With topline cast Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, and Erin Moriarty set to return for a fourth season of Prime Video streaming hit The Boys, fans can expect to see their favorite familiar faces soon. But real ones know that none of these scheming heroes are ever truly safe from harm, be it from an enraged public, their employer Vought International, exes, unstable supes, their own son… the list goes on. If you’re excited for what’s to come, pick up some Brave Maeve branded snacks and read on for our season 3 recap.
The Boys Season 3 Recap: What to remember ahead of Season 4
Season 3 of The Boys concluded way back in the summer of 2022, so if you don’t have time to binge watch before getting your hands on new material, here are some Season 3 highlights to keep top-of-mind:
That’s Your Daddy, Boy!
Although the powers that be (Soviet scientists, Ronald Reagan) have kept them apart for decades, mysterious newcomer Soldier Boy (played by Jensen Ackles and not to be confused with rapper Soulja Boy) reveals to Homelander (Anthony Starr) that he’s made of more than a test tube full of supe juice. Despite appearing to be roughly the same age, Soldier Boy has been kept on ice and out of the way in order for Homelander to be easily manipulated by false parental figures for his entire life. This fatherless existence and mental manipulation by caregivers reminds us of Homelander’s relationship with his own secret son, Ryan, and leads to…
The Death of a Silent Supporter
Homelander kills original “The Seven” mainstay Noir (Nathan Mitchell) for withholding his knowledge of his parentage. Still waters may run deep, but Noir’s featured episode before his demise in Season 3 showed us why we didn’t previously hear much from him – a fight with Soldier Boy in the ‘80s left him mute, disfigured, and brain damaged.
Homelander’s Reintroduction
In possibly the most meme-able and heart-stopping scene from Season 3, Homelander is surprised and delighted to be embraced by his newfound political allies at a rally for Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit). He kills a supporter of Starlight (Erin Moriarty) right in front of his young son Ryan, as well as the crowd of onlooking normies. His moment of realization that he might be able to move away from Vought’s hard-fought public display of him as a squeaky clean Superman – and just be his best psychopathic self – is chilling. If you watched Gen V – The Boys’ youthful spinoff series which kept audiences held over on the long wait between seasons 3 and 4 – you know the repercussions of this coming out affect Homelander’s ‘public savior behavior’ going forward.
Just say NO
Both Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and later Huey (Jack Quaid) begin taking injections of Temp V throughout Season 3 to gain temporary powers and level the superhero playing field. In one notable scene, Butcher tells Homelander he’s gone full “scorched earth.” If he keeps injecting Temp V, V-24 and/or other Compound V derivatives at this pace, his fate is sealed. Our only hope is Hughey learns to stay off the supe stuff.
Toxic Masculinity is Out
Hughie and Annie, aka Starlight, (HughStar? Starlie?) face many relationship challenges, ultimately putting their romance on the rocks. Hughie’s fragile male ego (and fragile human body) keep getting in the way of Starlight’s superpowered efforts, and his new jaunt as a V abuser doesn’t win him many accolades. They truly love one another, but the pressure from outside influences (Vought, Butcher, Homelander, moral dilemmas) might tear them apart.
Honorable mentions:
– Season 3 tee’d up the Robert Singer/ Neuman presidential campaign. It better rock our socks (and heads) off.
– A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) collapsing from his overworked heart. Womp, womp.
– Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) survived a blowout battle, alive but depowered. The Boys helped her fake her death to disappear in peace. We hope she’s living her best life in a quiet cabin in the woods, listening to Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” and sipping some tea.
How to watch Prime Video with DISH
The first three episodes of Season 4 of The Boys will premiere June 13, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video*, with new episodes dropping weekly thereafter. The Hopper 3 with DVR lets you connect directly to your favorite apps, with Prime Video pre-installed for ease.
*Prime Video requires a separate subscription
With the Prime Video app on DISH, you’ll never have to change inputs on your TV to access your favorite programming. Just select the Prime Video app in the Hopper menu and you can instantly transition from DISH programming to your Prime Video account and back. There’s no easier way to access all your favorite channels and the complete Prime Video library on one TV. Not a DISH subscriber? Follow this link to find the best offer and subscribe to DISH today! – Malerie Bickhart & Amir Baz