We’ll Keep The Red Flag Flying Here – The episode begins with Homelander (Antony Starr) unveiling the two newest additions to the Seven, Firecracker (Valorie Curry) and Sister Sage (Susan Heyward). With one spot remaining on the team, Homelander teases Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) as a prospect. Elsewhere while watching that same campaign, William/Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) plan an op to get Ryan from Homelander’s crutches. Their conversation suggests that Halothane and the Hazlet Safe House are major parts of their plan. There is also the slight implication that Butcher doesn’t fully trust Kessler.

While Hughie Campbell Jr. (Jack Quaid) learns from Steve (Dov Tiefenbach) that he is virtually powerless against Daphne Campbell’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) Power of Attorney, Frenchie (Tomer Capone) visits Colin Hauser (Elliot Knight) at the Starlight/Annie January (Erin Moriarty) House. Frenchie’s plans are waylaid by an armed Homelander Follower (Robert Fulton), ranting about Starlight’s persecution of children. Although Frenchie has little trouble disarming the man, he does get a head wound in the process that Colin later patches up. This only complicates matters because it leads to him and Frenchie in the bathroom making out.

Robert Singer (Jim Beaver) and his Chief Of Staff (Tony Marra) strategize for the campaign when Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) interrupts. After apologizing for being late, she addresses the amendment and Robert practically tells her that thanks to Starlight’s success they can now vie to keep supes out of all positions of authority.

At the Boy’s headquarters, Kimiko Miyashiro (Karen Fukuhara) tells Frenchie about finding the nearby Shining Light cell and her plans to take it down. Although he initially tells her it’s a bad idea, he ultimately agrees to help her. Several feet away, Starlight attempts to teach Hughie some basic hand-to-hand techniques when Marvin T. Milk/Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) shows up with his plans to flip A-Train/Reggie Franklin (Jessie T. Usher). Despite their already working with A-Train, they both disagree. Hughie takes things a step further by suggesting bringing back Butcher.

While Butcher contacts Ryan online through his ‘Tournament of Heroes’ account, Firecracker approaches Homelander in the Seven’s main conference room, with the solicitous offer that she is available for anything he needs, any time. Despite the offer, he is so bent out of shape by Starlight’s reemergence speech that he almost doesn’t even hear her. It’s only seconds later when he dismisses Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) and announces Sister Sage as the new CEO. Her first order of business is to call attention to the stolen Crime Analytic surveillance footage that Starlight used to clear her followers. Being that Kevin Moskowitz/The Deep (Chace Crawford) is the head of the Crime Analytics Department, suspicion immediately falls on him. Things only get more complicated for the Deep later that evening when Ambrosius (Tilda Swinton) shines a light on his recent inattentiveness and proposes a vacation.

Butcher prepares for Ryan’s arrival while Marvin stages a meet to flip A-Train. A-Train nearly leaves the second he arrives and finds Marvin in place of his brother, Nathan Franklin (Christian Keyes). Marvin eventually leverages him with the proof of A-Train giving Starlight the files that secured the release of her followers.

Frenchie makes the mistake of taking hallucinogens before he and Kimiko raid the Shining Light compound. It doesn’t take her long to realize and she nearly pays the price for his oversight while he suffers from an intense about Colin finding out what he did to his family. Kimiko eventually dispatches all the members except for one who could be a twin/sister. She refuses to answer Frenchie’s later questions about this.

Butcher and Ryan’s time together doesn’t begin so well but appears to take a turn for the better after a few heart-to-heart confessions. Butcher apologizes for the harsh things he says, tells him about Lenny, and destroys the desserts laced with Halothane. In turn, Ryan tells him about his staged save and how everyone at Vought always lets him win when they play games.

Homelander and Sister Sage set out to plug the leak inside Vought by questioning Anika (Ana Sani), whose records reveal recent contact with someone at the Starlight House. Anikia does not deny the claim and after a bit of convincing she admits to being contacted by Starlight. Unfortunately, this is as far she gets thanks to Homelander boring a hole in her head. Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie), who was also present during the interrogation, destroys her resignation letter.

When Starlight surprises Firecracker at Vought to question her about her hatred for her, it is Starlight who is ultimately surprised. As it turns out, Firecracker used to compete on the same circuit as Starlight, under the name, Sparkler. That ended when Starlight started rumors about her sleeping with the judges.

Hughie is just as surprised when he learns that Marvin has led him to the set of ‘Vought On Ice’ on the word of A-Train that Victoria is supposed to be meeting Homelander there. He doesn’t get much time to complain thanks to the early arrival of Victoria and Zoe Neuman (Olivia Morandin). This leads to Hughie in the ventilation system, on his way to bug the meeting location, but Homeander and Sister Sage are already there. It’s merely seconds later when Victoria joins that Hughie learns about their plans to make Victoria the President of the United States. In return, she is expected to disband the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs, defund the ‘Remove the Supes Movement,’ and remove all teachers that teach Critical Supe Theory.

Homelander throws a curveball into the discussion when he adds the stipulation for Victoria to announce herself as a supe when he becomes President. Victoria immediately disagrees but when he starts talking about her being ashamed of herself and what that will do for Zoe; she appears to be considering it. Things do not get a chance to go any further because a sweat bead from Hughie drips on Homelander’s shoulder. Marvin reacts quickly by blinding Homelnder with the set’s spotlight. Complete pandemonium ensues, allowing Hughie to escape to the roof, where he is surprisingly saved by A-Train. When asked when he intervened, A-Train simply runs off.

Frenchie and Kimiko return back to the base to find Starlight wallowing in self-pity. Their day not being much better, they join her for a drink and Frenchie does attempt to improve her mood with an awkward childhood story about his father bringing home prostitutes. Once he apparently scares her off, Kimiko attempts to make him feel better but equally fails.

When Hughie returns to the hospital to find his mother, Daphne Campbell (Rosemarie DeWitt), asleep outside his dad’s, Hughie Campbell Sr. (Simon Pegg) room, he attempts a serious conversation with her. He appears to lighten even more when he learns that she left after attempting suicide. She also apparently tried to contact him over the years but Hughie Sr. was too emotionally hurt. She apologizes but his response isn’t shown.

Kessler is highly upset with Butcher’s decision to not kidnap Ryan. After a heated exchange, he practically tells him to either kidnap Ryan or turn him into an asset they can use. The Deep is already upset with Sage’s decision to remove him as Crime Analytics, but he becomes more so when he returns to find her waiting in his room. He soon realizes she’s eating a blooming onion and her offer to watch Transformers 2 quickly leads to an intense make-out session.

Things aren’t going any better for Homelander when Ryan returns home and lies to him about visiting Butcher. Homelander flips out on him and proceeds to mentally crumble. The episode ends with him speaking to his reflection in the mirror.

 

The Boys Review

Not a horrible episode but I don’t know if I would say that it was an adequate way to wrap up the three-episode introduction. I am intrigued by the prospect of Homelander breaking down and going back to roots. That will be incredibly intriguing, for me. I’ve also noticed that Homelander’s sense of smell has become a part of his powers this season. I’d give this episode a 5.5 out of 10.

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