Vought prepares an ad for their new show, Super in America, featuring the Seven. The producer, Courtenay, wants James to make the Sven look like people who should be in the Army. There's nothing on Starlight, and James points out that she hasn't made herself available to the crew.
It's been two weeks since Starlight gave her speech at the Expo. Maeve gives statements saying that her thoughts are with Starlight and she supports her, and women want to know the name of the man she accused of sexually molesting her. Hughie and Annie go to a bar and watch the news reports while waiting to play in a Trivia Night contest. Hughie's friend Anthony comes up and asks where he's been since the attack on Gary's store. He joins them and talks about how he and Hughie were in high school together, and Hughie excuses himself to get drinks.
At the bar, Anthony joins Hughie and says that he's been worried about Hughie since Robin died. Hughie admits that he should have called and insists that he's okay, Anthony jokingly tells him that Annie is way out of his league, and tells him to live his life and that's what Robin would have wanted. Hughie looks over at Annie and smiles, and she smiles back.
Homelander films a sequence in his boyhood home, and talks about how his parents would have been proud of him if they had lived. He sees a blanket on the bed and breaks character to call the prop man to complain.
The Boys review what they've learned about Samaritan Embrace and its smuggling of V. The Supes are kids dosed with V, and Hughie wonders if they know what happened to him. There are no public records about Homelander, but the records showed all of the other Supes are juiced-up lab rats. The Female wanders around grabbing papers and pens, and Milk complains. Frenchie insists that he doesn't control her.
Hughie checks on the Female, who is writing down edged spheres on the paper she's taken. Frenchie convinces her not to rip Hughie's head off when he takes one of the papers, and tells the others that he thinks she's trying to communicate. He wants to find out, but Billy and Milk remind him that he's been burned. Billy points out that the hot mic on Annie's phone hasn't worked for a week and asks Hughie if he knows anything about it. He offers to check, and Billy tells Hughie that he's coming with him on a little "detour".
Ashley comes out of Madelyn's office and Annie sees her as she arrives. When Annie asks what the matter is, Ashley says that it was her idea to book Annie for the Expo. She says that now she doesn't have to kiss Annie's ass anymore and storms off. When Annie meets with Madelyn, Madelyn claims that it was a mutual decision that Ashley left. She then tells Annie that she's a selfish, arrogant child. Madelyn says that the idea that Supes are independent is a myth, and people at Vought spent hundreds of hours creating the image of Supes. She figures that Annie wants to be famous, and says that no one is famous alone so Annie should let them do their job. Annie tells her no that she doesn't want popularity and does want her old uniform back. When Madelyn threatens to have her kicked off the Seven, Annie points out that firing an employee after complaining of sexual harassment would be bad for Vought. She says that she'll tell anybody who asks because honesty isn't her thing, and figures that Madelyn has known who did it for a long time. Madelyn says that she has a lot to think about and dismisses Annie.
The Deep makes ads for his Green Crusader initiative.
A-Train films a commercial about how his brother Nathan raised him after their parents died. When he says that he realized he was a Supe when people fired shots outside of his building, Courtenay suggests that they ix-nay the gun violence and make the spot more upbeat They continue filming spots, and Courtenay says that Popclaw died and it was probably a drug OD. A-Train claims that he hasn't seen her in years.
Annie gets into an elevator with Maeve, who complains that Annie is milking her empowerment act. She says that interviewers keep asking her how she's supporting Starlight, and Annie tells her that her honesty isn't an act. She says that she read Maeve's autobiography repeatedly and wanted to live her life like hers because Maeve stood for something. Now she figures it was written by marketing guys, and leaves the elevator.
The Woman sits down with Frenchie and watches a documentary on sharks, and Milk notices. Frenchie offers to change the channel and the Woman nods in refusal. He tells Milk that the Woman looked at him, but Milk isn't impressed. Frenchie figures that the Woman's secrets torment Milk, and suggests that they talk to Mesmer, who hates the other Supes. Milk reminds Frenchie that he's burned, but Frenchie figures that he and the Woman will hide in the van and let Milk do the talking. The other man refuses, and Frenchie tells Milk that he can't bear things out of order and the Woman is out of order.
Billy tells Hughie that he's not half the twit he thought he was and he's a good cunt, and takes him to a church. The Association of Collateral Damage Survivors is meeting there, talking about how they were injured after Supes rescued them. Seth is there and says that a Supe with ice powers took a liking to him. He lost his genitals when she froze him during a climax, but he still misses her. Billy keeps whispering to Hughie, and the therapist invites him to tell them his story. He refuses, and the therapist figures that his smirks are a defense mechanism and they're in a safe space.
The therapist insists on Seth giving Billy the talking stick, and Billy threatens Seth when he tries. He then says that they're all Supe-worshipping cunts and asks where their rage and self-respect is. Billy says that they should go after the Supes but they're just scared rabbits, drops the stick, and leaves. Hughie hesitant apologies for Billy and then goes after him.
The Deep meets with Madelyn and tells him to make a public apology. Vought will be stationing him in Sandusky, OH, and tells him that eventually Starlight or some of the other women speak up and say that the Deep sexually harassed them. The Deep asks her if she can handle it, and Madelyn tells him that's how Vought is handling it.
The Deep tapes an apology to Starlight asking her to forgive him, during Seth doing an interview with Black Noir about his new movie. Ad for the Mesmer's new show, The Mesmerizer, runs.
At a con, Mesmer, Billy Zane, Shockwave, and Tara Reid are signing autographs. Milk approaches Mesmer and points out that he used to be on Teenage Kix with A-Train. He says that he knows about Mesmer's insider training and has Mesmer read his mind. Afterward, Milk says that he works for Child Services and takes Mesmer to his child, Cleo, who he lost in a divorce. She barely knows him, and he gives her a DVD of his show and promises that he'll see more of her.
Once Cleo leaves with Milk's Child Services contact, Cleo, Milk tells Mesmer that he can see Cleo for one hour every month. In return Mesmer has to read someone for him.
Billy takes Hughie to a park bench and talks about how his wife Becca liked the Spice Girls. He says that she was happy with him, and then Homelander raped her. Hughie apologizes, and Billy says that he saw via the security camera that she sat on the park bench for three hours and then just walked away. That was eight years ago, and no one has seen Becca since. Billy figures either she killed herself or Homelander did. He tells Hughie that he knows what it's like to lose someone, and the two of them are in it together. Billy says that Hughie can't let himself be distracted by another woman, particularly a Supe. He advises Hughie to remember who his friends and enemies are.
Homelander goes to the barn outside the home he claims is his, and Madelyn arrives and apologizes for the blanket incident. The Supe asks her where she grew up in, and describes how Vought put him in a house he's never been to with parents he never had. Homelander wonders how it would make her feel, and Madelyn says that she wouldn't like it. She assures Homelander that the prop man has been fired and they need to finish the tour, and she strokes his crotch and asks him to do it for her.
Homelander talks about his mother taking him to Little League, and how she made him birthday cakes in the shape of a baseball diamond.
Milk and Frenchie take the Woman to Mesmer's home, and he takes her hand to read her memories. He sees her fights with A-Train and Black Noir, and the Woman snaps his wrist. Frenchie calms the Woman down, and Milk yells at Mesmer to continue the setting. He offers to patch Mesmer up, and Billy calls and asks where they are. He knows where they really are despite Milk lying to him,.
Maeve does an interview saying that she and all of the Seven are friends. Elena comes by and talks to her off-camera. Maeve claims that she was just looking for a hookup, but Elena doesn't believe her and figures that she's still afraid. Once she leaves, Maeve realizes that Courtenay and her crew filmed the entire thing.
Frenchie tries to coax the Female out from under a table. Billy and Hughie arrive and Milk explains that he made a deal with Mesmer. Unconvinced, Billy says that Milk should know better, but Milk insists that they get more from people treating them like people. Mesmer takes the Woman's hand again and she nervously takes it. The Supe sees a camp in a jungle with the flag for the Shining Light Liberation Army, and Frenchie wonders if the Woman was a terrorist.
The camera crew packs up at Homelander's "home", and he sees the blanket in bin labeled "Do not use". He takes it out and remembers his childhood.
The infant Homelander sits in a featureless room, holding a blanket. Dr. Jonah Vogelbaum watches him through a window and taps on the glass to get the boy's attention, then plays peek-a-boo with him.
The Female draws more of the spheres and Frenchie insists that she can't be a terrorist. Billy and Milk figure that Vought gave V to terrorists to soup them up, to "encourage" the government to let Supes into the Army. Frenchie insists that the Woman doesn't want to be a super villain and saved his life, and just wants to go home. He tells the Woman to tell them who she is and what he sees, and she grabs Mesmer's hand and he continues reading her mind.
Mesmer sees a young Woman staring up at the moon from her bed by the beach. The drawings are of palm trees in front of the moon. People open fire outside, and the shooters kill her parents and kidnap her and her brother and forced them to be soldiers. The Woman just wants to go back and rescue her brother from the camp.
The telepath says that the Woman's name is Kimiko, and nervously backs away from her. Frenchie calls the Woman by name, and Billy tells the others to go back to the safehouse while he goes to see Susan so he can get the Feds onboard. Before he goes, Billy says that if Mesmer tells anyone what happened, he'll cut off his hands. Mesmer offers his hand to shake on it, and Billy tells him to fuck off and leaves.
The Deep is getting gas and sees a broadcast of his apology. A woman drives by and throws a brick at him, and the Deep half-heartedly calls to her to keep speaking her truth.
Billy meets with Susan and she asks if he has the V. He says that he has the V and proof that Vought is dozing babies with it. First he presents a list of his demands, and Susan says that she'll pass it up the chain of command. Billy doesn't believe it and figures she can approve it all, and Susan says that she can give him everything except Homelander's prosecution. She tells Billy that she sympathizes but it's suicide for thousands of people if Billy pushes Homelander too far. Disgusted, Billy leaves.
At the Tower, Annie gets a video of the reality shoot using recycled footage of her. It sets her up as a feminine icon fighting back for all of them, and pushes a new show Citizen Starlight. Maeve arrives and sees the video, and tells Annie that Vought always wins. She apologizes and walks away
At the safehouse, Frenchie tells Kimiko that the Boys can use her help stopping the men who dosed her and are dosing others. He tells Kimiko that it's her choice whether they head for the camp or not. Kimiko takes his hand and curls up on the couch Billy returns and claims that Susan got cold feet. He figures that they got everything they need and will take down the Seven themselves, and wonders where Hughie is.
Mesmer is in a stairwell calling Child Services about Cleo. He leaves a message saying that Cleo was just being polite and didn't want to see him, and he just asks Child Services to look after his daughter. Mesmer continues on to the roof and meets with Homelander that he arranged to meet with. Homelander tells him that A-Train said that Mesmer had some information, and Mesmer shows him photos he took of the Boys. He hopes Homelander will put in a word for him with Vought so he can be one of the good guys again. Homelander recognizes the photo of Billy and flies off without a word with Mesmer's phone.
At the bar, Annie tells Hughie about how she had powers from the start when he asks. She doesn't want to talk about Supe stuff, admitting that she had a bad day at work. Annie suggests that they go to a beach in the Bahamas together, and says that NYC has been a shit show except for Hughie. Hughie imagines Robin there, and kisses Annie. When he looks over, Robin is gone. He smiles and they kiss again. Billy comes up and claims that they haven't seen each other in a while. Billy claims that he's an old friend of Hughie's, and "recognizes" Annie. He asks what Translucent is up about, noting that he's been gone a long time.
Annie excuses herself to get some beer, and Billy tells Hughie that he thought they had an understanding. He figures that Hughie is consorting with the opposition, and Hughie insists that Annie is a good person and can help them. Billy asks what Annie will do when she finds out that Hughie murdered Translucent, implying he'll tell her. He then leaves before Anne returns.
Written by Gadfly on Aug 11, 2019