The Boys Season 4 Episode 5 - Farm Frenzy

0:03 Calarogus Shark Media. Hey there, basement dwellers, this is Journey Joe Mitchell coming at you from the cozy confines of the TV dungeon. Today we're unpacking episode five of The Boys season four, titled Beware the Jabberwock, My Son, and let me tell you we've got a lot to chew on. First off, can we talk about that absolutely bonkers farm sequence. Just when you think the Boys can't get any crazier, they hit us with superpowered farm animals. We're talking flying sheep, killer chickens, and one very angry bull. The visual effects team really outdid themselves this time. That scene where the sheep pick up the bull and rip it apart mid air horrifying and hilarious and equal measure. It's this kind of over the top spectacle that reminds us why we love the Boys. But let's not forget the emotional core of this episode.

0:57 Hugh Campbell sor as trad Awakening as a soup. Simon Peg absolutely knocked it out of the park with his performance. The confusion, the horror, the heartbreaking realization of what he's become. It was all there. That scene in the hospital where he's accidentally phasing through people and killing them. Gut wrenching stuff. And that final scene with Hughie and Daphney passed the tissues, folks, because I was not prepared for those feels. Jack Quaid really showed his range here, and the father son dynamic between him and Peg was beautifully portrayed. Speaking of feels, how about that V fifty two expo. The Boys continues to deliver some of the sharpest satire on TV, and their take on comic conventions and cinematic universes was spot on. The announcement of Vatt's Phases seven through nineteen had me in stitches. It's a brilliant jab at the never ending stream of superhero content we're seeing these days. And don't even get me started on Firecracker's faith based film or A Train's biopic with Will Ferrell as his coach.

1:56 The attention to detail in these parodies is just perfect. Now, let's talk about our boy Homelander. He seems to be taking a subtler approach to corrupting Ryan this episode. That scene where he encourages Ryan to punish the sleazy director. It's chilling how he's molding his son into a mini me Antony Starr continues to be the MVP of this show, walking that line between charm and menace. The way he SIPs his drink while watching Ryan abuse his power. That's the kind of nuanced performance that makes Homelander such a compelling villain. We also got some interesting developments with Victoria Newman in the return of Stan Edgar. John Carlo Esposito is always a welcome presence, and his verbal sparring with Claudia Dumi was a highlight. The dynamic between these two is fascinating. There's clearly a lot of history and bad blood there. Edgar's line about Newman being upset that he betrayed her chef's kiss. I can't wait to see how this plays out, especially now that Newman seems to be playing both sides. Oh and we can't forget about Frenchy storyline. His guilt over his past actions is really coming to a head. That scene where he turns himself in at the police station heartbreaking stuff. Tomer Capone is doing some great work this season, showing us a more vulnerable side of Frenchy. His conversation with Annie about forgiveness and eternal damnation was particularly poignant. Now I've got to address the elephant in the room, or should I say the jabber walk? What's up with Butcher's visions of Joe Kessler? Is this just his brain damage acting up or is there something more sinister at play? Carl Urban is doing a great job of keeping us

3:29 guessing about Butcher's mental state. And that final reveal that he's kidnapped sameir to recreate the soup killing virus classic Butcher always playing his own game. It's a reminder that even as his body fails him, Butcher's mind is as sharp and ruthless as ever. Let's take a moment to appreciate some of the smaller moments that really stood out. A Train and Ashley's alliance. It's interesting to see these two Vaughd insiders potentially turning against the company. The brief appearance of Kate and Sam from gen V I love how they're tying the two shows together. Kimiko's attempts to connect with Frenshi Karen Fukuhara conveys so much with just her expressions. So what did you think, fellow basement dwellers? Are you team Butcher or Team Starlight? At this point, who had the best one liner this episode. My money's on Stan Edgar with his cannon fodder comment and seriously, how wild was that farm animal massacre? Before we wrap up, I want to give a shout out to the makeup and effects team. The gore in this episode was next level. That's all for this week, Soups fans.

4:32 Until next time, keep your compound V locked up tight, your farm animals unjuiced, and your basements full of lively TV discussions. This is Journey Joe Mitchell signing off from the depths of the TV Dungeon.