So, tell me about your relationship with Starlight. I understand you two were friends.
AAnika
Friends? Um, no, I wouldn’t say that we were friends. I mean, we shared an Almond Joy from time to time.
Our records show you made a phone call to the Starlight House within the past month, so…
Are you working with her?
AAnika
Uh, no, I–I was just donating some clothes.
So why is your heart pounding like a little bass drum?
AAnika
I didn’t do anything, okay? I swear.
Okay. Let’s–Let’s just all calm down, okay? You’re not in trouble here, Anika. [laughs] Starlight’s the bad guy here. So, look. We’re gonna find out anyway, so you just tell us the truth. We swear you’ll be fine. [to Homelander] Right?
Yes. Yes, I… I swear. I… I swear on the life of my son.
AAnika
[pause; looks at Ashley, who nods] Okay. Yes, Starlight did call me a few days ago. She just wanted some help tracking–
[Homelander suddenly kills Anika by lasering her head. Ashley freaks out in horror.]
What? She confessed. Leak plugged.
You don’t think the next word out of her mouth might have been useful?
[shrugs] Guess I am that petty.
[Firecracker walks into her bedroom and sees Annie holding up her "Jesus, Guns, Babies" board]
This is fucking insane. You can’t actually mean this.
I’m sorry, who let you in?
Bedroom window. This used to be my place. [sighs] Yeah, I gotta say, I really hate what you’ve done with it.
You know, when I said, “Debate me,” this wasn’t what I had in mind.
Why me? What have I done to make you hate me so much?
…You really don’t remember me, do you? Of course. I mean, why would you? We were only on the same pageant circuit together for three fuckin’ years. Course I was going by “Sparkler” back in those days.
Sparkler. Yeah, right. You sang that “God Bless America” medley.
[scoffs] I practiced that routine so fuckin’ hard. Never mind we were too poor to have a backyard to practice in, but… I’d dream that one day, I’d get good enough to win. [pause] Miami-Dade. Down to you and me, the finals. And my mom starts doing my makeup, and I notice that everyone is… snickering at me. You remember why? Turns out you told everyone that I had an ass-fuck gangbang with the judges, which was the only way trash like me could ever make it to the final. I was thirteen years old. And when I went to you to ask you why… you remember what you said?
Look, I was immature and stupid, and my mom taught me to be ruthless.
Do you remember what you said?
I said that… [sighs] "I don’t talk to fat sluts."
And then, not long after that, I had to quit the pageant circuit, ’cause… Well, a rumor like that, it really follows you around. And the more you deny it, the more they believe it.
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It was so fucked up, and it was so wrong. I was jealous, but I’m not that person anymore.
People don’t change. And everybody thinks that you’re so decent. So pretty and perfect. Hell, you fuckin' think you’re better than everybody else.
You’re damn fuckin' right it’s not. All that dove, pure angel bullshit? No, I see the connivin' little mean girl bitch in there. And when I’m done, the rest of the world’s gonna see it, too.
[Hughie visits his father in the hospital and sees his mother by his side]
DCDaphne Campbell
He's the same.
[beat; sighs] Look, my plan was to come in here, you know, fight you bloody over Dad, but um… I have had a day, and I think what I really just wanna know right now is… Why?
Why'd you leave? How? How could you leave me?
DDaphne
[pause; clears her throat] I was, uh… 22 when I had you. Mm-hmm. [chuckles] Oh, those dimples. But I was depressed. Postpartum. Uh… You know, people think depression, they think, “Oh, so you’re sleepy, so what?” But it’s… not like that. It… It’s painful. It hurts. My friends all said, “Give it a month, six months, a year,” but it–it never went away.
But you were always so fun. We’d have dance parties.
DDaphne
I never wanted you to see it. But… getting dressed was like… climbing Everest. And so, one night, I just took 40 Ambien and tried to kill myself. Thank God I threw them up in the toilet. So the next day, I… took you to school, and I left. I didn’t want to, but… it was life or death for me.
You, um… you never called.
DDaphne
I tried. But your dad was so hurt, and–and… he didn’t want me to confuse you. So, eventually, I just stopped. I thought, you know, maybe I wasn’t cut out to be a parent. And I know you’ve spent a lot of your life hating me and thinking I’m the villain, and I would never ask for your forgiveness. But I’m really sorry, Hughie, that I hurt you. I was just fucked up, you know?
Sorry. I flew to Coney Island to get those hot dogs.
You’ve been at William Butcher’s. I can smell him on you.
I wanted to see him. [Homelander scoffs at him] He’s going through a tough time.
Why do you care when you have everything here?! You have a home, you have a father! I’ve given you everything that I ever wanted, and it’s still not good enough for you! WHY?! You’re ungrateful. You go behind my back, you lie to me. Why? [softly] Fuck. Why am I not good enough for you?
[stammers] No, I… It’s just Butcher–
Butcher. You know what? If you love him so much, why don’t you get him to be your dad?
No, I don’t want him to be my dad. You’re my–
[Homelander throws a statue at a mirror in a fit of rage. Ryan runs away from him.]
MHMirror Homelander #1
John? John… Come here.
[Homelander gets up and walks over to the shattered mirror, where he sees three reflections of himself]
MHMirror Homelander #1
John, come here. You really made a mess this time, tiger.
MHMirror Homelander #2
Come on, champ. Pull yourself together. Deep breath.
MHMirror Homelander #1
For God’s sakes, look at you. A few Starlighters hate you, Ryan spends some time with Butcher, and oh boo-hoo, you’re a fucking mess!
MHMirror Homelander #2
You have to be stronger, John. For Ryan.
MHMirror Homelander #1
You still need love!
MHMirror Homelander #2
You’re pushing him away.
MHMirror Homelander #1
So much love! You still crave it!
MHMirror Homelander #1
You’re gonna make him weak and needy, like you.
MHMirror Homelander #2
You can still fix things. He’s your son.
MHMirror Homelander #1
He hates you. He’s gonna turn on you.
MHMirror Homelander #2
Your blood.
MHMirror Homelander #1
Everyone hates you.
[The third Homelander reflection shushes the other two]
MHMirror Homelander #3
It’s time to overcome this need for love–this sickness–once and for all. You’re never gonna be your true self until you transcend your humanity.
MHMirror Homelanders
You need to go back to the start.
[Homelander remembers the laboratory where he was raised as a child]
MHMirror Homelander #3
John, you need to go home.
[Homelander decides to torture the scientists who experimented on him during childhood, starting with Frank]
Hey, Frank, come on over. How about a game of wastepaper basketball?
Uh, first of three, and tell you what? To make it interesting: You win, I’ll let you knock off early, go see the fam.
[Homelander crumples up some paper into a ball and successfully throws it into the wastebasket. He watches as Frank also manages to throw a paper ball into the wastebasket.]
[pause; crumples up more paper] You know, I learned this game from you, Frank.
FFrank
I don’t understand.
I once saw you take a shot at a wastebasket, and you nailed it, and… And you don’t remember.
Yeah? [throws a second paper ball into the basket] Well, I sure do. Yeah, you–you were sitting there, and… Well, I was in this oven here. And you made the shot. You did a little fist pump to celebrate, and–and then you turned up the temperature to see if you could burn my skin. You remember that, right? [chuckles] Your turn.
[Frank tosses his second paper ball into the wastebasket, scoring another point]
Fun fact: Even though my skin didn’t char, it still really hurt. [laughs] I mean, a lot. Yeah, I was in there, screaming in agony, and my tears just sizzled away.
[Homelander's smile breaks as he remembers his younger self crying out in pain inside the oven]
Yeah… I remember there were people standing here taking notes, but behind them I saw you make that shot. [crumples up a third piece of paper] It really was a great shot, Frank.
FFrank
I was just doing my job.
[Just as Homelander is about to throw his third paper ball, he wavers as his mind flashes back again to himself burning in the oven]
Hmm. You know, I had nightmares about that exact moment, and you can’t even remember it. It’s funny, isn’t it? How people can have such a different memory of the exact same thing. It’s all a matter of perspective, I guess. [pause] Hey, Frank. This is my last shot. [points at the oven] Why don’t you go watch from in there?
FFrank
John, why don’t we–
Homelander. Get in the oven, Frank.
FFrank
[chuckling] Please.
[opens the oven door] Get in the oven or your family goes in with you.
MMarty
Please, Homelander, you don’t have to do this!
[Some of the scientists gasp and fearfully watch Frank reluctantly walk inside the oven]
FFrank
I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.
You’re sorry? Now? But why? You were just doing your job, right?
[Homelander shuts the oven door and cranks up the oven heater]
FFrank
Homelander… Don’t do this! No!
[Marty and the other scientists look away as Frank's body slowly chars and gets engulfed in flames. Frank touches the glass panel on the door, which immediately sets his hand on fire. Homelander tosses his paper ball, but misses the waste basket.]
And I bet you would’ve won.
[Frank collapses dead, his incinerated skeleton still smoldering inside the oven]
FSFemale Scientist
Oh, my God… Oh, my God!
[Hughie is accompanied by Kimiko when he meets up with A-Train]
What the shit is this? Where’s the talking goatee with the gold chains?
[to Kimiko, who he holds back] It’s okay. [to A-Train] I’m the one that called you.
Are you crazy? Sage is on my ass, stares at me like I’m fucking dinner, but you thought this was a good time to be seen together?
I need a dose of Compound V, and I need it today.
Oh, is that all?! For what?
Homelander has every vial of V locked up in his apartment. Hundreds of them. Nobody gets it.
Okay. Well, he’s not gonna miss one vial, then. You gotta find a way.
No. It’s too dangerous. [starts walking away]
No! Hey, fuck that! You owe me!
I owe you? I just saved your fucking life.
Every single fucked-up, horrible thing that’s ever happened to me–to all of us–it all started with you, ’cause you took away someone I loved! And now you’re gonna give someone I love back.
[pause] My dad’s about to die. V is the only thing that can save him. This is your chance… to finally make things right.
What makes you think I give a shit?
If I do this… we’re good? Forever?
[A-Train turns back around and super-runs out of the dock. Kimiko punches Hughie's arm.]
[texting to Hughie] You didn't say we were meeting A-Train. And you want V? Haven't you learned anything?
Kimiko, I’m sorry, but it’s my dad. What else was I supposed to do?
[texting to Hughie] I'm sorry, but I think you are supposed to let him die.
M, I got a favour to ask.
MSMother's Milk
You think you’re in a position to ask for a favor?
If I can’t get the job done before I, uh…
[Butcher has a vision of Becca standing next to M.M.]
I need you to get Ryan away from Homelander.
MSMother's Milk
Oh, Butcher.
I gotta be realistic. Some days I can barely even fuckin' stand. Get him outta there. Raise him.
MSMother's Milk
Raise him?
You’re the best dad I know, M. The best fuckin' anyone.
MSMother's Milk
That might be one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me... but what if Ryan doesn’t wanna go?
Then you’ve gotta make him.
[M.M. and Butcher see Firecracker walking towards them]
MSMother's Milk
White trash walking.
[claps; to Firecracker] Top-notch show, love. Just weren’t sure whether you wanted us to kneel before your cross or burn it.
…Oh, you’re those motherfuckers that killed my friend.
Yeah, cryin' shame, that. But if it’s any consolation, he’s up there with God, noshin' on his holiest of holies as we speak.
I’m gonna shut your fuckin' face–
Alright, alright. Keep your hair on, love. We just want a little chin wag’s all.
Right. You remember that magical summer when you was 28, workin' as a counselor at the Capes for Christ Bible Camp in Davie, Florida, and you met that lovely fifteen-year-old boy who tickled your fancy, and… Well then, tickled more than that, didn’t he? Hmm? Ring any bells? [shows a tweet about Firecracker's arrest on his cell phone] Here’s a little keepsake snapped by the Broward County Sheriff’s Department that you can stash in your wank bank. You and your little Bieber edgin' in the back of your RAV4 in the car park of Buca di Beppo.
MSMother's Milk
Whatever voodoo Vought’s lawyers pulled to get your statutory charges dropped, I don’t think they’re gonna matter too much to your evangelical audience back there.
You’re gonna tell us everything you know about Sage and her grand plan, [points at his cell phone] or I hit this little tweet button here. [smirks]
[beat] How about I just send it myself? [presses the phone's "Send" icon, to Butcher and M.M's shock] Fuck around and find out.
[Annie and Frenchie watch Ezekiel's speech at the Starlight House]
EEzekiel
"Starlight", that's 9 letters! Or is that 6 upside down?! "Annie January", 12 letters! That's two more sixes! 666! What more proof could you possibly need?!
[Firecracker suddenly walks onstage holding back fake tears]
I’m sorry, I gotta interrupt. I’m so sorry. I need–I need to make a confession.
I need to confess my sins. [Ezekiel nods and hands her the mike] Ain’t no way to sugarcoat this. I had… inappropriate relations with a sweet young man. [exhales] Damn, that smile. But that young man, he was fifteen years old…
…but the moment of my greatest weakness was also the moment that pushed me to my eternal salvation. I was born again, and my sins were washed away by the tears of His love!
EEzekiel
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Now, I–I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ put that young man in my life to lead me to the path of righteousness.
[rolls her eyes] Oh, my God.
You gotta choose to turn into the light of His love. And that’s what Starlight, she just didn’t do. Y’all ever hear that story about her very first save? She was only thirteen years old, and well, a gunman came into Walmart and took hostages. Well, Starlight, she came in a’blastin'. But what they don’t tell you is that she blinded one of those hostages that day. A mother of three, just trying to buy Crunch Berries for her kids. But Starlight, she just went on, smilin' for those cameras like none of it ever happened. Starlight’s no hero. She never was.
[Annie tearfully watches Firecracker continue to publicly discredit her during her television special]
[on TV] Now, y’all heard a lot tonight about who Starlight really is. But you still haven’t seen the true monster behind the mask. And the truth… Oh, it is so much worse than you could ever imagine. Six months ago, Starlight visited a clinic. She wasn’t going for a checkup.
[on TV] She found out that she was pregnant, and she had an abortion.
Are those my fucking medical records?
[on TV] She was raised a Christian. She knew the difference between right and wrong. She knew exactly what she was doin'! So you won’t tell me that those teens over there, that they’re safe with her! With that baby killer?!
[Annie storms out of the Starlight House]
MSMother's Milk
Annie, wait!
[...]
She could have given it up for adoption! But no, she murdered it!
[Firecracker sees Annie fly towards her, eyes glowing. Annie lands on stage and menacingly walks up to Firecracker.]
So you finally came to deb–
[Annie brutally beats Firecracker to the ground and punches her repeatedly in the face. Unbeknownst to Annie, the cameras are still rolling. Cut to Sister Sage watching the beating from the Vought conference room.]
How’s that for “uppity,” cracker?
[Cut to Annie getting held back by M.M.]
MSMother's Milk
Stop. Look.
[Annie is horrified to see all the cameras on her and that many viewers saw the whole beating live and start posting about it on social media. Cut back to Sister Sage at Vought Tower.]
First pebble down the mountain.
I don’t get you, dude. Like, at all. You start off, you’re a total bitch. And then you tell me I’m, like, a superior being–which of course I like–and that you’re down to pound, which obviously I will...
I know. Most people, their brains grow till they’re about 25, then stop forever. Mine doesn’t. It regenerates, constantly. Stab me in the heart, I die. But stab me in the brain and the little fucking bitch grows back. [holds out scalpel] I want you to put this inside me.
[chuckles] That’s the worst dildo I’ve ever seen, but–
I am down for, like, a lot, but...
You give me a frontal lobotomy and I don’t have to fucking be me for a couple hours.
Uh, that’s just… fucking gross.
I’ll let you ass-fuck me while we watch the Kim and Ray J video.
[takes scalpel from Sage] Okay, so where do you want me to put it? [points at her eye] Just right there?
Sit down. Now, avoid the eye itself. I don’t want to go blind.
It’s funny. I–I remember it being so much bigger. You know why I used to call this the Bad Room?
BBarbara
It was just a room, John. It’s neither good nor bad.
That’s easy to say from the other side of the door. Now–
BBarbara
Did you come back here just to torment those people? Doesn’t that feel a little… a little small? They were just following orders. Dr. Vogelbaum’s, Stan Edgar’s and mine.
Yeah, but they followed them. Not one of them had the backbone to stand up and say, “This is wrong.”
BBarbara
‘Cause they were scared.
BBarbara
They were scared! You know, I was there the day that you were born. They paid some poor runaway two grand to carry the embryo to term. But you lasered her guts open from the inside. You rose in the air with your umbilical cord still attached, like some creature out of myth… or nightmare. You killed three doctors and a nurse while you were at it. And then–just trust me–it was downhill from there. So, yeah. Yeah, everybody was terrified of you, from your first breath.
But you weren’t? [chuckles]
BBarbara
We have no physical power over you. We never did. You could’ve broken out of here anytime you wanted. We couldn’t have stopped you. But you didn’t. [pause] Because you couldn’t stand the idea that we would be disappointed in you. Your need for approval and for love. Vought brought in the best psychologists in the world. They developed the protocol to carefully engineer that need so that you would be obedient. In many ways, that was our greatest success.
I don’t need any of it anymore.
BBarbara
Doesn’t matter what you do to me or the rest of the staff here. Your need for love is so deep. It's so human, you’ll never be able to overcome that.
That’s where you’re wrong. I’m not human, and neither is my son. And I’m going to raise him so that he knows it. You know, I really do wanna share with you why I called this the Bad Room.
[Hughie meets with A-Train in a deserted alley to obtain the Compound V sample from him]
It’s bullshit, right? You’re not gonna forgive me. [pause; Hughie just stares at him] Yeah, thought so.
Wait. You’re right. I–I was gonna tell you to go fuck yourself, but I changed my mind. We’re good.
[A-Train shakes Hughie's hand before running off]
[Hughie is shocked when Butcher reveals himself]
Jesus. How long have you been standing there?
Long enough. How could ya?
I didn’t–I didn’t do it for him. I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life hating anybody.
[looks at the Compound V] Whatcha gonna do with that, then?
I mean–Look, you're probably the only guy that would understand, but I was gonna give it to my dad.
[shakes his head] Oh, Hughie.
Look, I know. I know it’s insane and terrible, but what other choice do I have?
Any other fuckin' choice, you twat.
You’re really telling me that you wouldn’t take some if you were in his shoes? ‘Cause you kind of are. There’s enough here. It’d save you, too. It’s gotta beat dying of brain cancer, right?
I already took some. Nicked it outta Frenchie’s desk four months ago. Thought it might cure me.
Jesus. Do you have powers?
No. All it did was bring up the big day. I’m tellin' ya, quit while you’re behind. You’ll only make matters worse.
Fuck all this cloak and dagger shite. It’s bloody freezin' out here.
Well, I mean, I was thinking we could meet in your mom’s pussy, but you know, I wanted someplace more private.
[chuckles softly] So, what you thinkin'?
Butcher, listen. How about we do this job, just you and me?
I don’t know, Joe. It’s a bit all of a sudden, innit?
Billy… your team is a joke. You think I haven’t noticed? M.M.’s on the verge of a breakdown, Frenchie’s a fucking junkie, Hughie is a gaping wet pussy. And the two Supes on your side? Man, for whatever reason, you have a blind spot for them.
Alright, I’ll give you Starlight. But Kimiko’s a bloody good weapon, and the rest of them are still up to scratch.
Well, I don’t get you. I don’t. Half your brain is a fucking tumor. This is your last shot at Homelander, and now you decide to go soft? Yeah, they are decent people. But you and me, we don’t belong with decent.
Fuckin' hell, it’s like a morgue in here. What’s with all the long faces?
I don’t know, maybe because I’m getting blamed for the murder you did.
I’d call you a cunt, but you ain’t got the depth or the warmth.
MSMother's Milk
I’ve been meaning to ask you something. How was it that you took out Ezekiel?
MSMother's Milk
Bullshit.
God’s honest. I, uh… blacked out, came to, and there he was. All over the shop. But never mind that bollocks because, my son, I have found it… The answer to all our prayers.
MSMother's Milk
And what might that be?
Ah, it’s nothing much. Just a… a virus that kills Supes.
Such a thing does not exist.
Did not exist. Does now. Y'see, some clever cunts over at Godolkin University cooked up a bug that latches onto the V in their bloodstream. Now, it’s completely harmless to humans, but to Supes? Fuckin' diabolical.
So, you shove this shit into me and Kimiko and we just… drop dead?
Yep. That’s the idea. Now, it ain’t juiced enough to kill Homelander, but I reckon we get our hands on some and try it out on our lovely VP-elect.
MSMother's Milk
And why the hell are we just finding out about this shit, Butcher?
There’s only one small snag. When I went to God U to nick it, Neuman had pipped me to the post, so we’re gonna have to nick it from her.
This is insane and desperate. Even for you.
Well, insanely desperate’s where we are, don’t you think, love?
MSMother's Milk
Okay. Alright, alright. Time out. [to Annie] Look, if this virus is as dangerous as Butcher says it is, do you really want it in Neuman’s hands?
[pause; sighs] No, you’re right.
Alright, then. Then, we’re sorted. Oh, uh… One other tiny little thing. I need you to get us one presidential pardon.
[The Boys investigate the lab in Stan Edgar's country mansion, where the Supe virus is being produced and tested on animals. Frenchie opens a fridge and notices an empty sample tray.]
MSMother's Milk
What’d you find?
It’s what I did not. See, the labels mark each iteration of this virus. Somebody’s been running tests, but now… it’s all gone.
[Frenchie is shocked to see M.M.'s nose bleeding profusely]
MSMother's Milk
What? [Frenchie, whose nose is also bleeding, points at M.M.'s nose] Holy shit.
[Butcher and Annie also feel their noses bleeding. Victoria Neuman and her bodyguard walk inside the lab.]
[Butcher, M.M. and Frenchie aim their guns at Neuman]
Victoria. You’re looking well.
You think I wouldn’t know the minute you and your ankle monitor stepped out of that prison?
I don’t recall giving you permission to turn my rec room into a virology lab.
You brought these assholes here? They want to kill me.
I’m sorry. Are you upset that I betrayed you?
Oi, knock it off, you two. This ain’t Family Pies.
[to Butcher] You have five seconds to tell me what you did to Sameer, or I paint this fucking room red.
[to Annie as she makes the lights flicker] Enough. [to Neuman] So, you brought in Sameer. Smart. That’s what I’d have done. But whatever happened to him, it wasn’t us. We should find him together.
You’re fucking kidding me.
If I’m not mistaken, you hurt these people, they expose you as a super-abled killer, yes? Then I’m afraid that we are at a stalemate. You might as well use their expertise. At the very least, they’re effective cannon fodder.
MSMother's Milk
[sarcastically] Thanks. That's really nice of you.
