The Boys – The Self-Preservation Society

By: Nicole Rodenbaugh

At a Christmas party eight years ago Butcher (Karl Urban) and his wife (Shantel VanSanten) are mingling. Homelander greets Becca as the New Marketing Director. He shakes Butcher’s hand while praising her.

Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) are having sex at a hotel. They cuddle and Starlight asks why they didn’t go to his house. He explains he wanted to avoid his dad. Starlight also questions why she hasn’t met his father or seen his place. Hughie confides that he quit his job after Robin’s death and is embarrassed about being back at home.

Homelander (Antony Starr) is at Vought in the boardroom staring at pictures of The Boys. He stops at Butcher’s picture and remembers him from the Christmas party. He summons Starlight, Maeve (Dominique McElligott), Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) and A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) to come in. They all arrive and Homelander proceeds to accuse Starlight of being a terrorist connected to Hughie. She is in shock that Hughie killed Translucent. Maeve sticks up for Starlight, telling Homelander that she’s only guilty of being stupid. He agrees to believe Starlight for Maeve and leaves Maeve responsible for Starlight.

The Boys are still in hiding. Hughie tries to back out of the group because he has feelings for Starlight. Butcher and Hughie start to argue when Hughie’s dad’s cell phone calls. It is A-Train calling and he threatens to kill Hughie’s father (Simon Pegg) if he doesn’t come home alone. Everyone realizes Mesmer turned and their cover is blown. They start to panic about their friends and family. Hughie arrives at his house. He offers A-Train Compound V if he lets his dad go. Hughie is able to convince his dad to leave. Hughie and A-Train argue back and forth about who is worse. While distracted Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) jumps out and breaks A-Trains leg. Hughie and Kimiko leave. Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) arrives at his house to gather his wife and child.

Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue) is in her office telling Homelander how many votes they have secured to get supes into the military. Homelander asks Stillwell about Becca. He wants to know where she went. Stillwell insists she doesn’t know.

In Ohio at The Deep’s (Chase Crawford) hotel he is making out with a woman. She orders him to take off his clothes. He reluctantly takes off his shirt to reveal gills. She laughs then forces him on the couch. She is shoving her fingers into his gills while she is pleasing herself. He screams out in pain.

Butcher is pursuing Mesmer (Haley Joel Osment) in the train station. He finds him in the bathroom and beats him to death. He sees himself in the mirror. He flashes to memories of Mallory offering to get him payback for Becca’s disappearance.

The Deep is shopping for groceries. He spots the lobster tank and starts a discussion with one of the lobsters. He decides to save a lobster asking the employee to get it for him. The employee picks up the lobster then kills it with a knife. Oops!

In the hideout, Frenchie (Tomer Capon), Kimiko, Mother’s Milk and his faamily, Hughie and his dad and Butcher are all now together. Mother’s Milk begs Butcher to call Agent Raynor because he has a family to protect.

Homelander lands in the garden of a mansion. He meets with the man who is revealed to have raised him in a lab. The man has retired. He tells Homelander that after Homelander and Becca had sex she got pregnant immediately. The baby was growing abnormally fast. The baby and Becca died during child birth and Vought wanted to protect him. The man tells Homelander that he is cold as a result of not being raised in a real home and extremely dangerous as result.

Vehicles race to the door. It’s Agent Raynor. She came to take and protect the team’s family. Butcher gives her the Compound V in return. Raynor is now in Stillwell’s office warning Sher that she knows everything and Vought will pay. She asks Stillwell did to Kimiko. Stillwell states she has never seen her. Before the Director can act, a new Supe has been identified as a terrorist in the Middle East. Soldiers cannot stop the Supe.

Hughie finds Starlight on a bench. She asks if he killed Translucent and if he was using her. He falls silent and she knows it is true. She is going to take him in until he tells Starlight that she was not born with powers, she was dosed. Starlight is confused and in the daze Butcher knocks her out with shots from a gun.