The Boys season 5 episode 8 brings the superhero series to an epic close, sealing the fate of all of the major characters. Ever since the first episode aired way back in 2019, we've been wondering how it would all end for Antony Starr's Homelander – and now we finally have the answer.
Before we get into that, we'll of course be talking about big spoilers from 'Blood and Bone' below so make sure you've seen the series finale before reading on.
Following Frenchie's experiments on Kimiko last episode, it's revealed that she has become the ultimate weapon. She can now use her chest beam to depower any Supe, which she tests out on a grateful Sister Sage. As a result, the Female and the rest of the Boys head to the White House to take down Homelander once and for all as he gives his Easter speech.
A fight ensues in the Oval Office as Ryan flies in to help out. After seeing Frenchie in a vision, Kimiko summons the power to fire at Homelander, taking his powers (and Ryan and Butcher's at the same time). Now he's just a simple man, Butcher gets the upper hand, beating him within an inch of his life.
In his final moments, Homelander begs for his life, telling Butcher that he would do anything for him. The leader of the Boys did not hesitate though, telling Homelander that this is for "his Becca" and stabbing him through the head with his crowbar. If that wasn't enough to prove he was really dead too, he then shifted the weapon to let Homelander's brains pour over the carpet.
As you might imagine, fans have been sharing their reactions to the climatic moment that has been several years in the making. Some viewers thought it was a perfect end for the character.
"Homelander went like he should, I would love to see him live life without powers and being miserable, but death was what needed to happen," wrote one on Twitter while another added: "Homelander's death has to be the most satisfying ever, after Joffrey Baratheon’s death in Game of Thrones."
"Obviously it'll come as no surprise given my account, but I'll admit I cried at Homelander's death," a third fan wrote. "The whole scene was very emotional. The switch up from being cocky when immortal to whimpering and terrified when human, Antony Starr gave his all right until the end."
Another tweeted: "As much as I disliked the ending, this is truly an amazing scene. I knew we were gonna get pathetic Homelander begging for his life but it was way better than anything I could've imagined."
Not everyone was so impressed though as they were hoping for a bigger final showdown between Butcher and Homelander. "Never in my wildest dreams (even after that s2 laser sequence) did I think the "scorched earth" showdown would happen exclusively inside the Oval Office resulting in just some burned carpet and broken furniture," wrote one on Reddit.
"So Black Noir II went more crazy than the fish genocide than anything Homelander remotely did in the whole show," another wrote as a third added: "You have two people with Homelander's powers, and two other Supes all fighting in the final battle, you could#ve had them flying through the skies, city, really demonstrating their powers in an all out brawl. But the whole fight just happens in one room…really?"
It's pretty tricky to please everyone but it seems like the final episode of The Boys is just as divisive as the rest of the season. For more on what happened, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 recap and our breakdown of The Boys season 5 finale ending explained. We've also got the lowdown on Vought Rising, the next spin-off in the expanding universe of The Boys as well.
