The Boys’ finale signaled a dramatic change in the status quo for the titular squad. While Hughie Campbell decided to go work with Congressman Victoria Neuman, Billy Butcher, and the others began working on super management with Grace Mallory. Hughie was unaware, though, that Neuman was also a super. Season 3’s first three episodes are currently accessible on Amazon Prime Video. This is a spoiler-filled, in-depth synopsis of The Boys’ first episode from season three, “Payback.”
The Boys Season 3 Episode 1 Recap
In the first scene of The Boys Season 3 Episode 1, Vought goes all out for their publicity stunts. Homelander is reenacting the final conflict with Stormfront this time, but the usual superhero plot of good versus evil is used. Homelander is portrayed as the main character in all of this, of course. Together, the Seven vanquish the villain—or, more accurately, the heroine—and all is well. Only it’s not.
Homelander’s flawless smile hides a genuine, uncontrollable furious wrath when the scene switches to the movie’s opening. It doesn’t help that Hughie Campbell(Jack Quaid) and Annie are well-known because of their well-reported courtship. It also suggests that A-Train is back in the news.
Congressman Neuman(Nadia Khayat) is also there when someone in the crowd calls for her after “rooting out bad apples,” but they call her Nadia. Hughie notes suspiciously, and this is an important story piece that needs to be noted for the future.
Butcher goes into the restroom to look at Hughie. He is permitted by Hughie to find out more about their most recent target. Part of that is because Kimiko and Frenchie arrive at a big party, and Butcher observes through a spy camera attached to Frenchie’s chest.
Termite’s Unconventional Superpower Display
Here, a Superman with the ability to alter his size just so happens to be their objective. The Boys’ portrayal of Antman. This guy is called Termite, and he practically obliterates his date from the inside out by sneezing into his penis.
It’s shocking and terrifying, and it’s one of the wackiest scenes in the show thus far. Termite even tries to get inside Fenchie’s ass when he later finds him. Thankfully, Billy Butcher(Karl Urban) interrupts Termite just in time. Butcher chooses not to kill the Supe, instead reminding the others to phone the bureau after recalling Hughie’s orders.
Here, of course, Hughie works. He’s a big deal at work and, following his courtship of Starlight and destruction of Stormfront, he’s become something of a celebrity. Furthermore, he is unaware of Neuman’s role in all of this and her Supe rank.
Neuman appears to be concealing some personal information, as evidenced by the fact that she used to go by Nadia and that the person who attended the movie’s premiere showed up at the office. He says hello to everyone as Tony.
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Butcher’s Spending Quality Time with Becca’s Son
Butcher keeps his word to Becca(Shantel VanSanten) by spending time with her son when he visits her. Butcher is confident that he will eventually become strong enough to overcome Homelander, even if he has been having horrible nightmares about him.
Although Butcher is avoiding him out of concern that he will wreck everything if he approaches too closely, Grace Mallory is still monitoring him. Still, he’s stopped drinking, hasn’t killed anyone in over a year, and he’s even following Hughie’s instructions. Everyone makes progress.
Sadly, termites survive and vigilantes have significant power. When Butcher finds out, he is angry and regrets not killing Termite when he has the chance. Stan Edgar(Giancarlo Esposito) at Vought Headquarters has created a new version of Compound V. Each vial of this one is valued at two million dollars, but it’s just temporary.
Edgar, though, is starting to get a little sick of the whole superhero thing. He plans to leave the company within the next five years because his work has turned into more of a caretaker role. By temporarily changing Vought into a pharmaceutical corporation, Compound V would enable them to exert far more effective control over the heroes.
Stan designates Starlight as the captain and Homelander as the co-captain in terms of control. That way, it would help make The Seven more popular and take Stormfront out of the spotlight. Even though Starlight is now the most popular member of The Seven, it’s obvious that Homelander is a major source of conflict at the moment, which isn’t helping.
The issue is that Starlight would have authority in this position, choosing the other two members to join The Seven with them. This might be sufficient to sway the balance against Homelander. And what could be a more interesting way to decide than a battle on reality TV?
Supersonic and the Jealousy Brewing with Hughie
One of the heroes here, Supersonic, used to be Starlight’s romantic partner. It’s obvious Hughie is jealous. But Starlight decided to proceed with their reality TV idea since they believe they are making a difference in The Boys Season 3.
Homelander is tense and prone to losing their composure, though. It is shown that Stormfront, who is on a life support system and has burns all over her face, is also still alive. And she doesn’t have an arm. Homelander rejects the myth of the “master race” that he persistently feeds her. Still, he finds himself returning to meet her because he believes Stormfront “gets him.”
Maeve turns out to be The Seven’s most recent mole. After seeing Homelander harass A-Train in the hallways, she tracks Butcher down. She knows something about a guy called Soldier Boy who was part of a superteam before The Seven took power.
Soldier Boy, their idol, is said to have died a while back. He has Gunpowder & Crimson Countess on his side. Maeve believes they may have the clues to locate the weapon that killed them. To prepare him for these renegade Supes, Maeve sends them three vials of temporary Compound V. They have one shot to find Homelander, and if they do, they could come in handy later on.
That evening, Homelander drops by to give Butcher a visit and puts them in a jar. The central notion of their tense and enigmatic meeting is that they will cooperate to vanquish Vought before engaging in a last-man contest. or a “scorched earth” situation, as we are cautioned.
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Neuman’s Violent Confrontation with Tony
Hughie goes outside after work one night and notices Tony hanging around. Hughie is hiding behind a garbage, and Neuman is also there while they are talking. Once, the two were best friends.
Tony asks to make “Red River” public, but Neuman turns him down. As she cradles him, his nose begins to bleed, and then they are fighting. This will ultimately lead to Neuman destroying poor Tony and leaving the alleyway filled with blood. and Hughie, who was cowering behind the trash, trying to gather himself while appearing appalled.
Summary
The Boys Season 3 Episode 1, titled “Payback,” kicks off with a Vought publicity stunt featuring Homelander reenacting a superhero battle. The episode concludes with an intense meeting between Butcher and Homelander, setting the stage for a dramatic and suspenseful season.
The recap acknowledges some disturbing moments, particularly involving Termite, and highlights Antony Starr’s exceptional performance in portraying Homelander’s complexity. Stormfront’s unexpected return adds a layer of intrigue, leaving viewers eager to explore the unfolding drama for the rest of the season. Either way, this season’s first episode lays the setting for what seems to be a very dramatic one.