The Boys season 5, Episode 6, "Though the Heavens Fall," feels like a blend of better-than-average mid-season filler and something approaching a season finale. It's a very good episode, but it probably falls just short of being classified as great. That said, it's still a compelling and essential installment in the Prime Video show's final run.
With just two episodes left to go after "Though the Heavens Fall," The Boys season 5 makes it gloriously unclear when it comes to where it goes from here. In many ways, the show has reached its endgame, and there doesn't seem to be a conventional way forward to arrive at a traditional stopping point. Furthermore, "Though the Heavens Fall" manages to squeeze in some last-minute worldbuilding and character development.
Spoilers ahead for The Boys season 5, Episode 6, "Though the Heavens Fall."
The unexpected return of Paul Reiser as the Legend worked surprisingly well
There can often be an understandable temptation for shows nearing their own to focus only on the story's core characters. However, "Though the Heavens Fall" proves it can be incredibly effective to revisit minor figures who have perhaps been underutilized. Before this episode, Reiser had only racked up two appearances as the Legend in The Boys, both of which were in season 3.
As far as The Boys lore goes, the former Vought VP is pretty obscure, but he fits right into season 5 even for fans who don't particularly remember him.
He's also the perfect choice of returning character to fit the story's needs. His vulgar-yet-encyclopedic knowledge of Supe history is what ultimately catalyzes the episode's central events. His presence essentially bridges the Boys' scheme with Sister Sage's (Susan Heyward) failed master plan. Without him, we'd never have seen the Supe retirement home that I never knew I needed. Plus, he achieves the rare feat of briefly humanizing Homelander (Antony Starr). A successful comeback for Reiser all around.
The less prominent stories in "Though the Heavens Fall" are a mixed bag
The reveal that Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) have already accepted that they would prefer death over the curse of immortality is something I've been expecting for a few episodes now. It's such a common trope in fictitious relationships that boast just one immortal character that I was surprised The Boys seemed to be glazing over it. Thankfully, that has now been cleared up. It's predictable, but it makes sense based on countless other examples in similar stories.
The other minor arc in Episode 6 is the Deep's strange oil spill storyline. The Boys has struggled to find a place for Chace Crawford's Aquaman rip-off so far in season 5, and Episode 6 is the latest example of this. I know it was largely a revenge scheme put in place by Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell), but I found myself just sort of waiting for those scenes to be over. The Deep's attempt to give an accusatory fish CPR was pretty funny, but the subplot as a whole was largely easy to forget.
Episode 6 makes The Boys season 5 feel even more like a setup to Vought Rising
If Vought Rising hadn't already been announced, then this element of The Boys season 5 would probably have flown under the radar. As it stands, the show's final run has, at times, felt more like a shameless plug for the upcoming Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) prequel than anything else. It's not that introducing Bombsight (Mason Dye) and reminding everyone who Stormfront (Aya Cash) is feels inauthentic or forced, but I'm not saying it doesn't feel like that, either.
I'm really looking forward to Vought Rising. I just think it's a shame that The Boys franchise's parent show is having its thunder stolen a little as it draws to a close. Hopefully, with no real reason for Stormfront or Bombsight to appear or be referenced in the last two episodes, The Boys can concentrate more solidly on giving itself the finale it deserves. On the other hand, maybe showing Soldier Boy purging Bombsight of his powers is a not-too-subtle hint at how Homelander will be defeated?
Homelander & Solider Boy's arc is easily the highlight of "Though the Heavens Fall"
Whether or not Soldier Boy wants his son to join him in immortality has been one of the most uncertain plot points throughout season 5, and that's been intentional. The storyline is no more clearly encapsulated than in Episode 6. Although Soldier Boy flips from being staunchly against Homelander getting his hands on the V-1, he ends up being the person to voluntarily offer it up to him.
It's an incredible turn that even Sage fails to predict. Plus, with Homelander ending the episode more powerful than he's ever been, the show makes it less clear than ever when it comes to how Karl Urban's Billy Butcher and company will take down the maniac with a violent god complex. In other shows, Episode 6's ending would be left as a season finale cliffhanger. But The Boys is one-of-a-kind, and we'll all have to just wait and see how episodes 7 and 8 will somehow up the ante.
Episode Rating: A-
The Boys season 5 is streaming now on Prime Video.
Add us as a preferred source on Google