Warning: This review contains full spoilers for The Boys Season 5, Episode 7!
The Boys may have meandered its way through the first half of Season 5, but the momentum has certainly picked up in recent weeks. Episode 6 ended with a dramatic, game-changing cliffhanger: Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) defied the odds and handed his son the literal keys to immortality. Everything our heroes have fought and bled for is now for nought.
This sets the stage for the series’ penultimate chapter. Episode 7 is mostly successful in building on that foundation, delivering a mix of high-stakes drama, musical absurdity, and tragic character moments.
Homelander’s God Complex and Soldier Boy’s Downfall
Naturally, Homelander (Antony Starr) is the central draw of this installment. The episode opens with Homelander casually murdering the President and ordering the death of democracy as we know it. He is reveling in his newfound godhood, yet the narrative quickly reminds us that nothing will ever fill the gaping void of need and loneliness where his withered heart lies.
This emotional emptiness feeds directly into the reunion between Homelander and Soldier Boy. The latter attempts a clean getaway to Bogota, only to wind up right back in his cryo tube for his troubles. While Episode 6 failed to fully justify Soldier Boy’s decision to hand over the V1 compound to Homelander, this episode clarifies the motivation: it was an act driven by love for Stormfront (Aya Cash), not attachment to Homelander.
Soldier Boy likely has a final role to play, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if this marked the end of his story.
The Tragic Fall of The Deep
The episode also delivers a harsh reckoning for The Deep (Chace Crawford). His reward for unyielding loyalty to Homelander is to be summarily dismissed and tossed aside. He gave up everything for Vought and its master, only to have absolutely nothing to show for it.
The Deep as a character is well past the point of redemption. His final scene sees him running away like a coward while an innocent man drowns—a fitting end for a man who prioritized his own survival over moral integrity.
Musical Madness and Emotional Anchors
You cannot discuss the villains in this episode without mentioning Oh Father (Daveed Diggs). The episode opens with an incredible musical number that fully leverages Diggs’ musical theater background. The sequence is as hilarious as it is mortifying.
Diggs remains strong throughout, portraying a man who is truly a believer yet coming to terms with the fact that so few around him share his faith.
Hope in a Hopeless Time
Beyond the villainy, Episode 7 effectively explores the theme of maintaining hope in a hopeless era. Even Hughie (Jack Quaid) is struggling to keep his morale up, forcing the deeply cynical Butcher (Karl Urban) to become the ray of sunshine in these dark days.
However, the emotional anchor of the episode is Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso). MM shares a pivotal scene with Starlight (Erin Moriarty), where he explains the real significance of his odd nickname and casts aside his own facade of cynicism. Of the entire team, MM has enjoyed the strongest character arc this season.
The Return of Kessler and Frenchie’s Sacrifice
Another highlight is the "return" of Butcher’s CIA buddy Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). It is funny to realize Kessler has played a major role in the series despite never once being a true flesh-and-blood character. We get to explore the twisted history between Butcher and Kessler, followed by a satisfying moment where Hughie finally turns the psychic tables on Synapse (Steven Yaffee).
The episode culminates in a tragic climax: Frenchie (Tomer Capone) makes his final stand against Homelander. His death isn’t entirely surprising, as the script pretty blatantly telegraphs that things won’t work out for Frenchie and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara). Still, the moment hits the right emotional notes. The series needed a big death to remind us of the stakes leading into the finale, and Frenchie is a worthy sacrifice.
What Didn’t Work
Despite its strengths, Episode 7 has notable flaws:
- The Gen V Tie-In: The series delivers too little, too late with the overdue Gen V connection. We finally see Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) and Jordan Li (London Thor), only for them to be quickly brushed off and dismissed by Starlight. In an effort to not upset viewers who didn’t watch Gen V, the series has managed to punish those who did.
- Lack of Urgency: The episode doesn’t quite feel like the penultimate chapter of the series. Even with Homelander achieving full power, the sense of urgency is missing. It plays out like just another madcap caper for Butcher and the gang, with only Frenchie’s death reminding us that the endgame is approaching.
The series seems to have too many loose ends to tie up and too many living characters to juggle for everything to be wrapped in a neat bow in one last hour-long installment. Should we have reached this point earlier in the season? Perhaps. I just hope there is enough room to give fans a proper conclusion in Episode 8.
