The Boys Just Delivered Its Best Episode Ever

In the most thrilling season yet, The Boys just peaked with one epic fight

Season 3 Synopsis: It's been a year of calm. Homelander's subdued. Butcher works for the government, supervised by Hughie of all people. But both men itch to turn this peace and quiet into blood and bone. So when The Boys learn of a mysterious Anti-Supe weapon, it sends them crashing into the Seven, starting a war, and chasing the legend of the first Superhero: Soldier Boy.

Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video

“Herogasm” has finally arrived after months of eager anticipation from the fans, and it over delivered in all of the aspects nobody expected it to. Let’s just get this out of the way: the superhero sex romp was an extremely raunchy showcase of risque powers, never-before-seen forms of intercourse and CGI nudity, and another excuse for The Deep (and his aquatic lovers) to justify his lasting existence on the show by making most of the audience throw up in their mouths. Even though these all pushed the limits of TV guidelines, they avoided some of my fears of an episode entirely made up of shock value and gross-out moments (which all paled in comparison to the season opener’s traumatic scene involving a superhero called Termite and induced my need for holy water). The writers managed to subvert this trap and somewhat organically incorporate Herogasm as a backdrop to weave together many character dynamics and introduce some ridiculous jokes. Luckily, this restrained vulgarity produced a far more satisfying episode.

What made “Herogasm” a standout episode within the entire series was the way that it culminated many of the conflicts that had been simmering for the past three seasons. Butcher (Karl Urban, still snarling, grinning, and winning his way towards his reliable charisma) and Hughie have both reached their breaking points, tired of Homelander destroying everything good in their lives and forced to pursue their most brutal and extreme methods yet. Their alliance with Soldier Boy is a neat subversion of expectations, and Jensen Ackles’s swaggering performance as the hyper-masculine relic of the ‘80s (or Captain America without any morals) is an instant delight and the fresh face that the show needed. These worldviews are nicely contrasted with those of Mother’s Milk and Starlight, who desperately seek justice but show the restraint to let their virtue prevail. MM has been given his most powerful arc of the show thus far, who also had his family robbed from him by Soldier Boy and shifts between being consumed with vengeance and a desire to do it in a peaceful way. Starlight, much like Hughie, has been one of the most stagnant personalities in the cast and has needed serious development, with both of them brought to their darkest hours and forced to make severe decisions, Hughie ruining his relationship and Starlight ending her submission to Homelander and quit the Seven.

Which inevitably brings us back to Homelander and, as many have stated week after week, the best performance currently on TV. This episode was the most emotional his character has been all season, revealing the insecurities within him when he’s left without anyone on his team that trusts him and breaking under the weight of the responsibility to stop Soldier Boy and convince the world of their safety. His conversation in the mirror was a terrifically introspective look into his psyche, an homage to the classic Norman Osborne scenes and allow Homelander to be his most naturally vulnerable self yet. In every moment of “Herogasm” (and this entire series), Antony Starr plays these beats to absolute perfection and thrives off of his dead-eyed stare as much as his fierce snarls. Starr’s angry outbursts are always a sight to behold, such as his Trump-esque monologues to the news or my personal favorite burst of rage shown below (though his villainy may come as a shock to some online fans that idolized him until the writers were apparent about the Trump allusions). All of these storylines collided in the final fight between Homelander, Soldier Boy, Butcher, and Hughie, all getting amazing moments that are sure to get any fan hyped. Whether it’s Homelander’s rivalry with Soldier Boy (“You’re just a cheap f—ing knockoff. Oh, no, no, no. I'm the upgrade.”) or Butcher’s expert use of his newfound laser beam, the near-defeat of Homelander that leads to him flying away in fear signifies a turning point in his character, finally realizing that something might be able to kill him.

For more thoughts, the Imagine video was a wickedly sharp parody of Gal Gadot’s despised attempt to cheer up the world during the early days of COVID, with the help of many other desperate celebrities. A-Train’s rivalry with Blue Hawk also comes to a head in a brutal fashion, with him slightly redeeming himself by apologizing to Hughie and ripping the skin off of Blue Hawk’s body by dragging him on the ground while he uses his super speed. Though I assumed he simply had a heart attack which will permanently affect his speed, him dying would be a riskier direction that resolves the injustice that he was directly causing. The weakest part of the season continues to be the Kimiko and Frenchie, who both work as pieces of an ensemble but suffer when they’re given their individual, frequently repetitive story. It doesn’t drag specific episodes, but slows the pace and consistency of the season into something less exciting. That hiccup is mostly inconsequential in the grand scheme of my enjoyment, as “Herogasm” is an exhilarating, heartfelt, and significant installment that truly proves itself as top-tier TV in the current shame that puts most of Netflix and Disney+ (well, everything on Disney+) to shame. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go rewatch that ending fight scene while counting down the minutes until Episode 7.

Grade: A+

Thanks for reading this review, and if you want more like it, subscribe to and share Almost A Critic for more content! My review for Stranger Things 4 can be found here, while my review for The Black Phone will be posted tomorrow and my ranking of the Stranger Things seasons will arrive next weekend!