Warning: spoilers for The Boys forward!
Based mostly on a comic book e book sequence that was by no means thought-about significantly distinctive, Prime Video’s The Boys took the world by storm in 2019 when it grew to become “the following huge factor” on tv. A sensible satire of recent popular culture and the superhero style, The Boys is filled with intelligent social critiques and direct mockery of individuals and occasions extremely related to trendy society; it instantly garnered a cult following and hasn’t died down in reputation since.
All through 4 seasons, The Boys has supplied followers loads of excellent episodes. Whether or not as a result of they’re significantly humorous or thrilling or as a result of they present game-changing plot twists and immediately iconic moments, the present’s absolute best episodes by no means fail to take viewers’ breaths away. With visually gorgeous set items and brilliantly written scripts, these episodes are the height of what superhero media has to supply these days.
The Boys
- Launch Date
- July 26, 2019
- Creator
- Eric Kripke
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- Amazon Studios
15 “We Gotta Go Now”
Season 2, Episode 5 (2020)
In any present as story-focused as The Boys — particularly one with as many characters because it has to maintain monitor of — setup episodes are essential. So far as these go, “We Gotta Go Now” is an ideal instance of what the individuals behind this present can do after they actually attempt to make a setup-intensive episode that is completely capable of stand by itself two toes. In it, Homelander, Maeve, Stormfront, and Starlight are capturing a brand new film collectively whereas coping with private drama. Within the meantime, whereas Butcher tries to get away from Supe-fighting, Noir tracks him down.
There are a bit too many subplots to regulate for this to actually be as distinctive as Season 2’s greatest episodes; however all of those storylines are enjoyable and fascinating, making it each straightforward and entertaining to observe them. Maeve’s romantic life, Starlight’s conflicts with Stormfront, Homelander’s decaying sanity, and Butcher’s tragic previous are all successfully steered within the path that the latter half of this season will take them in.
14 “Cherry”
Season 1, Episode 2 (2019)
After an distinctive first episode, The Boys gleefully (and gorily) proved that it wasn’t only a one-trick pony. The present’s second-ever episode, “Cherry”, sees the Boys attempt to determine a solution to kill Translucent (frankly, one in every of The Boys‘ most underrated characters), whereas Homelander tries to trace down the lacking member of the Seven.
Whereas taking viewers far deeper into the blood-and-guts-filled tone of the present, “Cherry” additionally completely establishes what makes the primary characters tick. Taking a better have a look at Hughie’s grief over dropping Robin, Butcher’s relentless strategies, and Homelander’s terrifying omnipotence, the episode is a enjoyable and sometimes scary expertise with a hell of an explosive ending.
13 “The Self-Preservation Society”
Season 1, Episode 7 (2019)
The episode earlier than any present’s season finale is often the calm earlier than the storm, however “The Self-Preservation Society” is aware of its viewers, and it is positive to not give viewers a single break from all of the bloody mayhem. It follows the Boys as they study (the laborious approach) to not belief a washed-up Supe, whereas watching Homelander take care of sophisticated revelations about his previous.
The episode completely units up the fiery finale, whereas ensuring to throw in a couple of twists all of its personal. Characters are dropped at their breaking level in memorable moments such because the reveal of what occurred to Butcher’s spouse, Annie studying that Hughie is not fairly who she thought he was, and a sure scene involving the Deep that is positive to ship chills down anybody’s gills.
12 “Wonderful 5-12 months Plan”
Season 3, Episode 4 (2022)
One of the extremely anticipated parts of Season 3 of The Boys was the arrival of Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy. “Wonderful 5-12 months Plan,” positioned proper in the course of the season, lastly gave followers what they’d been ready for. The episode sees the Boys in search of a mysterious weapon in Russia whereas hassle brews again dwelling at Vought.
“Wonderful 5-12 months Plan” brings loads of character arcs to their boiling level, from M.M. struggling to maintain the Boys collectively to Hughie experimenting with powers he is by no means felt earlier than. The episode balances these character moments with a few of the season’s greatest motion sequences, that includes deaths by slightly unconventional weapons and characters attempting out talents followers would by no means have imagined seeing them use.
11 “The Feminine of the Species”
Season 1, Episode 4 (2019)
The primary season’s fourth episode introduces Kimiko, one in every of The Boys‘ strongest and most essential characters. In “The Feminine of the Species,” the Boys run into this mysterious human weapon whereas monitoring a path of Compound V, whereas Deep struggles to seek out his goal, and Homelander and Maeve rescue a airplane that is been hijacked.
As bloody as it’s sentimental, “The Feminine of the Species” is an ideal midway level for the present’s excellent debut season. The introduction of Kimiko guarantees a extremely intriguing addition to the titular staff, and Hughie’s psychological struggles after killing Translucent two episodes prior make for some actually meaty drama. Greater than something, although, the episode is remembered for the tension-filled airplane scene the place Homelander decides to depart the passengers to die regardless of Maeve’s protests. It was the primary second when viewers noticed how genuinely disinterested the villain was in human lives, which made him appear to be all of the extra horrifying of a power.
10 “The Title of the Recreation”
Season 1, Episode 1 (2019)
The artwork of the tv pilot is a difficult one. Solely a choose few reveals are capable of kick issues off with an episode that instantly makes followers out of newcomers. Even fewer are the reveals that may depend their pilot among the many greatest episodes of the entire sequence, like The Boys. “The Title of the Recreation” is a pitch-perfect introduction to the present’s world, characters, and tales, following a younger man who groups up with a vigilante hell-bent on bringing down corrupt superpeople after one in every of them kills his girlfriend.
Followers will at all times fondly keep in mind turning into hooked on The Boys after seeing the bloody aftermath of A-Practice working by Robin. Issues had been by no means the identical after that second, which confirmed simply how unhinged and ruthless The Boys may very well be. Coupled with the pilot’s intriguing introduction to the primary characters and hilarious parody of The Boys‘ connection to franchises just like the MCU, that is an episode that ought to have all eyes glued to the display screen.
9 “Right here Comes a Candle to Mild You to Mattress”
Season 3, Episode 7 (2022)
Within the penultimate episode of Season 3, the stakes are excessive, and tensions have skyrocketed. “Right here Comes a Candle to Mild You to Mattress” finds Hughie, Butcher, and Soldier Boy going after the latter’s former teammate. In the meantime, Starlight has to evade Homelander’s threats to uncover a scary secret. “Right here Comes a Candle to Mild You to Mattress” ends with one of many present’s most stunning and pivotal plot twists: that Homelander, meant to be Soldier Boy’s substitute, is definitely his son.
The present additionally spends time with the interior battle of M.M. and Frenchie, cementing them as two of The Boys‘ greatest non-supe characters. Maybe most memorable, although, are the scenes the place Black Noir hallucinates animated characters recreating scenes of his previous connection to Soldier Boy. The episode is targeted rather more on advanced character-building moments than on explosive motion, which masterfully units the stage for the jaw-dropping reveal.
8 “Knowledge of the Ages”
Season 4, Episode 4 (2024)
Smacked proper in the course of the newest (and controversial) season of the present, “Knowledge of the Ages” is much and away one in every of The Boys‘ most stunning episodes. In it, Annie negotiates with Singer and Frenchie lastly reveals to his lover what ties their pasts collectively. The episode’s pivotal storyline, although, is Homelander’s go to to the place the place he grew up.
The episode’s facet tales all convey one thing contemporary and fascinating to the desk. Deep and Sage’s relationship takes a twisted but hilarious flip, A-Practice reaches a degree of no return in his journey to redemption, and Butcher’s thoughts retains deteriorating. It is Homelander’s story that basically makes “Knowledge of the Ages” one of many sequence’ greatest episodes, although. Terrifying, bloodily artistic, and increasing on Homelander’s backstory in horrific methods, this plotline affords quite a few of the present’s most memorable moments.
7 “Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Males”
Season 2, Episode 3 (2020)
In all probability greatest remembered for the epic chase sequence the place Deep instructions sharks and a whale to go after the Boys’ yacht, “Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Males” is the place Season 2 of The Boys actually picks up steam. In it, the Boys take to the excessive seas to safeguard their prisoner, Kimiko’s terrorist brother, whereas Homelander experiments with Becca and Ryan.
One of the best episodes of The Boys are often those the place the antagonists are a number of steps forward of the Boys, who’re finally unable to save lots of the day. This episode does precisely that, exhibiting the titular staff on the lowest that viewers had seen them as much as that time. Revealing Stormfront’s true character, “Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Males” makes her partnership with Homelander appear to be an impediment that can be not possible to beat.
6 “You Discovered Me”
Season 1, Episode 8 (2019)
One among one of the best TV season finales lately, “You Discovered Me” is the explosive end result of all that Season 1 of The Boys constructed as much as. Answering questions and revealing secrets and techniques, this monumental episode sees the staff desperately taking part in their ultimate playing cards to defeat Homelander whereas Starlight lastly discovers what her function within the battle is meant to be.
Extremely thrilling and suspenseful to the purpose of virtually being scary, “You Discovered Me” has no downside tying up unfastened ends whereas establishing loads of fascinating plotlines for Season 2. Chief amongst them, maybe, is the stunning reveal that Becca is alive and hiding with Homelander’s little one. Cliffhangers in season finales are laborious to drag off correctly, however this one is executed phenomenally, bringing a nearly-perfect debut season to a fairly excellent ending.
5 “Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker”
Season 2, Episode 7 (2020)
The ultimate three episodes in Season 2 of The Boys make for a finale that is extremely gripping, and “Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker” is an excellent center episode in that trio. In it, Mallory and the Boys flip to an unlikely ally to make a case towards Vought, whereas Homelander and Stormfront additional their grasp plan for Compound V.
It is episodes like this one which make Season 2 of The Boys one in every of the highest-rated seasons of tv on IMDb. Like all nice tv pre-finales, “Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker” units the stage for a riveting climax whereas being simply as compelling. With Homelander and Stormfront’s plan working easily, Lamplighter’s betrayal, and the notorious head explosion sequence within the courtroom that kills all hope for the Boys’ success, that is an episode that is not possible to look away from at any time.
4 “Season 4 Finale”
Season 4, Episode 8 (2024)
Fortunately for followers, what was principally a slightly disappointing season of one in every of tv’s greatest satires culminated with a finale that was much better than what most viewers had been anticipating. “Season 4 Finale” follows the Boys as they race to cease the plan to make Homelander the Supe accountable for america. As normal, although, the chances are towards them. Very a lot so.
For each glimmer of hope that it affords viewers, the episode crushes them with a number of of essentially the most stunning and devastating twists the present has seen to this point. Daring, emotional, and as nail-biting as they arrive, “Season 4 Finale” leaves issues off in a gap that the heroes could have a really difficult time getting out of subsequent season. The Boys is at all times at its greatest when it is not afraid to skyrocket the stakes, and nowhere is that clearer than in the newest episode of the sequence.
3 “The Bloody Doorways Off”
Season 2, Episode 6 (2020)
“The Bloody Doorways Off” kicks off an engrossing chain of occasions in what may be one of the best season of The Boys. It finds the titular staff and Starlight following a result in Vought’s mysterious Sage Grove Heart, the place they discover one of many firm’s darkest secrets and techniques and somebody even darker from their previous. In the meantime, Homelander and Stormfront’s relationship deepens to factors which might be nothing in need of disturbing.
The episode principally takes place in Sage Grove Heart, the place Vought is imprisoning sufferers to conduct experiments to excellent Compound V. The scenes that happen listed below are among the many season’s most memorable, from the prisoners’ violent breakout that includes a selected abnormally lengthy physique half to Lamplighter’s introduction and his connection to Frenchie’s previous. “The Bloody Doorways Off” completely balances quiet character moments with loud motion sequences, making it the right starting to an excellent higher finish.
2 “Herogasm”
Season 3, Episode 6 (2022)
One of many highest-rated TV episodes on IMDb, in addition to many followers’ primary favourite The Boys episode, “Herogasm” is the long-awaited adaptation of the comedian books’ most infamously graphic story. It finds the staff attending a secret superhero intercourse occasion, the place they intend to have Soldier Boy defeat Homelander as soon as and for all. In fact, not all goes in accordance with plan.
Apart from having what may simply be the present’s greatest motion scene—and exhilarating battle between Homelander, Butcher, Soldier Boy, and Hughie—”Herogasm” dives deep into Homelander’s more and more damaged psyche and Frenchie and Kimiko’s evolving relationship. The present’s depiction of the Herogasm occasion is about as disturbing and vulgar as followers had been hoping, and the ultimate confrontation between Butcher, Soldier Boy, Hughie, and Homelander is simply the cherry on high of a rare piece of tv.
1 “What I Know”
Season 2, Episode 8 (2020)
“What I Know” brings the second season of The Boys to a convincing shut. It reveals Becca begging Butcher for assist. The Boys and Starlight comply with again him of their ultimate confrontation towards Homelander and Stormfront, however issues go very badly, very quick. It is a breathtaking season finale with about as many satisfying arc and plotline conclusions because it has stunning plot twists.
With gory motion, a brilliantly written script, and one in every of The Boys‘ greatest needle drops, “What I Know” is so gripping that it may need many viewers forgetting to breathe all the way in which till the credit roll. It units the story up for an extremely thrilling Season 3, permitting the Boys a couple of wins whereas additionally handing out simply as many losses. Violent, thrilling, and really suspenseful, it is simple to name “What I Know” The Boys‘s greatest episode to this point.
