In season 3 episode 6 of The Boys, Butcher and Hughie attempt to convince Soldier Boy to take out Homelander for them by helping him kill those who betrayed him in the past.
Recap
After the events of episode 5 saw a rift between Butcher and M.M. as well as Hughie and Starlight, Homelander looks at footage of the wrecks and he and his team figure out that it’s Soldier Boy that’s causing the havoc.
The leader of The Seven is worried that this would mean the end of Vought since Soldier Boy was always held in high regard and was basically Vought before him.
He tells Noir he’s glad that he’s with him at this time, but as soon as he leaves, Noir cuts off his tracking chip and makes a run for his money since he’s scared of Soldier Boy.
Butcher and Hughie make a deal with Soldier Boy. If they help him kill the remaining members of his former superhero team Payback, he will take out Homelander.
Homelander is worried he might not be able to take on Soldier Boy but is reassured by his own image in the mirror who tells him to stop looking for everyone’s approval and be who he was always meant to be.
There are three groups now looking for TNT Twins, former members of Payback who host a Herogasm party every year. Hughie, Butcher and Soldier Boy; M.M. and Starlight to save the innocent people at the party, and The Deep and A-Train to let Homelander know if Soldier Boy is there.
Meanwhile, Little Nina captures Frenchie, Cherie and Kimiko, but the latter manages to kill most of the captors and realises the real scary part was always her, and not the powers, as she lost them earlier and still caused so much damage.
M.M. and Starlight arrive at the Herogasm party first, followed by Hughie, who teleports alone to save the bystanders from Soldier Boy’s wrath.
Finding Starlight, he teleports her out of the house with his Temp V powers before Soldier Boy enters.
M.M., whose grandfather was killed by Soldier Boy in the past, has developed OCD since childhood because of the incident. He faces Soldier Boy but Butcher tells the supe not to kill him.
Soldier Boy finds the TNT Twins, who tell him that his abduction wasn’t their fault, it was Noir’s. Soldier Boy loses control again and blasts the two to death.
A-Train confronts Blue Hawk about his brother’s injuries, and drags his face on the road in superspeed, killing him. A-Train, who was advised not to use his powers because of his health, seemingly dies as well.
Homelander arrives and fights Soldier Boy. After a few exchanges, Homelander gets the upper hand, only to be stopped by Butcher. He is left shocked that Butcher has powers, unaware of Temp V.
Hughie arrives as well, and the three work together to pin Homelander down. Soldier Boy is about to blast him, but he struggles and manages to escape.
M.M. and Starlight are disappointed with the side Hughie and Butcher chose and have cut off. Starlight announces on social media that Soldier Boy is back and he caused the destruction.
She also reveals that the supes have created a facade and that Homelander is the worst one of them. She concludes the live feed by announcing her resignation from The Seven and renouncing the name Starlight.
Homelander returns to the Vought HQ, clearly bothered by the fact that he was defeated and about to be killed. His so-called invincibility is now in question.
Review
- The equation between the members of The Boys continues to be handled well. It’s not them against the world anymore, which feels fresh.
- Soldier Boy’s hyped-up battle vs Homelander is a highlight of the entire season. And though he cannot finish him alone, the latter can ultimately be defeated now with combined efforts.
- Annie’s confessions and abandonment of her supe name will definitely have major repercussions in the upcoming episodes. The episode sets up a promising finale for the season.
- Although the fight is scintillating, the rest of the episode isn’t as engaging as the previous one.
Rating: 4/5
Also Read: The Boys season 3 episode 5 recap: The Last Time To Look On This World Of Lies