The Boys Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed
Soldier Boy switches up on Butcher and Hughie on The Boys Season 3 Episode 7, “Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed.”
The Boys tries exceptionally hard to ensure that each episode is better than the last, and this season has been nothing but homerun after homerun. This episode is no different as it completely changes the entire dynamic we’ve seen throughout the season with one scene.
Also, it’s hysterical and satisfying for Homelander to get played and laughed at.
However, The Boys‘ penultimate episode sets up a dangerous scenario as an unfortunate situation arises at the end – a Homelander/Soldier Boy team-up.
As the series has demonstrated throughout its time on air, sticking to the comics has never been a priority, and it’s making another severe change. Soldier Boy being Homelander’s father via Vought’s criminal ways of operation is an unexpected plot twist that changes everything going into the finale.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Homelander refutes Soldier Boy’s claims, but it’s unlikely.
With Soldier Boy in on Butcher and Hughie’s ultimate plan and being on Homelander’s side, there’s no way of defeating either of them. Butcher and Hughie can only make any headway on their mission because of Soldier Boy, and with Temp V being fatal, things look grim.
Temp V’s instability and Butcher keeping the fact a secret from Hughie pose a serious question: who’s going to die? With Karl Urban’s unfortunate and accidental Season 4 leak, we know it won’t be Butcher. So, could we be going into the finale with Hughie dying as a possibility? It seems like it.
While Hughie has been one of the faces of The Boys in its three seasons, this is a series that thrives on death. It would not be shocking if Hughie bites the bullet in the finale because of the foreshadowing, and it would be another excuse to shake things up.
But it’s also likely that the foreshadowing of Hughie’s death is simply a diversion to something larger at play.
The penultimate episode also showcases the sensitivity we’ve seen from Black Noir in rare moments in the past as we watch him re-live his past days with Payback via his imagination.
Black Noir is a character of few words and fewer storylines or scenes outside of performing Vought’s dirty work. But on this episode, we finally see the truth behind the minimal backstory we get for Noir’s injury. Instead of being injured in the war firefight, Noir’s brain and skull injury come straight from Soldier Boy.
Noir fleeing upon hearing of Soldier Boy’s status makes sense now. The one man in his life who has instilled a fear in him like no other is Soldier Boy, and he knows he’s after him.
Homelander/Soldier Boys’ team-up also poses a genuine threat to Noir. Homelander may love Noir and think of him differently than others, but his loyalty for anyone besides himself only runs so deep.
If Soldier Boy explains to Homelander that Noir is the last member of Payback that needs to pay, there’s no way Homelander doesn’t cave.
The finale of The Boys is bound to be full of blood, death, and tears, and I’m not sure fans are ready.
Stray Thoughts:
- Kimiko’s arc might be one of my favorites throughout the entire series.
- Everything about The Deep and Cassandra is unbearable. The two add zero value to the series, and I hope that for Season 4, we can move on to a new supe whose whole MO isn’t just his attraction to sea creatures. I love Chase Crawford, but damn.
- I’m curious to see how the citizens on The Boys will react to Annie exposing Homelander’s murder of Supersonic and threat to Hughie’s life. I hope it causes him to lose points with his fans, but knowing them, it’ll only make them love him more.
- A-Train getting Blue Hawk’s racist heart at the request of Ashley is cold-blooded. I hope Ashley is next on A-Train’s list because she has it coming.
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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Cade Taylor
Cade Taylor is a television and film critic living in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV. His love for television developed at a young age, with a concentration on queer stories, sitcoms, teen dramas, and science fiction thrillers. In addition, he works full-time as a news producer, telling the stories of Missourians and helming "Produced in the Bi-State," a segment spotlighting actors, musicians, and entertainers from the St. Louis area. He can be reached by email at cade@telltaletv.com.
One thought on “The Boys Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed”
The show has no problem throwing curves at us. Boy if Homeland and Soldier team up it’s gonna be Neegan all over again. That’s gonna be the new show with the same name. Something’s gotta give.
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