Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault.
Summary
At San Diego Comic-Con,The Boys' creator Eric Kripke explains the nature of Hughie’s arc in season 4. As is the case with many characters in the show, Hughie (Jack Quaid) has been through an extreme evolution throughout the series, but he has especially gone through the ringer in season 4. Among other things, Hughie’s arc included the death of his father, played by Simon Pegg in the series. As Homelander continues his reign throughoutThe Boys, Hughie will continue to undergo an intense evolution inThe Boysseason 5as the showheads into its final season.
In an interview withScreen RantatSDCC, Kripke justified Hughie’sThe Boysseason 4 arc. The creator acknowledged that “Hughie went through a lot” and “fans had some very legitimate responses” to the “crucible” that Hughie had to endure in season 4. Kripke clarified, however, that Hughie’s arc related directly to the “story [they] were trying to tell” relating to how one can “hold onto your humanity” in the face of extreme obstacles. Check out the full quote from Kripke below:
Why Hughie’s Arc In The Boys Season 4 Is So Controversial
The Bulk of The Controversy Stems From The Tek Knight Sequence
In season 4, Hughie goes through a legitimately traumatic arc that strays far away from mere comic-book shock. In an early episode, his dad ends up in a coma in the hospital, only forhis estranged mother, Daphne, to show up. After Daphne gives Hugh Sr. Compound V in order to resuscitate him, Hugh Sr. goes on a mostly accidental killing spree with his newfound powers, while also experiencing dementia. If that was not horrific enough, Hughie and his mom end up having to make the tough decision to kill Hugh Sr. via lethal injection, creating tragedy for Hughie.
The Boys Season 4 Ending & Post-Credits Scene Explained
The Boys season 4 finale raises the stakes significantly for the show’s heroes, and its ending and post-credits scene perfectly set up season 5.
Shortly after his father’s death, Hughie is sent in disguise to plant recording devices at a party with Batman parody Tek Knight. Characters acknowledge how this is risky for Hughie immediately following the trauma of his father’s death, but what goes less acknowledged isthe horror that ensues with Tek Knight, when Hughie is brought down to his sex dungeon. There, Hughie is forced into sex acts while pretending to be Webweaver. Like many scenes inThe Boys, this scene leans into the gratuitous and over-the-top.
What goes unexplored in this sequence is the fact that Hughie was just sexually assaulted. This disturbed a number of viewers, who were further enraged by Kripke referring to the scene as “hilarious” in the wake of the episode. This language made it seem to some that Kripke was glorifying the sexual assault in the series, which was especially prominent asThe Boyswas piling onto Hughie’s trauma. Kripke’s interview quote does not fully amend this point, as it still does not fully acknowledge the assault, but the creator does at least acknowledge Hughie’s “darkest point” and tough journey.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
