The Boys (TV series)/Season 1

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The Boys is an American superhero television series developed by Eric Kripke for Amazon Prime Video. Based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, it follows the eponymous team of vigilantes as they combat superpowered individuals who abuse their abilities.

"The Name of the Game" [1.1]

Robin Ward: This is like when we started dating.

Hughie Campbell: I don’t think that’s–I don’t think that’s true.

Robin: Dude, I had to ask you out.

Hughie: Well, excuse me for waiting. Ever hear of chivalry?

Robin: Listen, this is about getting what you deserve. I’m killing myself at school because I think it’s gonna be worth it for both of us… You know, if we move in together.

Hughie: Wait, what? Wait… [stutters] Hey, what was that? What’d you just say?

Robin: Well, I mean, we can’t keep laying pipe at your dad’s place, trying to be all quiet, staring up at that dumb Billy Joel… [Hughie kisses her] poster.

Hughie: Hey, don’t you ever besmirch Billy Jo–

[Robin suddenly disappears. Wind blows and blood splashes on Hughie’s face in slow motion. Hughie then looks to his right and sees A-Train panicking and covered in blood.]

A-Train: [quickly] I can’t stop. I can’t stop, I can’t stop, I can’t stop, I can’t stop! I can't stop! [runs off]

Hughie: [pause] Robin?

[Hughie looks down and realizes he’s still holding Robin’s hands, but only her forearms remain]

Hughie: Robin… Robin?! ROBIN!

Annie January/Starlight: I was Super-abled. My mom was thrilled. She took me to all the Little Miss Hero pageants, but I hated it. [groans] I mean, I can still smell the hairspray. But at the Q and A, they always asked me what my wish was, and I always said, "to save the world." And the judges just chuckled like it was cute… but it wasn't a joke to me. Since when did "hopeful" and "naïve" become the same thing? I mean, why would you get into this business if not to save the world? That's all I have ever wanted. [giggles] And that's why I've always wanted to be in The Seven.

[Starlight, the new member of The Seven, is given a tour of Vought Tower by The Deep. They enter the main conference room.]

Annie/Starlight: [looks at a chair at the head of the table] That’s his, isn’t it?

The Deep: Homelander’s? Yeah… but you’ll have your own soon. [pulls chair out] Here, come on. Give it a test drive. Come on. [pause; Annie stares at the chair and doesn’t move] Oh, you–you okay?

Annie/Starlight: It’s just… I used to stand in the mirror, pretending to be where I am right now.

The Deep: You know something? On my first day, I, uh… Well, I–I felt like a fraud. [Annie looks surprised] Yeah. But the good news is, everybody feels that way.

Annie/Starlight: Thank you.

The Deep: And hey, we’re a team now. We’ll help each other out. I bet growing up, you had a poster of Homelander on your wall, huh?

Annie/Starlight: No, actually I… I don’t know. Homelander’s so… He’s like Jesus or something. If you wanna know the truth, I actually had a poster of you.

The Deep: What? Really?

Annie/Starlight: Yeah, yeah.

The Deep: Oh.

Annie/Starlight: I kinda… I kinda had a schoolgirl crush on you.

The Deep: Oh, my God.

Annie/Starlight: Oh, God. I hope that’s not inappropriate to say.

The Deep: No, no, no. It’s not inappropriate at all. It’s just–It’s kinda wild.

[Annie looks out the window for a moment, then turns around and sees The Deep has pulled his pants down and begun masturbating]

The Deep: What? I mean, you said you had a crush on me. I figured that, you know…

[Annie hurriedly walks away in shock and disgust]

The Deep: Whoa, whoa, wh-wh-whoa. Hey, look. You're gorgeous. I'm not–I'm not talking about sex, just a little bit of pole-smoking. [Annie continues making her way out] Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. It's just a question of how bad you wanna be in The Seven.

Annie/Starlight: [beat; turns around to face the Deep] Excuse me?

[Annie’s powers flare up, shattering some nearby screen monitors and flickering the lights]

The Deep: Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey. Hey… Take it easy. Settle down. We’re just–We’re just talking. And look, I know that you’re powerful. I get it. Your powers are no joke. The thing is… I am number two around here. So, like, if I say so, you’d be out of here. Especially since you attacked me.

Annie/Starlight: I what?

The Deep: Yeah, look. [gestures towards the broken screens and starts walking up to Annie] I mean, Iowa’s sweetheart–the Defender of Des Moines–just went psycho on The Deep. I mean, that… that could put you out of the business. Yeah, I mean, home to Mommy, tail tucked between your legs. Just think of all those kids. I mean, the kids… Those kids who look up to you, they’d just be shattered. That’s not what you really want, right? [brief pause] Or, we come together as a team. You and me, we just roll with the punches for, like, three minutes maybe. It’s not a big deal. And then you know what happens? All your dreams come true.

[Hughie is working at the video store late at night and sees a man holding a nanny cam teddy bear]

Hughie: You interested in a nanny cam? 'Cause we're actually running a special on that. Um, it's a pretty popular bear. There's cameras in the eyes.

Billy Butcher: Tell me, how many nannies shake their babies?

Hughie: Uh, I'm sorry?

Butcher: Y'know, a good hard shake. [shakes the bear] Like… Like tryin' to get ketchup out of a bottle. One percent? Less?

Hughie: I–I don't really know.

Butcher: [puts the bear down] Funny, that. They sell a billion dollars worth of that shit worldwide. Goes to show you, doesn't it? The bollocks people will believe if you get 'em scared enough.

Hughie: Cool. Cool, cool. Um, is there anything I can help you with today, or...?

Butcher: I'm not gonna piss you about, Hughie. I heard what happened to Robin.

Hughie: I'm–I'm sorry, who are you?

Butcher: She wasn't in the street. She was one step off the fuckin' curb, and you didn't take the payoff.

Hughie: Yeah. I said, who the hell are you? How do you know that?

Butcher: Name's Butcher. Billy Butcher. [takes out an FBI badge] Listen, I was thinkin' that, uh, you and me should have a little bit of a chat.

[Cut to Hughie and Butcher walking down a street in downtown Manhattan]

Hughie: You’re a Fed? You don’t sound like a Fed.

Butcher: What, I can’t immigrate? There’s a giant green slapper with her arse in the harbour that says different.

Hughie: You don’t really look like one either.

Butcher: No? What do I look like?

Hughie: Like you’re starring in a porn version of The Matrix.

Butcher: Well, it’s all right there in black and white.

Hughie: Okay, uh, what exactly can I do for you?

Butcher: No, you got it all wrong, Hughie. It's what I can do for you. You see, you ain't alone, son. Happens a lot more than you think. Supes lose hundreds of people each year to collateral damage.

Hughie: No. C'mon, that would be all over the news. People would be screaming bloody murder.

Butcher: Yeah, look, there might be the odd mention of it every now and again, like with Robin, but there's a shit sight more that happens that just gets swept right under the rug.

Hughie: ...Why?

Butcher: Ain't it obvious? Movie tickets, merchandising, theme parks, video games. A multi-billion dollar global industry supported by corporate lobbyists and politicians on both sides. But the main reason that you won't hear about it... is because the public don't wanna know about it. See, people love that cozy feeling that Supes give 'em. Some golden cunt to swoop outta the sky and save the day, so you don't gotta do it yourself. But if you knew half the shit they get up to... Ooh. Fuckin' diabolical. But that... is where I come in.

Hughie: Come in to... to do what?

Butcher: Spank the bastards when they get outta line.

[Annie is sitting on a park bench and on the verge of tears after a phone call with her mother. Hughie is sitting a few feet away when he notices her.]

Hughie: Um, excuse me. I’m sorry, are–are you okay? [Annie looks at him] Just seemed like a tough call. [pause; Annie doesn’t say anything] Sorry. I don’t mean to bother you.

Annie/Starlight: No. No, it’s okay. Uh… I’m fine. I’m just… I’m just having a bad day.

Hughie: Yeah, me too. Is it like a work thing or a life thing?

Annie/Starlight: It’s a work thing. You?

Hughie: Uh, life thing.

Annie/Starlight: You know how you have this image of yourself? Like, I thought I was strong, you know? Like, made of steel. A fighter. And then, I was faced with this horrible situation with this asshole, and… I just heard my mom’s voice in my head: “Keep smiling. The show must go on.” And I didn’t fight. And now, I just feel sick. Partly because I did it, but mostly because… it turns out I’m not who I thought I was. [beat] Oh! Oh, I’m… sorry. I–I didn’t mean to just dump all of that onto you.

Hughie: No, no, it’s totally fine that you dumped. Um, listen, do–do you like your job?

Annie/Starlight: Oh, it’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted.

Hughie: And it’s a good job? Like, you’re not selling kids smack?

Annie/Starlight: No, it’s a great job. I could help a lot of people.

Hughie: Thing is, I… used to know this girl, and we used to go skating at Rockefeller, and I'd be on the side with this death grip on the rails. She would just charge headfirst into the middle of the rink. And she wasn't… good. Like, she fell… a lot, but she was never scared. And she always used to say, “Just 'cause you fall on your ass doesn't mean you have to stay there.” So you fell on your ass, you know? That's not who you are. So who are you?

Annie/Starlight: [pause; smiles and shrugs] I’m a fighter. I’m gonna fight. Yeah, I’m gonna take that son of a bitch’s head clean off his body.

Hughie: Okay. Wow, that was… Okay. Cool. Little scary, but–but cool. [brief pause] I’m–I’m Hughie, by the way.

Annie/Starlight: Annie. [shakes Hughie’s hand]

[Butcher and Hughie are parked outside Vought Tower to carry out their plan]

Butcher: There's fuck-all security to worry about. In fact, they're a bunch of Muppets. [holds up bug] And the metal detector won't pick this up. Right? And what they'll probably do is take you through the security, and then up into the boardroom. Sit down. Be nice, congenial. Then, real polite-like, tell 'em you're gonna take a fake shit. Go into the bog, take the bug out. Peel back the plastic bit to reveal the sticky side. Put the plastic bit in the bog. Flush it. Then, go back into the boardroom, sit down–big smiles–plant the bug underneath the table. Easy-peasy Japanesey. Bob's your uncle. That's that.

Hughie: That's that? That was–That was a lot! That–Hold on, can you just–Can you repeat it again? Just a little bit slower? Because I–

Butcher: Shh, listen.

Hughie: [deeply exhales] Fuck.

Butcher: Hughie, calm down, alright? This is like that scene in The Matrix. Now, you could take the fuckin' red pill, right? Spend the rest of your life jackin' off, cryin' into your chai tea green latte, what the fuck. Or you could take the blue pill. Or is it the red pill? Anyway, take the other pill and quit bein' a cunt.

Hughie: Which pill do you want me to take?

Butcher: Just quit bein' a cunt. That's what I'm sayin'.

Translucent: So who are you? Fucking spy? For who, huh? You’re gonna fucking tell me, or I’m gonna smash your fucking scalp off! Who the fuck are you?!

[Translucent picks up a crowbar and holds it over Butcher. Hughie sneaks up behind him and grabs a live wire from the wall]

Butcher: I’ll tell you who you are: A fuckin’ moron. “Translucent” doesn’t even mean “invisible.” It means “semi-transparent.”

"Cherry" [1.02]

[Butcher brings his associate, Frenchie, along with Hughie to an abandoned restaurant, where they imprison Translucent]

Butcher: What d'you think, Frenchie?

Frenchie: You just dropped the Moby fucking Dick of problems on my plate. That's what I think, okay? He can re-order the carbon on his skin into metamaterial. It's hard as diamonds. It's nearly impossible to penetrate.

Butcher: Alright, how 'bout we suffocate him?

Frenchie: Some Dominicans already tried this, way back in '07.

Butcher: And what happened?

Frenchie: They're all fucking dead. That's what happened.

Butcher: Alright, then, fuck it. Electrocution. We'll just increase the amps.

Frenchie: You already hit him with enough to drop a water buffalo, and look. Might knock him out. Doesn't seem to kill him, huh? No. We need to pierce the skin somehow.

Butcher: Well, how the hell are we gonna do that?

Frenchie: I don't know.

Hughie: You're gonna kill him?

Butcher: [pause; turns and stares at Hughie] We didn't bring him here for a fuckin' Happy Meal.

Hughie: I don't–I thought we'd question him or something. I don't know, you get a–you get a hold of someone this big–

Butcher: At Gitmo, we had to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times over six months to get him to talk just once. Now, we ain't got six months. I doubt we've even got six hours.

Hughie: There are so many crazy things about what you just said. But right now, you're talking about randomly killing one of the most famous men on the planet. A goddamn national treasure. I mean… people tend to notice that kinda thing.

Butcher: And if we let him go, what do you think The Seven will do to us? Hmm? You can't get A-Train if you're a greasy smear on the pavement.

Hughie: I'm not a murderer.

Butcher: That's alright. I am.

Madelyn Stillwell: Did you hear about the mayor of Baltimore?

Homelander: …Yeah. Yeah, heard his plane went down. Some sort of engine trouble.

Stillwell: Yeah, it's awful. I saw him on Tuesday. I had a meeting with him right here.

Homelander: Wow. Well, hug your kids, right? 'Cause you never know what might happen.

Stillwell: So true. You know what's interesting? The Deep told me–and only me–that there were scorch marks on the mayor's engine. Almost as if from two small, high-intensity beams roughly the width of human eyes.

Homelander: Say what you mean to say.

Stillwell: Your brand is hope, baseball, America, sunshine. You don't do vengeance.

Homelander: Madelyn, I heard him through the wall. He was blackmailing you.

Stillwell: I am the last person you need to save.

Homelander: Yeah, but I did it for you!

Stillwell: I know, but did the timing occur to you? I have half the Senate Appropriations Committee coming tonight.

[Homelander scoffs and chuckles in disbelief for a moment, then sits down]

Homelander: [beat] How did he even know about Compound V?

Stillwell: We are not going to talk about that.

Homelander: Oh, come on, Madelyn. You do not need to hide things from me. I love Vought as much as you do, and I can do more.

Stillwell: You can do more? You've already grossed $12.3 billion for us.

Homelander: Right. So the pricks on 82 can take all the fucking credit? Empty fucking suits with Cornell degrees? Come on! I'm the one who's out there, not them! I'm the one who–who knows the audience. Who knows what's good for this company!

Stillwell: I know. I hear you, I do. But what I need right now is I need you to charm the shit out of those congressmen.

Homelander: [glares at Stillwell] Right. 'Cause that's all I'm good for, huh? Smile, look pretty, say my lines. Whoop, whoop, whoop.

Stillwell: No, no. You just need to let me protect you.

Homelander: Oh, you're gonna protect me?

Stillwell: Mmm-hmm. [pause; touches Homelander's cheek] Gods are pure… and they're perfect. And they're above it all. And they need to stay that way.

[Annie and The Deep are standing atop a dockside warehouse while they wait for robbers to arrive]

The Deep: Oh, wow. What a surprise. A water crime. Fuck me running. I swear to God, they only call me when there's trouble at a dock. Or a river, or a lake, canal… a jetty. [chuckles] Fucking idiots. I could be doing so much more. But no, Vought just wants me to make my big pretty dives in the water and flash my fucking biceps for Instagram. I mean, sure, four million hits a day, but still. It's fucking demeaning. [pause; Annie is silent] What's your problem? You've had that pissy look on your face all night.

[The lights start flickering and buzzing around them]

The Deep: Ooh, what? Is this about the other night again? [scoffs] Jesus Christ. [laughs] Cry me a fucking river, alright? I took my share of shit when I first got here, okay? Besides, you had a crush on me, remember?

Annie/Starlight: That gives you no right–zero right–to do what you did, you pathetic asshole!

The Deep: Hey, you shut your fucking mouth.

Annie/Starlight: Or what? You'll sic a grouper on me?

The Deep: I'll tell everyone you're a psycho. I'll go to Homelander.

Annie/Starlight: No, you won't. See, I asked around. You're not number two around here. You're just the fish guy. Everyone thinks you're a joke. Me most of all. I cannot believe I fell for your crap.

The Deep: You stuck-up little–

Annie/Starlight: You ever touch me again… [her eyes light up] I will burn your eyes out. Understand me?

[Hughie brings a glass of water to the room where an invisible Translucent is caged]

Hughie: Hi. I thought you might be thirsty, so…

[He sets the glass down on the floor and opens a grate on the cage. Translucent doesn't react.]

Hughie: Well, if you don't want it, I can always–

Translucent: No, I want it. Cheers.

[Translucent picks up the glass and drinks from it]

Hughie: So listen, I need to ask you some questions about A-Train. When he burst through that woman the other day–Robin Ward. I–I need to know why. Where was he going? What was he doing?

Translucent: Why? What was she to you? Sister? Girlfriend? [pause; Hughie says nothing] Girlfriend. [sighs] That's what all this is about? Christ. What makes you think I know anything about it?

Hughie: I know you and A-Train were tight. You guys came up together.

Translucent: What are you, a fucking fan?!

Hughie: Listen… Those two guys in there, they wanna kill you, okay? So you give me something, maybe I can–

Translucent: What? Hold them off? 'Cause they hang on your every word. You're the big man around here.

Hughie: Okay, you don't wanna talk, don't talk. I tried. Good luck.

[As Hughie is about to leave the room, Translucent stops him]

Translucent: Buddy, my superpower ain't invisibility. [pause; makes himself visible] You know that, right? It's reading people. Watching them when they think they're alone. I see people for who they really are. I see you too, pal.

Hughie: Right. [kneels down to eye level with Translucent] 'Cause you know me so well, right?

Translucent: Yeah. I know you're trying your damnedest to be tough. It's a little adorable, but the truth is… you're terrified. Shitting in your tightie-whities 'cause you're in over your head, fucked. And you know it. Hughie, I even kinda feel for you. Your girl died, and we do crazy shit when we got broken hearts. But now every instinct is screaming at you to head for the hills, and you should listen to that instinct.

Hughie: Unless we kill you first.

Translucent: How? I got invulnerable skin. I'm a fucking superhero, guy. We fight gangs and terrorists. We save the world daily. I've stood in front of thousands of screaming fans, all of them creaming their jeans. …Who are you? A water balloon filled with blood and meat. Homelander's gonna find me, and when he does, he's gonna burst you wide open. I'm gonna make it home in time for cocktails. 'Cause that's who you are, and that's who I am. You're not the hero of this story, and I'm not the one who's trapped.

Hughie: [beat] Well, good luck. I tried.

Translucent: Great chat. Run for the hills, Hughie.

Anika: Homelander. Um… Welcome to Crime Analytics. Would you like a Red Bull?

Homelander: Have you found Translucent yet?

Anika: Uh, no. But security's on it.

Homelander: He's been missing over 24 hours. Is he in danger?

Anika: Um…

Homelander: Do you even know? [pause; Anika says nothing] Forget it. I'll find him myself. What's his last known position, please?

Anika: Why don't I just call Ms. Stillwell.

Homelander: No. No, no, no, no, no. You're talking to me.

Anika: Well, I'm not sure I'm supposed to be talking to you.

Homelander: What's your name?

Anika: Anika, sir.

Homelander: Anika. That's a beautiful name. Listen, Anika. I'm the Homelander, and I can do whatever the fuck I want, okay? [pushes Anika's chair in] Now, [sternly] Translucent's last known position. Please.

Translucent: What the…? Something doesn't feel right.

Butcher: Oh, I'll bet.

Frenchie: I'm not ashamed to admit I have outdone myself. [to Translucent] Now, the problem is the skin, no? It's hard like diamonds. But then I realized, it is just your shell that is hard, huh? Like a turtle. But your insides, they're like the rest of ours: Soft. So, how do you get to the squishy insides? Through the mouth? Non. The stomach acid, the gag reflex… if I stick something down your throat, you may vomit it up. There's truly only one way.

Translucent: The fuck did you do to me?

Butcher: He stuck a lump of plastique up your bum, son.

Frenchie: Ass bomb.

"Get Some" [1.03]

[Annie meets with some marketing people, along with Stillwell and Ashley]

Ashley: This is Seth and Evan from marketing.

Annie/Starlight: Hi.

Ashley: They have some brilliant ideas on how to capitalize on all the buzz. Gentlemen?

Seth: Okay. Now, small-town Iowa girl–unexpected child prodigy–is chosen for The Seven.

Evan: Destiny knocks on the girl next door's door, and she answers, to fight for truth and justice side by side with her heroes.

Seth: The Big Apple is rough, tumble. It's got worms. Muggers and rapists and thieves, oh, my! Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore!

Evan: Or Iowa. Poor girl gets knocked around by something fierce. Kicked while she's down.

Seth: So what does she do? Does she cry in her milk? Does she quit?

Evan: No way!

Seth: She adapts! She transforms!

Evan: Embraces her feminine strengths!

Seth: Good-bye, Yellow Brick Road!

Evan: And hello, Starlight!

[A fashion designer, Isadora, pulls back the fabric to show a new Starlight outfit, which is a skimpier version of her old one]

Annie/Starlight: I can't wear that.

Isadora: What?

Ashley: Why not? It's beautiful.

Annie/Starlight: Seriously? It's just… It's not me.

Isadora: I designed Homelander's suit. This isn't my first rodeo.

Seth: You're wrong. It's totally you. It's bold, it's brave, it's feminist.

Annie/Starlight: How is that feminist?

Evan: It's empowering. It says you're confident in your own skin, and you're not afraid to show it.

Seth: Most importantly, it tells the story. Of your transformation. Of what you're going through.

Annie/Starlight: How exactly do you know what I'm going through, exactly? I'm sorry. I–I appreciate the effort. I really do, but I'm fine with my old outfit.

Stillwell: We're not.

Annie/Starlight: Excuse me?

Stillwell: Starlight, like I said before, this is a partnership. In a partnership, there is give and there is take.

Annie/Starlight: It's my body. I have the right to choose how much of it I show.

Stillwell: That is true. You do. You just won't be doing it in The Seven, unless it is wrapped in that.

[Butcher recruits his old partner, Mother's Milk, to the team. M.M. and Frenchie immediately tense up when they see each other]

Frenchie: Oh, no…

Mother's Milk: Motherfucker!

[They both approach each other with knives. Butcher gets in between them.]

Hughie: Butcher, who is this guy?!

Butcher: You'll give the game away!

Mother's Milk: Not until this frog gets what's coming.

Frenchie: The only thing that is coming is me on your mother's titties!

Mother's Milk: Let me throw it at him, bitch!

Butcher: Hey!

Mother's Milk: We had an agreement about him.

Butcher: We agreed to put a pin in it, alright?

Frenchie: What agreement?!

Mother's Milk: There was no pin! I don't trust this French whore!

Frenchie: I am more American than you, you racist piece of shit!

Hughie: Why are they fighting?!

Butcher: Nothing! It is water under the bridge!

Mother's Milk: [to Frenchie] You tell that to Mallory's grandkids. Tell them it's water under the bridge.

Frenchie: That wasn't my fault.

Hughie: Who is Mallory?

Butcher: Alright, the both of you, knock it on the head, now!

[The standoff is interrupted by a cell phone ringing]

Mother's Milk: …Shit! [answers phone] Hey, Monique. How you doin', baby? Ooh, I forgot to marinade the tilapia. I am so sorry, sweetheart. [pause] Okay, how 'bout this? How about on my way home from work, I stop by DeLuca's, pick up two fat tenderloins, some portobello mushrooms, that pinot that you love so much. Yeah, baby. Okay, I–I gotta go. Alright, sweetheart. Yeah. Me, too. …Baby, I just–Uh, you're right. You're right. I love you, too. Okay. Bye.

[Mother's Milk makes kissing noises and hangs up. Frenchie and Butcher burst out laughing.]

Mother's Milk: Fuck all of ya'll, okay?

Butcher: Alright, alright. [to M.M. and Frenchie] Listen, you two knobbers kiss and make up, yeah? We got a fuckin' job to do.

Mother's Milk: Who's this guy?

Butcher: The new lad, Hughie. Hughie, Mother's Milk.

Hughie: That's a… nickname?

Mother's Milk: [sarcastically] No, my mother actually named me "Mother's Milk".

Hughie: Did–Did she?

Mother's Milk: So we got a French whore and a Stephen fucking Hawking. Great job, Butcher.

Butcher: Well, it was Stephen fuckin' Hawking who dusted the Supe.

Mother's Milk: So Translucent, huh? How the fuck did you pull that off?

Hughie: I don't know. Just lucky, I guess.

Mother's Milk: Still… Must've been scary.

Hughie: You wanna know what's really messed up? It's, uh, in some ways just right in that moment, it felt kinda good.

Mother's Milk: It's written all over your face, Hughie.

Hughie: What? How can you tell?

Mother's Milk: 'Cause I know how this job makes me feel.

Hughie: When I had that detonator in my hand, I felt like a–I felt like a rush.

Mother's Milk: I get it.

Hughie: Like, I felt alive.

Mother's Milk: But that rush, Hughie, is no different than the shit A-Train shoots up. Everything comes with a price.

Hughie: [beat] The last thing I ever said to Robin… was, "Don't you ever besmirch Billy Joel." That was the last thing that she heard before she burst into pieces. And I gotta live with that shit for the rest of my life. [pause] The price… Whatever it is, I'll pay it.

Homelander: Let's hear it for my buddy, A-Train! Am I right?

[Homelander smiles and waves at the cheering crowd]

Homelander: [laughs; under his breath] Alright... You fucking cocksuckers.

[Hughie and Annie sit down together after he finds out that she's Starlight]

Hughie: This is just so weird. I mean, the other day–Was it three days ago?

Annie/Starlight: Mm-hmm.

Hughie: You just seemed like… You seemed so normal, you know? And now, it's just–

Annie/Starlight: Now I'm a freak.

Hughie: No. No, not–No, that's not what I meant at all. I just meant–I just wasn't getting Beyoncé vibes, but… [Annie laughs] Not that you don't have that–

Annie/Starlight: I'm messing with you.

Hughie: Okay.

Annie/Starlight: You know… it was really nice to talk to someone who didn't know who I was. Once you're behind the scenes, it's… it's different.

Hughie: Like how?

Annie/Starlight: I don't know if they really want you to be a hero. I think they just want you to look like one.

[Hughie turns off his radio so Butcher doesn't eavesdrop on their conversation]

Hughie: The other day on the bench when you were talking about how much you hated your job, you meant… you meant this job? [Annie nods] Then, um… Just quit. Just walk away. I mean, you got nothing to prove.

Annie/Starlight: [beat] I should probably get back, you know, before they send a search party for me.

Hughie: Yeah, totally. Um, listen, Annie… Starlight? What do you, uh–

Annie/Starlight: Annie.

Hughie: This is insane, but uh–I know you're you and everything, but if you ever just wanted to, you know, get–

Annie/Starlight: Would you like my number?

Hughie: [pause] Yeah. Yeah, that's–that's, uh… That's what I was asking.

Annie/Starlight: Okay.

Hughie: Do I call you, or do I just commit a crime?

Annie/Starlight: Probably committing a crime would get me to you quicker.

"The Female of the Species" [1.04]

Butcher: Remind me, what was our deal?

Popclaw: What?

Butcher: What was our fuckin' deal?

Popclaw: Go to hell. I already told you, A-Train runs the Compound…

Butcher: Yeah, runs the Compound V to the noodle shop up on Division. We've been up on it all week and we ain't seen fuck all.

Popclaw: Well, wherever he's going, it's around there. Because every time he leaves with the V, he comes back with the sesame noodles! That's all I know!

Butcher: Well, you'd better be right, love, or you and your dearly departed landlord are gonna find yourselves on Pornhub in the fatal cunnilingus section.

[Butcher meets up with the rest of the Boys after Frenchie frees the Female from her armed captors. He inspects a Compound V needle that M.M. found]

Butcher: So A-Train's runnin' it here, and these blokes are dosin' the Asian bird with it.

Mother's Milk: Yeah, back when they had eyeballs.

Hughie: Yeah, but why? Is it a Vought thing or, like, a side hustle?

Mother's Milk: [shows Butcher a paper bag] Came gift-wrapped in this.

Butcher: Find out where it came from.

Mother's Milk: I'll shake a few trees.

Butcher: Why the hell were they dosin' her?

Mother's Milk: [points at Frenchie] Why don't we ask Foie Gras over here? He's the one that let her out.

Frenchie: She looked innocent.

Mother's Milk: Innocent? She's locked up in a cage underground with two armed guards?

Frenchie: I had a feeling about her.

Mother's Milk: Nah, Frenchie. You just didn't follow the plan. You never follow the plan, man.

Frenchie: You need to unclench your asshole.

Mother's Milk: You need to eat my clenched asshole.

Butcher: Why are you two carryin' on like a bunch of fuckin' twats? We're sniffin' down a shit sandwich the size of Watergate. Vought and the Supes are both gonna be lookin' for her. All we gotta do is find the Female first.

[Butcher notices Hughie looking at his cell phone]

Butcher: Keep lookin'. [to Hughie] Who's that, then, eh?

Hughie: It's nobody.

[Butcher gestures for Hughie to hand him his phone. He scrolls through Hughie's text messages.]

Butcher: "Annie?" Starlight?

Hughie: Yeah, it's nothing. I mean, we were supposed to go on a date. Not a date. Just, she asked me if I wanted to ask her for her number, and then we just kinda platonically exchanged information, but the… the word "date" was never mentioned.

Butcher: Call her back right now. You're fuckin' goin'.

Hughie: As a rule, I don't usually go out after a gory massacre.

Butcher: Listen, here's the job. You're gonna hot mic her phone. From now on, we hear everything she says. I mean, this is a golden opportunity. And after all you done, piece of cake.

Hughie: Yeah, she's not a… She's not a bad person.

Butcher: She's a Supe, Hughie. Just like the fuckin' rest of them.

[Trans-Oceanic Flight 37 has lost both pilots after Homelander and Queen Maeve kill the last of the hijackers]

Queen Maeve: Can you fly a plane?

Homelander: [shakes his head] Wouldn’t matter if I did. [points at the destroyed control board]

Queen Maeve: What do we do?!

[Homelander just aimlessly looks around and walks out of the cockpit]

Homelander: [to the passengers] Alright, everyone, remain calm. Stay in your seats. Everything’s under control. [gives thumbs-up]

Queen Maeve: You’ve gotta go out there. Lift the plane up.

Homelander: Lift the plane? How? Th–There’s nothing to stand on; it’s fucking air.

Queen Maeve: I don’t know, fly at it! Ram it straight!

Homelander: You know, at that kind of speed, either the plane goes ass over tit, or I’ll punch straight through the hull or–

[The plane dips into a nosedive. Oxygen masks to deploy, which sends everyone into a panic]

Homelander: [to the passengers] Whoa! That was a big one! Everything’s fine, don’t worry about it!

Queen Maeve: [pause; Homelander glares at her] Okay. Okay, you take everyone one by one. You fly them to the ground.

Homelander: [laughs] And what, come back 123 times? Maeve, think.

[Maeve realizes to her horror that Homelander has no intention of saving the passengers]

Homelander: We’re done here.

Queen Maeve: Please!

Homelander: [to the passengers] Everything’s fine, guys. Everything’s fine. You’re okay.

Female Passenger #1: Wait, you’re leaving us?

Homelander: No, no, no, no, no. I’m just seeing something down the back.

Female Passenger #2: Oh, my God. You’re leaving! He’s leaving us!

Homelander: I said I’m not.

[The plane turns on its side. Everyone panics even harder.]

Little Girl: Homelander, are you gonna save us?

Homelander: Oh, sweetheart, of course I’m gonna save you! You betcha! I’m gonna save everyone here. Don’t worry about it.

[Maeve looks around in dismay as the passengers continue freaking out]

Homelander: Maeve!

[Homelander heads to the back of the plane and breaks the emergency door open. Maeve sees a mother with her daughter and tries to save them.]

Queen Maeve: Okay, you two. Take off your masks. Come on! Now! [to Homelander] Take these two!

Homelander: No, no!

Queen Maeve: Just these two, please!

Homelander: No! What, so they can tell the world we left the rest of them to fucking die?!

Queen Maeve: Come on!

Homelander: No, Maeve! [to several passengers trying to escape] No, you stay back! ALL OF YOU, STAY BACK! [activates laser eyes] YOU STAY THE FUCK BACK OR I’LL LASER YOU, GODDAMMIT!! I’LL LASER EVERY FUCKING ONE OF YOU!

Mother's Milk: So where's the girl, Frenchie? Since you're the psycho chick whisperer all of a sudden.

Frenchie: Maybe subway. Maybe she wants to find a train, no?

Mother's Milk: Oh, yeah? How deep up your ass did you pull that out?

Frenchie: Well, it depends. How deep does your tongue go?

Mother's Milk: Listen, you lost her, man. We had orders, we're supposed to follow them. We're professionals and we count on each other, but you're on some fucking Bohemian flaky drug shit. Even Hughie–who's a fucking white Urkel–is more professional than you.

Frenchie: I understand it's hard for someone who's anally OCD to understand.

Mother's Milk: Okay, then help me understand, Frenchie. What happened the night that Mallory had you tail Lamplighter?

Frenchie: Oh, that's enough!

Mother's Milk: Mallory was our boss, man. We had orders. And you were supposed to follow him. You were supposed to follow Lamplighter, tail him, but you let him go!

Frenchie: I didn't know.

Mother's Milk: And Lamplighter goes and torches Mallory's grandkids!

Frenchie: I didn't know!

Mother's Milk: It doesn't matter! You didn't follow orders and it cost some lives!

[Frenchie punches M.M. in the face, causing a brief scuffle. Butcher quickly intervenes.]

Butcher: Hey! Hey, knock it off! Knock if off!

Mother's Milk: You know what? Fuck this, Butcher. And fuck you! I'm done!

Butcher: M.M., wait!

Mother's Milk: You said this time would be different. [gestures to Frenchie] But this motherfucker's still here doing the same old shit! And we're all gonna fucking end up like Mallory!

Frenchie: Yeah, fuck off. [throws his fist in the air as M.M. walks off]

Mother's Milk: Fuck this.

Butcher: Oi, both of you! M.M!

Mother's Milk: What?

Butcher: What's Sporty Spice up to?

Mother's Milk: Who?!

Butcher: Sporty fuckin' Spice. What is she up to?

Mother's Milk: [pause; walks back up to Butcher] I don't know.

Butcher: Exactly. [to Frenchie] How 'bout Posh? You know what she's doin'?

Frenchie: I don't understand.

Butcher: Makin' clothes for anorexics, alright? Not exactly a growth market. And Baby? You know what she's doin'? Fuck all. Not even page six of the Daily Mail. And Scary Spice? Up to her eyeballs in lawsuits and sex tapes. Ginger, on the other hand, has released three albums: Passion, Schizophrenic, and Scream If You Want To Go Faster. They'll all make your ears bleed. You see, when they're apart, they're absolute fuckin' rubbish. But you put 'em together… They're the goddamn fuckin' Spice Girls.

Mother's Milk: How do you know so much about the Spice Girls?

Butcher: Look, the point… is that we're all shite by ourselves. We need each other. We need each other, or we're fuckin' dead in the water. Now, you guys can beat the livin' fuckin' shit out of each other. I really don't care. It ain't gonna change the past. [takes gas canister from Frenchie] What d'you say we go find that dirty little bitch, gas her arse, and get the fuck outta here?

[Frenchie and M.M. exchange confused looks with each other as Butcher walks away]

Mother's Milk: Jesus, he gives the worst pep talks.

Frenchie: He really, really does.

[Homelander and Queen Maeve solemnly watch the floating plane wreckage wash up on the beach]

Reporter #1: Once again, the horrific wreckage of Trans-Oceanic Flight 37 just beginning to wash up on shore. Every passenger onboard presumed dead.

Homelander: …They didn't have to die.

[The reporter motions for the camera crew to follow him and he approaches Queen Maeve and Homelander]

Reporter #1: We have Homelander and Queen Maeve on the scene. [to Homelander] Do you have a comment?

Homelander: I said they didn't have to die. We arrived three minutes after the plane went down. And why? Because we're not in the chain of command. If NORAD called us before they scrambled jets, then we could've saved them. One hundred and twenty-three men, women and children. [tearfully] Excuse me.

[Homelander starts crying and takes a deep breath]

Homelander: But if they let us into the military, then this will never happen again. That is my solemn promise to you. Right, Maeve? [pause; Maeve just nods] Talk to your congressmen. Talk to them. They'll listen to the people. And together… Together, we will make sure that this never happens to our great nation ever again! God bless you! God bless America!

[All the reporters start applauding and cheering for Homelander]

Reporter #2: We hear you, Homelander!

Homelander: And I hear you, brother! I hear you! And the world hears you! And very, very soon, my friend, whoever did this to us WILL HEAR FROM ALL OF US!

[Maeve shakes her head while Homelander salutes the reporters chanting his name]

"Good for the Soul" [1.05]

Hughie: $15,000 for an exclusive VIP experience with Ezekiel. Seriously? There's not an easier, cheaper way for us to get to him?

Butcher: We ain't gettin' to Ezekiel. You are.

Hughie: I am?

Mother's Milk: Whoa, wait. What?

Butcher: Well, Starlight's one of the headliners, right? She'll get you in.

Hughie: Whoa. Look, we've only been on, like, a date and a half, okay? I can't just ask her for a diamond club pass.

Butcher: [takes off sunglasses] What's the matter? You worried your fake Supe girlfriend's gonna think you're usin' her?

Hughie: Okay, then what? I just go up to Ezekiel, "Hey, man. What's up with you smuggling blue dope into Chinatown basements?"

Butcher: Yeah, pretty much. Once you show him this.

[Butcher shows Hughie a video of Ezekiel making out with two men at the Supe nightclub]

Hughie: Jesus. [pause] This is from that club you took me to?

Butcher: You remembered our first night together. I'm touched.

Mother's Milk: Okay, why is this the first time I'm hearing about this plan? This kid needs to be trained up, Butcher.

Hughie: Yeah. Yeah, what he said. I–I don't know how to blackmail anybody.

Butcher: Hughie, you've done a murder. Comparatively speakin', this'll be a piece of cake.

Pastor: I'm–I'm not really sure what you're saying, son.

Butcher: I'm sayin' that if there is some geezer up there with a big white beard, he's a world heavyweight cunt.

Mother's Milk: What?

Pastor: I–I'm sorry, did you just call God a c-word?

Butcher: Yeah. He's got a hard-on for mass murder and givin' kids cancer, and his big 'ol answer to the existential clusterfuck that is humanity is to nail his own bleedin' son to a plank. That is a cunt move. Come on, even you gotta agree with me here.

Mother's Milk: Hey, hey, hey. Please…

Butcher: We should lob a fuckin' nuke at him, get it over and done with. Y'know what I'm saying?

Mother's Milk: [to the pastor] We're sorry, sir. We apologize. [to Butcher] My man…

Butcher: Alright. Good talk. Think about it. I'm here all day, alright?

[Butcher and Mother's Milk walk away to a less populated area]

Mother's Milk: You mind pipin' it down just a little bit, huh?

Butcher: Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to offend your inner black Baptist mum shoutin', "Praise the Lord."

Mother's Milk: Fuck you. I'm Episcopalian. And there's nothing wrong with havin' a little church up in you, you know?

Butcher: Said the bishop to the nun. What about you, Hughie? D'you believe in God?

Hughie: I mean, I don't know.

Butcher: What? Come off it.

Hughie: Yeah, I don't know. I don't think it's Morgan Freeman up there or anything, but it can't all be random chaos.

[Homelander confronts Stillwell about the speech he's about to give at the Believe Expo]

Stillwell: What are you doing here?

Homelander: Skipping work now?

Stillwell: I am taking Teddy to the pediatrician.

Homelander: Maybe reschedule it.

Stillwell: I've already rescheduled three times. What is the emergency?

Homelander: My speech.

Stillwell: Your speech?

Homelander: Yes, my speech. It reads like corporate fucking mayonnaise. We're talking Believe here. These are my people.

Stillwell: But you're not just talking to them. Every dove and Democrat in Congress is gonna be watching you on CNN. You need to appear moderate…

Homelander: No.

Stillwell: Humble.

Homelander: No, you… There is an opportunity here. People are scared. They don't trust Washington or the coastal elite, and they hate foreigners. What they want is a little John Wayne frontier justice. And that is what I do. [pause] Don't forget… it was me that saved that Flight 37 thing. I turned that into a win. For us.

Stillwell: You're really gonna talk to me about "saving" Flight 37? [snickers]

Homelander: Well, why wouldn't I?

Stillwell: Look, can I please just talk to you later? The speech is perfect! Trust me!

Homelander: "Trust you." Okay. That's what you always say.

Stillwell: [to Teddy] Come here.

[Stillwell ignores Homelander and picks up Teddy from his car seat]

Homelander: You're not even fucking listening to me! You're so full of shit! You say you want my input, but you don't.

Stillwell: Yes, I do.

Homelander: No, you don't. And you never will.

Stillwell: I do! Can we please just talk later?!

Homelander: Why? You gonna run off and play "strong single mom"? Please… That baby is an accessory.

Stillwell: We need boundaries.

Hughie: Excuse me, sir. May I speak with you just for a moment?

Ezekiel: Sorry, son. I got a packed schedule.

Hughie: Alright. I understand, sir, but it's just–I need your guidance. I need Christ's guidance.

Ezekiel: What is it?

Hughie: Just hold on… one second. Let me just show you something.

[Hughie realizes his cell phone, which has the incriminating video of Ezekiel, stopped working after being water-damaged]

Ezekiel: [chuckles] What's wrong?

Hughie: Uh… You fucked me.

Ezekiel: What?

Hughie: Yeah, in a private Supe club. You know, the one on East 29th? Secret Lair, I think it's called?

Ezekiel: Don't know it. Nope.

Hughie: There were three of us oiled up, and you just wrapped your stretchy arms around me and it was–it was so fucking hot. And your dick was so perfect and long and… stretchy. And you–you played my butt like jazz. With poise and skill and… willingness to improvise.

[Later, Hughie calls M.M. on another phone after successfully blackmailing Ezekiel]

Hughie: Hey, so that wasn't a piece of cake.

Mother's Milk: Hughie, that you? You alright?

Hughie: Yeah. Yeah, it's me. Sorry. I had to–had to borrow a phone. [to someone offscreen] Thanks again. [to M.M.] I got baptized. Yeah, it's a long story. Blackmailing somebody is not cake, okay? It is weird, it's scary, you wind up just saying shit.

Mother's Milk: Okay, but did you get him to talk? What'd he say?

Hughie: Uh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, you–you know that charity of his? Samaritan's Embrace?

Mother's Milk: Right.

Hughie: Alright. So what they do is they take boxes full of that stuff and they ship it to hospitals all across the country. And apparently, the latest one is going to the NICU at Mercer Hospital. It's, uh–It's Midtown, I think.

Mother's Milk: You are a natural, kid. You're like the fuckin' Rain Man of fucking people over.

Hughie: [laughs sarcastically] Not a compliment.

[Homelander gives his speech in front of a crowd of Christians]

Homelander: A terrible tragedy befell our nation last week. Terrible. Now, let's not mince words about this. We were attacked.

[The crowd starts applauding and cheering. Cut to Stillwell nervously watching the event from her office.]

Homelander: America was attacked. Some people… They want me to come out here and speak empty platitudes to you all. A little bit of corporate talk. But I don't wanna do that. I can't do that. You wanna know why?

Crowd: Why?

Homelander: Because I believe that what God wants me to do is get on over there, find the filthy bastards that masterminded this… whatever cave they're in, and introduce them to a little thing called God's judgment! That's what I think! Sounds like the American thing to do! Sounds like the right thing to do! But no! No, no, no, no, no! Apparently, I gotta wait for Congress to say it's okay! [pause; the crowd boos in response] Right? I say, I answer to a higher law.

[The crowd cheers for him again]

Homelander: Wasn't I chosen to save you?! Is it not my God-given purpose to protect the United States of America?!

[As the crowd chants his name, Homelander spreads his arms out, floats up in the air, and slowly hovers over to them]

Homelander: Psalm 58:10: "The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance, and he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked!"

Annie/Starlight: Every single word that I say up here, I'm reading from a script. I didn't write any of these words. I don't even know if I believe in them. I mean, I believe in God. I love God so much, but… honestly, it's… it's just how goddamn certain everyone is around here. [pause; the audience gasps] I mean, tickets start at, what, 170 bucks so that these people can tell you how to get into Heaven? How do they know? How does anybody know? When the Bible was written, life expectancy was 30 years old. I mean, I'm not so sure you're supposed to take it literally. It also says that it's a sin to eat shrimp. What, if–if you're gay or if you're… Gandhi, you're going to Hell? I mean… [scoffs] And if you have sex before marriage, that's–that's not immoral. That's human. What's immoral is the guy who shoved his dick in my face.

[The audience gasps again. Cut to The Deep and Madelyn Stillwell at Vought Tower.]

The Deep: [watching from the Seven's meeting room] Shit.

Stillwell: [watching from her office] Shit.

Annie/Starlight: [looks at Hughie and her mom before continuing her speech] Here's the truth. Anyone who tells you they know the answers is lying. And I know, I know, I'm supposed to be this hero-idol-symbol-whatever, but... I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I'm just as scared and confused as the rest of you. I'm done pretending, and I'm done taking any more shit. [pause] Thank you.

[Hughie is the only one in the audience who claps for Annie after she walks offstage]

"The Innocents" [1.06]

Annie/Starlight: You fired Ashley?

Stillwell: It was actually a mutual decision. She wanted to explore different career paths, and um, we wished her well. So, I would like you to take this in the constructive spirit that it is intended.

Annie/Starlight: Okay.

Stillwell: You are a selfish, arrogant child.

Annie/Starlight: Wow.

Stillwell: Back in Iowa, I bet you watched a lot of Queen Maeve's movies, right?

Annie/Starlight: I did.

Stillwell: She was a rebel. Didn't take anyone's shit, didn't play by the rules. That's what you wanted to be. That's what American heroes are, but it's a myth; I should know because I wrote it. The truth is dozens of people in this company spent hundreds of hours to create the thing that is you.

Annie/Starlight: I never asked for that.

Stillwell: Then, why don't you burn the sparkly outfit and become a cop? You wanna be a superhero. You wanna be famous… but nobody's famous alone. So why don't you cut the petulant diva shit, show a little fucking gratitude, and let us do our job?

Annie/Starlight: [beat] No.

Stillwell: I'm sorry?

Annie/Starlight: I mean, I don't mean to be ungrateful, but… No red carpets, no reality TV, and no Noxzema commercials. And I want my old uniform back. I'm gonna save people.

Stillwell: Then, I think we may need to reconsider your position in The Seven.

Annie/Starlight: And I think that firing an employee after she reported sexual assault on live TV might tank your stock price.

Stillwell: [taken aback] Well, I hope we can count on your discretion.

Annie/Starlight: Sorry, I don't do discretion anymore. If anyone asks me who did it, I'm gonna answer honestly.

Stillwell: Well, it's great that you wanna tell the truth. I just don't know to whom you're referring.

Annie/Starlight: Oh, I think you know. I think you've known for a long time.

Stillwell: [pause] Thank you so much for coming, Starlight. I have a lot to think about.

Queen Maeve: Boy, you're really milking this thing for all it's worth.

Annie/Starlight: Excuse me?

Queen Maeve: This empowerment act. I mean, every time I'm on a red carpet now, they're asking me how I'm supporting Starlight. But hey, as long as you're trending, right?

Annie/Starlight: I know that you might not get this, but it's not an act. I'm just trying to be honest.

Queen Maeve: Okay, yeah.

Annie/Starlight: When I was younger, I read your autobiography so many times that I wore it out. I had to buy a second one. I wanted to live my life exactly like yours. Because you didn't just break all the bones in your right arm stopping that school bus from falling off of a bridge… but you also went to every kid's physical therapy afterwards just to show the world that they were heroes, too. You really stood for something. But now… I'm pretty sure that was just written by the marketing guys.

[Frenchie is watching a nature documentary on sharks and The Asian Female/Kimiko sits next to him]

Frenchie: Mon coeur. Would you like me to change it?

[The Female shakes her head]

Frenchie: You talked to me. She talked to me!

Mother's Milk: That's talking?

Frenchie: Well, she communicated anyway.

Mother's Milk: She likes Shark Week, huh? I'll call BuzzFeed.

Frenchie: I wonder if she lived by the water. [gets off couch and walks to M.M.] You know, you can't fool me. [sits near M.M.] Who is she? What does she want? Why is she here? She could be the key to it all. That's what you think, huh?

Mother's Milk: No, that's not what I think.

Frenchie: Yes, you do. It torments you. It's okay. Listen, I got one word for you. It's a surefire way to solve this puzzle. Once and for all.

Mother's Milk: Tell me.

Frenchie: Mesmer.

Mother's Milk: Mesmer? You want help from a Supe?

Frenchie: He despises Vought. Hates them, hates the other Supes. And the enemy of your enemy…

Mother's Milk: Frenchie, what part of "you're burned" do you not understand?

Frenchie: Oh, come on. It's a quick trip. She and I will hide in the van. Let's go. In, out, boom, bing.

Mother's Milk: "Boom, bing?" Look, I'll tell you what I can do. I can… possibly tattoo "fuck no" on your ass.

Frenchie: [gets up and flicks a hand] Ah, come on.

Mother's Milk: Best I can do.

Frenchie: You know… I've seen you eat ice cream.

Mother's Milk: Oh, my God.

Frenchie: Chunky Monkey, I believe.

Mother's Milk: Where is this going?

Frenchie: Well, you know, you take a spoonful… a chunk of fudge, perhaps. But then, I see you with the surface is uneven. So what do you do? You take another scoop, you try to even it out, which tragically creates a corresponding divot. Ultimately, there is only but one choice for you, no? To consume the entire pint. No, you don't want to. You don't want to, but you must. And I tell you why, my friend: Because you cannot bear things out of order. And she… she's out of order.

[Mother's Milk stares disapprovingly at the Female]

[Suspecting that Hughie may be falling in love with Annie, Butcher takes him to a superhuman survivors' support group to listen to people and their personal experiences with Supes]

Seth: So I'm kind of a writer. I work in marketing. There's this one hero, who shall remain nameless, but has ice powers.

Butcher: [snaps his fingers] Ice Princess.

Seth: I'm… not allowed to say. Anyway, she took a liking to me. It was heady, man. Intoxicating. No one wants to fuck the writer. Needless to say, I fell for her big time.

Butcher: [whispering to Hughie] What kind of knobber falls for a Supe?

Seth: Anyway, we were being intimate when she climaxed and accidentally turned into ice. Just for a second, but I was, uh… still in there, at negative 346 degrees. Same temperature as liquid nitrogen. As you can imagine, um… [beat; looks down in shame] It snapped off.

[Everyone, except Butcher and Hughie, quietly gasps]

Seth: The crazy thing is, I still miss her. It's like… that's the cost of a mortal like me for being with a god like her.

Butcher: [whispering to Hughie] If a Supe done that when she was happy, imagine what one would do if she found out you'd been lyin' to her from the get-go?

Lydia: Excuse me. Do you have something you'd like to share?

Butcher: No, no. Apologies. [to Seth] Please, do continue the ice capades.

Lydia: We don't make jokes or judgments here. Why don't you take the talking stick and tell us your story?

Butcher: Nah, I'm good.

Lydia: You know, I've seen guys like you before.

Butcher: Oh, I seriously doubt that.

Lydia: The smirk, the jokes–It's all a defense mechanism. But you don't have to do that here. This is a safe space.

Butcher: I said I'm good. Time to move on.

Lydia: Go ahead, Seth. Give him the stick.

[Seth attempts to give Butcher the talking stick, but Butcher yanks it from him and threatens him with it]

Butcher: You back off, or I'll shove this stick where your dick used to be. [to the rest of the support group] You're a bunch of pathetic Supe-worshipin' cunts. I bet you'd thank a Supe if they shat on your mum's best china! Did it ever occur to you that they split your spine… or broke your dick just for a laugh? Where's your fuckin' rage?! Your self-respect?! Sittin' here in your little share circle. Havin' a little whinge and a moan. Fuck lettin' go! You should be out there with a fuckin' chainsaw, goin' after them! Just a bunch of scared fuckin' rabbits.

[Butcher drops the talking stick and collects his jacket]

Butcher: [to Hughie as he walks out] Supes are the same. Every fuckin' one of 'em.

Hughie: Oh, he's, um... sorry. [follows Butcher out]

[Butcher and Hughie are sitting on a park bench]

Hughie: What are we doing here?

Butcher: My wife, Becca, used to hum the Spice Girls. She drove me round the fuckin' bend, y'know? All day long, walkin' around the house hummin'. She was happy. Now, I don't know why she was happy with me, but… she was happy. [beat] Homelander raped her.

Hughie: …Jesus. [pause] I–I'm sorry.

Butcher: Not long after that, she came and sat right here. I know this 'cause she got tagged in that security camera right there. [points at said camera on a lamp post] She sat here for three hours. Didn't move a muscle. Then, she just got up and walked away. That was eight years ago… and nobody's seen her since. Either Homelander killed her or she killed herself. Same difference. [pause] You see, I know what it's like to lose someone. You and me, we're in this together. For Robin… and Becca. That is why you can't allow yourself to be distracted by another bird. Especially not a Supe. Just remember… who your friends and who your enemies are.

The Deep: Oh, Ms. Stillwell. Hey, you wanted to see me, right?

Stillwell: Yeah, I'm running late. Can you walk with me?

The Deep: Yeah, sure. [holds up infant sleeper suit] Hey, look. I brought a little present for your little guy.

Stillwell: Ah.

The Deep: Never, uh, too young to start saving the world, right?

Stillwell: I'm gonna need you to make a public apology. And you're going to be taking a sabbatical from The Seven.

[The Boys recruit Mesmer to learn more about the Female by reading her mind. As Mesmer holds her hand, he sees a series of visions of her in a jungle with armed soldiers.]

Mesmer: There's a camp in a jungle. She's a soldier. There's a flag with a two-headed snake on it.

Butcher: Two-headed snake? Like… [makes an "X" with his arms and fists]

Mesmer: [nods] Yeah.

Butcher: With red rays behind it?

Hughie: What does that mean?

Mother's Milk: It's the flag of the Shining Light Liberation Army. Frenchie… you're dating a terrorist.

[...]

Frenchie: There must be more to all of this. She can't be a terrorist.

Butcher: Yeah, well, you just fuckin' keep her under control.

Mother's Milk: Okay, so they smuggle in a top-shelf extremist recruit and pump her up with Compound V.

Butcher: And then, when she's good and ready, they cut her loose to wreak havoc.

Frenchie: She wouldn't.

Hughie: Wait, why would Vought give Compound V to terrorists?

Mother's Milk: 'Cause the only thing more dangerous than a terrorist is a Supe terrorist. And the only way to fight it…

Butcher: Is with Sergeant fuckin' Homelander. Gotta let the cunts in the army now. Those fuckers are creatin' supervillains. And maybe there's more of 'em. God knows how many.

Hughie: Holy shit.

Mother's Milk: Okay, this is a clusterfuck. Even for us.

Frenchie: No, listen to me, okay? Maybe that's what they want her to be. But that's not who she is. That's not what she wants!

Butcher: And you know this 'cause she bends your fuckin' ear off?

Frenchie: She saved my life! She's not bad! She just wanna go home!

Butcher: She's a fuckin' Supe, just like the rest! How many times do I have to fuckin' say it, eh?!

[Frenchie notices the Female making more drawings]

Frenchie: [to the Female] Mon coeur, I know you understand me. Tell them who you are. Tell them what I see.

[The Female gets up, takes Mesmer's hand and kneels down with him. Mesmer closes his eyes and sees another series of visions of the Female as a child.]

Mesmer: The drawings are palm trees in front of the moon. It's where she grew up. They killed her parents. They kidnapped her and her brother… forced them to be soldiers. She just wants to go back and get her brother out of there. Her name's Kimiko.

Frenchie: Kimiko… Bonjour, Kimiko.

Annie/Starlight: I don't remember, but my mom said that when I was born, I almost blinded the doctor. So I had powers from the start. Why?

Hughie: No. No, I'm just curious.

Annie/Starlight: Mmm. Do you mind if we just… not talk about hero stuff tonight?

Hughie: Yeah, yeah. Bad day at work?

Annie/Starlight: Yeah, it's an understatement. You know, there's this beach in the Bahamas where the sand is pink. Like, cotton candy pink.

Hughie: What's it called?

Annie/Starlight: Pink Sands. [Hughie laughs] It's not the most creative name, but… Let's just go.

Hughie: Yeah. No, I can, uh… learn how to play the steel drum. You can get cornrows.

Annie/Starlight: [chuckles] How about tonight?

Hughie: [snaps fingers] Book that ticket. [pause] Are… Are we talking about this?

Annie/Starlight: I don't know. I… I just know that, for me, New York has been such an endless shit show...

[Hughie has vision of Robin staring at him from the back of the bar]

Annie/Starlight: …Except for you. Somehow, in the middle of it all… you found me.

[Hughie kisses Annie. When they break away, he looks off to the distance and no longer sees Robin. Annie giggles and passionately kisses him back.]

Butcher: Hughie? I thought that was you. [chuckles] Oh. Oh, I apologize. I didn't mean to interrupt.

Annie/Starlight: No. Hi, I'm Annie.

Butcher: Billy. [shakes Annie's hand] Old mate of Hughie's.

Annie/Starlight: [to Hughie] Boy, you really–you have a lot of friends showing up here.

Hughie: Yeah. Seems like it.

[...]

Butcher: Well, well, well.

Hughie: Butcher…

Butcher: She's quite tasty up close and personal. I get what you see in her.

Hughie: That wasn't what–

Butcher: I thought we had an understanding.

Hughie: We do. We do. It… It's not what–

Butcher: Not what it looks like? 'Cause from where I'm sittin', it looks like you've got your tongue halfway down the opposition's throat.

Hughie: She is not the opposition. She's a good person, okay? I mean, she could help us.

Butcher: Help us?

Hughie: Yeah.

Butcher: And what d'you think she's gonna do when she finds out you murdered Translucent?

"The Self-Preservation Society" [1.07]

[A-Train finds The Seven huddled together in the main conference room]

A-Train: What’s going on?

Homelander: I missed you guys. Just wanted to see your smiling faces. Take a seat, buddy. [pause; A-Train sits down next to Annie] And truth be known, I felt like we were overdue a little heart-to-heart. A rap session, maybe a little tough love.

Queen Maeve: [snickers] What’s that supposed to mean?

Homelander: It means that lately some of you have been… [starts walking around the room] a little out of sorts. Erratic. Unreliable. Downright sloppy. [points at Black Noir] Not you, Noir. You’ve been great. But the rest of you… it is fair to say that I am disappointed. Gotta keep your eye on the ball, guys. The enemies are storming the gates. I mean, [puts his hands on two empty chairs] we’re not even The Seven anymore. We’re down to five. We’re dropping like fucking flies, but at least now I know why.

[Homelander presses a button on a remote to show security cam footage of Hughie on one of the monitor screens]

Annie/Starlight: [looks shocked] Why…? Is this a joke? Why is Hughie up there?

Queen Maeve: I don’t understand. Who is this guy?

Homelander: This guy is Hugh Campbell. He and Starlight are going steady.

[The rest of The Seven all stare at Annie]

Homelander: He’s also one of the guys who killed Translucent.

Annie/Starlight: Wait, what?!

Homelander: As well as blackmailing Mesmer, Ezekiel, Popclaw, and God knows who else.

A-Train: Popclaw?

Annie/Starlight: No. No, no, no. That–That is insane!

Homelander: Starlight… Sticks and stones won’t break my bones, but words…

Annie/Starlight: No, sir. I’m sorry. I wasn’t… It’s just, he’s not–I mean, why would he do that?

Homelander: Good question. A-Train, over to you.

A-Train: …What?

Homelander: Oh, boy. That little leg of yours is still scrambled, huh?

[Homelander presses another button to zoom out on the image to show Hughie talking to A-Train]

Homelander: How about now?

A-Train: Oh, shit. I know this guy.

Homelander: You did smash through his girlfriend, so I should hope so. Robin… Something-or-other.

A-Train: I–I remember now. I’ve seen him outside of Popclaw’s place. He was all in my face. [to Annie] You’re fucking this guy?!

Annie/Starlight: Okay, slow down. I don’t know what’s going on, but Hughie is not capable of anything close to this.

Homelander: Well, that is true, actually. That’s very true. He is just a man, and… [chuckles] by the looks of it, not much of one, but–but hear me out. What if he was helped? Hmm? Say someone… I dunno, who got him in to see Ezekiel. And got rid of The Deep?

Annie/Starlight: No. Whoa, whoa… [gets up] No–

Homelander: [activates laser eyes] Keep those hands down by your sides, missy. [pause] Sit down.

[A-Train and Black Noir continue staring at Annie as she slowly sits back down. Homelander’s eyes return to normal.]

Homelander: Now… I know that you wanna make this whole Deep thing an “all the single ladies” moment. Power, [sarcastically jabs Annie with his fist] right? But really what you’ve done is pulled off every criminal's wet dream. I mean, The Seven is down by two. I just can’t help noticing that it all started when you came along. Which makes me wonder, which one of us is next? Hmm?

A-Train: You bitch.

Annie/Starlight: I didn’t do anything.

Homelander: Enough! We’re a different fucking breed! We shine with the golden light of providence, but you?! You’ve been helping these fucking mud people to go against us!

Annie/Starlight: No!

Homelander: Shut your fucking mouth, young lady. If you were in my position… what would you do to you?

Annie/Starlight: [mouthing] Please.

Queen Maeve: Homelander, that’s enough.

Homelander: You got something to add, Maeve?

Queen Maeve: She didn’t know.

Homelander: Well, she stinks of adrenaline and her heart’s beating like a little rabbit.

Queen Maeve: The only thing she’s guilty of is being fucking stupid. She obviously fell for this Hugh Campbell guy, he’s pumping her for information, so back off. Leave her alone.

Homelander: [beat; turns and looks at Maeve] Wow. Starlight, you must be something special. I can’t remember the last time Maeve gave a shit… Well, gave a shit about anyone, really. [exhales deeply; to Maeve] And if I say no?

Queen Maeve: Come on. I got this. It’s you and me, remember?

Homelander: [whispering] Don’t say I never do anything for you. [winks] Alright. You want her, you got her. She’s your responsibility now. I just hope you’re right about her. For both your sakes. Class dismissed! [claps]

Hughie: Hey, can we talk?

Butcher: That's what we're doin', innit?

Hughie: No, I mean–

Butcher: There ain't no secrets here, son. Spit it out.

Mother's Milk: Stop being an asshole. Just talk to the guy.

Butcher: Hughie doesn't mind. Do you, Hughie?

Hughie: [pause] Okay, fine. I don't think I can do this anymore.

Butcher: Do what?

Hughie: This. I mean, Vought–whatever with Kimiko–it's awful, and you gotta stop it, but I can't.

Butcher: Right. You just wanna kick back, drink a few Mai Tais, and let us do all the work. Is that it?

Hughie: I managed to go my whole life without seeing someone die horribly, and now I'm up to about a half dozen, so I think I'm good.

Butcher: Please. You're a fuckin' killer, Hughie. Just like the rest of us. Now, why don't you stop pissin' around and tell everybody what this is really all about? Yeah?

Hughie: Fine. Annie, okay?

Mother's Milk: [sighs and facepalms] Fuck.

Hughie: It's about Annie.

Butcher: [claps] Fuckin' finally! He's been sneakin' off to give her one at Lincoln Grand!

Hughie: You've been following me?

Butcher: Like you gave me a choice.

Hughie: She doesn't know anything, okay?! I'm not gonna tell her anything! We'll just–

Butcher: Just what? Fuck off to Epcot? The Hamptons? Maybe pump out a few flyin' babies?!

Hughie: No. I… I don't know!

Butcher: No, you don't know! 'Cause you ain't thinkin', except with your dick.

Hughie: You're wrong about her.

Butcher: That bitch is fuckin' playin' you, and you're too fuckin' blind to see it!

Hughie: So better to be loyal to a dead woman who doesn't know and doesn't care? How's that working out for you?!

Hughie: You know, this shit must be pretty good… if it's worth running through a human being for.

A-Train: Oh, my God, man! That was an accident! Where the fuck is the V?!

Hughie: That "accident" had a name.

A-Train: And what about Popclaw?! She had a name, too! Charlotte! The only good thing left in my life is gone now! What is this, man? I kill your girlfriend and you kill mine?!

Hughie: I didn't kill your girlfriend.

A-Train: You used her. You put her in danger, and then you threw her out like she was fucking garbage! How does this not all start with you, Hughie?! The only difference between you and me is that I made a mistake! The shit you did was on purpose! So who's worse?!

[In a flashback, Butcher is visited by a woman from the CIA]

Butcher: Don't want none, fuck off.

Grace Mallory: I'm here about your wife.

[Cut to Butcher watching surveillance camera footage of Becca with Homelander on a laptop]

Mallory: I believe this was a few days after you met Homelander at that Christmas party?

[Homelander is seen laughing and leading Becca into an empty room]

Mallory: She was alone with him for three hours.

[Mallory fast-forwards the footage until a disheveled and distressed Becca is shown running out of the room. Butcher covers his mouth as he realizes what Homelander did to her.]

Mallory: Not long after that, Rebecca went missing and has remained so ever since. One way or another, Mr. Butcher, I believe Homelander was involved.

Butcher: Homelander… But he's a fuckin' superhero.

Mallory: You wouldn't believe what they get up to.

Butcher: [pause] Who the fuck are you?

Mallory: My name is Mallory. [shows Butcher her CIA badge] I'm the person who can get you payback.

Queen Maeve: You know, I had someone once. We were gonna get away, start a family.

Annie/Starlight: So what happened?

Queen Maeve: Well… Everyone always asks, what's our special weakness? Gamma rays? Iron daggers? Some ridiculous, stupid thing? The truth is, our weakness is the same as anyone's. It's people. The people we care about. So I say, cut them loose. For your good and for theirs. That way you're really bulletproof.

Jonah Vogelbaum: Eight years ago, Stillwell called me with quite an interesting challenge. Rebecca Butcher had come to her with a completely unprecedented medical condition.

Homelander: What condition?

[In a flashback, Becca pulls up her hospital gown and her belly starts glowing. Stillwell and Vogelbaum look at her in shock.]

Vogelbaum: She was pregnant… with your child.

Homelander: Pregnant? [pause; mutters in shock] But I–I thought I couldn't.

Vogelbaum: So did I. Apparently, nature is tenacious. The fetus was developing unnaturally fast. We told her we'd deliver the baby safely at a secure location, but she had to sign an NDA. Couldn't tell anyone; not even her husband. You can imagine the size of the potential scandal.

[In another flashback, Becca is wheeled into an operating room and goes into labor. She screams in pain as her baby rips her out from the inside, causing tremendous blood loss.]

Vogelbaum: The birth was difficult. The baby clawed its way out of her. The blood loss, no one could have survived. She died on the table.

Homelander: And–And the baby?

Vogelbaum: Lived all of ten seconds. Drowned in its mother's blood.

Homelander: Was it a boy?

Vogelbaum: Does it matter?

Homelander: Why didn't you tell me?

Vogelbaum: To protect you. That's always job one at Vought, isn't it? Protect our most profitable asset?

Homelander: So why are you telling me now?

Vogelbaum: You don't understand. The thing about cross-breeding dogs… you get the right genes, you can get a perfect creation. But it doesn't matter how perfect they are; it's not enough. When I raise subjects without their mothers, they become violent. Aggressive. Downright hateful. You should've been raised in a home with a family who loved you. Not in a cold lab with doctors.

Homelander: And yet I turned out great.

Vogelbaum: When I think what it's done to you, and what you can now do to everyone else… [beat; sighs] I'm sorry.

Homelander: I don't want your fucking apology.

Vogelbaum: All this is my fault.

Homelander: [in a shaky tone] What do you want? What? What do you want, forgiveness? Now? After you raised me like a fucking lab rat? [shakes his head] No. Too little, too late.

Vogelbaum: I don't want anything from you, John. I'm just an old man thinking about his mistakes.

Homelander: I'm the world's greatest superhero.

Vogelbaum: You're my greatest failure.

"You Found Me" [1.08]

Annie/Starlight: What's Compound V?

Donna January: Compound V? I don't know, sweetheart. Should I?

Annie/Starlight: How old was I? How old was I when you let Vought pump me full of drugs?

Donna: Annie, honestly, I don't know what you're talk–

Annie/Starlight: How old, when you let them turn me into a freak?

Donna: You're not a freak! Never say that!

Annie/Starlight: So it's true.

Donna: Annie...

Annie/Starlight: [beat; looks on the verge of tears] Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

Donna: Did–Did Vought tell you all this?

Annie/Starlight: No. No, a friend told me. How much did they pay you?

Donna: It wasn't about money.

Annie/Starlight: How much?

Donna: There was no money. They–They just paid for the medical bills, that's it. I did it because they–they promised that you'd have a chance at an extraordinary life. To be strong and successful and special. I mean, who wouldn't want that for their–

Annie/Starlight: You made me think that I was chosen by God!

Donna: You were! God brought Vought into our lives. He made this possible.

Annie/Starlight: BULLSHIT! YOU DID! And then you controlled every single minute of it! You woke me up at 5:00 a.m. to train for those stupid pageants, and the tap dancing and the tae kwon do! I gave up every moment of my life!

Donna: I gave up every moment of my life. And I was happy to do it! This was our dream!

Annie/Starlight: This was your dream! I never got a chance to choose my own dreams. No wonder I don't know who the fuck I'm supposed to be!

Mallory: William.

Butcher: What are you lookin' at out there?

Mallory: Eastern meadowlarks. It was either bird-watching or alcoholism, so… birds. [lifts binoculars from her eyes] I thought we agreed that you were never gonna come out here.

Butcher: Yeah, well, you taught me a thing or two about broken promises, didn't ya? This is Hugh Campbell. We're working with M.M. and Frenchie. I got the Boys back together.

Mallory: [to Hughie] Grace Mallory. I'm the founder of your little club. [to Butcher] So, let me hear it.

Butcher: I need your help.

Mallory: Sorry, I can't. I'm hoping to photograph a snowy owl in the dunes.

Butcher: Look… I didn't wanna come here, but I need your help. And you're gonna fuckin' help.

Mallory: Why's that?

Butcher: [gets in front of Mallory] Because you owe me. You fuckin' owe me, goddammit.

[...]

Mallory: There's simply nothing else to say. I can't help you.

Butcher: Well, you're gonna have to do better than that.

Mallory: Do I? Why?

Butcher: 'Cause you made me a promise!

Mallory: But then my grandchildren got incinerated. Tends to change one's perspective. There weren't even teeth left; Lamplighter had burnt them alive so thoroughly. Well, I think I've had enough sun for one day. Pleasure meeting you, Hugh… Butcher.

Butcher: Well, what about what you've done?

Mallory: What I've done? To who?

Butcher: To me, goddammit. To me. You trained me up, manipulated me, aimed me at Homelander like a fuckin' howitzer! And then when it didn't suit you anymore, you just threw me away!

Mallory: And not a day goes by that I don't regret it.

Butcher: Day late, dollar short, love. Now, I'm gonna finish what you started… and I need your help. Please.

Mallory: You can leave with something if you never come back, and you keep your goddamn promise this time. [pause; Butcher nods] Madelyn Stillwell.

Butcher: Vought's VP?

Mallory: Homelander's her main account.

Butcher: Yeah, that ain't news.

Mallory: No, but this is: They have a… what shall we say, a very special relationship. Complicated, intimate, hard to quantify.

Butcher: And you know this how?

Mallory: Still have a few fingers in a few pies. I don't know if Homelander has a weakness, but if he does… she'll know it.

Butcher: [beat] Goodbye, Grace.

[Butcher begins walking away with Hughie following behind]

Mallory: You wanna kill yourself, that's your right. I won't stop you! But, Billy… not the others! [to Hughie] Vengeance isn't a path to glory, Hugh. It's a one-way ticket to a dead end, looking at fucking birds.

Hughie: How are we gonna get the guys back?

Butcher: We're on our own. We've gotta get to Stillwell before the walls close in.

Hughie: Who gives a fuck about Stillwell?! We have to go back for them!

Butcher: You don't get it, Hughie. We got about a couple hours before they find us, and that's if we're lucky. We gotta hit back and hit back now.

Hughie: You're abandoning them. I mean, they all… They risked their… Mother's Milk has a daughter.

Butcher: They'd want us to finish the job.

Hughie: Your job! Your job, not theirs! It's all about Homelander, isn't it?

Butcher: And A-Train. This is your fuckin' shit, too, Hughie. I promised you payback, didn't I?

Hughie: Mallory give you the same speech back in the day?

Butcher: Yeah. Yeah, she did, but she broke her promise. I'm keepin' mine.

Hughie: [laughs in disbelief] I'm so fucking stupid. You never cared about me… or Robin, did you? I was just useful to you.

Butcher: Fuck, Hughie. Of course you're useful. I mean, that's why you're here, innit? Now, we just gotta take one more step… Yeah? Come on.

Hughie: No. We have to save them.

Butcher: For fuck's sakes, Hughie. We don't have time for this shit right now, okay? We get Stillwell. Now, get in the fuckin' car!

Hughie: Then what? Becca comes back from the dead? Robin, too? This is never gonna stop! It's just gonna be more blood and… awfulness!

Butcher: [gets in Hughie's face] That's the fuckin' game. If you don't like to play, why did you join the fuckin' team?

Hughie: Mallory's right. You're just gonna drag us all down with you. Not me. Not anymore.

Butcher: You're a fuckin' pathetic cunt and an insult to Robin's memory.

Hughie: I think I'm doing this for her.

Butcher: …Goodbye, Hughie.

[Queen Maeve overhears Annie vomiting in a Vought bathroom stall]

Queen Maeve: You want me to hold your hair back?

Annie/Starlight: [groans] Don't touch… [grunts; flushes the toilet] Leave me alone, I'm not in the mood.

Queen Maeve: Not in the mood for what?

Annie/Starlight: Your bottomless casual cruelty. So just make whatever shitty comment you're gonna make and then go.

Queen Maeve: Look. [turns her wrist over]

Annie/Starlight: What am I supposed to be looking at?

Queen Maeve: No… my radius never healed straight. I really did break every bone in my right arm.

Annie/Starlight: What?

Queen Maeve: Stopping the bus from falling. You said the marketing guys made it up. It was me: 23-year-old, bright-eyed, "ass you could bounce a quarter off of"… me. I really did wanna make a difference. I really did care. I was just like you. And then, I started giving pieces of myself away and… I guess I gave away everything. [beat] So you know what? Be… Just be original. For fuck's sake. My position is already taken. Be the annoying goody two-shoes asshоlе that you are. [chuckles] One of us has to be.

[Hughie gets himself captured and is placed in the same cell where Mother's Milk and Frenchie are imprisoned]

Mother's Milk: Did they get Butcher too?

Hughie: No.

Frenchie: They had you separated? When? When?

Hughie: Well, um… He went after Homelander. But I-I came to save you. Yay.

Mother's Milk: So, you came here. You meant to come here. Without Butcher.

Hughie: Yeah.

Frenchie: [genuinely impressed] C'est incroyable. [grabs Hughie and kisses him on both cheeks] Never has a man thrown his life away so… completely like you've thrown yours away today. No. No, I mean, you rescuing us is the most useless, futile gesture I can think of!

Hughie: Yeah, I–I got it.

Frenchie: Unbelievable!

[Butcher holds Madelyn Stillwell hostage at her home when Homelander arrives to save her. He comes downstairs holding Teddy.]

Homelander: Billy Butcher. You don't mind if I call you Billy, right? You are pretty darn impressive. I mean, especially for, you know… one of you. See, even now, most people standing where you are would be pissing their pants terrified. But you… Sure, your heart's pounding, but you're not afraid. It's anger. That's a new one for me.

Stillwell: Homelander, will you please take the baby upstairs?

Homelander: All because of your lovely wife, Becca. Right? Okay, let's cut the bullshit, huh? You know that we, uh… [makes humping gesture] Bro, not my fault, okay? She came on to me. It happens…

Stillwell: Will you stop?

Homelander: …you know, it's–it's the fame. They get crushes. There's nothing I can do about it. But what I will tell you is, she was a hell of a lay. [laughs] She came three times, eh? Three times. [places Teddy in his crib] Alright, little man, have a little lie-down. Good boy.

Stillwell: I want you to take him out of here.

Homelander: [to Stillwell] Yeah, I hear you. [sighs; to Butcher] But that's not really it. No, no, no, no, no. No, it's more than just that. [pause] You think I'm responsible for her death, don't you? So now you have a hostage that–that I care about, right? Someone I love. So, what's your plan… from here? What do you want? Do you want a confession, or… What's your endgame?

Butcher: I'm just gonna hurt you. I mean, really fuckin' hurt you… and that'll be good enough for me.

Homelander: So, you–you don't really want anything, per se? You just–You wanna blow her up in front of me, right? [laughing] Wow, fuck! Uh… [stammers] You are dark, and I kinda like it.

Stillwell: [to Homelander] Will you please take Teddy upstairs?

Homelander: [to Stillwell] It's okay. [to Butcher] Just answer one question for me. Just one: How do you know? How do you know? I mean, you must have some rock-solid proof, right? That it was actually me who killed your wife. You must have that, right? So what is it? Share. We're all very interested. [pause; Butcher says nothing] Now's not the time to be strong and silent. Go for it. [beat; Butcher remains silent] Are you telling me that this whole thing is–is based on fucking feelings? On a hunch?

Stillwell: Will you please take him upstairs?!

Homelander: A little bit–Madelyn, hold on!

Stillwell: TAKE HIM UPSTAIRS!

Homelander: SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Homelander: You promised me, no more lies. You fucking promised me. You and Vogelbaum should've got your stories straight. They were so close–so fucking close–but there were a few little details that were different. So I went back to Vogelbaum, and I managed to squeeze the truth out of him. The real truth. [Stillwell starts crying] Yes, that's it.

Stillwell: I'm so sorry. I never should have lied to you. I know now that you don't need to be protected. I'm so sorry. Will you please take Teddy back upstairs?

Homelander: Did you ever really care about me?

Stillwell: You mean everything to me.

Homelander: No. No, no. I mean everything to your job. You care more about that fucking baby than you do about me.

Stillwell: No. I love you. I love you, I love you. I swear I love you.

Homelander: But…? [pause; Stillwell hesitates] Tell me the truth, or I walk out right now.

Stillwell: [quietly] I'm scared. I'm scared of you.

Homelander: What?

Stillwell: I said I'm scared.

Homelander: Of?

Stillwell: Of you. I'm scared of you.

Homelander: [tenderly] Thank you. Thank you for finally being honest.

[Homelander kisses her, then kills her by shooting lasers through her eyes]

[Butcher wakes up in front of a house in an unknown suburb and sees Homelander standing over him]

Homelander: Wakey-wakey. Hey, buddy. You were out for quite a while. You can thank me for saving you sometime later. But for now, time to get up. Come on, you're gonna love this. Come on.

[Someone opens the front door and a boy comes running out]

Ryan: Mom!

Homelander: Wow, look at this handsome devil. Hey, pal. You know who I am?

Ryan: Homelander.

Homelander: [laughs] Yeah, that's right, but… you know who else?

Ryan: No.

[The other person is revealed to be Becca, which means the boy is her and Homelander's child. She and Butcher look absolutely shocked to see each other.]

Butcher: Becca?

Homelander: Huh. Mommy didn't tell you. Well… I'm your father. And we are a family.

[The boy's eyes widen in surprise and start glowing just like Homelander's]

External links

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The Boys season 1

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TV Series	The Boys TV Series (Season 1 \| Season 2 \| Season 3 \| Season 4 \| Season 5) · Gen V (2023-2025) · Diabolical (2022)
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