The Boys season 5 has finally landed on Prime Video, and the show didn't waste any time offering up reveals, new characters, and a shocking, poignant death in the new chapter's double-billed premiere.
Of the fresh faces glimpsed in the two-parter, the most notable was Oh-Father, Daveed Diggs' new Supe, who's introduced as Ashley's fiancé in the final chapter's opener 'Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite'.
In a recorded interview, Firecracker (Valorie Curry) describes him as "head pastor, president of CEO of Samaritan's Embrace Ministries". You know, the Christian charity that was a front for Vought shipping Compound V to hospitals across the country?
He's seen again in follow-up 'Teenage Kix', as he leads A-Train's memorial service – and pins the speedster's death on "jezebel" Starlight and her "demon-possessed minions". We then get a tease of his abilities, as he shouts "Hallelujah!" and sends sound waves so powerful out into the pews, it threatens to knock Ashley's wig off and causes Homelander to have a vision of his mother.
Like the majority of Supes in The Boys, Oh-Father has been lifted straight out of Garth Ennis's graphic novels. On the page, he's a minor antagonist, first appearing as a Capes of Christ organizer in issue #42 in 2006. In the TV adaptation, Capes of Christ was run by the super-stretchy Ezekiel (Shaun Benson) before Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) brutally tore him apart in season 4, episode 4.
In the comics, Homelander approaches Oh-Father, who's been accused of sexually assaulting his young sidekicks, and offers to help the latter take over the world; an offer the super-religious Supe ultimately accepts. In the issues that follows, readers see him cover for Homelander when he kills a family and defend him as he attacks the White House. It all ends badly, though, when Oh-Father is killed by a rocket let off by the US military in issue #72, which was published in November 2012.
As it stands, it's hard to know just how much of that will play out on the small screen. Given his links to Ashley, who's currently working at America's Vice President, it seems inevitable that he'll position himself against the titular team at some point.
What's caught our attention most of all, though, is his affiliation with Samaritan's Embrace. The FDA caught wind of the group's Compound V dealings way back in season 2 and by season 4, it was assumed that it was no longer caught up in all that, with Homelander stockpiling the dwindling supply in his apartment. But it can't be a coincidence that it's popped up again now, when we know that Homelander is seeking out V1, the original strain of Compound V, in an effort to become immortal. Will Oh-Father answer his prayers?
The Boys rolls out new episodes every Wednesday. Ensure you never miss any of the action with our guide to The Boys season 5 release schedule. If superheroes ain't your bag, check out our picks of the best shows on Amazon Prime for some watchlist inspiration.
