(Spoilers for The Boys will be found below.)
The penultimate fourth-season episode of The Boys is characteristically stuffed full of dirty, rotten sights, including poor Kimiko having her leg cut off (don’t worry, it is growing back). We recently discussed A-Train’s redemption path, so we’re not ignoring his developments this week, but Starlight is headlining here because, damn, her identity issues get literal this week.
This has compounded the issue where Annie January lost her laser beam powers a few weeks ago, which echoes her struggle with the Supe inside, and this week, a horrific shape-shifting Supe ends up climbing inside Annie’s body (Eric Kripke’s probably referencing his work on Supernatural with shape-shifters who tear their own skin off and can access host memories) to ultimately attempt a violent plot and, of course, try to frame Annie after abducting her. The method of the shifter’s attack could be commentary, too: humanity’s selfie obsession can lead down a dark path, y’all.
The episode’s final revelation shows Starlight imprisoned, and once we see how this happened, it’s worth going back to the moment at the bar when Erin Moriarty gave the most subtle of indications that Annie had been booted from her place on the bar stool. Less subtle, however, are the signs that Hughie didn’t see (to be fair, he’s having an especially rough season) regarding his girlfriend turning into somebody else. I mean, Annie had only just expressed disgust with her Starlight costume, and Hughie completely believed that she’d not only wear it for him but also do so as bedroom foreplay.
At least Hughie admitted to “not-not fantasizing” about this sight. He’s honest.
Seriously though, Erin Moriarty crushed the subtle distinctions this week. Director Catriona McKenzie sang her praises in an interview with Screenrant:
“Erin’s so amazing. We talked about her physicality, we talked about her eyes, and we talked about a stillness because the Shifter doesn’t have the same kind of emotional, intuitive, emotional intelligence that Annie does. And we’ve seen that in the episode; there was just a stillness that she brought to her performance where she’s just a bit more robotic. It was fun working that up with her.”
And speaking of identity issues, A-Train’s slow-brewing crisis of conscience not only led him to become the Leak but has now inspired to become the latest departing member of The Seven. So, A-Train is officially out and does not take his chip with him, which hopefully means that those audience fears that he will bite the dust will prove to be unfounded. Although I can’t say the same for Ashley, who should have cut and run, too, when she had the chance.
Some loose thoughts ahead of the season finale:
– RIP, Ambrosia The Octopus. At least they gave you the voice of Tilda Swinton;
"Your so Bad" TO AN OCTOPUS LMAO #theboys pic.twitter.com/x9EF7gt7h9
— The Boys Out of Context Clips (@TheBoysOOCC) July 11, 2024
– The revelation of Sister Sage pulling double duty with Deep and Black Noir is superb, especially after Deep did Ambrosia extra dirty. Also, the audience might never get used to a talking Black Noir, but the “What do you mean lobotomizing herself?” is a fine example of the layered jokes this season;
– Butcher talking to his imaginary friend-self, Joe Kessler, during a group meeting is enjoyable, but mainly because it’s nice to still have Jeffrey Dean Morgan stretching his legs again outside of The Walking Dead franchise;
– Like Ashley, MM should have gotten out while he had the chance, too, but his choice ratchets up the stakes for the season finale. Speaking of which, see you next week, and as MM says, “Chop chop, mother***kers.”
‘The Boys’ streams new episodes on Thursdays.
