RECAP: ‘The Boys’ Season 5 Episodes 1-2

The Boys‘ final season is set to be a momentous occasion for the show. Running for seven years now, The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2 are expected to set the tone for the season. Spoiler alert: it does so in the sort of irreverent way you’d expect from the show. There’s a lot to dive into here, so we can go ahead and skip the pleasantries.

The first of The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2 is “Fifteen Inches of Pure Dynamite,” directed by Phillip Sgriccia and Paul Grellong. Outside of the pilot of the first season, this is quite easily the most explosive season opener the series has had, with an ending that will get the internet talking immediately after it airs.

“Fifteen Inches of Pure Dynamite” kicks off during one of Homelander’s rallies. More than ever, the blind devotion of his followers resembles MAGA in a way that hits too close to home. Homelander (Anthony Starr) takes the stage, ready to spread his message to his followers with that signature smirk on his face.

As he rants and raves about the so-called “Starlighters”—which has now extended to anyone who questions any of his actions—Starlight herself, Annie January (Erin Moriarty), has snuck into the event dressed like Firecracker (Valorie Curry).

The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2 has the most bombastic opening scene since the series premiere.

As Homelander fearmongers, Annie has a sympathizer in the AV department play the infamous cell phone footage of Homelander refusing to save those in the plane crash all the way back in season 1. The crowd goes silent. Homelander, out of habit, begins to heat up his laser eyes, only for Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) to stop him before things get out of hand.

After this perfect opening scene, Sage convinces the public that the video was AI, likely one piece in an ocean of propaganda. From here, let’s check in with Vought and The Seven. Everyone is terrified of Homelander’s tightening grip, and therefore, they’re obedient to him. Nearly all government agencies have been gutted.

Ashley Barrett (Colby Minife) has been instated as the Vice President of the United States, though for optics purposes has been forced to marry a megachurch-running supe named Oh Father (Daveed Diggs), whose religious ties add another cog to Homelander’s propaganda machine.

The house of cards is set up; now we have to wait to see it fall.

The Deep (Chace Crawford) and Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell) encourage anti-Starlighter sentiment through their manosphere podcast, where Noir hilariously is only allowed to “speak” through pressing buttons on a soundboard.

Paul Grellong does impeccable world-building, getting us up to speed on everyone quickly while building in a palpable sense of fear from everyone in Homelander’s orbit. It adds a necessary final-stretch feeling to the episode that extends to both parts of The Boys Season 5, Episodes 1-2.

The house of cards is set up; now we have to wait to see it fall. The ticking clock is especially apparent when Homelander makes the decision that he’s going to publicly execute Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), and Frenchie (Tomer Capone).

Butcher begins getting the band back together in The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2.

Meanwhile, what’s going on with Billy Butcher (Karl Urban)? After taking Compound V, gaining giant tentacles that come out of his core, and killing Victoria Neuman, Billy appears to have lost none of his mean streak walking into this season.

In a chilling confrontation, he visits his father, in many ways the author of his pain, and ostensibly kills him. As much as I like this scene, it feels like a bit of a misdirect, because following from this, Butcher’s characterization is a lot softer and more in line with the bloke we knew in the first few seasons.

After all, Butcher begins getting the band back together. He recruits Kimiko (Karen Fukahara), who can now fully talk after the events of the season 4 finale. This is another odd misstep, not because she can talk, but because all of her dialogue is foul-mouthed in a way that feels unnatural. To be fair, it smooths out in the following episode, but here it’s just awkward.

Homelander murders a whole bunk of prisoners.

Butcher then goes to Annie, coming up with a plan to bust the rest of The Boys out of the labor camp. This plan involves getting a screenwriting Supe named Worm to dig a hole into the camp, as his abilities involve eating dirt and defecating it out of his rear end.

In the labor camp, Hughie keeps the faith. He and the other two Boys are making homemade explosives, while Hughie tries to assuage the fears of fellow prisoner and former co-worker at the Federal Bureau of Superhero Affairs, Ivy (Jessica B. Hill).

Unfortunately, they are caught by Homelander, who murders all of their bunkmates and sets a trap for their would-be saviors. As Butcher and Kimiko come through the hole Worm has made for them, Homelander is standing there, with The Boys tied up, ready to finish his adversaries once and for all.

“Fifteen Inches of Pure Dynamite” offers the perfect conclusion for A-Train’s arc.

That’s when Starlight does one of her blinding blasts, and the labor camp erupts into pure chaos. The bombastic action sequence that follows is pure diabolical superhero mayhem, with many deaths, including Ivy’s, bolstered when none other than A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) comes in to save the day.

As he clears a path for The Boys to make their escape, Homelander catches up to him, snapping his neck. And with that, The Boys Season 5 Episode 1-2 ends its first chapter with a moment that will send shivers down the spine of longtime fans.

The ending of “Fifteen Inches of Pure Dynamite” is the perfect conclusion for A-Train’s arc. His callous actions set the whole series in motion, and now he ends his run (no pun intended) with a heroic sacrifice for the ages. Upsetting? Yes, but it sets a precedent that things are getting real this season, so buckle up. The next episode, “Teenage Kix”, directed by Shana Stein and written by Jessica Chou, continues the eventful streak of The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2.

Butcher reveals that Sameer has finished the Supe-killing virus.

“Teenage Kix” opens with a funeral for A-Train, headed up at Oh Father’s megachurch. Daveed Diggs is in his element here, selling Oh Father’s sermon as the tool for Homelander’s agenda that it is. Yet, in the crowd, Homelander himself looks out of it—upset even, at killing his former Seven comrade. During his introspection, a bright flash of almost holy light shines on him, only to vanish in a moment. 

Billy Butcher takes The Boys into an abandoned building that serves as their new hideout. There resides Dr. Sameer Shah (Omid Abtahi), who is under the impression that Homelander killed Victoria Neumann. Now there’s an interesting wrinkle that’ll almost certainly come back into play when Butcher is forced to reveal the truth.

Butcher reveals that Sameer has finished the Supe-killing virus frequently talked about in Season 4 and across Gen V. He wants the team to kidnap a member of the Teen Titans-like superhero team Teenage Kix named Rockhard and test the virus on him, then release it on the world.

Homelander wakes up his father, Soldier Boy.

Hughie is virulently opposed. Seemingly, all in attendance, including Starlight, understand that the virus might be a necessary evil. Now I’ve seen some tough dilemmas on this show, but having to decide whether or not to genocide a whole segment of the population for the greater good is by far the stickiest. Behind closed doors, Kimiko shows her own misgivings about using the virus to Frenchie.

Their arguing turns into passion and, in a moment fans have been waiting too long for, they consummate their love for one another. It’s a tasteful, sensual scene that’s been a long time coming and therefore feels incredibly gratifying.

Meanwhile, Homelander stands by A-Train’s casket. In a terrific showcase for Anthony Starr’s iconic performance, he shows sadness for his death while taking zero responsibility. He bemoans that he doesn’t have an equal, only for a bright idea to spark in his head. Homelander decides to wake up his father, Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), from cryo. The two engage in some hilarious banter, where Soldier Boy asks if this is “some sort of incest thing,” only for Homelander to tell him he needs him to help hunt Butcher, offering him his shield back. 

The Boys surmise Rockhard’s location via social media posts.

As Ashley, the President, and The Seven are meeting about Homelander’s overreach, the two walk in, demanding a pardon for Soldier Boy, which is immediately granted. Soldier Boy seems impressed that a Supe can, as he says it, “teabag the President.”

Meanwhile, The Boys arrive at the Teenage Kix mansion, where, through viewing their social media posts, they surmise that Rockhard is in the basement. There, they find that he’s absolutely massive, which they discover is from his magma ejaculate hardening into rock that keeps building. He can only speak through a Stephen Hawking-like computer. There’s that classic The Boys gross-out humor we know and love!

The Boys prepare to seal Rockhard up, only for Soldier Boy to arrive and stir up a ruckus. To discuss the minutiae of the large-scale action sequence that follows would be a fool’s errand. It’s a chaotic treat you simply have to discover yourself. But know that it involves Soldier Boy, two members of Teenage Kix on patrol, and Mother’s Milk letting a member of the Kix who’s showing remorse go free.

The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2 are not playing around with the character deaths.

Jensen Ackles handles the action like a champ, selling every hit with the ferocity it needs. It appears he isn’t going to be around for long, though, as the virus is unleashed, killing Soldier Boy and the members of Teenage Kix, minus the one M.M. saved. 

The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2 are not playing around with the character deaths. The same goes for its big reveals: we finally get to see what Ashley’s powers are: she has a tiny psychic copy of her own face on the back of her head. There will almost certainly be more developments in future episodes, but I thought this bears mentioning. “Teenage Kix” concludes with Homelander, distraught, visiting the Teenage Kix mansion, only for Soldier Boy’s body bag to rise up as “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba plays.

As bold as it might have been to kill off Soldier Boy this early, his surviving the virus is an even greater development because it creates a stronger obstacle for The Boys to overcome. The Boys Season 5 Episodes 1-2 hit the ground running, serving up an impeccably strong debut that indicates what’s sure to be an all-timer final season. 

The Boys Episodes 1-2 are now streaming on Prime Video with new episodes every Wednesday.