Summary
A slow burner of an episode that possibly won’t live up to the excitement. However, a few scenes will live on in the audience’s minds, with the a**e scene likely to be one of the highlights of Season 3.
This recap of Amazon original series The Boys season 3, episode 1, “Payback,” contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the finale of season 2.
The Boys season 3, episode 1 recap
With the city in ruins, Homelander speaks to Stormfront. She asks him to join her, but he says “never”. Even the temptation of having children together can’t sway him. Stormfront says that he’ll be unable to defeat her alone, but he’s not alone. And, of course, that isn’t real; it’s footage from the movie Dawn of the Seven.
Frenchie goes to a party, and The Female starts to sing Dream a Little Dream of Me with Tyler, who plays the piano. Except she doesn’t, and it’s just her fantasy. At the party, a man with the ability to shrink himself makes out with one of the guests. And so, he downsizes himself and literally goes inside of the man’s a**s. But when he sneezes, he jumps out of the man’s body and accidentally rips the man apart. Hearing the screams, Frenchie runs into the room. So the size-changing man tries to get into his a**e, but The Female cannot stop him. Instead, Billy stops the man by trapping him in a plastic bag and covering him with cocaine.
Hughie’s life is on the rise as he seems to be in a happy and healthy relationship with Starlight, despite his father’s caring but annoying meddling. Billy goes to visit Grace and Ryan. Ryan still has trauma from past events as he reveals he has nightmares that his Dad burns everything before killing him. Grace reassures Billy that he’s a better man, and therefore maybe he’s not such an ar****le.
On The Cameron Coleman Hour, Homelander gives an interview as he laps up the fame from the movie. During Janine’s superhero-themed party, Marvin asks Monique if they can discuss co-parenting at the place where they had their first date. She, however, declines and tells Marvin that he must move on. Stan regrets making the superheroes, and now he wants to be out of the business. But not before he perfects the product.
Meanwhile, Neuman continues to steal Hughie’s lunch. (What’s worst, stealing Hughie’s lunch or killing Adana?) Hughie tells Billy that they must turn a blind eye to the man who can change sizes. And naturally, it causes friction between Billy and Hughie. When Billy accuses people of losing their minds, Hughie suggests that maybe they’re just trying to be happy. Stan invites Starlight and Homelander to his office. He tells them that the board wants Starlight to be a co-caption of the Seven. To sweeten the deal, Stan tells Starlight that he is offering her real power.
The ending
Hughie gets jealous as Starlight bonds with the same man who stole her virginity. She tells Hughie about Stan’s offer, but his jealousy brings a mini-argument for the pair as he fails to be supportive. Also, not dealing well with Starlight potentially becoming co-captain is Homelander. And he takes his anger out on A-Train.
Billy receives a file on Soldier Boy that says that the weapon that killed Soldier Boy could get used to kill Homelander. But Billy has doubts that the weapon is even real. Later that night, Billy finds Homelander on his balcony. They have an intense chat, and Homelander suggests they share a different destiny, with only one of them left standing. Billy admits that is what he wants, more than anything he adds. As Hughie leaves FBSA, he follows the weirdo (Tony), who had earlier been asking for Nadia. And Hughie secretly watches as Neuman brutally kills Tony. Despite the bloody act, Neuman seems genuinely upset over having to kill him. And not aware that Hughie has witnessed every second, Neuman calls for a team before she leaves the scene.
What did you think of the Amazon original series The Boys, season 3, episode 1? Comment below.
You can watch this series with a subscription to Amazon Prime.
