The Boys – Good for the Soul

By: Nicole Rodenbaugh

In Cuba, Popclaw (Brittany Allen) is in hotel room when A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) speeds in. A-Train tells her that Stillwell has approved go public that they are couple. He tells her that he needs to know who she told about Compound V in return. She believes him and confides in him showing him pictures of The Boys from her surveillance. He speeds away and comes back sticking her with six needles of drugs. She dies while he watches. A-Train arrives at The Seven headquarters where Homelander (Antony Starr) is waiting. A-Train tells Homelander, Popclaw died of a heroin overdose and he knows who she told about the V. Homelander tells A-Train he did the right thing confiding in him. Homelander asks where the misplaced Asian woman is and A-Train states he will find her.

Frenchie (Tomer Capon) is making a gourmet meal, which he serves to The Female (Karen Fukuhara). She is still not talking.

At the Religious Expo, Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) are walking around. Starlight tells Hughie that her mom used to take her to all of the religious events across the country when she was a child. Butcher (Karl Urban) and Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) are listening in to the conversation. Starlight leaves to attend a roundtable discussion with a group of teenage fans. Butcher tells Hughie that he needs to get a Diamond Tier pass for the event from Starlight. Butcher instructs him to blackmail Ezekiel (Shaun Benson) who is leading the event and they have footage from the underground club of him with two men. They hope to receive information about V. Butcher hands Hughie the cell with the footage.

Starlight notices the religious Expo has anti-gay and no sex before marriage propaganda displayed. She never noticed this before. At her roundtable with the teens she tries to spread a friendlier accessible message to the group. Hughie joins Starlight after her meeting and asks for the Diamond Tier pass after he sees a vision of Robin.

Butcher leaves the Expo. Homelander lands at the Expo asking for Stillwell. The publicist (Colby Minifie) confirms Stillwell is taking a day off. Homelander flies away and lands in a parking lot in front of Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue) carrying her child. He confronts her about her missing his speech and the Expo. Stillwell is frustrated and tells Homelander he needs healthy boundaries with her.

A-Train is upset watching a movie that stars Popclaw. He locates a web cam and it contains the footage of her murdering her landlord. It also shows The Boys arriving to her apartment. A-Train takes the information to Vault International.

Hughie enters the Diamond Tier event. Homelander greets him. Hughie’s nervousness escalates. Ezekiel and Homelander proceed to baptize all of the fans in the event. Hughie allows the duo to baptize him. After Hughie dries out, he notices he is alone with Ezekiel. He approaches him and threatens to expose Ezekiel’s indiscretions. However when Hughie attempts to use his phone he realizes it was destroyed in the water during the baptism. He quickly tells Ezekiel he knows about his relations with men because he was one of the two men in club and if he doesn’t give him details about compound V. Hughie finds out they are using Ezekiel’s foundation to move the drug.

Queen Maeve (Dominique McElliogott) stops by at her ex-girlfriend Elena’s (Nicola Correia-Damude) house to rekindle their relationship. Elena refuses telling Maeve that she is reminded every day about the relationship they used to share. She sees Maeve advertised everywhere and cannot escape it. Maeve breaks down about having a hard time being in The Seven. She then suddenly leaves.

Frenchie’s girlfriend calls and tells them that The Seven know who they are and are after them. Against Butcher’s advice, Frenchie tries to take The Female with him out of hiding, but once freed she runs away.

Starlight is backstage preparing for a speech to the entire expo. She pleads with her mother (Ann Cusack) to allow her not to give the speech. She can tell her Mother is not focused on what is best and against her own wishes Starlight goes out on stage at the expo for her speech. Starlight starts to read what the teleprompter says until her conscious cannot take it any longer. She tells the audience that she can no longer blindly follow and was sexually assaulted. The crowd is silent, except for Hughie who cheers.

Butcher and Mother’s Milk go to a hospital where kids are being dosed with Compound V. Guards try to stop them, but Butcher uses a Supe baby to kill them with its laser beam eyes. 

Homelander is watching Stillwell through the wall to her office. She invites him in and tells him he has to be good if he wants to get what he wants from her.

Frenchie is walking down a dark alley when Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) stops him. The Female appears and knocks down Black Noir. They fight until he cuts a large gash in her leaving her for dead. Frenchie runs up to help the woman and she starts to breathe again. She is healing rapidly. Frenchie rejoices.