Caution: the following contains potential spoilers for The Boys season 5
Given the nature of the show, The Boys season 5 is very likely to end with a bloodbath, and while no character is safe from that onslaught, the future looks particularly grim for three main characters. At this point, Prime Video’s The Boys TV show has deviated so much from the original comic books by Garth Ennis, they can barely be considered the same thing. Nevertheless, the broad strokes do remain mostly intact.
For example, the final phase of the comic story saw Homelander assuming control of the White House, and The Boys season 4 ended with Homelander maneuvering his way to becoming POTUS by default. The Boys season 5 – confirmed as the closing chapter of the main show – will see the protagonists rallying against Homelander’s regime, while also navigating the threat of a supe-killing virus in the hands of Billy Butcher.
The Boys Season 5’s Episode Titles Set Up 3 Major Character Deaths In 1 Episode
Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and MM (Laz Alonso) are shocked, watching the news in The Boys Season 4 Episode 8
The Boys season 5’s episode titles are yet to be announced in full, but the Writers Guild of America currently lists eight upcoming installments, including “Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite,” which has already been confirmed as the season premiere by showrunner Eric Kripke.
While the episode titles generally avoid giving much away, one stands out: “The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk.” It’s an oddly formal title focusing on three very specific characters. That already feels a little too much like a eulogy for comfort, but looking toward the comics gives even greater cause for concern.
Garth Ennis’ The Boys concludes with Billy Butcher embarking on a rampage in his efforts to wipe out all supes. On his blood-soaked journey, Butcher kills Frenchie, the Female, and MM, leaving Hughie as the only living crew member.
Whether Prime Video’s The Boys will emulate that bleak and dramatic twist is one of the biggest questions heading into season 5, but the existence of an episode called “The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk” strongly suggests the tragic events of the comics will indeed carry over to the TV show.
Why Frenchie, Kimiko & MM Need To Die In The Boys Season 5
Hughie in The Boys, looking angry
Compared to the comics, Frenchie, Kimiko and MM have each been afforded deeper characterization by the TV series – Kimiko especially. One could, therefore, argue that the violent comic ending is no longer suitable or necessary, and that more fully-developed protagonists require more fully-developed endings than merely being part of Butcher’s slaughter.
Nevertheless, this heroic trio must die by Butcher’s hand, and there are two key reasons why. Firstly, Butcher needs to become truly irredeemable. Karl Urban’s character is already halfway there after killing Victoria Neuman in The Boys season 4’s finale, but Neuman was mostly a villain herself. The comic books understand that Butcher turning on his own team is the only course of action that puts him fully beyond the point of no return in the reader’s mind.
More importantly, the Boys – both the team and show named after it – isn’t built for happy endings. Frenchie, Kimiko and MM have been treading a dangerous path, and while some have walked away temporarily, no one ever truly leaves the Boys. The inevitable end of their mission is not living happily ever after, but laying down their lives in a noble sacrifice.
The deaths of Frenchie, Kimiko and MM would also make Hughie’s survival feel like a bigger deal, assuming Jack Quaid’s character really is the team’s lone survivor, as in the comic books. If all four of Butcher’s colleagues walked away unharmed at the end of The Boys, the stakes of working for such a dangerous and dysfunctional unit would immediately become non-existent. Hughie’s teammates dying would emphasize the importance of getting a second chance at a normal life and making the most of it.
Sources: Writers Guild of America
Release Date
July 25, 2019
Showrunner
Eric Kripke
Writers
Eric Kripke
Franchise(s)
The Boys
