The Boys Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Beware of the Jabberwock, My Son

The Boys Season 4 Episode 5, “Beware of the Jabberwock, My Son,” packs an emotional punch regarding Hughie’s story while pushing the boundaries of gore and ultraviolence. It effectively builds on last week’s cliffhanger.

Beware of the Jabberwock, My Son 

Hughie’s grief-stricken narrative is undoubtedly a major draw for this episode. Jack Quaid and Simon Pegg deliver show-best performances here. Hughie’s maturity and growth speak volumes of Quaid’s talent and versatility.

It’s equal parts heartbreaking and gratifying to watch Hughie accept his father’s final lesson—stop holding on to everyone so tightly. Undoubtedly, it’s a lesson that’ll resonate with countless viewers. When it comes to death, it’s always best to honor a loved one’s choice if they can choose how they want to go. 

While Quaid proves to be the perfect vessel for Hughie’s aching inner pain, Pegg channels Hugh Sr.’s vulnerability and unbridled rage. His performance is raw and wholly physical, and Pegg throws himself into it without inhibitions. 

As I mentioned in a previous review (but it bears repeating), Hughie’s storyline is compelling because it’s a natural death in the world of The Boys. Sure, Daphne injects Compound V into Hugh Sr.’s veins, but the family decides to end his suffering before it’s too late. Having a non-supe whose demise is essentially caused by a human condition is a refreshing change of pace. 

The VCU

“Beware of the Jabberwock, My Son” cheekily pokes fun at the MCU, mainly how Marvel presents its film slates at D23 Expo. The V52 Expo is the show’s genius answer to the Marvel machine and its penchant for overproduction and oversaturation. 

Even tongue-in-cheek remarks on Hollywood’s predilection for reboots and intense fascination with dark color grading hits the nail on the head. As always, The Boys remains relevant in its commentary. 

Loose Narrative Threads

“Beware of the Jabberwock, My Son” poses a common issue pervasive in Season 4 thus far — too many loose narrative threads. Because of this, the episode (and Season 4 as a whole) feels slightly less focused than previous seasons. So much happens on this episode. It’s jam-packed full of storylines. 

That doesn’t mean this episode isn’t enjoyable, but it can be a bit overwhelming to follow, especially with the hour-long runtime. Here’s hoping the Powers That Be gives us a sharper focus in the coming episodes, zeroing in on what’s truly important — the satire, the gore, the complex characters, and the twisted humor. 

Stray Observations: 

• Does the V52 Expo pale in comparison to the D23 Expo, or vice versa? Perhaps I can assess more accurately once I see Phases 11-19. 
• Supe sheep destroying cows mid-air is unadulterated nightmare fuel. 
• I love the nod to Hughie’s comic book counterpart when Hugh Sr. calls his son “Wee Hughie” before passing. Apparently, this was Simon Pegg’s idea. Brilliant. 
• The V52 Expo film/TV slate brings G-Men and Teenage Kix, two groups from the comics, into the live-action fold. Whether we see them later this season or beyond remains to be seen. 
• I laughed the hardest at “It’s been a whole year since my last film, so I think it’s time for a reboot” and “A 12-minute sequence that’s entirely pitch black.” Both lines are from Tek Knight. 
• Seeing Ryan morph into a mini Homelander is 50 shades of disconcerting. Somebody save that kid. 
• The episode title is plucked straight from Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky. “The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! The frumious Bandersnatch!” 

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

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The Boys drops new episodes every Thursday on Prime Video. 

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