The Boys season 4 episode 4 ending explained: Why does Hughie want Compound V?

The much-awaited episode 4 of The Boys Season 4 was finally released a week after the grand premiere of the first 3 episodes. Amid the dark, satirical chaos, the complex dance of power and revenge continues to unfold.

Butcher, embodying unexpected depths of empathy, clashes with his former comrade, Kessler, over their divergent visions for Ryan. While Butcher envisions a path of righteousness for Ryan, Kessler sees him as a weapon against Homelander.

The conflict is placed against the simmering rivalry between Starlight and Firecracker which has rooted in past grievances that trace back to their beauty pageant days. As these personal battles wage, the overarching threat of a national crisis looms.

Hughie wants Compound V to potentially save his father, who is on life support and near death. He believes the superpower-inducing drug might revive or heal his father, driven by desperation and denial about his father's dire condition.

Hughie also stumbles upon a dire plot by Sister Sage, Homelander, and Victoria Neuman to overthrow the government and impose Martial Law, an unfolding crisis that promises to escalate tensions to new heights.

Episode 4, titled Wisdom Of The Ages has introduced new plot developments to the turbulent waters further exploring the consequences of their entwined destinies.

The Boys season 4 episode 4: Homelander gets back to his roots

The Boys (Image via Youtube/Amazon Prime Video Trailer)

The episode begins with Homelander returning to the underground Vought laboratory which happens to be a place that conjures the darkest chapters of his childhood. Here the experiments conducted on him were nothing short of torture, aimed at gauging the limits of his superpowers.

Upon his arrival, the tension is palpable; the staff, aware of his formidable powers, are visibly petrified. An unsettling reunion unfolds when Homelander is called "John" by an old scientist, Marty.

It’s a personal trigger for Homelander who internally identifies with the name but detests its use by others. The situation escalates as Homelander, maintaining a façade of calm, forces the staff to partake in eating a cake—a twisted semblance of normalcy.

Switching to Hughie, we find him grappling with his father's imminent death in the hospital. The doctors have declared there's nothing more they can do. In his desperation, Hughie contemplates using Compound V to save his father, showcasing the painful denial he's experiencing.

The plotline shows the ethical and emotional dilemmas faced when dealing with loss and the lengths one might go to avoid accepting the inevitable.

Annie, meanwhile, is rallying to support Robert Singer's legislative bill to curb superhuman activities. Despite her trauma as Starlight, she decides to don her superhero persona once more, driven by the necessity to combat Vought's overarching control which underlines her resilience and commitment to change, even if it means facing her past head-on.

The episode goes deep into Frenchie's past revealing his direct involvement in a tragic incident that killed Colin's family and the narrative skillfully exposes layers of his guilt and addiction which shows the complex nature of his character and his struggle for redemption.

Firecracker’s manipulative tactics come to the forefront as she orchestrates a public slander campaign against Annie. By revealing Annie's abortion, Firecracker aims to destroy her reputation while leveraging societal prejudices and the power of public perception. The moment is crucial because it shows how public figures can manipulate truths for personal vendettas.

The Boys season 4 episode 4: What's wrong with Butcher and MM?

In a particularly chilling sequence, Homelander confronts Marty at the lab about their shared past. He forces Marty into a horrific reenactment of their childhood interactions, demonstrating Homelander’s sadistic tendencies and his inability to forgive or forget past tortures. This scene shows Homelander’s twisted sense of justice and his deep-seated traumas.

Hughie’s storyline converges with A-Train's, as Hughie tries to procure Compound V in hopes of saving his father. A-Train’s reluctance initially, followed by his agreement to help, adds layers to his character, showing his struggle between loyalty to Homelander and his own path to redemption.

The action peaks when Butcher and MM confront Firecracker at a party, attempting to leverage her dark past against her. The dynamics shift quickly which reveals the precarious and often deceptive nature of alliances in The Boys.

What Does Homelander want for Ryan in The Boys season 4?

As episode 4 of Season 4 of The Boys nears its end, Homelander confronts Barbara in the "red room" which happens to be a space linked to his traumatic past at Vought. During this encounter, he manipulatively pressures Barbara pushing her to reflect on their shared history and her role in his upbringing.

Homelander reveals his manipulative nature and delusions of grandeur as he discusses his son, Ryan, expressing his desire to mold him into a version of himself.

The conversation puts forward his craving for control and acknowledgment while Barbara, coerced and manipulated, tries to navigate the dangerous waters of Homelander's unstable psyche.

Why does Sister Sage want lobotomy in The Boys season 4 episode 4?

Sister Sage takes a drastic step to cope with her overwhelming intelligence and constant mental activity. Her intelligence is a double-edged sword, it grants her incredible capabilities but also prevents her from experiencing life in a normal or peaceful way.

Unlike other characters who often use their powers for combat or manipulation, Sage's "power" tortures her with unrelenting thoughts and an inability to shut off her mind.

Feeling alienated and desperate for relief, Sage decides to perform a lobotomy on herself which is meant to temporarily damage the part of her brain responsible for her high cognitive functioning.

The scene unfolds with a chilling calmness as Deep watches with a mixture of horror and fascination on his face. Sister Sage with clinical precision explains the procedure to Deep who is visibly uncomfortable yet unable to look away or dissuade her.

The choice of Sister Sage's lobotomy which is a procedure historically used without the consent of patients and often leading to disastrous results shows the extreme measures Sister Sage is willing to take to escape the burden of her intellect.

She performs the lobotomy using an orbitoclast which is a tool historically associated with this brutal practice which she inserts through her eye socket to reach her brain.

After the procedure there is a major change in Sister Sage because for a brief period, her demeanor shifts to that of someone who can finally relax, showing a side of her that is more carefree and less burdened by her intelligence.

The Boys season 4 episode 5, titled Beware of The Jabberwock, My Son, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, June 27, 2024.