It’s all been leading up to this: One final battle between Homelander and The Boys.
After five incredible seasons, The Boys drew to a close with the release of its series finale on May 20. Heading into the finale, fans were anxious to see how the show would stick the landing and just how the final battle with Homelander would play out.
Unlike other shows such as Stranger Things, The Boys has had no problem killing off major characters throughout the final season. However, the latest death in the penultimate episode of the season was by far the hardest-hitting death we’ve experienced this season and gave The Boys added incentive to finally put a stop to Homelander once and for all.
After learning about Sister Sage’s plan to imbue Kimiko with radiation in order to give her the ability to neutralize Homelander’s immortality, Homelander made his way to The Boys’ base of operations, intent on putting an end to Sage’s plan. Ahead of his arrival, Frenchie managed to hide Kimiko and Sage, protecting them both from Homelander, but in doing so, he paid the ultimate price.
Following Frenchie’s death at Homelander’s hands, we knew our heroes would stop at nothing to put an end to Homelander’s reign of terror. The question was how our heroes would approach the final battle and if they could prevail in the end.
Needless to say, there are spoilers ahead from The Boys series finale.
The series finale picks up shortly after the events of the penultimate episode with Hughie, Butcher, Mother’s Milk, and Kimiko (along with Sage), burying Frenchie’s body as Hughie reads their late friend’s will.
Cut to Ryan watching a Homelander propaganda ad from a cabin as Homelander arrives. Ryan makes it clear that he doesn’t want Homelander’s help as Homelander tries to convince him to come back to the tower. Homelander tries to inform his son that they’re just like one another, but Ryan makes it clear to Homelander that he’s nothing like him. Ryan lays into Homelander, noting that more power will just make him even more lonely and pointing out that scaring people into calling him "god" doesn't make him god, and deep down he knows this as Homelander leaves.
Returning to The Boys, we come to learn that Kimiko has not spoken since Frenchie’s death. We also learn that so far it looks like Sage’s plan to level up Kimiko’s abilities in order to stop Homelander might not have worked, meaning that Frenchie’s death was for nothing.
It's then that we get what becomes our final glimpse of the Gen V group as Starlight prepares to send Marie, Emma, and Jordan off to Canada to help get a group of Starlighters to safety. Marie is not thrilled with being sidelined, and Starlight tells Marie about joining The Seven and swearing to herself to never lose the urge to fight and be a little shit to Maeve. She assures Marie she’s not on a suicide trip; it’s about keeping the light burning as long as they can. She thanks Marie for being her annoying little shit as Marie thanks her for living up to the image she had of her before she heads out with Emma and Jordan.
Frenchie's plan worked and Kimiko has the tools to stop Homelander
Sage tells Kimiko about the death of her childhood dog and equates Frenchie to being Kimiko’s little lap dog, who would do anything for her, even throw his life away. The comments build up a rage within Kimiko that results in her shooting a beam much like the one Soldier Boy emits from his chest, hitting Sage and proving that the plan actually seems to have worked.
Kimiko begins to charge at Sage as Butcher steps in to stop her as he confesses that he put Sage up to it as he knows Soldier Boy has to be fuming for his blast to work, and he assumed it might be the same for her. It seems the beam worked, as Sage quickly comes to realize her powers are gone.
Knowing that Frenchie and Sage’s plan worked, they’ll have to break into the White House to attack Homelander after he addresses the nation. They devise a plan for one last mission to take Homelander out for good as Sage heads out, making it clear she’s no longer fighting this fight with them as she sets out for Orlando.
Elsewhere, Oh Father is struggling to write Homelander’s speech, heralding him as their new lord, and he’s struggling with how so many people doubt Homelander’s godhood. Ashley sends him away to get some wine and tries to convince Bashley to read his mind to gather intel on their plan for those who don’t believe, but she’s shutting Ashley out.
Later, Oh Father is working to build further support ahead of Homelander’s address and is meeting with the world's richest man. Oh Father informs Homelander that the consortium has some requests for him before they pledge their support as he assures Homelander that they’ll need their support given the power they have on the world. Oh Father suggests that they delay Homelander’s address out of fear that Butcher and The Boys' plan worked, but Homelander is adamant that they proceed as planned.
Deep arrives to offer up his assistance as we watch Homelander fly the billionaire off to space before returning and making it clear he doesn’t need anyone. He lays into Deep, noting that the only reason he hasn’t killed him is that he wants him to feel how truly worthless he really is. Homelander then makes it clear to Oh Father that the second the live broadcast ends, the psychics they assembled are to help eliminate anyone who won’t pledge their allegiance to Homelander.
With the clock ticking down, The Boys prepare to head out, and Hughie pulls Kimiko aside. He assures her that Butcher was wrong; they never saw her as just a weapon, and just because he’s gone doesn’t mean their views have changed. The team then heads out into the White House tunnels as Homelander prepares to go live to address the nation.
Homelander addresses the US and delivers his address worldwide and announces himself as the Second Coming, calling himself their God. As such, he’s going to usher the world into a new golden dawn.
Oh Father gets word that there has been a security breach as the doors in the tunnels The Boys are navigating through, caging them in as supe whistles sound and gunfire rains down on them. As Ashley is being escorted away, she slips her detail, decides to come to The Boys’ assistance. As she tries to find her way to them, Bashley helps lead her through the tunnels, allowing Ashley to free Butcher and the gang. She then points them in Homelander’s direction as she flees.
Butcher, Starlight, Hughie, Mother’s Milk, and Kimiko make it out of the tunnel, and they encounter Deep who vows to kill Starlight so that Homelander will finally see his value. As Starlight flies out with Deep, Oh Father enters the room. Hughie and Mother’s Milk distract him so that Butcher can get Kimiko to Homelander.
Starlight flies Deep out to a beach and tries to leverage with him, but she can’t seem to get through to him. Back at the White House, Oh Father closes in on Hughie and Mother’s Milk, and just when it looks like Oh Father is about to kill Hughie, Mother's Milk shoves a ball gag into Oh Father’s mouth just as he sets off a supersonic boom, which results in his head exploding.
Homelander and The Boys face off in an epic final battle
As Homelander’s address begins to end, he goes off script and makes it clear that anyone who fails to bow to him will die horrible deaths. That’s when a security guard bursts through the wall as Butcher enters the room.
Homelander asks how their little science experiment is going without the French one as Kimiko enters the room, and the showdown officially begins. Butcher and Homelander duke it out as Starlight and Deep battle it out on the beach. During their battle, Starlight hits Deep with a beam that sends him flying into the ocean, where he’s attacked and killed by the marine life, who blame him for the marine life genocide from the oil rig.
Back at the White House, Homelander attempts to flee, which is when Ryan arrives and joins the fight. Kimiko tries to use the beam to hit Homelander but freezes up, which is when she sees Frenchie. She tells him that the rage she’s supposed to tap into is not there; she’s just sad. He assures her that rage is not what makes her strong, as he holds his hand to her heart and tells her it has never been his heart, it’s always been hers.
As Frenchie fades away, Kimiko channels the power and hits Homelander with the beam, along with Ryan and Butcher – one so powerful it knocks them all out. Butcher comes to first followed by Homelander, who is stunned to find his powers are gone.
Butcher begins to bash Homelander’s face in as Homelander begs for his life as everyone around the world watches. Using a crowbar, Butcher jabs it into Homelander’s head and cracks open his skull, killing him. Moments later, Mother’s Milk, Hughie, and Starlight enter the room as they help Kimiko up. Ryan begins to finally come to, which is when Butcher finally discovers the camera as we cut to news coverage of Homelander’s death.
Ashley has resumed position and makes it clear she’s not going to resign but was impeached by Congress and removed from office.
Kimiko has found her voice again as she enjoys a drink with the others back at their safe house. Butcher sits down with Ryan to assure him he did the right thing and suggests they can put this all behind them and start again. Ryan admits that he knows it’s better that Homelander is gone, as he makes it clear to Butcher he doesn’t want a fresh start with him; he wants this to be the end.
After Ryan leaves, Butcher goes to sit with Terror and finds that his beloved four-legged friend has passed away. He grabs the supe virus and sneaks off as the others watch news coverage of Stan Edgar announcing his return to Vought. That’s when Hughie notices Butcher has gone missing and taken the virus with him, racing out to try to find him.
The Boys season 5 episode 8 ending explained
Hughie eventually finds Butcher at the Vought headquarters. Butcher claims to have dumped the virus in the sprinkler tank, and now all he has to do is press the button, and it’ll release on all 99 floors of Vought Tower, wiping out the supes. Hughie points out that they’ve already won, but Butcher suggests the only true victory is wiping the supes out entirely.
Butcher is adamant this is the only way, which is when Hughie pulls out his gun, but Butcher quickly steals it away from him as the two begin fighting it out. As Butcher freezes up before pulling the trigger to release the virus, Hughie shoots him several times in the chest. Butcher commends Hughie for always staying himself through everything despite all he’s been put through before Butcher succumbs to his injuries.
We jump ahead an undisclosed amount of time as Hughie, Starlight, Mother’s Milk, Kimiko, and Ryan gather at Butcher’s grave to remember their friend. Kimiko is the first to head out, followed by Mother’s Milk and Ryan, leaving Starlight and Hughie behind, who head out shortly after. We see Mother’s Milk renew his vows, and we see that Kimiko has adopted the dog she and Frenchie planned on adopting and is now living in Paris.
President Bob Singer calls Hughie to invite him to head the Bureau of Supe Control, but Hughie declines the offer. It seems he’s reopened his father’s electronic store, and that’s not the only news the pair have. It seems he and Starlight are expecting a child, giving the pair a truly happy ending.
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