Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for The Boys Season 4 finale.

The Big Picture

Butcher injects himself with Compound V and kills Neuman, setting up an intriguing antagonist role for the final season.
Frenchie and Kimiko finally establish their relationship, providing a satisfying arc amidst the chaos.
Jensen Ackles returns as Soldier Boy in a mid-credits scene, adding excitement and anticipation for the next season.

It’s all been leading to this. The Boys Season 4 has become the most divisive season yet among the fanbase. While Episodes 4and 5 featured some of the series’ strongest moments to date, the rest of this season has lacked some of the magic that the first three installments had. It’s not been a bad season at all, but there’s been a clear dip in quality.

The penultimate episode ended with a cliffhanger showing that Annie (Erin Moriarty) has been kidnapped and a shape-shifting Supe has taken her place, unbeknownst to Hughie (Jack Quaid). Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) spoke out against Vought in the company’s live-broadcast Christmas special. Butcher (Karl Urban) has fallen unconscious at a bar, leaving his fate unclear, considering he’s spent this entire season nearing death’s door. A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) has now left The Seven, having removed his tracking chip, while Ashley (Colby Minifie) is at the brink of leaving Vought herself, although she rejected the speedster’s offer to flee with him. Homelander (Antony Starr) fired Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) from The Seven after she “failed” him during his proposal to GOP donors at Tek Knight’s gala. Season 4, Episode 8 (aka the season finale), titled “Assassination Run,” is here, and it’s another wild episode of The Boys.

The Boys A group of vigilantes set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers.Release Date July 26, 2019 Creator Eric Kripke Seasons 4 Studio Amazon Studios Expand

A-Train’s Movie Gets the ‘Batgirl’ Treatment in ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Finale
The episode begins with a VNN morning show broadcast on January 6, beginning with the announcement that Vought Studios has canceled A-Train’s new movie Training A-Train despite it being finished. (Ashley explains in an interview that they’d make more money using it as a tax write-off.) The broadcast then shows a new “#AllLivesMatter” PSA featuring Firecracker (Valorie Curry), The Deep (Chace Crawford), and Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) claiming that they “take responsibility” for racism. However, the biggest piece is that Congress will count the electoral votes to certify President-elect Robert Singer (Jim Beavers) and his VP Victoria Neuman (Claudia Duomit).

At the warehouse, Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) tries to rush Frenchie’s (Tomer Capone) work on perfecting the Supe-killing virus. While waiting, he messages Hughie, warning him that they need to ID the shapeshifting Supe before it’s too late. Now disguised as Annie, the Shifter confronts Hughie, wearing a fancy blue gown, and begins to propose to him. Hughie in turn runs to the bedroom and gives her his mother’s engagement ring. The two proceed to have sex, but the Shifter soon realizes that her Annie disguise is beginning to deteriorate and abruptly leaves.

At the hospital, Butcher is told that his blood pressure is alarmingly low, but at this point, it seems like he’s accepted his fate. He imagines Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) appearing in the hospital room, chiding him about giving up on the virus and “letting Homelander win.” Kessler encourages Butcher to fulfill his original plan to eliminate every Supe on Earth. Right as Butcher is telling Kessler to F-off, Grace Mallory (Laila Robbins) enters, telling him that she still needs him, and hands him his phone. Homelander discovers the photograph of Butcher and Becca (Shantel VanSanten) in Ryan’s backpack and throws a laser-filled tantrum inside his penthouse. Ryan walks in, terrified of what he sees, and stands frozen in fear as Homelander orders him to walk towards him, telling him, “I’m your father, not him.” As Homelander’s anger grows, Ryan runs away.

The Shifter returns to Annie to regenerate her disguise, telling her that she proposed to Hughie using her memories. Annie demands to know why, but the Shifter brushes off the question and tells her the story of how she first shifted bodies with her preschool teacher, learning her dark secrets. The Shifter mocks Annie about her traumatic past, including her pageantry days as well as being sexually assaulted by The Deep. She tells Annie that her identity wasn’t the first choice as a disguise to assassinate Singer, but her recent actions, including beating up Firecracker on live television, made her an “undeniable” choice. Butcher receives a call from Hughie, pleading that he still needs his help. Butcher subtly tells Hughie that he is dying, telling him about an old memory of a steakhouse, and asking him to go in his honor. He ends the call by telling Hughie to tell The Boys that he is sorry.

Homelander and Firecracker Out Neuman as a Supe in ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Finale

Neuman appears as a guest on Firecracker’s VNN show alongside Homelander, where Firecracker questions Singer’s goals to pass what she claims to be “Anti-Supe” laws. As Neuman begins to answer, Homelander reveals live on television that she is, in fact, a Supe, and lasers her chest as proof. As Homelander walks off set, Neuman angrily follows him, telling him that this revelation will get her impeached. Homelander declares that “a new world” means “new rules.” Neuman responds by saying that many of the people he has working at Vought will also get incarcerated. In response, Homelander orders Ashley to get him a list of everybody at Vought who can’t be trusted.

Despite Homelander’s revelation about Neuman, the election is still certified by Congress. Watching the news broadcast, MM declares that it is now open season on Neuman, frantically telling Frenchie to work faster. He calls Hughie to leak the dirt he has on Neuman, but just as he’s about to make the information public, he realizes that everything that he’s gathered on the VP-elect is now gone. MM orders Hughie and Annie to meet up with him and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara). Singer addresses the nation, saying that Neuman has broken his trust and that he is now calling for a new and fair election.

As Butcher and Mallory watch the telecast, Ryan comes in to visit. This prompts Butcher to finally get out of his hospital bed and tell Ryan that he is dying, as Kessler warns Butcher that he’s going to have to kill him. Butcher warns Ryan that he cannot return to Vought Tower and that he needs to go into hiding with Mallory. Ryan stresses that Homelander will be able to find him, but Mallory tries to promise him that he won’t have to worry. Ryan is still unsure, expressing that he doesn’t know whether he wants to leave, and that he enjoys aspects of living in Vought Tower. As Mallory begins to explain just how much of a threat Homelander really is, Butcher takes over the conversation. He tells the young Super that his mother’s dying wish was for Ryan to be safe, and that he believes he isn’t safe with him, but he won’t stop him either. Ryan offers to play a round of Connect 4 with Butcher, which he happily accepts.

Homelander has a meeting with the remaining members of The Seven, where he informs him that Singer is set to be assassinated and that Neuman will be sworn in. He claims that somebody will have to “swoop in” to restore order when the riots break out. Firecracker says that they plan on getting every Vought hero to surround the Capitol, the White House, and the Pentagon to show that they stand in solidarity with Neuman. Homelander gives The Deep and Black Noir a list of the Vought employees with the most dirt on the team, to which the aquatic Supe replies by asking about Ashley. Overhearing the conversation through the door, Ashley sprints through Vought Tower and into Homelander’s apartment, injecting herself with Compound V. She doubles over in pain, losing her wig, as her body begins to transform.

MM, Hughie, Kimiko, Singer, and Fake Annie head to an underground bunker to keep the president safe from Neuman. MM warns everybody that the Shifter may already be inside the bunker, which makes the fake Annie grow nervous. She tells Hughie that “it’s like a furnace in here,” which he recalls is the same thing the Shifter said when they found her in the abandoned apartment, and subsequently realizes that Annie has been replaced by the Shifter. Meanwhile, the real Annie breaks herself out of her handcuffs, screaming in pain, getting ready to make her escape. Realizing that she’s been discovered, the shifter throws MM across the room and begins to attack. She easily overpowers the Secret Service as Kimiko tries to help Singer flee the area. Kimiko is briefly able to subdue the shifter, but ends up getting her neck snapped. Just as it looks like the shifter has them cornered, the real Annie shows up and saves them, telling them to run away, as she takes care of her double. Annie is able to take down the doppelgänger by strangling her into unconsciousness.

Neuman Asks Hughie for Help in ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Finale

A panicked Neuman calls Homelander, alerting him that the assassin has failed and stressing that Singer has the means to catch her. Homelander tells her that he’ll kill Singer himself if it comes down to it and that he will kill her and her daughter Zoe (Olivia Morandin) if she doesn’t follow his orders. Frenchie completes his work on perfecting the virus just as Hughie, MM, Annie, and Kimiko return to the warehouse, disheveled. Hughie tries to talk to Annie, asking her how she was able to find him. Angry, Annie berates Hughie for proposing to the Shifter and having sex with her. Hughie tries to defend himself, stating that he fully believed it was her, but Annie won’t hear it, claiming that Hughie only wants her for her good side, not her imperfections. As Annie storms away, Hughie gets a call from Neuman, telling him that she wants out and that Homelander’s plot has gone too far, realizing that she’ll only be used as a puppet for the star-spangled Supe. She tells him that she no longer feels safe, and is terrified for her daughter’s safety. She entrusts her daughter’s safety with Hughie, telling him that he’s the only person that she feels like she can turn to.

Firecracker, The Deep, and Black Noir begin killing the terrified Vought employees who were on Homelander’s list, including Ashley’s assistant (Sabrina Saudin). Hughie informs The Boys about Neuman’s call and expresses that all of them have skeletons in their closets. He tells them that not all of their issues should end in violence and that showing mercy and forgiveness is true bravery. MM, Frenchie, Kimiko, and Annie agree to Hughie’s proposal. Frenchie tells the group that he’ll attempt to inject Neuman with the virus if it’s revealed that she’s setting them up. Hughie’s speech finally convinces Annie to forgive him, much to his delight. Frenchie talks to Kimiko about their respective insecurities, and she responds by saying that forgiving Neuman will help them in the process of finally forgiving themselves of their past actions. The two finally share a kiss, as Kimiko expresses her love for Frenchie.

Butcher Kills Neuman in ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Finale
Image via Prime Video

Back in the hospital room, Mallory reveals to Ryan that Homelander was behind the assassination attempt on Singer and that he was also responsible for killing every passenger on board Flight 37 in Season 1. Butcher tries to get Mallory to stop, sensing Ryan’s heightened emotions, but she continues to list Homelander’s countless murders. She also reveals to Ryan that he was conceived by Homelander sexually assaulting Becca, not a secret affair. Butcher apologizes to Ryan and tells him that he’s the only one strong enough to kill Homelander. Mallory attempts to get Ryan to stay, and he realizes that he’s not actually in a hospital, but a government facility meant to withhold him. As Mallory reaches for a button that’ll knock everybody in the room out, Ryan pushes her into a concrete wall, snapping her neck on impact and killing her instantly.

Neuman and Zoe arrive at The Boys’ safehouse and tearfully agree to help them take down Vought and Homelander. Their deal is interrupted by Butcher, who waltzes in, telling Hughie, “No deals.” Hughie pleads with Butcher to trust him for once and to step aside, but is pushed away. Tentacles begin to emerge out of Butcher’s chest. He knocks Zoe out of the way, and grabs Neuman, killing her by ripping her in half. Hughie stops the team from attacking Butcher, who promptly leaves.

Homelander watches a newscast reporting on Neuman’s death in his destroyed penthouse. Sage waltzes in, handing Homelander a balloon pronouncing that they won, despite “a few curveballs.” Sage reveals that she hid part of her plan from Homelander, as the broadcasts show that Butcher and The Boys are now wanted fugitives and Singer has been arrested after a video has leaked of him claiming that he wanted Neuman dead. Sage hands Homelander a phone, telling him that Speaker of the House Calhoun (David Andrews) is now the president and is pledging allegiance to him. Homelander questions why Sage would still do all of this for him despite him firing her, to which she responds, “To see if I could.” After thanking him, Sage adds, “Next time, listen to me. Buckle up for phase two.”

Calhoun, in his first act as president, declares martial law, deputizing hundreds of superheroes nationwide, who will now report directly to Homelander. As Homelander gives a eulogy for Neuman, MM hands out new passports to Hughie, Annie, Frenchie, and Kimiko so that they can go into hiding. Homelander promises that “America will be safe again” and warns Starlighters to watch their backs. The episode ends with a narration from Firecracker on her show, talking about a new America. A montage reveals that Zoe has been taken to the same Red River Group Home that Neuman was a part of as a child.

Frenchie and Kimiko are attacked by Gen V’s Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan (Asa Germann), with Cate instructing Frenchie to come with her. In the airport bathroom, MM is attacked by Love Sausage (Derek Johns) as armed men come and handcuff him. Hughie and Annie are targeted by the Supe-Terrorist Cindy (Ess Hödlmoser), who blocks their path by dropping a yacht in front of their car. More armed forces come and drag Hughie away from Annie. As Cindy begins to intimidate Annie, she flies away from the scene. Kimiko finally begins to speak, screaming “No” as Frenchie walks away from her and into a black truck. The episode concludes with Butcher driving at night, holding a vial of the Virus, still envisioning Kessler, who nods in approval. Firecracker gets the final line of the episode, telling her audience, “Together, we’ll make America super again.” In a mid-credits scene, Calhoun leads Homelander to a bunker that holds Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), who is still alive.

Right as things weren’t looking good for The Boys Season 4, this finale was able to pick up the pacing, ending on a positive note overall. Butcher injecting himself with V and finally going rogue always felt inevitable for the series, but it will be interesting to see him going against his former team as a major antagonistic figure. Yes, his heel turn was a tad abrupt, but that reveal was worth it in the end. Neuman’s death also seemed sudden, but let’s face it, the character has been a walking red shirt since she first appeared in the series. Frenchie and Kimiko’s arc this season hasn’t been the strongest, but the two of them finally establishing their relationship was also satisfying, even if they were torn apart against their will at the end.

The final five minutes also just featured a flat-out great use of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box,” perfectly meshing with the montage’s bleakness while also raising the stakes for the final season to an astronomical level for the titular team that has now gone their separate ways. It is also very exciting to have the confirmation that Ackles will be returning as Soldier Boy, especially after his scene-stealing presence in Season 3. While A-Train did depart from The Seven in the prior episode, the fact that he was barely even mentioned in the finale felt like a strange choice. While our questions will inevitably be answered in Season 5, it would have been nice to get some sort of update on him. What did stick out like a sore thumb was Annie and Hughie’s argument. Considering everything Hughie has gone through in the past few episodes, it didn’t make much sense for Annie to be angry at him. Their romance has always been at the heart of the series, and you can’t help but root for them; however, this conflict seemed truly out of character for them both.

REVIEW The Boys After a rough set of preceding episodes, the Season 4 finale of The Boys ends things on a strong note, setting up an explosive final season.ProsWhile he didn’t actually speak in the episode, it’s always nice to see Jensen Ackles back as Soldier Boy.It was more than satisfying to watch Frenchie and Kimiko finally get together.Setting up Butcher as an antagonist might not be too shocking, but it will surely mix up the dynamic in an intriguing way in the final season.The use of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” cannot go unmentioned. A perfect needle drop to conclude the season. ConsConsidering everything that Hughie went through this season, his argument with Annie didn’t make much sense for either character.Yes, A-Train did leave in the prior episode, but the fact that we didn’t get any updates about him felt strange.

The Boys Season 4 Finale is now streaming on Prime Video.

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