Homelander just had his most disturbing episode yet on The Boys

What did you miss?

The Boys has always prided itself on doing interesting things with its characters, and Season 4's fourth episode certainly delivered on that notion when it came to Homelander (Antony Starr).

The Supe has slowly been losing his grip on reality, and in a bid to figure out how he can overcome his faults he decides what he needs to do is look backwards. For the gory Prime Video series this doesn't mean a fun trip down memory lane, but a terrifying, blood-drenched thriller of an episode where the villain meets his makers (literally, not figuratively).

Fans were shocked by the events of the episode, but before we examine what happened and why Starr's performance was so impressive be warned that this article contains some spoilers.

What, how, and why?

In episode 4, Homelander decides to visit the scientists that made his youth a living hell by treating him like a test subject to learn the extent of his powers. To move past the pain Homelander decides to get his revenge, in scenes that take place almost entirely in the lab where he was kept for years.

Starr excels in the disturbing sequences, which see him exude menace even when his words suggest otherwise. It is tense because the actor has such a threatening presence as Homelander, viewers can't predict what he will do next which adds to the fear for both the audience and the scientists in the room with him.

There are three scientists that he wants to punish, one he forces into the pressure oven where he was repeatedly burned as a child to test his durability, the other he forces to masturbate in front of everyone after the scientist laughed at him for doing the same thing in his cell as a teen. Both scientists end up dead by Homelander's hands.

Homelander faces the final scientist who hurt him in a different way, he makes her to watch as he tears everyone else in the lab apart in front of her. The character then leaves, covered head to toe in blood, and smiles — it's a chilling sequence to say the least and proves Starr's acting prowess.

Fans felt similarly impressed by Starr's performance, with many calling for him to win awards for his acting in the episode. One viewer said: "Antony Starr YOU NEED AN EMMY SIR!!!!", while another shared: "GIVE ANTONY STAR HIS EMMY !"

Others were both disturbed and in awe of the episode, with one writing: "this is THE homelander episode" and another commenting: "And when you think Homelander couldn't get any worse!!! Sheeesh"

One viewer also wrote: "we might be witnessing the peakest of peaks for homelander in this episode holy s**t", while another said: "This episode is the best Antony Starr has been as homelander".

What else happened on The Boys?

Elsewhere in the episode fans were given their first glimpse at the characters of spin-off Gen V in the context of The Boys. Maria Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo), Emma Meyer (Lizzie Broadway), and Jordan Li (London Thor and Derek Luh) were shown in a news bulletin and were said to have disappeared after the events of the spin-off.

Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan (Asa Germann) were depicted as the heroes who stopped the others from a murderous rampage. Viewers of the spin-off know otherwise, but this means that fans have a better understanding of when Gen V takes place in the context of the main series.

The Boys airs Thursdays on Prime Video

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