Warning: the below contains full spoilers for The Boys Season 3, Episode 5, titled “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies,” which debuted on Prime Video on June 17, 2022. To refresh your memory, check out our review of last week’s episode.
Last week, I heaped praise upon The Boys Season 3 for emphasizing “the consequences of violent attacks and the emotional responses to the corpses that pile sky high.” This week, “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies” exposes those teased vulnerabilities, continuing fears, and every frayed emotional edge that proves what I’ve been saying over four episodes into Season 3. “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies” doesn’t have sex toy mutilation or ravenous rodents — it’s a musical comedy, impactful relationship drama, and ticking time bomb of bad decisions. Showrunner Eric Kripke relies on his writer’s room to annunciate everything from sobering dread to sorrowful regrets without covering audiences in gore, if only to flex all those muscles The Boys has been toning over its tenure thus far.
The Boys themselves are in shambles, and their internal rifts dictate the tone of “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies.” Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) rush to a hospital since Kimiko’s wound isn’t supernaturally healing. Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) swears against Butcher’s narcissism and self-hatred as qualities in a leader he’ll follow. Hughie’s (Jack Quaid) vomiting Leprechaun-green bile with a V24 hangover. Butcher’s hideout is a rental divided, as we can strongly detect the contempt between teammates after they leave Russia seeing Butcher as a V24 addict. Their frustrations, distrust, and overall soured attitudes taint the episode a darker shade of gloom, setting the mood for an onslaught of rancid storytelling moments that are teeing maxim kickbacks.
“The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies” is ruthless regarding our cast favorites, particularly Hughie and Starlight (Erin Moriarty). The Boys has been an ongoing romantic gauntlet for the illuminating superhero and wimpy Butcher sidekick. We’re right back in another pivotal moment where they could swear each other off for good as Starlight chugs White Claws when trying to calm her nerves over Hughie’s V24 experience. Hughie’s never mustered the courage to stand up for himself against anyone, and now he’s got a superhero drug that lets him protect Starlight for once. It’s such a compelling developmental arc. At least Hughie isn’t lying anymore, but we’re once again wondering if these crazy kids can survive yet another test of commitment to each other’s wishes — something both actors emotively sell without repetition.
The evolution of Kimiko continues to be an enticing storyline as she awakes in a hospital bed to a startling realization — Soldier Boy’s chest blast erased her powers (duration undetermined). Frenchie balks as Kimiko smiles because she finally sees herself as an ordinary, flesh-and-blood woman. This joy leads to a single beam of sunshine in an otherwise tar-black episode as she and Frenchie duet Judy Garland’s version of “I Got Rhythm” throughout the hospital quarters as a daydream. “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies” offers hope in Kimiko’s standout performance as a newfound mortal who appreciates her life more than ever, which ends with a mutually enjoyed kiss between Kimiko and Frenchie. The Boys catches us by surprise and soothes our spirits with something so uncharacteristically saccharine — right before Frenchie is kidnapped by Russian mob queen Nina (Katia Winter), and we’re right back to feeling like proper shite.
Disappointment is the theme of “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies.” Homelander (Antony Starr) predictably lords over Vought International with fearful imposition against anyone who even questions his incompetence. Starlight approaches Vought’s newly appointed CEO Ashley Berrett (Colby Minifie) with an opportunity to defy Homelander’s impending reign of terror, but she nervously displays allegiance to the unpredictable superhuman in charge. A more “Boys”-heavy episode means we’re spending less time watching Homelander as a corporate tyrant, but that’s fine because we already know how Mr. Imperfect will react once his incompetence and unpreparedness are exposed. The few examples we’re shown are enough. Butcher’s tattered comrades are a far juicier focus at the moment.
In each episode, Butcher is on the brink of turning the corner past his savage ways. Then, like clockwork, he proves to be the untrustworthy self-proclaimed c-word who will only ever, for eternity, care about himself. Butcher, Hughie, and M.M. are reminded of this when they interrogate ex-Vought VP of Hero Management “The Legend” (Paul Reiser) since the retired playboy wants to shut the door on Butcher. M.M. is the only reason Butcher gets crucial information from “The Legend,” and M.M. is the only ally Butcher has outside V-hungry Hughie, making M.M.’s treatment come the episode’s climax so much more gut-wrenching in the most Billy Butcher way. Some might argue The Boy’s biggest flaw is treating Butcher too much like the till-death bastard he is in the comics, but I’d argue Kripke’s team and Karl Urban’s performance do wonders to accentuate the dependable man Butcher can be — as well as the merciless and despicable Butcher he chooses to remain.
Will Soldier Boy eviscerate Homelander or sympathize with the disgraceful Seven figurehead?
Soldier Boy’s complete integration to The Boys’ current timeline is vastly different from Jensen Ackles’ smarmy propaganda cutout from his Payback days. He’s not spewing misogynistic flirtations or belittling the loss of lives during combat. Ackles is playing traumatized and vengeful with a steely determination as Soldier Boy confronts Crimson Countess (Laurie Holden) in her under-construction chimp sanctuary. Conspiracies thicken as Soldier Boy is told hard truths about his Russian imprisonment, but what’s more interesting is how the show establishes parallels between Soldier Boy and Homelander. The way Crimson Countess scolds her lines reminds exactly of Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) and Homelander. We’re already being teased with the ultimate question — will Soldier Boy eviscerate Homelander or sympathize with the disgraceful Seven figurehead?
Meanwhile, The Boys lights conservative messaging tactics ablaze as the episode delves into commentaries against over-policing, “Cancel Culture,” and using sources like 4chan as reportable news. A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) gets his wish when Vought instructs Blue Hawk (Nick Wechsler) to apologize at a Black community center for his racist patrol tactics, which ends with the stand-in policeman superhero screaming “Supe Lives Matter!” and tossing enraged civilians like rag dolls. It’s a rightfully tough scene to stomach, with Nick Wechsler selling Blue Hawk’s disingenuous apology like reading the back of a cereal box to A-Train’s stunned reaction when witnessing hate crimes — but in this episode, it’s just one more brutal consequence in a string of unfortunate decisions.
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