‘The Boys’ Episode 7: Intense Supe Fight, More Hughie Abuse

Last week’s episode of The Boys marked a notable downturn, arguably the weakest in an already somewhat disappointing season. However, yesterday’s new episode brought a significant improvement, pushing the plot forward in substantial ways. Once again, it doesn’t spare Hughie from additional trauma—or rather, it sets him up for more.

A key highlight of this episode was an actual superhero fight. Given how the show often forgets its focus on superheroes, this was a refreshing change. Butcher and Starlight took on Deep and Black Noir, with an unexpected assist from A-Train.

Deep’s character has completely derailed. He killed his octopus lover, voiced by Tilda Swinton, and pledged unwavering loyalty to Homelander as an assassin. Any hope for a redemption arc for Deep appears to be gone.

Instead, the redemption angle seems to fall on A-Train. He now aspires to be a true hero, albeit under the constant threat of being hunted by Homelander. Thanks to his super speed, he manages to evade capture and hide his family, while Homelander is too preoccupied to track him down, especially after firing the world’s smartest person in his employ.

When the show does delve into superhero violence, it’s often Homelander executing people brutally, as he did by tearing Webweaver in half, a move that even shocked Firecracker. Homelander hasn’t faced a genuine fight all season, but with another episode on the horizon, that could change. Currently, the team aims to kill him with a virus, but given the announcement of season 5, that plan seems unlikely to succeed.

The most disturbing event of the night involved Hughie being yet again victimized, though in a distinctly different manner. A shapeshifting assassin kidnapped Starlight and impersonated her to have sex with Hughie, subsequently stealing his compromising information on Neuman. Hughie, who was blissfully unaware at the episode’s end, will undoubtedly discover the truth and be horrified. This adds to Hughie’s nightmare season: he saw his father become a murderous super before dying, was sexually and physically abused by his childhood hero Tek-Knight, and has now been deceived into intimacy with an enemy posing as his kidnapped girlfriend. The man deserves a break.

The overarching plan appears sound. It seems they intend to frame Starlight for the president’s assassination, using her stolen body as a pawn. It isn’t clear if the shapeshifter can utilize the powers of the supes it imitates, and she might have to take the shot with a rifle herself. The plan is still intriguing, despite its quirks.

This season of The Boys has been a rollercoaster, featuring both highs and lows. Despite some memorable moments, especially in this latest episode, there’s hope that the show will show some mercy to Hughie next season. The poor guy has endured enough.

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