And just like that, The Boys Season 4 is over. After eight episodes of absolute madness, “Season Four Finale” (previously titled “Assassination Run”) ended the fourth season with a few deaths, some big status quo changes, and an enormous tease for Season 5.
With that in mind, in case you were confused by the wild twists and turns in the episode, we’ve got you covered with a good ol’ ending explained post. First, we’ll recap what happened in the episode. Then, we’ll explain the ending! Enjoy!
The Boys Season 4, Episode 8 “Season Four Finale” Recap
There’s a lot that goes down in the episode, but let’s start with the main plot, the attempted assassination of President-elect Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver). With Annie (Erin Moriarty) held prisoner by the shapeshifter (also Moriarty), the plan is to get her close enough to the President to kill him. And as a result, Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) will become President.
Things naturally go to hell almost immediately, with Homelander getting pissed during a Vought News interview and lasering Neuman in the head — revealing her secret, that she’s a Supe, to the world. As a result, Singer gives a public conference calling for a new election, and stating that if he’s dead, it’ll be because Neuman had him assassinated.
MM (Laz Alonso) steps up and has the team get Singer into hiding in an underground bunker. But since they don’t know that “Annie” is really the shifter, she’s locked in there with them. Hughie (Jack Quaid) finally figures it out because the shifter is burning up, and Annie is always so cold she has to wear a pashmina. But it’s too late. The shifter attacks, and is ultimately only stopped thanks to the real Annie, and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara).
Meanwhile, Homelander is losing it worse than usual thanks to one little forgotten detail: he’s going to need to kill anyone in Vought Tower who isn’t loyal to him. That leads to multiple deaths including Also Ashley (Sabrina Saudin) and Vought writer Evan Lambert (David Reale). And it causes a panicking Ashley (Colby Minifie) to inject herself with Compound V.
Double Meanwhile, Butcher (Karl Urban) is making one last attempt to recruit Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) before he dies of his Temp V tumors. Does it work? Read on to find out.
The Boys Season 4 Ending Explained:

It does not work. After Mallory (Laila Robins) panics and tells Ryan every horrible thing Homelander has ever done, including that he is the product of rape, Ryan flips out and pushes her into a concrete wall, killing her instantly. He leaves, and Butcher realizes that Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the only hope he’s got of turning things around.
Hughie, however, has managed everyone else to try and be better. “Violence isn’t brave,” Hughie tells them. Forgiveness, letting go, a little mercy. That’s brave… If we’re ever going to win against monsters, I think we have to start acting human.” To do that, he’s going to trust Neuman, who has had enough after Homelander threatens her daughter Zoe (Olivia Morandin).
Neuman comes to the abandoned Vought factory they’re working out of, where Frenchie (Tomer Capone) has managed to remake the Supe-killing virus created on Gen V. And just as they’re about to make a deal, enter Butcher. If you’ll recall the V-ed-out bunny from a few episodes back and its horrific tentacle tumors, it turns out that’s what’s happening with Butcher, as well. Venom-style tentacles emerge from his body, and he rips Neuman apart, then takes the virus from Frenchie, and leaves.
Meanwhile, Homelander sits in the wreckage of his room, thinking he’s lost everything. Enter Sage (Susan Heyward), who explains this was sort of part of her plan all along. Thanks to some leaked footage, she managed to implicate Singer in the death of Neuman. The President is arrested, Neuman is dead, and that leaves Speaker Calhoun (David Andrews) as next in line for the Presidency. The loyal Senator pledges allegiance to Homelander alone. And in a closing press conference, Homelander gets what he says he’s always wanted: Supes implanted in law enforcement in every state and city, with him in complete control.
The final montage finds out heroes splitting up, Empire Strikes Back style… And then getting captured. Hughie and Annie are attacked by the telekinetic Cindy (Ess Hödlmoser) from “The Bloody Doors Off,” with Annie flying off to safety. MM gets tackled in the airport bathroom by — who else — his old nemesis Love Sausage (Derek Johns). And most heartbreakingly, Kimiko and Frenchie, who finally kissed earlier in the episode, are broken apart by Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan (Asa Germann). Cate takes over Frenchie’s mind, and Kimiko is held back by Sam, finally saying her first word on the show: “No.”
The episode proper ends with Butcher driving off with the virus, Joe in the backseat of the car. And then there’s an end credit stinger featuring the return of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), which means very bad things for Season 5. A fascist superhero state, Butcher versus The Boys, The Boys all imprisoned and Annie on the run. Plus Soldier Boy in the mix? Yeah, it’s all going down. Good luck, everyone!
When Will The Boys Season 5 Premiere On Prime Video?
We covered this more extensively in our in-depth speculation about The Boys Season 5 premiere date post. But the short version is that while there’s no announced date for The Boys Season 5, it’ll run eight episodes, is being written now, and will likely film from November to mid-next year. By that logic, and some comparative math on our part based on previous season’s schedules, The Boys Season 5 likely won’t premiere until 2026; and then possibly in May or June of 2026. We’ll see you then!
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