us for the last six months! Butcher: Not tellin' ain't lyin'. Look, you need all the help you can get, mate. Mother's Milk: Not from you. You're a liability, Butcher. Butcher: I ain't gonna let this stand, then. The Boys is mine. Mother's Milk: Says a dying man with one last bluff. Now grab your shit and get the fuck out. Or I'll throw you out. [M.M. hears the floor creaking, turns his head and sees Hughie standing by the door] Hughie: Just– Mother's Milk: I don't wanna hear it. He's out. You can join him if you don't like it. [The Vought marketing team pitches Ryan's new Supe identity] Evan: Small-town kid grows up on a Montana ranch with his mom. On the surface, he's an everyday all-American boy. Seth: But deep in his heart, he knows he's different, special. He's always asking himself, "Who am I?" Then one day, that question is answered when Homelander flies down from the sky and says, with tears in his eyes… Homelander: No tears. Seth: …and says proudly, [Homelander mouths along with Seth and grins] "Son, it's time for you to take your place by my side". Evan: And for Ryan it feels surprising, yet inevitable. He always knew he was destined for greatness. Seth: Because he came from greatness! [Seth unveils a poster of Ryan wearing a supersuit that looks identical to Homelander's with the Supe name, Homeboy] Homelander: Oooh! [chuckles and claps] Wow. [to Ryan] Oh, buddy, can you believe that? Wh–What do you think? Ryan: It's cool… I guess. Homelander: You guess? [chuckles] Uh… I think it looks amazing. Ashley: Oh, so amazing. Really marketable. Also Ashley: So marketable. Sister Sage: The whole pitch blows. Ashley: It… does not blow. Sister Sage: It blows, harder than Nancy Reagan on the MGM backlot. Ashley: I'm sorry, why are you here? Sister Sage: Vought got rid of most of the sidekicks after Gunpowder. The settlements exceeded profitability. Homelander: Yeah, but I don't think Ryan is gonna file an HR complaint against me. [laughs with the rest of the marketing team] Ryan: What? Sister Sage: Ryan is the first natural-born superhero, and his brand needs to reflect that. He's not one of Vought's lab rat freaks. He was chosen by fate, God, whatever… to be the one who saves the world. Homelander: Yes. But let's not forget why he is special, shall we? He's my son. Chosen by God, sure, but uh… made by me. Sister Sage: The chosen one narrative only works if he stands alone. Harry Potter, Neo, Luke Skywalker. Hollywood's trained people to fall in love with white boy lone saviors. So, America will want to fall in love with Ryan. [Sage hands Ryan her iPad, which shows a crime itinerary document] Ryan: What is this? Homelander: It's a crime itinerary. Your first save. Congratulations, son. [whispering to Sage] I'm not on the call sheet. Sister Sage: You wanted a kingdom for your son. I'm helping you get it. Homelander: [beat] Excellent. Just as we discussed. Feel free to move forward. Sister Sage: Thanks. [pulls out cell phone; to Homelander] Ah, if you don't mind? [takes a quick selfie with Homelander; to Ashley] I'm here because Homelander wants me here. Because he trusts me. Ashley: [enters elevator with Sage] Listen. I know you're the smartest woman on Earth– Sister Sage: Smartest person. Ashley: Let me give you some advice. You know, girls supporting girls. You cannot talk to Homelander like that. Sister Sage: I'm telling him the truth. You're so afraid of him, you've plucked yourself bald. If I were you, I'd make myself useful. You know, get some lactation going, let him suck on those titties before you end up like Madelyn Stillwell. [The Deep gets in the elevator when the doors open] The Deep: Oh, Ashley, hey. What's up? Just the girl boss I wanted to see. I've been looking everywhere for you. Hey, so I heard that Ryan's doing his first solo save. I wanna talk to you about something. I have this idea. [clears throat] Okay, so what if–and just hear me out on this–what if I was there? That's it. That's the pitch. Ashley: Hmm. You wanna join a family-friendly PG save? While PETA still has you on their bestiality watchlist? [smiling] I swear to God. Stupid people who think they're smart make me want to eat my own shit! [Ashley walks out the elevator, leaving Sage alone with The Deep] Sister Sage: Why do you let her talk to you like that? The Deep: She's just a bitch. It's probably that time of the month. It's like a full moon thing, isn't it? Sister Sage: You're a genetically superior being, and she's the evolutionary equivalent of a capybara. The Deep: Cappuccino…? Sister Sage: It's a giant rodent from South America. The Deep: Oh. Sister Sage: You're better than her. Act like it. [pause; elevator doors open] And you should be at the save. It's a good idea. [walks out of elevator] The Deep: Thank you. [Sister Sage meets a conspiracy theorist Supe named Firecracker at a TruthCon convention] Sister Sage: Do you actually believe all of this? Or is it just bullshit smeared on top of a personal vendetta? Firecracker: Ain't you a little mouthy one. Sister Sage: Appreciate the subtextual racism there, but I'm a Supe. Sister Sage. I work with Homelander. Firecracker: Bullshit. [Sage shows her the selfie she took with Homelander] Goddamn! Is he here?! Sister Sage: Of course not. He wouldn't be caught dead with these ringworm-infested cousin fuckers. Though there's a chance you could meet him. First, I wanna see your powers though. [Firecracker snaps her fingers, causing small sparks to fly from her fingertips] Sister Sage: Wow, that is... lackluster. Firecracker: I'm… strong too, though. Sister Sage: Look, what's important is… what are you selling? [Butcher and M.M. are revealed to be eavesdropping on them from a distance] Firecracker: I'm here to share the truth and nothing but. Sister Sage: What are you selling? Firecracker: Did I stutter? [pause; scoffs when Sage is about to leave] Purpose. I sell purpose. These people got nothing. Maybe they lost a job or a house or a kid to Oxy. Politicians don't give a shit. Mainstream media tells them to be ashamed of their skin color, so I bring them together, tell them a story, give them a purpose. Which would you rather believe? That you belong to a community of warriors battling a secret evil, or that you're a lonely, inconsequential nobody that no one will ever remember? Sister Sage: [chuckles] Deep's Blue Sea Room. 9:00 p.m. [Butcher and M.M. remove their earpieces and walk off once Sage is out of sight] Butcher: Sage has got no powers, right? Mother's Milk: Besides her brains? Nope. Butcher: So, why all the sneakin' around shite? Let's just grab her, work her over and rumble what we need. Mother's Milk: Hey. This is surveillance only, okay? Butcher: Alright, you sit tight and watch me do your job. Mother's Milk: Alright, enough. [M.M. grabs Butcher by the neck and drags him outside] Butcher: Get your fuckin' hands off me! Mother's Milk: Just go home, alright? Butcher: Or what? We have a Barney?! Well, come on, then! Have a go! Mother's Milk: Butcher, for fuck's sake. Butcher: You've been gaggin' for it. Ever since Soldier Boy. Ten pounds of C4 with an inch fuse pokin' out your arse, you are! Well, c'mon, then! Have at it, son! Mother's Milk: 'Cause that's the only way you feel any regret, is to get it beaten into you. Butcher: You're a shit skipper, you are. Hughie's fucked off, Kimiko's hammered. We've been here for hours and still know fuck all! You're gonna get this bloody lot killed. You can't eat, you can't sleep, and you ain't willin' to do what it takes to run this mob 'cause you ain't got the bollocks, son. Mother's Milk: Nice try, Butcher. But it ain't gonna work. Butcher: Yeah, ain't that what your wife said? [M.M. punches Butcher in the face. Butcher just smiles and allows M.M. to continue punching him until he falls to the ground.] Mother's Milk: All that bullshit you pulled, and the mess you always leave behind for me to clean up. You know why I kept coming back? 'Cause I thought maybe this time, it'll be a little different. All the fucking shit we've been through together, man. I thought maybe this time, maybe you and I could just… just be fucking brothers again! [pause] Just go home, man. [Homelander finds Ryan crying into a pillow after his first save results in the accidental death of a Vought stuntman] Homelander: Who wants a creamy, delicious milkshake? Hmm? [pause; Ryan continues crying] Oh, Ryan… Okay, come on. Come on. It's okay. Don't worry, okay? Don't worry. You'll get plenty of solo saves, I promise. But I really do think that my being there is good for your numbers. Ryan: What? Homelander: Yeah. Ryan: No. Homelander: Yes. Ryan: No, no… Homelander: Yes. Ryan: I killed Koy. Homelander: That's what you're upset about? Koy? [sighs] Okay. Accidents happen all the time, okay? Humans are fragile. You can't save them all. Ryan: But isn't that our job? Homelander: Look, Koy died doing what he loved, okay? It'll be better next time. Ryan: No. Homelander: Yes. Ryan: No, I'm never doing that again. Homelander: Jesus Christ. How many times do I have to tell you?! They're only human, Ryan! Toys! [sighs] You can't go around feeling bad about what you are 'cause a few things break. Who cares? You are destined for so much more, you understand? You're chosen, young man. Sooner or later, you gotta accept it. "We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here" [4.03] [Butcher and Kessler discuss their plan to rescue Ryan while the television shows Homelander holding a rally outside Vought Tower] Butcher: There’s enough here to take down a bull elephant. Kessler: Ten bull elephants. I’m not takin' any chances. How you gonna get close enough to use it? Butcher: If I can get Ryan here, I can dose him. You just be ready. Kessler: He’s not gonna be real happy with us when he wakes up. Butcher: Grace built the Hazlet Safe House with the specific intention of hot-boxin' Supes. It’ll hold Ryan. Kessler: Not for long. Butcher: Then we better work fast. Like when we deprogrammed them two ISIL lads, eh? Kessler: And if he doesn’t listen to us? [Butcher gets momentarily distracted when he sees Homelander on TV bring Ryan up on stage] Homelander: [on TV] My son, Ryan. Butcher: …Then we keep him high on halothane till he does. Now listen here, Joe. We get Ryan’s head clear, and that’s it, alright? Nothing about trainin' him up to top Homelander. Kessler: So you’ve said. Butcher: I mean it, Joe. Would you train your boy up to be a killer? Kessler: Listen, brother. You don’t trust me, go back to your team. Oh, wait. [Homelander and Sister Sage watch Firecracker filming a Vought promo from a distance] Firecracker: Did you know that these “vaccines” that they’re giving out at the Starlight House actually cause autism? And–And not that cool Rain Man autism that makes you good at countin' cards and shit. Homelander: That's her? Sister Sage: Yeah. Homelander: Really? Sister Sage: Mm-hmm. Homelander: Seems like she fell off her jet ski one too many times. Sister Sage: Now that Starlight’s back leading the Starlighters, we need her. Homelander: That is gonna shut them up? Sister Sage: No, she’s gonna make them louder. Are you gonna trust me or not? Homelander: Is there a problem? ‘Cause this is a huge day for you, but you seem to have something firmly lodged up your asshole. Sister Sage: This spandex is. Up my ass and in a camel toe. The whole point was for me to stay behind the scenes. [Homelander and Sage quickly get their photo taken together by the camera crew. Homelander motions for them to leave.] Sister Sage: You are clearly punishing me for openly disagreeing with you, which you said you could handle, but clearly you can’t. Homelander: Do you really think I’d be that petty? Sister Sage: Yes, I do. I mean, did it occur to you that it is harder to stage a fucking coup with a million eyes on me? Homelander: Popularity is power, Sister. Sister Sage: It’s a prison. Homelander: Listen, it’s gonna be great, okay? You’re a member of The Seven now. You’re a superhero. Act like it. [to the male members of The Seven] Hey, how about a photo with the new girl, guys? The Deep: Yeah, get in here. Front and center. [Sage tenses up uncomfortably as The Deep pulls her in between him and Black Noir II] Homelander: Get in there. Make a sandwich out of her. [M.M. hacks the phone of A-Train's brother, Nathan, to get himself a meeting with A-Train] A-Train: Hughie’s guy? You jacked my brother’s phone? Mother's Milk: Cloned it. Had to get your attention somehow. A-Train: You know I could smear your motherfuckin' face across this astroturf in three seconds, right? Mother's Milk: Like you did Blue Hawk? I just wanna talk. A-Train: Why the fuck would I ever talk to you? Mother's Milk: ‘Cause you gave Starlight that footage. I got you on the office camera doing it. Matter of fact, I got so much dirt on you, A-Train, I could bury you six dozen feet under. But… I don’t think I’m gonna need to do that. A-Train: And why is that? Mother's Milk: ‘Cause of those dark circles under your eyes. You ain’t getting no sleep. It makes me wonder, what the fuck is keepin' A-Train up at night? Is it that bullshit white savior movie they got you in? Or that they put your brother in a wheelchair? Or guilt for beatin' three men to death over at Planet Vought? I knew one of those guys. Wasn’t my favorite person, but… he was innocent. You know what I think? I think you’ve spent so much time wearing that stupid-ass Black Power suit, pretending to give a shit, that something stuck. You may have that racist white boy’s heart up in you, but you got a second goddamn chance to actually give a shit. [pause] So what you gonna do with it, man? A-Train: Fuck you. Sage is already hunting for whoever leaked that footage. ‘Cause giving a shit just gets you killed. Mother's Milk: True. But you’re still standing here. [Butcher has baked cookies laced with halothane to feed Ryan during his visit] Butcher: I’ve got Connect 4, and LEGO. Plus, a special little something just for you. [opens cookie jar] Your mum’s recipe. World-famous, some say. Ryan: Mom used to bake them every year for my birthday instead of cake, but… No, thanks. Butcher: Really? Ryan: I’m not hungry. Butcher: Alright. Maybe later, then. Fancy a game? [Ryan points at Butcher's ear, which is leaking blood] Butcher: It’s nothing. I’m fine. Ryan: Butcher. [pause] Are you… scared? Butcher: Scared of what? Ryan: To die, I mean. Butcher: …I’m alright with it. [...] Butcher: I saw your save on the telly. So you’re a big hero now, eh? Ryan: Not really. Butcher: Come on, you’re a star. Nailed your lines and all. Ryan: I actually… I accidentally hurt someone. Butcher: What do you mean, “hurt ’em”? Ryan: I was supposed to throw them… but I did it too hard. Butcher: They gonna be alright? Ryan: [shakes his head] My dad says I shouldn’t even care. [pause; tearfully] I get why you don’t want me. I wouldn’t want me either. Butcher: Hey… Now you listen to me. Them horrible things I said… I didn’t mean ’em. I have this, uh… I have this habit, see, of pushin' people away. Ryan: Why? Butcher: ‘Cause, uh… ‘Cause I’m a bad man. I ain’t got no business lookin' after a kid. Ryan: That's not true. Butcher: Before, you asked if I was scared. And the truth of the matter… is I’m bloody terrified, mate. I’m leavin' this world with nothing to show for it. I lost me bruv… your mum. And I could be leavin' without makin' things right with the one part of her that is still alive. And that… that scares me more than anything. [Butcher takes the cookie jar and dumps the halothane cookies in the trash] Ryan: Why’d you do that? Butcher: I fucked ’em up. Put way too much sugar in ’em. Sister Sage: So, tell me about your relationship with Starlight. I understand you two were friends. Anika: Friends? Um, no, I wouldn’t say that we were friends. I mean, we shared an Almond Joy from time to time. Sister Sage: Our records show you made a phone call to the Starlight House within the past month, so… Homelander: Are you working with her? Anika: Uh, no, I–I was just donating some clothes. Homelander: So why is your heart pounding like a little bass drum? Anika: I didn’t do anything, okay? I swear. Sister Sage: Okay. Let’s–Let’s just all calm down, okay? You’re not in trouble here, Anika. [laughs] Starlight’s the bad guy here. So, look. We’re gonna find out anyway, so you just tell us the truth. We swear you’ll be fine. [to Homelander] Right? Homelander: Yes. Yes, I… I swear. I… I swear on the life of my son. Anika: [pause; looks at Ashley, who nods] Okay. Yes, Starlight did call me a few days ago. She just wanted some help tracking– [Homelander suddenly kills Anika by lasering her head. Ashley freaks out in horror.] Homelander: What? She confessed. Leak plugged. Sister Sage: You don’t think the next word out of her mouth might have been useful? Homelander: [shrugs] Guess I am that petty. [Firecracker walks into her bedroom and sees Annie holding up her "Jesus, Guns, Babies" board] Annie: This is fucking insane. You can’t actually mean this. Firecracker: I’m sorry, who let you in? Annie: Bedroom window. This used to be my place. [sighs] Yeah, I gotta say, I really hate what you’ve done with it. Firecracker: You know, when I said, “Debate me,” this wasn’t what I had in mind. Annie: Why me? What have I done to make you hate me so much? Firecracker: …You really don’t remember me, do you? Of course. I mean, why would you? We were only on the same pageant circuit together for three fuckin’ years. Course I was going by “Sparkler” back in those days. Annie: Sparkler. Yeah, right. You sang that “God Bless America” medley. Firecracker: [scoffs] I practiced that routine so fuckin’ hard. Never mind we were too poor to have a backyard to practice in, but… I’d dream that one day, I’d get good enough to win. [pause] Miami-Dade. Down to you and me, the finals. And my mom starts doing my makeup, and I notice that everyone is… snickering at me. You remember why? Turns out you told everyone that I had an ass-fuck gangbang with the judges, which was the only way trash like me could ever make it to the final. I was thirteen years old. And when I went to you to ask you why… you remember what you said? Annie: Look, I was immature and stupid, and my mom taught me to be ruthless. Firecracker: Do you remember what you said? Annie: I said that… [sighs] "I don’t talk to fat sluts." Firecracker: And then, not long after that, I had to quit the pageant circuit, ’cause… Well, a rumor like that, it really follows you around. And the more you deny it, the more they believe it. Annie: I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It was so fucked up, and it was so wrong. I was jealous, but I’m not that person anymore. Firecracker: People don’t change. And everybody thinks that you’re so decent. So pretty and perfect. Hell, you fuckin' think you’re better than everybody else. Annie: That’s not true. Firecracker: You’re damn fuckin' right it’s not. All that dove, pure angel bullshit? No, I see the connivin' little mean girl bitch in there. And when I’m done, the rest of the world’s gonna see it, too. [Hughie visits his father in the hospital and sees his mother by his side] Hughie: How is he? Daphne Campbell: He's the same. Hughie: [beat; sighs] Look, my plan was to come in here, you know, fight you bloody over Dad, but um… I have had a day, and I think what I really just wanna know right now is… Why? Daphne: Why what? Hughie: Why'd you leave? How? How could you leave me? Daphne: [pause; clears her throat] I was, uh… 22 when I had you. Mm-hmm. [chuckles] Oh, those dimples. But I was depressed. Postpartum. Uh… You know, people think depression, they think, “Oh, so you’re sleepy, so what?” But it’s… not like that. It… It’s painful. It hurts. My friends all said, “Give it a month, six months, a year,” but it–it never went away. Hughie: But you were always so fun. We’d have dance parties. Daphne: I never wanted you to see it. But… getting dressed was like… climbing Everest. And so, one night, I just took 40 Ambien and tried to kill myself. Thank God I threw them up in the toilet. So the next day, I… took you to school, and I left. I didn’t want to, but… it was life or death for me. Hughie: I didn’t know that. Daphne: Why would you? Hughie: You, um… you never called. Daphne: I tried. But your dad was so hurt, and–and… he didn’t want me to confuse you. So, eventually, I just stopped. I thought, you know, maybe I wasn’t cut out to be a parent. And I know you’ve spent a lot of your life hating me and thinking I’m the villain, and I would never ask for your forgiveness. But I’m really sorry, Hughie, that I hurt you. I was just fucked up, you know? Homelander: Where have you been? Ryan: Sorry. I flew to Coney Island to get those hot dogs. Homelander: You’re lying. Ryan: No, I’m not. Homelander: You’ve been at William Butcher’s. I can smell him on you. Ryan: I wanted to see him. [Homelander scoffs at him] He’s going through a tough time. Homelander: Why do you care when you have everything here?! You have a home, you have a father! I’ve given you everything that I ever wanted, and it’s still not good enough for you! WHY?! You’re ungrateful. You go behind my back, you lie to me. Why? [softly] Fuck. Why am I not good enough for you? Ryan: [stammers] No, I… It’s just Butcher– Homelander: Butcher. You know what? If you love him so much, why don’t you get him to be your dad? Ryan: No, I don’t want him to be my dad. You’re my– Homelander: Enough! ENOUGH! [Homelander throws a statue at a mirror in a fit of rage. Ryan runs away from him.] Homelander: Aw, fuck. Fuck. Mirror Homelander #1: John? John… Come here. [Homelander gets up and walks over to the shattered mirror, where he sees three reflections of himself] Mirror Homelander #1: John, come here. You really made a mess this time, tiger. Mirror Homelander #2: Come on, champ. Pull yourself together. Deep breath. Mirror Homelander #1: For God’s sakes, look at you. A few Starlighters hate you, Ryan spends some time with Butcher, and oh boo-hoo, you’re a fucking mess! Mirror Homelander #2: You have to be stronger, John. For Ryan. Mirror Homelander #1: You still need love! Mirror Homelander #2: You’re pushing him away. Mirror Homelander #1: So much love! You still crave it! Homelander: No, that’s not true. Mirror Homelander #1: You’re gonna make him weak and needy, like you. Mirror Homelander #2: You can still fix things. He’s your son. Mirror Homelander #1: He hates you. He’s gonna turn on you. Mirror Homelander #2: Your blood. Mirror Homelander #1: Everyone hates you. [The third Homelander reflection shushes the other two] Mirror Homelander #3: It’s time to overcome this need for love–this sickness–once and for all. You’re never gonna be your true self until you transcend your humanity. Homelander: What do I do? Mirror Homelanders: You need to go back to the start. [Homelander remembers the laboratory where he was raised as a child] Mirror Homelander #3: John, you need to go home. "Wisdom of the Ages" [4.04] [Homelander decides to torture the scientists who experimented on him during childhood, starting with Frank] Homelander: Hey, Frank, come on over. How about a game of wastepaper basketball? Frank: I’m sorry? Homelander: Uh, first of three, and tell you what? To make it interesting: You win, I’ll let you knock off early, go see the fam. Frank: Um, okay. Homelander: Excellent. I’ll start. [Homelander crumples up some paper into a ball and successfully throws it into the wastebasket. He watches as Frank also manages to throw a paper ball into the wastebasket.] Homelander: [pause; crumples up more paper] You know, I learned this game from you, Frank. Frank: I don’t understand. Homelander: I once saw you take a shot at a wastebasket, and you nailed it, and… And you don’t remember. Frank: No. Homelander: Yeah? [throws a second paper ball into the basket] Well, I sure do. Yeah, you–you were sitting there, and… Well, I was in this oven here. And you made the shot. You did a little fist pump to celebrate, and–and then you turned up the temperature to see if you could burn my skin. You remember that, right? [chuckles] Your turn. [Frank tosses his second paper ball into the wastebasket, scoring another point] Homelander: Fun fact: Even though my skin didn’t char, it still really hurt. [laughs] I mean, a lot. Yeah, I was in there, screaming in agony, and my tears just sizzled away. [Homelander's smile breaks as he remembers his younger self crying out in pain inside the oven] Homelander: Yeah… I remember there were people standing here taking notes, but behind them I saw you make that shot. [crumples up a third piece of paper] It really was a great shot, Frank. Frank: I was just doing my job. [Just as Homelander is about to throw his third paper ball, he wavers as his mind flashes back again to himself burning in the oven] Homelander: Hmm. You know, I had nightmares about that exact moment, and you can’t even remember it. It’s funny, isn’t it? How people can have such a different memory of the exact same thing. It’s all a matter of perspective, I guess. [pause] Hey, Frank. This is my last shot. [points at the oven] Why don’t you go watch from in there? Frank: John, why don’t we– Homelander: Homelander. Get in the oven, Frank. Frank: [chuckling] Please. Homelander: [opens the oven door] Get in the oven or your family goes in with you. Marty: Please, Homelander, you don’t have to do this! Homelander: Marty… [Some of the scientists gasp and fearfully watch Frank reluctantly walk inside the oven] Homelander: Thank you. Frank: I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. Homelander: You’re sorry? Now? But why? You were just doing your job, right? [Homelander shuts the oven door and cranks up the oven heater] Frank: Homelander… Don’t do this! No! [Marty and the other scientists look away as Frank's body slowly chars and gets engulfed in flames. Frank touches the glass panel on the door, which immediately sets his hand on fire. Homelander tosses his paper ball, but misses the waste basket.] Homelander: And I bet you would’ve won. [Frank collapses dead, his incinerated skeleton still smoldering inside the oven] Female Scientist: Oh, my God… Oh, my God! Homelander: I forgive you. [Hughie is accompanied by Kimiko when he meets up with A-Train] A-Train: What the shit is this? Where’s the talking goatee with the gold chains? Hughie: [to Kimiko, who he holds back] It’s okay. [to A-Train] I’m the one that called you. A-Train: Are you crazy? Sage is on my ass, stares at me like I’m fucking dinner, but you thought this was a good time to be seen together? Hughie: I need a dose of Compound V, and I need it today. A-Train: Oh, is that all?! For what? Hughie: What do you care? A-Train: Homelander has every vial of V locked up in his apartment. Hundreds of them. Nobody gets it. Hughie: Okay. Well, he’s not gonna miss one vial, then. You gotta find a way. A-Train: No. It’s too dangerous. [starts walking away] Hughie: No! Hey, fuck that! You owe me! A-Train: I owe you? I just saved your fucking life. Hughie: Every single fucked-up, horrible thing that’s ever happened to me–to all of us–it all started with you, ’cause you took away someone I loved! And now you’re gonna give someone I love back. A-Train: What? Hughie: [pause] My dad’s about to die. V is the only thing that can save him. This is your chance… to finally make things right. A-Train: What makes you think I give a shit? Hughie: You tell me. A-Train: If I do this… we’re good? Forever? Hughie: Yes. [A-Train turns back around and super-runs out of the dock. Kimiko punches Hughie's arm.] Hughie: Ow! What?! Kimiko: [texting to Hughie] You didn't say we were meeting A-Train. And you want V? Haven't you learned anything? Hughie: Kimiko, I’m sorry, but it’s my dad. What else was I supposed to do? Kimiko: [texting to Hughie] I'm sorry, but I think you are supposed to let him die. Butcher: M, I got a favour to ask. Mother's Milk: You think you’re in a position to ask for a favor? Butcher: If I can’t get the job done before I, uh… [Butcher has a vision of Becca standing next to M.M.] Butcher: I need you to get Ryan away from Homelander. Mother's Milk: Oh, Butcher. Butcher: I gotta be realistic. Some days I can barely even fuckin' stand. Get him outta there. Raise him. Mother's Milk: Raise him? Butcher: You’re the best dad I know, M. The best fuckin' anyone. Mother's Milk: That might be one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me... but what if Ryan doesn’t wanna go? Butcher: Then you’ve gotta make him. [M.M. and Butcher see Firecracker walking towards them] Mother's Milk: White trash walking. Butcher: [claps; to Firecracker] Top-notch show, love. Just weren’t sure whether you wanted us to kneel before your cross or burn it. Firecracker: …Oh, you’re those motherfuckers that killed my friend. Butcher: Yeah, cryin' shame, that. But if it’s any consolation, he’s up there with God, noshin' on his holiest of holies as we speak. Firecracker: I’m gonna shut your fuckin' face– Butcher: Alright, alright. Keep your hair on, love. We just want a little chin wag’s all. Firecracker: Talk American. Butcher: Right. You remember that magical summer when you was 28, workin' as a counselor at the Capes for Christ Bible Camp in Davie, Florida, and you met that lovely fifteen-year-old boy who tickled your fancy, and… Well then, tickled more than that, didn’t he? Hmm? Ring any bells? [shows a tweet about Firecracker's arrest on his cell phone] Here’s a little keepsake snapped by the Broward County Sheriff’s Department that you can stash in your wank bank. You and your little Bieber edgin' in the back of your RAV4 in the car park of Buca di Beppo. Mother's Milk: Whatever voodoo Vought’s lawyers pulled to get your statutory charges dropped, I don’t think they’re gonna matter too much to your evangelical audience back there. Butcher: You’re gonna tell us everything you know about Sage and her grand plan, [points at his cell phone] or I hit this little tweet button here. [smirks] Firecracker: [beat] How about I just send it myself? [presses the phone's "Send" icon, to Butcher and M.M's shock] Fuck around and find out. [Annie and Frenchie watch Ezekiel's speech at the Starlight House] Ezekiel: "Starlight", that's 9 letters! Or is that 6 upside down?! "Annie January", 12 letters! That's two more sixes! 666! What more proof could you possibly need?! [Firecracker suddenly walks onstage holding back fake tears] Firecracker: I’m sorry, I gotta interrupt. I’m so sorry. I need–I need to make a confession. Ezekiel: A confession? Firecracker: I need to confess my sins. [Ezekiel nods and hands her the mike] Ain’t no way to sugarcoat this. I had… inappropriate relations with a sweet young man. [exhales] Damn, that smile. But that young man, he was fifteen years old… Annie: Oh… Firecracker: …but the moment of my greatest weakness was also the moment that pushed me to my eternal salvation. I was born again, and my sins were washed away by the tears of His love! Ezekiel: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Firecracker: Now, I–I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ put that young man in my life to lead me to the path of righteousness. Annie: [rolls her eyes] Oh, my God. Firecracker: You gotta choose to turn into the light of His love. And that’s what Starlight, she just didn’t do. Y’all ever hear that story about her very first save? She was only thirteen years old, and well, a gunman came into Walmart and took hostages. Well, Starlight, she came in a’blastin'. But what they don’t tell you is that she blinded one of those hostages that day. A mother of three, just trying to buy Crunch Berries for her kids. But Starlight, she just went on, smilin' for those cameras like none of it ever happened. Starlight’s no hero. She never was. [Annie tearfully watches Firecracker continue to publicly discredit her during her television special] Firecracker: [on TV] Now, y’all heard a lot tonight about who Starlight really is. But you still haven’t seen the true monster behind the mask. And the truth… Oh, it is so much worse than you could ever imagine. Six months ago, Starlight visited a clinic. She wasn’t going for a checkup. Annie: What the fuck? Firecracker: [on TV] She found out that she was pregnant, and she had an abortion. Annie: Are those my fucking medical records? Firecracker: [on TV] She was raised a Christian. She knew the difference between right and wrong. She knew exactly what she was doin'! So you won’t tell me that those teens over there, that they’re safe with her! With that baby killer?! [Annie storms out of the Starlight House] Mother's Milk: Annie, wait! [...] Firecracker: She could have given it up for adoption! But no, she murdered it! [Firecracker sees Annie fly towards her, eyes glowing. Annie lands on stage and menacingly walks up to Firecracker.] Firecracker: So you finally came to deb– [Annie brutally beats Firecracker to the ground and punches her repeatedly in the face. Unbeknownst to Annie, the cameras are still rolling. Cut to Sister Sage watching the beating from the Vought conference room.] Sister Sage: How’s that for “uppity,” cracker? [Cut to Annie getting held back by M.M.] Mother's Milk: Stop. Look. [Annie is horrified to see all the cameras on her and that many viewers saw the whole beating live and start posting about it on social media. Cut back to Sister Sage at Vought Tower.] Sister Sage: First pebble down the mountain. The Deep: I don’t get you, dude. Like, at all. You start off, you’re a total bitch. And then you tell me I’m, like, a superior being–which of course I like–and that you’re down to pound, which obviously I will... Sister Sage: I know. Most people, their brains grow till they’re about 25, then stop forever. Mine doesn’t. It regenerates, constantly. Stab me in the heart, I die. But stab me in the brain and the little fucking bitch grows back. [holds out scalpel] I want you to put this inside me. The Deep: [chuckles] That’s the worst dildo I’ve ever seen, but– Sister Sage: No, in my eye. Here. The Deep: I am down for, like, a lot, but... Sister Sage: It’s temporary. The Deep: Hmm? Sister Sage: You give me a frontal lobotomy and I don’t have to fucking be me for a couple hours. The Deep: Uh, that’s just… fucking gross. Sister Sage: I’ll let you ass-fuck me while we watch the Kim and Ray J video. The Deep: [takes scalpel from Sage] Okay, so where do you want me to put it? [points at her eye] Just right there? Sister Sage: Sit down. Now, avoid the eye itself. I don’t want to go blind. Homelander: It’s funny. I–I remember it being so much bigger. You know why I used to call this the Bad Room? Barbara: It was just a room, John. It’s neither good nor bad. Homelander: That’s easy to say from the other side of the door. Now– Barbara: Did you come back here just to torment those people? Doesn’t that feel a little… a little small? They were just following orders. Dr. Vogelbaum’s, Stan Edgar’s and mine. Homelander: Yeah, but they followed them. Not one of them had the backbone to stand up and say, “This is wrong.” Barbara: ‘Cause they were scared. Homelander: I was a child. Barbara: They were scared! You know, I was there the day that you were born. They paid some poor runaway two grand to carry the embryo to term. But you lasered her guts open from the inside. You rose in the air with your umbilical cord still attached, like some creature out of myth… or nightmare. You killed three doctors and a nurse while you were at it. And then–just trust me–it was downhill from there. So, yeah. Yeah, everybody was terrified of you, from your first breath. Homelander: But you weren’t? [chuckles] Barbara: We have no physical power over you. We never did. You could’ve broken out of here anytime you wanted. We couldn’t have stopped you. But you didn’t. [pause] Because you couldn’t stand the idea that we would be disappointed in you. Your need for approval and for love. Vought brought in the best psychologists in the world. They developed the protocol to carefully engineer that need so that you would be obedient. In many ways, that was our greatest success. Homelander: I don’t need any of it anymore. Barbara: Doesn’t matter what you do to me or the rest of the staff here. Your need for love is so deep. It's so human, you’ll never be able to overcome that. Homelander: That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not human, and neither is my son. And I’m going to raise him so that he knows it. You know, I really do wanna share with you why I called this the Bad Room. [Hughie meets with A-Train in a deserted alley to obtain the Compound V sample from him] A-Train: It’s bullshit, right? You’re not gonna forgive me. [pause; Hughie just stares at him] Yeah, thought so. Hughie: Wait. You’re right. I–I was gonna tell you to go fuck yourself, but I changed my mind. We’re good. [A-Train shakes Hughie's hand before running off] Butcher: You fuckin' dog wanker. [Hughie is shocked when Butcher reveals himself] Hughie: Jesus. How long have you been standing there? Butcher: Long enough. How could ya? Hughie: I didn’t–I didn’t do it for him. I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life hating anybody. Butcher: [looks at the Compound V] Whatcha gonna do with that, then? Hughie: I mean–Look, you're probably the only guy that would understand, but I was gonna give it to my dad. Butcher: [shakes his head] Oh, Hughie. Hughie: Look, I know. I know it’s insane and terrible, but what other choice do I have? Butcher: Any other fuckin' choice, you twat. Hughie: You’re really telling me that you wouldn’t take some if you were in his shoes? ‘Cause you kind of are. There’s enough here. It’d save you, too. It’s gotta beat dying of brain cancer, right? Butcher: I already took some. Nicked it outta Frenchie’s desk four months ago. Thought it might cure me. Hughie: Jesus. Do you have powers? Butcher: No. All it did was bring up the big day. I’m tellin' ya, quit while you’re behind. You’ll only make matters worse. "Beware the Jabberwock, My Son" [4.05] Butcher: Fuck all this cloak and dagger shite. It’s bloody freezin' out here. Kessler: Well, I mean, I was thinking we could meet in your mom’s pussy, but you know, I wanted someplace more private. Butcher: [chuckles softly] So, what you thinkin'? Kessler: Butcher, listen. How about we do this job, just you and me? Butcher: I don’t know, Joe. It’s a bit all of a sudden, innit? Kessler: Billy… your team is a joke. You think I haven’t noticed? M.M.’s on the verge of a breakdown, Frenchie’s a fucking junkie, Hughie is a gaping wet pussy. And the two Supes on your side? Man, for whatever reason, you have a blind spot for them. Butcher: Alright, I’ll give you Starlight. But Kimiko’s a bloody good weapon, and the rest of them are still up to scratch. Kessler: Well, I don’t get you. I don’t. Half your brain is a fucking tumor. This is your last shot at Homelander, and now you decide to go soft? Yeah, they are decent people. But you and me, we don’t belong with decent. Butcher: Fuckin' hell, it’s like a morgue in here. What’s with all the long faces? Annie: I don’t know, maybe because I’m getting blamed for the murder you did. Butcher: I’d call you a cunt, but you ain’t got the depth or the warmth. Mother's Milk: I’ve been meaning to ask you something. How was it that you took out Ezekiel? Butcher: I have no idea. Mother's Milk: Bullshit. Butcher: God’s honest. I, uh… blacked out, came to, and there he was. All over the shop. But never mind that bollocks because, my son, I have found it… The answer to all our prayers. Mother's Milk: And what might that be? Butcher: Ah, it’s nothing much. Just a… a virus that kills Supes. Frenchie: Such a thing does not exist. Butcher: Did not exist. Does now. Y'see, some clever cunts over at Godolkin University cooked up a bug that latches onto the V in their bloodstream. Now, it’s completely harmless to humans, but to Supes? Fuckin' diabolical. Annie: So, you shove this shit into me and Kimiko and we just… drop dead? Butcher: Yep. That’s the idea. Now, it ain’t juiced enough to kill Homelander, but I reckon we get our hands on some and try it out on our lovely VP-elect. Mother's Milk: And why the hell are we just finding out about this shit, Butcher? Butcher: There’s only one small snag. When I went to God U to nick it, Neuman had pipped me to the post, so we’re gonna have to nick it from her. Annie: This is insane and desperate. Even for you. Butcher: Well, insanely desperate’s where we are, don’t you think, love? Mother's Milk: Okay. Alright, alright. Time out. [to Annie] Look, if this virus is as dangerous as Butcher says it is, do you really want it in Neuman’s hands? Annie: [pause; sighs] No, you’re right. Butcher: Alright, then. Then, we’re sorted. Oh, uh… One other tiny little thing. I need you to get us one presidential pardon. [The Boys investigate the lab in Stan Edgar's country mansion, where the Supe virus is being produced and tested on animals. Frenchie opens a fridge and notices an empty sample tray.] Mother's Milk: What’d you find? Frenchie: It’s what I did not. See, the labels mark each iteration of this virus. Somebody’s been running tests, but now… it’s all gone. [Frenchie is shocked to see M.M.'s nose bleeding profusely] Mother's Milk: What? [Frenchie, whose nose is also bleeding, points at M.M.'s nose] Holy shit. [Butcher and Annie also feel their noses bleeding. Victoria Neuman and her bodyguard walk inside the lab.] Annie: Fucking bitch. [Butcher, M.M. and Frenchie aim their guns at Neuman] Neuman: Easy. Edgar: Victoria. You’re looking well. Neuman: You think I wouldn’t know the minute you and your ankle monitor stepped out of that prison? Edgar: I don’t recall giving you permission to turn my rec room into a virology lab. Neuman: You brought these assholes here? They want to kill me. Edgar: I’m sorry. Are you upset that I betrayed you? Butcher: Oi, knock it off, you two. This ain’t Family Pies. Neuman: [to Butcher] You have five seconds to tell me what you did to Sameer, or I paint this fucking room red. Butcher: Who the fuck’s Sameer? Edgar: [to Annie as she makes the lights flicker] Enough. [to Neuman] So, you brought in Sameer. Smart. That’s what I’d have done. But whatever happened to him, it wasn’t us. We should find him together. Neuman: You’re fucking kidding me. Edgar: If I’m not mistaken, you hurt these people, they expose you as a super-abled killer, yes? Then I’m afraid that we are at a stalemate. You might as well use their expertise. At the very least, they’re effective cannon fodder. Mother's Milk: [sarcastically] Thanks. That's really nice of you. Ryan: So, you’re… you’re really not mad at me? Homelander: No. I’m proud of you for speaking your mind. Ryan… [sighs] I’ve been manipulated by people my whole life. Being told what to say, where to stand. It–It’s like being a slave, only worse. I did some reflecting, and I realized that I’ve been doing the same thing to you. But no more. From now on, no more rules. For either of us. We are both emancipated from slavery. We’re free. Sound good? Ryan: Yeah. [chuckles] Homelander: Yeah? Oh, buddy, I–I don’t care what anyone else thinks but you. Far as I’m concerned, this whole planet is empty. Except for you and me. A-Train: [approaches Ashley backstage during the V52 Expo; Ashley turns to look at him] No, keep your eyes forward. Don't let them see us talking. Ashley: Who? A-Train: Sage, Homelander, all of them. Ashley: Oh, God, are you on meth? A-Train: Remember when we said we'd help each other? The leak wasn't Anika; it was me. Ashley: [in a panicked whisper] What the fuck? What the fuck, are you fucking suicidal?! A-Train: [whispering to her] Shh… Just… Just chill out, Ashley. Ashley: Chill out? You just made me a fucking accomplice, you piece of shit. I took one shit in Homelander's toilet, I'm not joining the fucking Rebel Alliance. I need to tell him. A-Train: Hey. You've done a lot more than just take a shit, and we both know that. We made a deal. So you either help me get Sage off my jock, or you go down with me. [Neuman, Edgar and the Boys find Sameer hiding in a barn after they are attacked by mutated sheep. They also find the dead body of Sameer's lab assistant, Henry.] Sameer Shah: Zoe’s not here, is she? Because… [Neuman shakes her head] No? Neuman: No, no. She’s okay. She’s okay. Sameer: Okay, good. Annie: Wait… Oh, my God, is that Zoe’s dad? Edgar: Dr. Shah was my top man at Vought R&D before he went behind my back and deflowered my daughter. Neuman: Okay, I was twenty–thoroughly deflowered–and this isn’t the time or the place. [to Sameer] What happened? Sameer: We gave V to a hamster, so we could test the virus on it. Frenchie: Oh, a V’d-up hamster was your first mistake, mon ami. Sameer: It got loose. Trashed the lab. We ran, but the V had already leaked into the groundwater. Neuman: Is the virus gone? Sameer: …Yes. Neuman: Fuck. Sameer: Except for, uh… [holds up a syringe filled with the virus] Except for one dose. Neuman: Okay. [Butcher anxiously stares at the syringe] Mother's Milk: Hey, how transmissible is that? Sameer: Not very. Only through bodily fluid. Blood, saliva… semen. Mother's Milk: Okay, so we inject it into [motions at Henry's body] your dead buddy over here as bait, and then we put him outside to infect the crazy fucking flying sheep! Frenchie: This man is in no condition to fuck a sheep. Edgar: They would eat him. Frenchie: Oh… Butcher: Bollocks. That’s the only dose. I say we fuckin' leg it! Neuman: Butcher’s right, it’s too valuable. Annie: Okay, we run, we don’t all make it. Butcher: Darwinism, love. Don’t gotta be the fastest, just not the slowest. Annie: No fucking way! Mother's Milk: Enough. Not now. Edgar: [to Neuman] I won’t be able to outrun them. Butcher: Oh, don’t you cry for that cunt! He’s just tryin' to nick Zoe from you. That’s his whole fuckin' plan, innit? Edgar: He’s lying. Butcher: Sorry, Stanny. Just business. Mother's Milk: Guys, stop. Edgar: Son of a bitch. Neuman: I should’ve fucking known. Annie: M.M. could die, okay?! Or Frenchie! I mean, you really don’t care who you just throw to the wolves? Butcher: No, not really. Annie: You’re a monster, and I’m not letting you do this. Butcher: Or what? You gonna go stark ravin' like you did with Firecracker? I got the head popper and you can’t even get it up! Mother's Milk: Enough! Enough! Look, look! [rolls up jacket sleeve] Y’all see this? Hives. And I got 'em because y’all motherfuckers are driving me the fuck crazy! Now, Annie, you can’t just go around fuckin' everybody up. And Neuman, do you really wanna risk Zoe growing up in a group home the way you did? [to Butcher] And you… Look. My little baby girl needs me, and I intend on seeing her. You’re not a monster, Butcher. You are a motherfucker, but you a motherfucker with a heart. [Hughie and Daphne find his dad, Hugh Sr, after he becomes amnesiac from being injected with Compound V and accidentally kills several hospital patients] Hugh: You… you left me. You left our little boy. Hughie: Dad– Hugh: [tearfully] You broke our hearts. Hughie: Dad, stop. Daphne: Hugh, please. Hugh… Hugh, please. Please, Hugh! Hughie: I'm Hughie, Dad. I'm the one you took to the Vought Store to buy the Tek Knight doll. Remember, I was–I was short eight bucks, even though I saved for weeks. And you said, "Anything for your number one hero." But that's the thing, Dad. He–He never was. You are. You're my hero. And that's why I–I needed you to wake up, so that I could say it, and I–and I know that you heard it. You're my hero, Dad. Hugh: [beat] Hughie? Hughie: Yeah. Yeah, Dad, it’s me. It’s me. It’s Hughie. Hugh: Wh–Where are we? [Hugh is shocked when he looks down at his blood-soaked hospital gown] Hugh: Oh–Oh, God, wha… [tearfully] Oh, God. Wh–Why am I… I–I don’t know what’s going on. Hughie: It’s–It’s a long story, but… Hugh: No! No! Hughie: Dad? Dad, it’s Hughie. It’s Hughie, remember? Hugh: I know. I–I know. I just, I–I don’t… There’s–There’s something wrong with me. I–I can’t stop it. [crying] I don’t know what to do. Hughie: That’s okay. I think I do. [Butcher and Kessler drive out to a deserted farm shed, where they have imprisoned Sameer while the rest of the Boys were escaping the Supe sheep. Sameer is chained up and missing his right leg.] Kessler: [chuckles] Now, see? That is classic Butcher. Sameer: You get away from me! Get away from me! Butcher: Alright, take it easy. I ain’t gonna hurt ya. Well, not no more. It was just enough to convince people. Sameer: You chopped off my fucking leg! Butcher: Yes, I did. I ain’t gonna sugarcoat it. Your football days are over, but don’t you worry. We’ll patch you up right as rain, and you’ll be back to work in no time. Sameer: Work? What work? Butcher: Well, what the fuck do you think? You’re gonna make us some more of that virus. "Dirty Business" [4.06] [A-Train calls M.M. to inform him about The Seven's murder of Cameron Coleman] A-Train: Hey, this is so fucked! Mother's Milk: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Where are you? A-Train: Toronto, so we could talk. They killed Cameron Coleman because they thought that he was the fucking leak! Mother's Milk: Oh, shit. A-Train: Listen, I can’t do this shit anymore, man. I’m done! Mother's Milk: Alright, no one ever said this would be easy. Think about your brother, your nephews. They’d be so proud of you, man. A-Train: Who cares what my family thinks if I’m already fuckin' dead?! Mother's Milk: Calm down. Now walk me through everything, and let’s process this shit together, alright? [Cut to M.M. talking to Hughie and Annie] Mother's Milk: This is so fucked! So before Cameron got beaten to death, Homelander was seen putting Supes together like a… Annie: An army? Mother's Milk: [nods] Mm-hmm. And then A-Train saw Tek Knight talking to Sage. Looked like they were planning something. Hughie: You–You wanna talk to Tek Knight? Mother's Milk: Now, he’s having a Federalist Society party tonight at his estate. Annie: I cannot believe that this is about to come out of my mouth, but… we could use Butcher. Hughie: Have you heard from him? Mother's Milk: Motherfucker’s MIA. Annie: [to Hughie] Hey… Maybe you should sit this out, you know? You’ve just been through so much with your dad– Hughie: I’m fine. Focusing on work is exactly what I need to do right now, okay? Just trust me. Annie: Okay. Hughie: Okay. So, how are we supposed to sneak into an alt-right cocktail party? Mother's Milk: Thought you’d never ask. [holds up a Vought record file on…] Annie: Webweaver? Mother's Milk: Come on out, kid. Hughie: You guys are gonna laugh. Annie: No one is gonna laugh. [Hughie sighs heavily and walks out wearing Webweaver's supersuit. M.M, Annie, and Kimiko are unable to contain their laughter.] Hughie: Guys, come on. You–You promised! Kimiko: [texting to Hughie] You're like a Times Square Elmo. Annie: [laughing] Oh, my God. Hughie: Okay, you know what? [removes mask] Fuck you guys. Annie: [coughs] How did a junkie like Webweaver score an invite to this anyway? Mother's Milk: Don’t know, but A-Train said he’s on the list. Hughie: God, why does he wear it so tight? [sniffs] Smells like ass sweat and broken dreams in here. Mother's Milk: Good. It’ll hide your scent from Tek Knight. You don’t wanna give him any tells. Annie: Wait, Tek Knight has super smell? Mother's Milk: Yeah. Smell, vision, taste, touch. He’s like Sherlock Holmes on meth. Annie: I don’t like this. He’s gonna make Hughie– Mother's Milk: How else are we gonna find out what Sage is cooking? [to Hughie] Just gotta work fast, kid. Take these bugs, put ’em all over the party, and lure Tek Knight back here as soon as you can. Hughie: Okay. Mother's Milk: We’ll take care of the rest. Annie: Oh, God. Okay, comm check-ins every two minutes. Just say something, okay? Anything. Hughie: Yeah. Copy. Mother's Milk: In Webweaver’s voice, motherfucker. Hughie: Uh… Copy, dawg. Sister Sage: [to Neuman] What happened to you? You look like you got ass-fucked by the business end of a hammer. Neuman: Well, maybe I don’t wanna be at this CPAC nightmare any more than they want me here. Homelander: There’s gonna be a little sidebar later on. One percent of the one percent. Sage here is gonna lube them up with cognac and Montecristos, and then convince them to commit a little high treason. Neuman: I’m sorry, what the fuck? Why would I expose myself like that? Sister Sage: Because in this room is 38% of the U.S. GDP. And if we have a shot in hell of pulling off the 25th Amendment, we need them. Homelander: Do you wanna be el jefe or not? Sister Sage: Good. Now, you’re the virgin at prom. Go get finger-popped. [...] Neuman: [to Sage] I just had abortion mansplained to me by a guy who refuses to be alone with any woman who isn’t his wife… or mistress. I don’t know. I mean, cozying up to these people, you’re fucking asking me to do the impossible here. Sister Sage: [beat] When I was eleven, my grandma was diagnosed with Stage 3 chronic lymphocytic leukemia. God… She had the biggest laugh, but she got so small so fast. She was bed-ridden. The doctors didn’t care about saving some old ex-Black Panther, and they told my parents there was nothing to be done. I stayed up the next three nights and discovered a cure. I presented my research to those satisfied fat crackers, they patted me on the head, said I was adorable and laughed at me. Grandma died screaming in pain. [pause; takes two tequila shots from a server] I could cure cancer, reverse global warming, but what’s the point? Humans are animals. And the lines at Voughtland are too long as it is. [downs tequila shot] Neuman: Why are you telling me this? Sister Sage: Because you remember what it’s like being a little girl who no one fucking listens to. And because fuck them all. The only way women like us have ever gotten what we deserved… one hand in their pockets while the other slits their fucking throats. Now… You in or out? [Neuman thinks for a moment, then downs the tequila shot Sage gave her] [Tek Knight has taken Hughie to his underground sex dungeon] Hughie: Hey, so, did I get the gig? [winces as Tek Knight caresses him] Dammit. Tek Knight: Just one last thing. What’s your safe word? Hughie: [groans] You know… I’m actually–I’m probably gonna save that for something I–I really can’t handle, but yeah, I’m good. Tek Knight: [pause; sees Hughie's fist shaking] You’re trembling. Hughie: Mm-mm. Tek Knight: Your body’s riddled by horripilation. Come on. It’s the thing that you love the most. [pause] Say it. Hughie: …Lube? [Tek Knight removes Webweaver's mask from Hughie' face] Tek Knight: I know you. You’re Hughie Campbell. Hughie: Fuck! Tek Knight: This is actually great news. Not only am I gonna get points for catching you, but before I let the big guy know that you’re down here… [Tek Knight opens a safe and takes out a tray with several sharp instruments] Hughie: Wait, wait! Wait a minute! [stutters] Wait a minute, um… You were–Hey, you were my favorite hero as a kid, okay? You don’t wanna do this. Tek Knight: Everybody always has the same holes. Over and over again, it gets so fucking boring. Hughie: Please! I looked up to you! Tek Knight: Sometimes, you just gotta make your own… [picks up a knife] and then fuck them. [The Deep walks into the Vought boardroom and sees Black Noir II drinking sake with his feet up on table] The Deep: Are you fucking nuts?! Put your mask back on! G–Get out of his chair! What are you doing?! Black Noir II: You know what’s funny? I hate sake. But I’m supposed to follow some stupid black ninja bullshit, which makes no goddamn sense, by the way. You ever meet a black ninja? The Deep: Lower your voice. Black Noir II: There’s nobody here. They left us like babies so they could go do important stuff. We don’t matter. The Deep: Hey, speak for yourself. I’m doing a ton of important shit. Black Noir II: Yeah? Like what? The Deep: Need-to-know, bro. Need-to-fucking-know. Black Noir II: [gets up and walks] Fuck it. I’m done with all this shit. The Deep: You’re quitting?! What are you gonna do?! Seven’s the biggest gig there is! Black Noir II: Look, I don’t understand Noir, okay? You know there was nothing in his closet but literally, like, seven file boxes of shitty Buster Beaver drawings? Why’d he have that? The Deep: Who the fuck knows or cares? Black Noir II: [sighs] I’m going to Missouri tomorrow. I booked Cirque de Vought’s new show, VIVANT! Music of the Bee Gees. Three nights a week in Branson. They’re gonna let me fly. I can fly, did you know that? The Deep: Yeah, dude, we all know that. [walks up] Look, why didn’t you just come to me? Black Noir II: About what? The Deep: Seriously, dude? [sighs] Man, me and the old Noir? We were, like, great bros. Like, real bros. [sighs; takes sake bottle] Give me this. [Black Noir II sits back down] Few years ago, Noir cleared out an entire Indonesian fishing village. Vought Fresh Farms was expanding their palm oil plantation, but the locals were bitching ’cause they needed the river to survive or whatever the fuck. Noir “cancelled” two dozen of ’em. Came back with a raging hard-on for a week. [Black Noir II chuckles] No, dude. See, what you’re not getting is how horny killing made the old Noir. That was his whole thing. Black Noir II: But I don’t really like violence. The Deep: [sighs] Look, I know this is hard to imagine, but some people laugh at me. [chuckles] It’s crazy, right? Black Noir II: Yeah. The Deep: But you know what I realized? When I crush someone’s nose into the back of their skull or beat ’em so bad that they’ll never walk again? [chuckles] They’re not laughing anymore. They show respect. Violence is power. Black Noir II: I’m starting to get why it gave Noir so much chub. [Sister Sage regains consciousness after getting shot by M.M. and has a napkin pressed against her bullet wound. Homelander confronts her over her absence from the party.] Homelander: What is going on? Hmm? Tek Knight, A-Train, Firecracker, they’re all M.I.A., and where the fuck have you been? Sister Sage: I once ate a whole bag of candy corns. Homelander: …What? Sister Sage: In my mouth! [giggling] I ate them! Homelander: Sage, what the fuck… [notices the bullet hole in her temple] What happened to you? Sister Sage: Brain damage. But now, I could really go for a Crunchwrap Supreme and a Sybian. Homelander: Hey. Hey, look at me. Get a grip on yourself right now. Get a fucking grip. Right now. [Sage pouts childishly at Homelander and sits down] Neuman: [mouthing to Homelander] What the fuck? [Homelander looks at Sage, who whimpers in pain as she presses the napkin to her temple again. He decides to give the speech that she was supposed to give to Tek Knight's party guests.] Homelander: Fuck it. Fuck it, I'll do it myself. [to the party guests] Folks, thank you for coming. I’m sure you’re wondering why we pulled you aside, so let’s get right to it. [sighs] I think we can all agree that Robert Singer is the greatest threat this nation has ever faced. He is going to destroy this whole country. You all met Ryan, my son. For his sake, I cannot and I will not let that stand. Calhoun: [gestures to Neuman] Does she agree? Homelander: Of course. Especially her. She’s not just eye candy. [walks over to her and places hand on her shoulder] No, no. Victoria here, she’s an integral part of the plan. She sees up close what a doddering slave to the woke mob Singer really is. How great the threat really is. So once he’s in office, we need to act. We need to invoke the 25th Amendment. Calhoun: You’re–You’re talking about a coup. Homelander: No, I’m not. I’m talking about saving this country before Singer replaces us with a bunch of transgender illegals that will do everything… Legal Conservation Woman: Save the boogeyman shit for the idiots watching VNN. How do you propose to handle the Justice Department? Homelander: Well, they will all… be our appointees. Obviously. Calhoun: And the military’s reaction? Oil & Gas Billionaire: Or OPEC. How are you gonna guarantee our oil reserves? Homelander: Of course there’s gonna be some birth pangs… Male Senator #1: The shock to the markets would be total. Male Senator #2: And what happens if civil servants resign en masse? Calhoun: With all due respect, sir, I think you got a little hitch in your giddy-up. Who’s handling all this? Homelander: [stammers] Great question. This is great. Great questions. Truly. And um… Sage. Sage… [pause; deflates when he sees Sage shoving cake in her face] has the details. Sister Sage: Mmm. Neuman: [beat; gets up from chair] Who’s handling all this? Me. I fucking am. Look, I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’m here tonight, instead of rimming out AOC, while shouting, "defund the police", up her asshole. [chuckles] But I’m here tonight to tell you the truth. The truth is America is not a democracy. The word “democracy” makes people feel safe. But the founders never trusted the masses because the truth is, the masses are fucking stupid. Anyone who owns a “Live, Laugh, Love” mug shouldn’t have a say in how a country is run. People are a labor force that need a kind, but firm hand. There are no nations. There’s Apple, Exxon and Berkshire Hathaway. Corporations are the real superpowers here. You should be able to operate without any regulation or restriction whatsoever. After all, you’re billionaires. You are smart enough to know what’s best. Bottom line? You support me, and that is what you’ll fucking get. Oil & Gas Billionaire: [pause; raises glass in toast] Hear, hear. Party Guests: Hear, hear. Homelander: Where were you last night? Firecracker: Starlight was at the mansion. Homelander: What? Firecracker: I chased her outside, but the bitch got away. Homelander: She did? Firecracker: Tek Knight’s dead. Probably Starlight and her friends did it. [Homelander scoffs] How do you think they knew about the party? Homelander: Cameron Coleman wasn’t the leak. Firecracker: So either Sage was lyin’ to you, or she’s as useless as tits on a mouse. I mean, fuck. I heard about her performance last night, sir. I just want you to know that I would– Homelander: So… You’re the one who let Starlight get away. So how do I know that you’re not the leak? Firecracker: When you found me… my podcast had… I dunno, a couple hundred fans. [chuckles] You know, folks laughed. Now, I’m the fucking anchor at VNN with millions of followers. And they ain’t laughin’ no more. Homelander: I really don’t care– Firecracker: Please, just let me finish! Now, I have spent… my whole life on the outside, lookin' in. It was you… who threw that door open for me, sir. You brought me in. God, you have given me… everything. You… are everything to me. [Firecracker unzips her top, exposing her breasts to Homelander] Homelander: Uh… What are you doing? I am not sexually attracted to you. Firecracker: No, this ain’t about sex. No, this? This is about loyalty. [Homelander recoils when Firecracker squirts breast milk on his face] Homelander: But you’re not pregnant. Firecracker: There’s a… long regimen of drugs a person can take to make it happen. It enlarges the heart just a tiny little bit. Homelander: You did this for me? Firecracker: I’d do anything for you. Anything. [Butcher wheels in a cart full of chemistry equipment into the warehouse lab where Sameer is tied to a pole] Kessler: Well, looky here. Christmas came early, Sameer. Butcher: Nicked it off a French bloke. Should be enough to get you started. Sameer: [coughs] I won’t do it. Kessler: The fuck you won’t. Sameer: Do what you want to me, but I can't–I can’t do this for you. Butcher: Listen. One dose strong enough to top Homelander. And then, you can go back to what’s-her-name, and you don’t gotta see me no more. But this first. Sameer: You don’t understand. I can’t. It’s what we realized in the lab. To make the virus strong enough to kill Homelander would evolve it into something unstable. Butcher: What d'you mean, unstable? Sameer: Airborne, highly contagious, super lethal. No one with Compound V in their bloodstream would be safe. Kessler: A global fucking pandemic. Sameer: We’re not just talking about killing Homelander. We’re talking about killing every Supe on Earth. Becca: [appearing behind Butcher] That’s Annie, Kimiko… Butcher: Ryan. Sameer: Vicky, Zoe. [shakes his head] I’m sorry. But when they say shit’s fallen into the wrong hands… they mean your hands. Kessler: This is beyond our wildest dreams, man. Dude just gave us the silver bullet. We can wipe them all out. Becca: Billy, you cannot go along with this. Butcher: Listen, mate. No one ever said nothing about genocide. Kessler: Is that a fucking joke? Becca: He’s insane. Kessler: Who was it that said, “They all gotta go? Every fucking last one of ’em?” Becca: He’s talking about murder, Billy. Of thousands. Kessler: Think how much better the world would be. Becca: And a lot of them are innocent, okay? I know you– Kessler: Shut your fucking cake hole, bitch! Butcher: [pause] Wait a minute… [stammers] You can see her? [Kessler is revealed to be a figment of Butcher's imagination, just like Becca. Sameer watches Butcher talking to himself.] Butcher: …What the fuck’s that supposed to mean? You’re me? Kessler: I mean, out of all the fucking people that your festering fucked-up brain could’ve conjured up, you picked me. The real Joe Kessler? He’s dead in the Panjshir Valley, motherfucker. You never dragged me out. You left me to die. [Butcher thinks back to his earlier encounters with Kessler. He slowly puts it together in his head that Kessler was never there and he was talking to nobody the entire time. He also realizes that he actually murdered Ezekiel.] Butcher: No. No, I’d remember that. I’d fuckin' remember that. Kessler: Unless of course you’ve got a big old, fat, V’d-up brain tumor, you cunt. Which is why you're seeing me in the first place. [pause; Butcher looks at Becca] I killed Ezekiel for you. I am inside of you. I am you… which is why when I tell you you wanna do this, I am literally telling you that you fucking wanna do this. So don’t you worry, Billy, my boy. [smiles] Daddy’s home. "The Insider" [4.07] Homelander: Sage… who’s the leak? Sister Sage: We’re making inquiries. It’s a process, we’re eliminating– Homelander: [smashes listening device with his fist] I assume you know what that is. Sister Sage: It’s a bug. Homelander: Specifically William Butcher’s bug. They probably heard every single word we said at Tek Knight’s. And likely killed him. Sister Sage: They won’t go public with the information. Homelander: And why not? Sister Sage: Because it would short-circuit everything they really want, which is to quietly take out Neuman once and for all. Homelander: [groans] We should slaughter Butcher and his whole fucking team. Firecracker: Now that is a great idea, sir. Sister Sage: Butcher will be dead in a few months anyway. And this close to go-time, I wouldn’t stir up shit with the CIA. Homelander: Yes, yes, yes. Your illustrious fucking plan. We killed Cameron Coleman for no reason. Sister Sage: A speed bump, but ultimately harmless. Firecracker: Cameron golfed with Mike Lindell, who just pulled fifty million bucks worth of pillow commercials. You call that harmless? Sister Sage: Oh, look at Daisy Duck Dynasty doing math. Homelander: You know, Firecracker and I have been talking. Sister Sage: Stimulating, I’m sure. [pause; Homelander glares at her] Sorry. Homelander: You have brains, Sage, but I have wisdom. And what happens if those brains of yours get blown out again, leaving you talking like a gibbering idiot? [pause] Firecracker and I will find the leak. Sister Sage: With respect, the last time– Firecracker: Respect? I don’t hear no fuckin' respect. In fact, I am personally offended by the way you are talking to this great man! Homelander: You just focus on the shooter, make sure he’s good to go on the 6th. Sister Sage: He’ll be ready. Homelander: Good. You may leave. [The Boys are discussing A-Train's latest information on Sage when Butcher walks into the office] Mother's Milk: Where the fuck you been? Butcher: [coughs] Shittin’ a kidney. Alright, listen up. Now, don’t get your knickers in a twist, but… [Kessler appears at Butcher's side] Butcher: You remember Neuman’s dearly departed virus bloke, Dr. Sameer Shah? Kessler: I’m serious, Butcher. Don’t. Butcher: Well, funny story. Turns out he ain’t that dead. He’s been workin' for me, makin' some more of that virus. Mother's Milk: What the fuck? Hughie: Wait, all they found was… Kessler: Goddamn it, you asshole. Hughie: Did you cut off his leg?! Butcher: Alright, alright. Keep your hair on. Mother's Milk: So, basically, you’ve been amputatin’ motherfuckers while working on a secret bioweapon, and we’re the ones that are supposed to chill? Kessler: You are pissing away our best shot. Butcher: Now, the trouble is, we’ve hit a slight snag. He can’t make it deadly enough to top Homelander without causin' a global pandemic. Mother's Milk: Jesus. Annie: Wait… Genocide. You’re talking about Supe genocide. That’s… Hughie: Yeah, Butcher, even for you this is… Butcher: Which is why I’m fuckin' tellin' you, innit? You think I want that much blood on me hands? Kessler: Yeah, you do. You wanna fuckin' swim in it. Butcher: [to Kessler] No, I don’t! [pause; to the Boys] No, I do not. So to keep the bug from burnin' through you lot like wildfire, I thought ol’ Sameer could do with a bit of a hand. Hughie: From who? Butcher: A question both insightful and germane, my son. [pause; turns around] Ah, here he is. Speak of the devil. [The Boys are in shock when they see Frenchie, who Butcher bailed out of jail, walk inside] Frenchie: Bonjour. Mother's Milk: How the fuck did you get out? Butcher: I had Mallory pull a few strings. Frenchie: Just to be clear, this was against my will. I’d rather fuck a jar of fishing lures than to be free. Hughie: Oh, cool. Cool. Butcher: Alright, then. Happy reunions. So, Frenchie will help sort the virus. We’ll use it on Homelander and the VP, and that’s it. No one else. Mother's Milk: Listen… You should go on ahead. Butcher: Yeah, what? Mother's Milk: Without me. I gotta talk to Monique. It’s– Butcher: Oh, come off it. Don’t leave me alone with this lot. Annie: Wait, what? Butcher: He ain’t goin'. Hughie: [to M.M.] You’re not going? Why? Mother's Milk: Alright, so we gonna make this official? [to Butcher] Take a knee, I’ll knight you with my dick. You’re back in charge of The Boys again, alright? I’m better off doing research anyway. Annie: No, you can’t do this. Butcher: You don’t gotta do this. Kessler: Yeah, he does. This is good for us. Annie: You can’t. Things are bad already without this fucking asshole back. Butcher: Look what I gotta deal with. Mother's Milk: Listen, it ain’t a debate, you guys. I passed out during a mission. I ain’t cut out to be a skipper… but he is. So, it’s him. [to Butcher] It’s you. End of story. [M.M. is packing a suitcase at his apartment when A-Train suddenly shows up and takes his boarding pass] A-Train: Printed-out boarding pass? Damn. What are you, 87? Mother's Milk: The fuck are you doing here? A-Train: You took the words right outta my mouth. See, I ran by that shithole earlier. I saw Butcher, Hughie and Starlight going in. But one motherfucker was conspicuously absent. [pause; M.M. takes the boarding pass from A-Train] So… this is it? You think I don’t wanna just peace out to Belize, sip a daiquiri, smash the local talent? Mother's Milk: Get on Priceline then, motherfucker. A-Train: Hey. This shit ain’t over. Mother's Milk: It’s over for me. I’ve given enough. Maybe I deserve to be fucking happy. A-Train: You know, when I carried your ass to the ER, there was a kid there. His eyes were like… “Holy shit.” Looking at me… like I was a hero. There were no screaming fans, no cameras. Nobody even knew… except for this one kid. That felt better than anything that I’d ever done at Vought. Because for once… I didn’t hate myself. [pause] That’s on you. Mother's Milk: A-Train, you don’t get it, do you, man? This fight that we’re in? This never fucking ends. It killed my father. It killed his father, and look at what it’s doing to me. It’s tearing me the fuck apart. Just like it did them. You know, I look in the mirror… and I don’t even see myself no more. I got nothing left except my family. A-Train: You think Homelander and Vought… and all of this shit ain’t coming to Belize? This whole fucking world? Where’s your family gonna go then? Neuman: Fuck, I’m gonna miss New York bodegas. Hughie: Listen, we need to talk. You can still stop all this, alright? Just stop. Neuman: You must be pretty desperate if you’re throwing a Hail Mary like this. Jesus. Hughie: Five minutes, alright? Just five minutes where we cut the bullshit and we talk–just you and me–about how fucked all this is! Neuman: What it is, is politics. You know how it goes, strange bedfellows. Hughie: Yeah, but it’s not like you’re palling around with Mitt Romney! You’re working with Homelander! He’s gonna kill the President. That sounds fucking insane coming out of my mouth! [pause; Neuman just shrugs] Wow. When Homelander chucks all the Starlighters into internment camps, you’re just–You’re cool with that, too? [pause] You didn’t know about the camps. Why do you think that you were at Tek Knight’s? That’s what his prisons are for. Neuman: I gotta get back to it. Hughie: I still have all the dirt on you. What you said at Tek Knight’s. Everything. Neuman: Is that a threat? Hughie: No. Because when we drop it, then you’ll kill us all. Like you said, mutually assured destruction. But it doesn’t have to be that way. And if you’re even, like, one percent of the person that I knew, then I don’t think you really wanna do this. You can still step back. Vic, it’s not too late. Neuman: [beat] Thanks for coming by. [pause; Hughie starts walking out] I’m sorry… to hear about your dad. Firecracker: Homelander… Are you alright? Homelander: [tearfully] A-Train? Firecracker: I’m so… Homelander: How could he do this to me? Firecracker: I’m so sorry. You know, some folks are just… Well, they’re born uppity. Homelander: Where is he? Firecracker: He cut out his tracking chip. And his family’s gone, too. Homelander: …Of course. [Sister Sage enters the conference room] Sister Sage: You sent Deep and Noir after Butcher? We talked about this. Homelander: Smartest person in the world, and you didn’t know A-Train was the leak? Sister Sage: …I knew. Homelander: [pause] You knew. Firecracker: And you let us kill Webweaver for nothing. Sister Sage: Oh, shit. You killed Webweaver? Did you think he was the leak? He was a junkie who’d confess to nailing Christ on the cross if it got him home for his next fix. Homelander: [sighs] I was very clear. No more secrets. Sister Sage: But A-Train only leaked exactly the information I wanted Butcher and his team to know. He was the perfect misinformation delivery system. Until now. This was all part of the plan. Homelander: Mm-hmm. Okay. Get the fuck out of here. You’re done. Go back to your little litter box in Detroit and die alone. Sister Sage: [stammers] You promised. You promised me you would listen to me. Homelander: You’re lucky I’m not sending you home in a bucket. [beat] Go. Sister Sage: Fine. [looks at Firecracker] Surround yourself with people like her. Then, you can systematically eliminate anyone who gets in your way. But there’s one person you will never, ever defeat. Good luck without me. [Sage leaves a Queen Maeve notebook on the conference room table on her way out] The Deep: Bro? Black Noir II: Bro! Bro? The Deep: Bro... Bro! Black Noir II: Bro. [The Deep runs into Sister Sage while in the hallway with Black Noir II] The Deep: Hey, you. Hey, so we’ve had a day. [Sage ignores hims and keeps walking] Wait, what’s the rush? Sister Sage: Homelander. He fired me. Black Noir II: Wait, but you can’t leave. I love you. We have something special, don’t we? The Deep: Wait, is she lobotomizing herself to fuck you, too? Black Noir II: What do you mean, “lobotomizing herself”? [Sage angrily walks off] The Deep: …Bro. Ryan: Stop, stop, stop! This song isn't cool. Well, honestly, none of this is cool. Ashley: Go to fucking commercial! Ryan: No, don't go to commercial. Keep rolling, please. Your family isn’t your enemy. Your family is all you’ve got. [pause] I’ve been thinking about my mom a lot lately. She died. But she loved Christmas… and s’mores with Reese’s. And Terms of Endearment… and she loved her husband, Billy, but she wouldn’t love this. She wouldn’t want me doing it. My mom always told me to tell the truth, which is why… I’m sorry. [Cut to Butcher watching Ryan on TV at a bar] Butcher: And that… is why I got faith in the kid, [points at Ryan on the TV] you little fuckin' beauty. [downs bourbon shot] "Season Four Finale / Assassination Run" [4.08] [Butcher is recovering in the hospital and sees Kessler standing by his bedside] Kessler: You know, if you need any help… Butcher: I don’t need your help. Kessler: Really? Seems to me you're shitting in a bedpan and days away from being planted. And what do you have to show for it? I mean, Singer–He’s as good as dead. Homelander, he won. And you… you gave away the virus–the one fuckin' weapon that could’ve stopped him! But we are gonna turn that frown upside down, my friend. You know why? ‘Cause you still have me. Butcher: You ain’t even fuckin' real. Kessler: Well, now, that’s an interesting philosophical question. See, what is real are the fucking V’d up tumors that are mushrooming inside your guts and noggin. Super cancer! What is real is that piece of you that wants to burn every fucking Supe on Earth. How is it you think you ripped Ezekiel into fun-sized little chunks? I’m the one that gave you the juice that you needed, and I can do it again. All you have to do… is hold up your end of the bargain. Butcher: Bargain? What fuckin' bargain? Kessler: We go all the way. I mean, come on, champ. What’s a little genocide between friends? Butcher: Just fuck off and let me die in peace, would you? Mallory: Wish I could. [Kessler disappears when Mallory walks into Butcher's hospital room] Butcher: Since you’re here… [takes out a cigarette] be a doll and fetch us a pint, would ya? [Mallory rolls her eyes at him] Come on, don’t be a cunt. I’m fuckin' dyin' here. Mallory: Your dying’s been pretty high on my wish list lately. Butcher: I appreciate what you’re doin' here for me. Mallory: Not one bit of this is for you. Butcher: Alright, then. Give us me phone. We got work to do. [Homelander and Neuman are on Firecracker's talk show] Firecracker: Welcome to the show, folks. We got a real happy surprise for y’all today. Homelander and Vice President-elect, Victoria Neuman. Bless both your hearts for bein' here. Neuman: I’m more than happy to find time for my friend, Homelander. Firecracker: Yeah, let’s cut the BS. Dakota Bob says he’s gonna pass nutbag anti-Supe laws in his first hundred days. Neuman: As his VP… [Homelander stares menacingly at Neuman for a few moments] Neuman: …staunch ally of the super-abled community, I really think that it’s important to… Homelander: [laughs] Ally, Victoria? Really? We’re here to tell the truth. So just… tell the truth. Neuman: The truth is that the real issue here is lack of representation. And I wanna make sure that you– Homelander: Fine, you don’t wanna do it? I’ll do it. Victoria here is a superhero. Neuman: [chuckles] Thanks for the compliment. But, like, I think the truth is we all wanna be heroes. But I’m not literally a su– [Homelander lasers Neuman in the face. Ashley and her Vought assistants are utterly shocked to see Neuman completely unharmed.] Ashley: [gasps] Oh, fuck! Firecracker: It’s all true. Ms. Neuman here has been operating as a secret dagger in the heart of the deep state, standing up to the forces of darkness that wanna sodomize our democracy and our toddlers. But it is time for the great awakening. Where we go one, we go Vought, y’all. We’re gonna take a quick break… [Cut to Butcher and Mallory watching the interview from the hospital] Butcher: Cunt’s out of the bag, innit? Now it gets interesting. [...] Neuman: [to Homelander] Hey! Hey, I worked my whole life to keep that secret! Homelander: Well, secrets rot your soul. You’re unburdened. You should thank me. Neuman: Sage said– Homelander: Fuck Sage. She’s long gone. Listen to me. Listen to me. We are gonna change the world, Vicky. For our kids and their kids. The first super-abled President. And you’re a gal. Neuman: I’ll be impeached. Homelander: Why would we care? Neuman: Because I have to get re-elected in four years. Homelander: Says who? Neuman: Article Two of the Constitution. Homelander: New world, new rules. Now, shut the fuck up and listen! Our fates are connected now. Singer’s as good as dead, and I am the only fucking friend you’ve got left! The train has left the station, gorgeous. And you’re on it. Neuman: You’ll have to arrest half your company! Half the country! Homelander: [pause] What, you think I didn’t think of that? Of course I thought of that! Neuman: Fuck! Homelander: Ashley, on me now. Ashley: Um, the response on socials has been mixed. Homelander: I need you to make a list of anyone within the company that has damaging information on me or The Seven… but mostly me. Anyone with any fucking leverage whatsoever. Ashley: Yes. Homelander: I need this fucking list yesterday. Ashley: Yes, sir. Homelander: You're a good girl. [Hughie gets a call on his cell phone. He hesitates when he sees that the caller is Neuman before answering.] Hughie: Vicky? Neuman: I want out. Hughie: Sorry, is–is this a joke? Neuman: No. It’s gone too far. Hughie: No. No, you’re just saying that ’cause the assassination failed. Neuman: No, I’m saying it ’cause it’ll never fucking end. Homelander’s unhinged, he’s not even listening to Sage anymore. If I become President, I’m just gonna be a puppet, and if I fight back, he’ll… I’ll resign without a fight. You just need to get the CIA off my ass and get me and Zoe out, okay? Hughie: Fuck all the way off. You’re like the asshole who cried wolf. I mean, the shit that you have done– Neuman: Oh, what? Like how you got Sameer to cook up some more of the virus to kill me? Oh, and yeah, cut off his fucking leg?! Hughie: Ah… Glad you two connected. Okay, so the leg thing wasn’t me, and you didn’t exactly leave us with a ton of options. Neuman: Look, the point is, you hit me, I hit you back and it never fucking ends. WarGames, Hughie. The only way to win is not to play. I thought I wanted this. Not for Zoe or… Edgar, but for me. You know, I just… I wanted to feel safe, and not like that scared fucking kid at Red River. [tearfully] But I don’t feel safe, and I’m really fucking scared. And I’m not getting Zoe killed over this. This is the only way. Hughie: Vicky, I don’t know how to trust you. Neuman: I’ll tell you where Zoe is. Hughie: Is she okay? Neuman: Yeah, but if I get her, it’ll draw too much attention. And that’s how you know you can trust me–because I am trusting my daughter with you. Please, Hughie. You’re literally the only person on Earth I can turn to right now. Ryan: [sees Mallory whispering to Butcher] You know I can hear you. Marvin said there was an attempt on Singer’s life. He survived. Butcher: We know. There’s just some things you don’t gotta worry about. That’s all. Mallory: They’re gonna try again, and that virus is a Hail Mary at best. We are out of time and out of better options. Ryan needs to know the truth. Butcher: And we’ll get there. Ryan: What truth? Mallory: The assassination attempt, it was on your father’s orders. Ryan: What? Mallory: And Flight 37… Homelander killed every soul on board. Butcher: Grace… Ryan: You’re lying. Mallory: We have it on video, and he’s murdered countless more. Your father isn’t who you think he is… Ryan: Just stop. Mallory: …and he wasn’t having an affair with your mother. Butcher: Grace! Mallory: He raped her! Butcher: [beat; sighs] I’m sorry, son. Ryan: And? Your heart’s pounding. There’s something you’re not telling me. Butcher: And you’re the only one who can stop him. Ryan: S–Stop him? Like, kill him? No. No, I can’t. Don’t ask me to! Butcher: Ryan, you’re strong. Ryan: He’s stronger! Mallory: We’ll train you. Get you ready. Ryan: So this is why you want me to go with you? So you can teach me how to kill my dad?! [brief pause] I have to go. Mallory: No, just stay. We’ll talk it out together. Ryan: I don’t wanna talk. I’ll be back. I–I just need to think. Butcher: Listen, Ryan. There ain’t gonna be another time for you and me, alright? Let’s just take a breather, yeah? Mallory: You can’t leave. Ryan: [pause] Wait… These walls are six feet thick. Mallory: This is the CIA’s Hazlet safe house. Designed to hold people like you. I could seal us in here, flood the room with halothane. And we all take a nice, long nap. But I don’t want to do that, kiddo. Ryan: You planned this. All along, you–you brought me here to trap me! Butcher: No, no. We brought you here to help you. Ryan: You’re locking me in a cage unless I agree to be your weapon! Just like they did to my dad. Butcher: That ain’t the way it is. Honest. Ryan: Let me go. Mallory: Ryan… When I lost my grandkids, it left this big empty black hole inside me. And then the greatest miracle came along: You. [pause] I love you, kiddo. Please. Ryan: Aunt Grace… I wanna leave. Mallory: I'm sorry. [reaches for a red button behind her] Ryan: Get out of my way. Butcher: Grace… Mallory: I’m sorry. [Ryan throws Mallory hard against the wall, killing her. Butcher approaches her body and grieves over her when Ryan leaves. Butcher looks up and sees Kessler standing over him. They stare at each other knowingly and Butcher winks at him.] [Butcher uses his tentacle powers to rip Victoria Neuman apart. Frenchie aims at him, and Kimiko prepares to rush at him.] Hughie: Stop, stop. It's suicide. Butcher: I’ll be takin' that virus now. Thanks, Frenchie. Mother's Milk: Ain’t no fuckin' way. Frenchie: You took V? It will work on you, too. [Butcher grabs the rifle. Frenchie reluctantly lets go of the rifle and hands it, along with the virus sample, to Butcher.] Butcher: [beat] If I were you lot, I wouldn’t hang about. [pause; turns around on his way out] Oh, by the way… you’re all fuckin' welcome. [Homelander is watching the news on the shattered TV in the Seven common room] Reporter: [on TV] We are interrupting our regular reporting with a breaking news story, that at… I’m sorry, I’m just looking to my producers here. Is this confirmed? [stutters] They’re telling me it has been. The Vice President-elect, Victoria Neuman, is dead. [Homelander starts tearing up] Assassinated today only hours after revealing to the world that she is super-abled… Sister Sage: Where’s Ryan? [Homelander opens his eyes in shock at the sound of Sister Sage's voice. She walks into the common room holding a balloon.] Sister Sage: This was all for him after all, right? Homelander: What are you doing here? Sister Sage: Celebrating. We won. Here. [Sage offers the balloon to Homelander, but he refuses and lets the balloon float up to the ceiling] Homelander: [sighs] Everything’s turned to shit. Plan’s dead. Sister Sage: This is the plan. I mean, sure, a few curveballs, but we got here. Just had to keep a few bits to myself. You know, the bits you’d fuck up by… you know, being you. Neuman would have been a shit patsy–stubborn, too many ideas–so I went another way. [The news feed cuts to an out-of-context clip of Singer speaking to the Boys about Neuman followed by another clip of Singer being arrested by authorities.] Reporter: [on TV] …Bob Singer himself ordering the assassination. Singer: [on TV] If you’d killed Neuman like I ordered, we wouldn’t be stuck four stories underground playing pocket pool. Reporter: [on TV] And now we go live. Okay, that’s President-elect Robert Singer taken into custody by federal agents… Singer: [on TV] She tried to kill me first! Reporter: [on TV] …in an unprecedented turn of events that is certain to go down as one of the darkest days– [Sage turns the TV off. She feels her cell phone vibrating] Sister Sage: Oh, it's… [offers her phone to Homelander] for you. Homelander: Who is it? Sister Sage: Oh, Speaker of the House Calhoun. Once they invoke the 25th, he’s next in line to be President. He’d like to pledge his allegiance to you. Homelander: [beat; gets up] To me? Sister Sage: Just like I promised. We had a deal. Homelander: Yeah, well, I broke the deal. Sister Sage: I didn’t. I told you, you could trust me, boo. I got your back. Homelander: [pause; takes phone] I–I threw you out like… like garbage. Why would you do this? Sister Sage: To see if I could. [pause; chuckling] Thank you. This was so much fun. Just, you know–Next time, listen to me. Homelander: Next time? Sister Sage: Oh, hells yeah, Blonde Ambition! Buckle up for Phase Two. Calhoun: And that is why, as my first official act, under Article One, Section Nine of the Constitution, I’m declaring martial law and deputizing hundreds of superheroes nationwide, who will report directly to Homelander himself. To keep– Homelander: Thank you, Mr. President. [clears throat] Victoria Neuman. She was a great American, and a dear, dear friend. Murdered, in cold blood, by deep state Starlighters embedded in our own government. Now that we have full legal authority, a veritable army of superheroes will be called upon to rout these traitors from our government and from our streets. America will be safe again. And to the Starlighters: Whatever rock you're hiding under, we're coming for you. I'm coming for you. Because today, a new age of superheroes begins. [The members of the Boys, despite strategically splitting up, are still ruthlessly hunted down and captured by Supes one by one, though Starlight manages to escape and Butcher is still at large] Firecracker: We wake up to a new world. Where hope, purity and Jesus' love shine down upon us all. Where children can sleep peacefully in their mothers' arms, knowing Starlight's pedo agenda has been thwarted! Where America finally sees the woke mob for what it is: Monsters who want to destroy our heritage, traffic our children, and feminize our men! Where, with Homelander's guidance… [wipes away tears] we will all come together in unity. We will make America strong again. Proud again. And most of all, we will make America super again. External links The Boys season 4 Category:The Boys (TV series) seasons