Warning: this review contains great spoilers for The Boys Season 3, Episode 8. If you have not seen the season finale on Prime Video, stop reading now!
The Boys have a pedigree to produce great finals. The first season ended with Becca revealing that she raised Homelanders son, while the second culminated in Stormfront’s bloody takeover. On the way into the big showdown between the Soldier Boys and Homelanders, expectations were high: could this finally be the end for the leader of the seven?
Unfortunately, the latest finale “The Instant White-Hot Wild” is dull – and the mistake may lie in last week’s twist, that Homelander is the Soldier Boy’s biological son. The moment should have added excitement to the story, but it has taken the wind out of the series’ sails. It’s no longer a rush to the finish line, against these two titans trying to kill each other, but instead we’re in a place where the characters are not sure if they want to at all.
The episode begins slowly with Homelander and Soldier Boy struggling to find out they are related. Homelander wants to start a family he has never had, and goes to Mallory’s to reconcile with his own son, Ryan. For Soldier Boy, however, the pain runs deeper. Soldier Boy is on his way out with Billy Butcher to kill the last remaining Payback member Black Noir, and confides in his own tense relationship with his father – how he was never good enough for his father, which led to him reporting volunteered for Vought’s experimental testing, just for his father. to say he cheated. Jensen Ackles, who plays the character, is heartbreakingly good at switching between vulnerability and bravado. While his story ends up in the air, I hope we see a lot more from him in the already booked fourth season.
When Homelander and Soldier Boy finally collide on the Vought Towers, it’s the best part of the episode. Antony Starr, fantastic as the psychotic and impulsive Homelander, and Ackles play brilliantly against each other, the blonde, evil Superman switch asks to form a superfamily, while Soldier Boy rejects him just as his own father did. It’s all over quickly, and the fight we were promised never really happens.
There are still some great moments throughout the episode, with Maeve and Homelanders clash as a real highlight. The only disappointment here is that it does not match the brilliance of Homelander, Butcher and Soldier Boys confrontation in ‘Herogasm’, which showed its limits. This time, the stakes do not feel high enough. But that is not to say that everyone survives.
Long before we get to the final battle, Homelander tears out Black Noir’s stomach after just discovering that Noir knew the truth about his father all along. It is an appropriately shocking moment, but even this comes with its own frustrations. Noir had just been given something to do, and it was very funny to see his distorted brain filled with snow-white comic book comrades. There is a sense that there is so much more they could have done with Noir, and it feels like a waste of potential.
Elsewhere, there is much more that is connected, although some stories work better than others. Frenchie and Kimiko have a beautiful scene where they discuss reconciliation with their past, while Laz Alonso continues to shine as MM in a powerful moment with Frenchie about wanting to be the best for his daughter. Other beats are not so nicely done. A-Train’s emotional clash with his brother does not have the space needed to fully explore the situation, although it is the most interesting character development A-Train has had throughout the season. He has the heart of the man he killed for being so terrified of his values, the Blue Hawk. Maybe the fallout is on the floor in the cutting room, or will be stored for next season, but more was needed.
The finale, just like the rest of season 3, is full of almost-moments that could have been good, but that fell a little short. There have been great heights, including the introduction of Soldier Boy to the fight while ‘Herogasm’ led to one of the series’ biggest episodes to date. But these were balanced with neglected stories for characters like Maeve and A-Train, as well as some tempo problems right up until the last match.
The ending of “The Instant White-Hot Wild” is what saves it by setting up where the series is headed. The most exciting development is that Starlight becomes a real member of The Boys as the team focuses on Victoria Neuman, who is now on her way to becoming Vice President of the United States. In Butcher’s brilliant deadpan words: “Well, that bitch definitely has to go.” Butcher himself is told that his days are numbered due to Temp V’s lasting effects.
And then there’s Homelander. With Ryan in tow, the episode ends with the crazy Supe lasering a Starlight fan in two – all while the Storm Chasers are watching. His true colors have been shown to the world. Of course, his fans still love him, and the idea of a Homelander without limits is certainly a tempting prospect.
All this proves that The Boys have not lost their way, and that there are still many exciting stories to tell in this groundbreaking series. Just hopefully, next time the show can hold the finale as it has done before.
If you’re already planning a new show, check out our guide to The Boys’ Season 3 episodes. Or if you’re stuck on what to stream next, check out our guide to the best shows on Amazon Prime Video to watch right now.
