The penultimate episode of The Boys season 5 is here, which means we're just one week away from seeing how the ongoing battle between Homelander and Butcher plays out. The latest episode, titled 'The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother's Milk, ' sees the Boys grapple with the fact that Homelander may now be unkillable after taking V-One in episode 6. Meanwhile, the Supe is laying out plans for world domination.
The new episode welcomes back a few old faces, too, including Butcher's old adversary and a couple of Gen V characters. However, with us edging ever closer to the finish line, the penultimate installment sees a few key characters meet their end. But more on that later.
Below, we get into the latest episode of The Boys in our spoiler-filled recap, as well as breaking down the usual Easter eggs, cameos, and a round-up of which Supes appeared this week.
The Boys season 5, episode 7 'The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother's Milk' recap
The episode opens with Oh Father practising a musical number in promotion for Homelander's Democratic Church of America. However, over at the Oval Office, the head of the Seven is already testing his boundaries as supreme leader. He instructs Ashley and President Steven Calhoun to enforce a bunch of bizarre enforcements on the nation, such as banning baby formula and nut milk and using sending troops to round up non-believers. It turns out one is nearby too when Bashley reveals Calhoun's true thoughts though and Homelander squishes his head.
In the wake of Homelander's newfound power, the Boys are hard at work trying to put a stop to the tyrannical madman. At basecamp, Butcher and Frenchie ply Kimiko with uranium. Butcher explains that he is trying to mimic what the Russians did to Soldier Boy back in the '80s. They poisoned him with radiation until his powers morphed into a bomb-like beam. Butcher wants to do the same to Kimiko so she can blast Homelander. Sister Sage, however, is choosing to spend her days lobotomising herself, but agrees to help Frenchie with their plan.
Annie and MM meet with Gen V Supes Marie Moreau and Jordan Li, who inform Starlight that Oh Father has been spending a lot of time at Vought studios. The Boys sneak onto the set where The Worm is directing an anti-Starlight series. On the other side of the lot, Oh Father and a bunch of psychic Supes meet with a focus group and show them an ad for Homelander's church, which depicts Jesus handing over his crown to the Supe. As MM and Starlight watch on, Mother's Milk explains that he got his nickname from a group of childhood bullies who mocked him for taking care of an injured bird. Elsewhere, one of the psychic Supes captures Butcher and Hughie.
At Vought Tower, The Deep apologies to Homelander for killing Black Noir, but he couldn't really care less, adding that he is going to get rid of The Seven anyway, and fires Deep on the spot. The Deep sulks off to the shore only to be met with a hammerhead shark, who tells him that he and all of his fishy friends blame him for the oil pipe bursting, and will attack him if he ever gets into the water again, which later stops him from saving a drowning man. Homelander shows Soldier Boy his plans for a new nation, but his bio-dad informs him that he needs to leave and that the only reason he gave him the V-One was because of Stormfront, not because he is a 'God'. Homelander throws his toys out of the pram and strangles his dad until he passes out and places him back in his cryochamber.
As the Democratic Church of America focus group comes to an end, Oh Father uses the psychic Supes to select the non-believers from the audience. Sheline and Dogknott start to pick them off, but Starlight and MM appear and put the house pets down.
Meanwhile, Synapse interrogates Butcher and Hughie by taking the form of Butcher's old friend Joe Kessler, and reveals where Butcher's scar came from. Kelser explains that when he and Butcher were in the military, the Englishman selfishly put many lives on the line to go after a target, so Kelser hit him in the face, causing the mark on his forehead. All the while, Synapse is reading their minds and finds out where their base is. But just when Synapse gears up to kill the pair, they outsmart him, and Butcher drives his tentacles through his chest.
Back at the Boys' base, the radiation trials are really taking it out of Kimiko, so Frenchie vents his worries and expresses his love for Kimiko to Sister Sage, which seems to light a fire under the Supe, and she agrees to help him. Before we can see the benefits of Kimiko's next trial, Homelander shows up. In order to save his love, the Frenchman locks himself and the Seven leader in the radiation chamber and taunts him, telling him that Kimiko already has Soldier Boy's beam power.
Homelander flies away, but not before fatally injuring Frenchie, who starts to bleed out on the floor. Kimiko goes to cradle her dying boyfriend, and the Boys gather around him as he takes his last breath.
The Boys season 5, episode 7 Easter eggs and cameos
Oh Father shows off his pipes – At the start of the episode, we are treated to Oh Father breaking out into song. We were waiting for this moment as star Daveed Diggs is known for his musical talents, appearing in hit Broadway musical Hamilton and movies like Disney's Soul and The Little Mermaid.
Gen V characters finally appear – Just as the series is about to come to a close, we finally get the first sign of life from spin-off show Gen V as Marie Moreau and Jordan Li meet with Starlight in the first few minutes of episode 7. This is a long time coming as Gen V practically introduced Marie as the Supe who could kill Homelander. But it seems as though that won't be happening now after Annie dismissed the young Supe.
Samuel L. Jackson – No, you weren't hearing things, that was the voice of acting legend Samuel L. Jackson behind the hammerhead shark who threatens The Deep.
More Love Island – Now, this isn't the first time reality dating show Love Island has been mentioned in The Boys, but whilst Sister Sage is watching an episode in her catatonic state, Frenchie admits he is a huge fan, and has watched all of the spin-offs, including Love Island US, UK, Games, and more.
Yellowstone parody – The anti-Starlight show that The Worm is directing at Vought Studios is said to have been written by a Taylor Sheridan AI. Sheridan is the co-creator of the Yellowstone franchise, which the Western Supe series seems to be ripping off.
More Supernatural references – After an earlier episode saw Supernatural stars Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, and Misha Collins reunite on screen, episode 7 pays a cheeky tribute. When Soldier Boy tells Homelander he is leaving, the Seven leader asks his dad what he is going to do with his time, to which Ackles' Soldier Boy replies, "Fixing up the old Impala." Ackles' Supernatural character Dean Winchester notably drives a 1967 Chevrolet Impala in the '00s series.
Joe Kessler is back – After infesting his mind in season 4, Butcher's old friend Joe Kessler, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, returns. Well, kind of. Psychic Supe Psych-OK morphs into Butcher's ex-comrade to taunt the Boys leader about his dark past.
'Dream a Little Dream of Me' – After Frenchie sadly dies in Kimiko's arms, the song 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' plays over the credits. The Boys fans might remember that that is the same song sung by Kimiko in season 3 when she is daydreaming about her relationship with Frenchie. Now we're crying.
Who dies in The Boys season 5, episode 7?
The casualties are starting to pile up in The Boys season 5, with Frenchie being the big death this episode. However, a couple do happen in the new episode.
- President Steven Calhoun – ripped in half by Homelander
- Sheline – stabbed by Mother's Milk
- Synapse – impaled by Butcher's tentacles
- Frenchie – murdered by Homelander
Which Supes appear in The Boys season 5, episode 7?
- Oh Father
- Homelander
- Ashley (Bashely)
- Kimiko
- Billy Butcher
- The Deep
- The Worm
- Synapse
- Psych-KO
- Feline
- DogKnott
- Gray Matter
- Soldier Boy
- Starlight
- Sister Sage
Looking to get up to speed on The Boys season 5? Check out our recaps so far:
- The Boys season 5, episode 1 recap
- The Boys season 5, episode 2 recap
- The Boys season 5, episode 3 recap
- The Boys season 5, episode 4 recap
- The Boys season 5 episode 5 recap
- The Boys season 5, episode 6 recap
For more, check out our picks for the best shows on Prime Video and the best movies on Prime Video.
