The Boys season 4: What did Hughie mean by comparing Starlight to Pashmina? Hidden meaning and poetic symbolism explored

The finale of The Boys season 4, released on Thursday, July 18, 2024, was nothing short of legendary. In the true The Boys fashion, the eighth episode was filled with violence, mature content, and, of course, a lot of absurdity.

Among the not-so-absurd things to happen in the concluding episode of The Boys season 4 was a Supe Shapshifter taking Annie, aka Starlight's form, to be able to kill President-elect of the USA, Bobby Singer.

Although she did not succeed in that endeavor, she made sure she made her mark in Hughie's mind and body by being physically intimate with him a couple of times. Not only that, she also proposed to him, and to the audience's surprise, Hughie accepted the proposal.

When Hughie later crossed paths with the real Annie, he claimed that he knew all along that the person he was engaging with previously was not her. He then listed several of Starlight's characteristic traits that differentiate her from her Supe Shapeshifter form, which allowed Hughie to find the truth behind her impersonator.

"You want to know how I knew it wasn’t you? In the apartment, she wore some designer dress, and you always ditch your bra for sweats as soon as you get home. She found your car keys on the first try, and you have never, ever found your car keys in under 15 minutes. But the final clue: in the bunker, she was sweating, and you have always been and always be 90% pashmina. I love that about you,” he explained.

While some of these comparisons were direct, the Pashmina reference is a bit complicated, given that it has no direct implications.

Disclaimer: This article contains major The Boys season 4 spoilers. Please read at your discretion.

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What did Hughie mean by comparing Starlight to Pashmina in The Boys season 4 finale?

Hughie comparing Starlight to 90 percent Pashmina was one of the head-scratching moments in the finale episode of The Boys season 4. When Hughie gave a monologue to Starlight explaining how he realized the person he had encountered was not her, he compared her to Pashmina.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines pashmina as:

"A long piece of soft material such as wool that is worn by a woman around her shoulders. Some pashminas are made from the wool of a particular type of goat."

Meant to be a compliment, the Pashmina comparison could have two implications. Given its meaning, Hughie might be referring to Starlight as being cool (since Pashminas are worn in cold weather conditions) compared to the Supe Shapeshifter, who was profusely sweating inside the bunker.

The other meaning could be that Starlight's warm embrace (one that is felt when you wrap around a pashmina) is different from her impersonator, who is almost non-huggable due to her profuse sweating.

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What is a Pashmina?

Pashminas are pieces of cloth made using pashm, the fine hair of goats that are raised in parts of northern India. Pashm can be used to make various Pashmina items, including shawls, scarves, and wraps.

Pashminas stand out from other woolen garments because they protect people from adverse cold weather conditions. While woolen garments can allow a certain level of warmth, Pashminas double the warmth, but the material is thinner than wool.

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All eight episodes of The Boys season 4 are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.