The Boys Review: The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies (Season 3 Episode 5)

The Boys Season 3 Episode 5, “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies,” gives fans a first taste of Soldier Boy with free will.

Jensen Ackles’ portrayal of Soldier Boy in the present has been much anticipated since the first news of him in Season 3 broke, and now we’re finally getting to see him in action.

Until now, all we’ve seen of Soldier Boy is past videos and stories of his behavior. “The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies” gives a perfect first look into what we can expect from Ackles’ character in the back half of the season and his team-up with Butcher.

As Soldier Boy roams Manhattan streets, we’re introduced to his homophobia and racism first-hand. His facial gestures of disgust when walking past LGBTQ bystanders and Maeve’s posters on the sidewalk are a dead giveaway of his feelings.

But more importantly, we see he’s on the warpath and searching for anyone who played a part in his capture by Russia. Unfortunately, this leads to the demise of Crimson Countess when Soldier Boy finds her tied up via Butcher.

Butcher helping Soldier Boy kill Crimson Countess is a segway into them conspiring against Homelander. The question as we advance through the season now is how many people are worth sacrificing for Butcher to win? Supe or not, Crimson Countess didn’t deserve to be tied up and sacrificed. 

The most troubling aspect of Soldier Boy’s connection with Butcher is the betrayal of Mother’s Milk. Butcher further alienates his relationship with MM by lying to and deceiving him to get what he wants.

Would MM agree to a team-up with Soldier Boy? Maybe when hell suddenly freezes over. But it’s the principle of the matter. Instead of deceiving MM to get information, Butcher should have been upfront and explained his positioning.

The same can be said for Hughie and Starlight. Hughie’s consistent lying to feed his ego and insecurities is a trait that will eventually ruin everything good for him. It can’t be easy feeling helpless in a relationship with a supe, but risking the relationship isn’t worth it. Especially not for someone like Butcher.

Starlight is the best thing to happen to Hughie, and it’s time that he remembers that. Consistently volunteering to be Butcher’s puppet is not working out for Hughie, and he’s oblivious to it.

Drama in relationships is typical, makes for great television, and is generally at least a bit enjoyable. Hughie following Butcher around like a puppy dog to get his fix is not as entertaining as The Boys is trying to paint it.

Karen Fukuhara continues to shine as Kimiko, bringing another aspect of this character to life. For the first time throughout the series, we see a happier side to Kimiko, even if it is at the expense of her powers.

It’s an exciting situation for Kimiko because, in her eyes, she’s no longer the monster she thought herself to be over the years.

However, we’re still in the dark as to why her powers disappeared after Soldier Boy’s attack or if it’s permanent. More importantly, this situation puts Kimiko at further risk from an attack via Homelander or Nina.

It’ll be interesting to see how The Boys navigates Kimiko through this life-altering moment and if we’ll see her powers restored by the end. Plus, a potential relationship between Frenchie and Kimiko? I’m not entirely sure how to feel about it.

“The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies” does an exceptionally well job of properly allocating time for each independent storyline. Whether it’s Soldier Boy’s re-introduction to the present time, Kimiko’s character progression, or Starlight’s experience with Vought and Homelander, this episode excels in almost all aspects.

Other Thoughts:

• Hughie may not think twice about it, but Neuman’s associate spotting him without a broken arm is a big deal. It’s only a matter of time before Neuman figures out what Hughie is up to and decides to make her move against him.
• Seth Rogan’s cameo is downright comical, and I hope we continue to get random celebrity cameos throughout the season.
• Kimiko’s musical daydream is a top-tier moment! I am beyond ecstatic to see where her character goes from here now that we get a glimpse of her speaking for the first time. 
• I’ll be distraught if A-Train doesn’t get the chance to tear Blue Hawk apart by the end of the season.
• Butcher and Maeve sleeping together is a scenario I certainly never saw coming.
• I need Starlight to break Ashley and then be the one to rescue Maeve.

What did you think of this episode of The Boys? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Boys is available to stream on Fridays on Amazon Prime.

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