Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Boys season 3, episode 8!
Here is everything you missed in Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) team up to fight Homelander (Antony Starr). The Supe-filled rematch did not go the way many thought, as it proved to be just as surprising as many other elements of the season's story.
After The Boys season 3, episode 7's twist that Soldier Boy is Homelander's father biologically, both of the Supes' mental states are a bit different when they cross paths again. However, they ultimately could not have a loving father-son relationship, leading to a major rematch. Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) initially work with Soldier Boy to fight Homelander, but it is not long before all of the Boys are involved. The Boys season 3 finale leads to Butcher learning the true consequences of Temp-V usage, while Starlight (Erin Moriarty) levels up as a Supe and Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) learns other ways to be a hero.
The exciting conclusion wraps up many of the main storylines at play in the third season, as everyone from A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) to Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) are featured in the finale. Showrunner Eric Kripke and his team of writers keep the focus mostly on the stories at hand, but that does not mean there are no Easter eggs in The Boys season 3, episode 8. Whether it is callbacks to the comics and prior episodes of Prime Video's show or references to real-life politics and pop culture, there are plenty of details some viewers may have missed in The Boys season 3, episode 8.
The Boys Continues Hughie's Mom Mystery
A small moment to call out in The Boys season 3 finale comes when protaganist Hughie's mother is mentioned. The show has not focused heavily on Hughie's life before the show, but Simon Pegg's appearance as his father has filled in some of the gaps. One of the big mysteries about Hughie's past, though, is what happened to his mother. All that is known is that she left when Hughie was young, but neither he nor viewers have any idea as to why. Theories suggest Hughie's mom could be a Supe or that she left after Hughie failed to become one. The Boys season 3, episode 8 does not reveal anything new about his mother, but the latest mention of her by Hughie is sure to keep her in the minds of viewers moving forward.
Soldier Boy Might Have More Kids Besides Homelander
There is another tease in The Boys season 3, episode 8 that Soldier Boy could have other kids besides Homelander. While Vought used Soldier Boy's DNA to manufacture Homelander, his sexual appetite before Payback betrayed him left the door open for him to father several children. Jensen Ackles' character its in the season 3 finale that he always wanted kids and thought there was a chance baby Soldier Boys were out in the world. Homelander and Becca proved that Supes could impregnate normal humans and create superpowered babies. Since Homelander comes from Soldier Boy's DNA, perhaps there are a few more of his children running around the world.
The Boys Season 3 Reverses Homelander & Black Noir's Fate
There are plenty of surprises that come in The Boys season 3, episode 8, and one of the biggest happens when Homelander kills Black Noir. This happens when The Seven's co-captain punches through Black Noir's gut and rips out his intestines. Prime Video's show greatly changed Black Noir from the very beginning, with the comic twist of him being a Homelander clone disregarded. That twist ultimately led to Black Noir killing Homelander, but now The Boys season 3 reverses their fates. Homelander kills Black Noir here, although the image of Black Noir's guts hanging out of his body is similar to the injuries he sustains during their fight in the comics.
Soldier Boy Repeats An Avengers: Endgame Captain America Moment
The introduction of Soldier Boy in The Boys season 3 came with plenty of Captain America parallels. He's a super-soldier from decades ago who reawakens in the modern-day, but Soldier Boy and Steve Rogers' personalities could not be more different. Still, their similarities allowed the series to repeat a few of Captain America's biggest moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This continues in The Boys season 3, episode 8 when Soldier Boy's shield breaks in the final fight. Captain America's shield was similarly broken in Avengers: Endgame during his fight with Thanos. Soldier Boy's shield breaks after Butcher's laser vision heats it up and Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso) shoots it. The broken shield is not enough to stop either of these super-soldiers, though, as Soldier Boy picks up a piece of what remains to try and continue fighting just as Captain America strapped up the broken shield to face Thanos' army.
The Boys Season 3 Proves Starlight Can Fly
Starlight gets a bit of a landmark moment in The Boys season 3, as episode 8 confirms that she can fly. The comics give just about every Vought Supe the ability of flight, but The Boys has changed that in a major way. Starlight finally proves she can fly too in The Boys season 3 finale as long as she has enough power flowing through her. She hovers in place instead of flying through the sky, but it is still a big step for her powers. Starlight flying even plays a significant role in her and Hughie's comic relationship, as hovering in place is how Annie originally tells Hughie that she is a Supe. The show does not need to make that same reveal, so having Hughie give Starlight enough electricity to fly is a nice touch.
Maeve Saves Starlight, But Not Like The Comics
Another of The Boys season 3, episode 8's comic references comes when Queen Maeve saves Starlight from a likely demise. In the comics, Queen Maeve saves Starlight by throwing her out of The Seven's tower so Homelander can not kill her. This leads to Homelander killing Queen Maeve. There were a lot of theories that The Boys season 3 could adapt this moment and see Queen Maeve die saving Starlight. When Soldier Boy's radioactive and power-draining powers begin to charge up, Annie is directly in the line of fire. Instead of standing by and watching Starlight die, Queen Maeve rushes in and jumps out the window with Soldier Boy in her grasp. It allows The Boys to give Maeve a similarly heroic act, but this time she does not die - despite what the public thinks.
Maeve's Ex-Girlfriend Returns (& They're Back Together)
The revelation that Queen Maeve survived her encounter with Soldier Boy but is now depowered came with another twist. When Starlight meets Queen Maeve after her faked death at The Boys' old hideout, she is not alone. Maeve's ex-girlfriend Elena is shown to be with her. It is the first appearance of Elena in The Boys season 3, as she was last shown in season 2 leaving Maeve to get space and sort out if they had any future together. After not even being referenced before, it appears Maeve and Elena are ready to start a new life together. Whether or not it lasts is something for The Boys season 4 to explore, but Queen Maeve is getting her fairly happy ending here, it seems.
Maeve Jokes About Her Missing Power
There is also a reference in The Boys season 3, episode 8 to Queen Maeve's missing power in the show. When she is saying goodbye to Starlight, Maeve remarks that she can only jump, but Annie can fly. However, those familiar with the comics know that Queen Maeve can fly. The Boys Presents: Diabolical even gave Maeve her missing flight powers, along with a more comic-accurate look. Instead of possibly using Maeve's heroic act to reveal that she can fly, The Boys season 3 finale references the missing abilities.
Victoria Neuman Gets Closer To Her Comics Counterpart
Victoria Neuman's story in The Boys season 3 finale includes a reference to her comic counterpart's story. In the comics, Victor Neuman becomes the Vice President under President Robert 'Dakota Bob' Schaefer. The Boys season 3, episode 8 sees Dakota Bob name Victoria Neuman his VP nominee for his presidential run. She's now directly on the same path as her comic counterpart, which included Homelander attacking Washington with a Supe army after Neuman became the President of the United States of America. Thanks to the Neuman reference in The Boys season 3, episode 8, a similar storyline could be around the corner.
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