The Boys season 4 episode 2 recap and review: “Life Among the Septics”

The Boys season 4 episode 2 picks up shortly after the events of the season 4 premiere. 

Reggie, also known as A-Train, is on set of his latest movie. His track coach, played by Will Ferrell, also known as “Ferrell f****** Streep, arrives to try to bring A-Train out of the gang and drug-infested streets. The director promises Ferrell Oscar buzz for his performance in the film. 

A-Train pushes back on the storyline, especially about how his brother, the drug dealer, is being portrayed. Remember, A-Train has a lot of history with his brother. 

A-Train leaves the set as Black Noir catches up with him. He asks A-Train if they just have to kill people when Homelander says, but A-Train tells him to keep his mouth shut. 

At the hospital, Annie sits with Kiara, who was beaten unconscious in the violence at the courthouse. She’s watching a news story about the events, and they’ve arrested two men in the deaths of the Hometeamers, including Todd. 

Also at the hospital, Hughie’s mom informs Hughie that she and his dead reconnected in the last few years. Hughie’s mother was given Power of Attorney, and she also shares that he has a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). This looks like it could be the end of the line for Hughie’s dad. 

Back at the Boys HQ, Butcher comes clean. He only has six months to live. MM is fed up, and he kicks him off the team for lying for so long. MM informs Butcher that he’s a liability, and MM doesn’t trust him. Hughie tries to vouch for Butcher, but MM’s word is final. 

At the Vought Tower, the marketing guys are pitching Homelander and Ryan on his backstory. They unveil Ryan’s suit, which is very similar to Homelander’s. Sage interrupts. She hates the pitch and the brand. Homelander and Sage disagree about using the “Chosen One” narrative. They give Ryan the script for his “first save.” Basically, they’re creating a crime for Ryan to save to launch his brand, but Homelander is mad because he’s not on the call sheet. 

After the meeting, Ashley catches up with Sage in the elevator, but Sage gives her the business. She tells Ashley to “get some lactation going” before she ends up like Madelyn Stillwell.

Back at the Boys HQ, MM briefs the team on what happened with the bodies at the courthouse. MM shares how Sage is already making Vought and the Seven smarter and influencing their decisions. 

Later, they rehearse the scene for Ryan’s first save. It doesn’t go well! He’s not really into the whole fighting thing. Koy, the stunt coordinator, asks Ryan to throw him for real when they do the scene live. Oh no. 

Butcher meets up with MM, Frenchie, and Kimiko at Truthcon where the conspiracy theorists spread their messages to the – I was going to say masses, but really it’s just to other conspiracy theorists. They can’t understand why Sage, the smartest person in the world, is at this event. Kimiko is triggered by all of the signage and has a mental breakdown. She starts drinking. 

Butcher, Frenchie, and MM attend a speech by Firecracker, the Supe with the alt-Supe YouTube host who has targeted Starlight and the Starlighters. During the speech, Butcher gets a massive headache, likely caused by his cancer. 

Frenchie follows the man who introduced Firecracker, but he gets into an argument with Kimiko for getting drunk at the event. Then, Kimiko says she had sex with a barista to force Frenchie into a relationship with Colin, which is a lie? She thinks he is holding back because of her. They continue following the man, who we learn is Splinter, a Supe, to the locker room where they find him “human-centipeding” himself. That’s as good as I can explain it! 

Hughie and Annie are tailing A-Train. They have a conversation about Annie not wanting to become Starlight anymore because of what the hero represents. A-Train, who is out with his nephews, gets into it with his brother, Nathan, who reveals that Reggie has been lying about all the saves he’s done as A-Train. A-Train apologizes, but Nathan doesn’t want to hear it. 

Sage questions Firecracker about what she’s selling, her powers, and all that. Consider it an audition. Firecracker reveals that she’s purpose-driven, and that’s why she does what she does inciting the masses. They plan to meet at 9 p.m. that night. 

Butcher and MM get into it again after Butcher wants to change the mission. MM wants to continue the intel gathering, but Butcher wants action. After insulting MM, Butcher gets his butt kicked by MM. This relationship really isn’t doing very well! 

When Hughie and Annie return to Boys HQ, A-Train is there waiting for them. He gives them a thumb drive with evidence that will clear the Starlighters accused of murdering the Homelander Three, as they’ve been dubbed by the media. He says thank you for not blowing him up in front of his family. Annie says that he “would have deserved it,” and A-Train says, “I agree,” before he zooms off. Is there a change happening with A-Train? Is he truly flipping sides? Only time will tell! 

Then, it’s go-time for Ryan’s first big save! In the fake scenario, the Deep and Black Noir stand back as Ryan tries to save a little girl being held hostage by a gunman, who is actually Koy, the stunt coordinator. Just before Ryan disarms Koy and throws him to the ground, Homelander shows up to give his son a little bit of encouragement, in addition to stealing the spotlight. Ryan panics and throws the stuntman two city blocks into the side of a building where he lands with a splat, dead. 

Back at Truthcon, the event is over, but MM, Kimiko, and Frenchie are crashing the meet up between Sage and Firecracker. They set up shop to listen in the adjoining conference room, but Sage is on to them. With Firecracker and Splinter, who is now several versions of himself, Sage corners them and tells Firecracker to kill them for Homelander as the final test. MM, Kimiko, and Frenchie fight their way out against a bunch of naked dudes. They stumble into a Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-themed bat mitzvah, and chaos ensues. 

Splinter shoots Kimiko in the head. It looks like they’re all about to lose to Sage, Splinter, and Firecracker, but then Butcher arrives and saves them! Then, the Boys have to save him. Butcher kills the Prime Splinter, and all of the replicas die. Firecracker, clearly outmatched, runs away. 

Back at Vought Tower, Homelander tries to bond with Ryan over a couple of milkshakes. He thinks his son is mad about messing up the situation, which will then tank his numbers, but really Ryan just feels bad about killing Koy. He tells Homelander that he never wants to do that again. Homelander gives Ryan a speech about being chosen and needing to accept it at some point, but then he takes Ryan’s milkshake like the monster he is. 

After freeing the men accused of murdering the Homelander Three, Annie finally accepts who she is – Starlight – and shows strength in front of her supporters. 

Back at Boys HQ, Frenchie relapses, and then he calls his old girlfriend, Cherie. He reveals that he knows Colin from before. He killed Colin’s family, according to Cherie. She asks what happens when Colin realizes that Frenchie murders his family.

Hughie goes back to the hospital and yells at his mom. He tells her that he’s going to fight her for power of attorney unless she does exactly what he says. 

Kimiko finds information about the terrror group that trained her in New York City and leaves the Boys HQ. 

Finally, at the end of the episode, MM and Butcher make up and thank each other. Butcher asks MM to help him get Ryan out of Homelander’s care. MM says, “too little, too late, Butcher,” basically. Ah, man! I thought we were heading for a reunion.