Robin!
I heard what happened to Robin. She wasn't in the street.
She was one step off the fucking curb.
-I'm sorry, who are you? -Name's Butcher. Billy Butcher.
Supes lose hundreds of people each year to collateral damage.
-That's where I come in. -To do what?
♪ ♪
-BUTCHER: Frenchie, I need your help, mate. -(Translucent shouts)
-FRENCHIE: Who is he? -Oh, this here is Hughie Campbell.
Hughie? Mother's Milk.
-HUGHIE: Who's that? -MOTHER'S MILK: She's a Supe Terrorist.
MESMER: Her name's Kimiko.
Bonjour, Kimiko.
I have always wanted to be in The Seven.
DEEP: Please welcome Starlight.
It's just a question of how bad you want to be in The Seven.
-(retches) -We are going to be stationing you
in Sandusky, Ohio for a while.
(cheering, applause)
-I'm Hughie, by the way. -Annie. Would you like my number?
BUTCHER: Hughie.
Looks like you've got your tongue
halfway down the opposition's throat.
-HUGHIE: She's not a bad person. -She's a Supe.
Hugh Campbell killed Translucent.
-What if he was helped? -Whoa, whoa. Hold on.
Keep those hands down by your sides.
You have to explain, Hughie.
You were the only thing that I could count on.
HUGHIE: This is about Compound V.
It gives the Supes their powers.
STARLIGHT: What are you talking about?
We're born like this.
That was diabolical.
No one's putting Supes into national defense.
You stay the fuck back or I'll laser you!
If they let us into the military,
this will never happen again.
BUTCHER: I know what it's like to lose someone.
Homelander raped my wife Becca.
You and me, we're in this together.
HUGHIE: We have to go back for them. This is never gonna stop--
-it's just gonna be more blood... -If you don't like to play,
why did you join the fucking team?
♪ ♪
MOTHER'S MILK: You came here?
-Without Butcher? -Yeah.
(panting): I'm out.
You came.
I'm a fucking superhero.
HUGHIE: I think he's having a heart attack.
♪ ♪
No more lies. You fucking promised me.
♪ ♪
Hey, pal.
I'm your father.
Becca?
♪ ♪
("Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones playing)
Baby kale salad?
I'm on page 134.
Chain of command doesn't apply to other military contractors
in the field; I don't see why it should apply to us.
Caprese sandwich?
Well, when they're in actual combat,
whom exactly do your heroes report to?
Same person as always. Me.
♪ Please allow me to introduce myself ♪
♪ I'm a man of wealth and taste ♪
♪ I've been around for a long, long year ♪
♪ Stole many a man's soul and faith ♪
Spicy chicken cilantro wrap?
Subheading 16. We need a top secret,
Yankee White designation for Compound V.
Come on, Stan. Only one man okays that.
You want to stroll into the Oval Office
and start barking orders?
Hell yes. Half our own heroes don't know
they have Compound V in their veins.
You want China finding out?
♪ Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name... ♪
(gasps, chokes)
♪ But what's puzzling you ♪
♪ Is the nature of my game ♪
♪ Oh, yeah... ♪
(grunts, groans)
This one: "Best efforts
to limit collateral damage"?
We'd prefer stronger wording.
That's standard language for our New York contract.
L.A., Chicago.
SINGER: Exactly what casualty allowance are we looking at here?
Officially? Zero, of course.
But cone of silence? 34%.
Veggie frittata?
Maybe "By The Power of My Holy Fire"?
That's too wordy.
We want a catch phrase that is catchy.
How about...
"Burn in Truth!"
That is a good catch phrase.
I think that...
♪ Pleased to meet you ♪
♪ Hope you guess my name ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
BURN IN TRUTH!
♪ Is just the nature of my game ♪
♪ Mm, yeah ♪
♪ Just as every cop is a criminal ♪
♪ And all the sinners saints ♪
♪ As heads is tails, just call me Lucifer ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm in need of some restraint ♪
♪ So if you meet me, have some courtesy ♪
♪ Have some sympathy and some taste ♪
♪ Use all your well-learned politesse ♪
♪ Or I'll lay your... ♪
(grunting rhythmically)
(roars softly)
♪ Pleased to meet you ♪
♪ Hope you guess my name ♪
♪ Oh, yeah. ♪
HOMELANDER: Today I can report to the American people
that Black Noir has conducted an operation
killing the Super Terrorist known as Naqib.
(applause)
But that doesn't mean sacrifices won't still be made.
The proof of that, sadly...
lies before us.
For today, we mourn a fallen member of The Seven.
Translucent.
Murdered in cold blood
by the cartel Super Terrorist El Diablo.
Before he left,
Translucent said to me... (scoffs)
Almost as if he knew something was gonna happen,
he said...
"Hey, Homelander.
Tell my son Maverick that I love him."
And he also said,
"You find those Super Terrorists..."
Well, Super Villains is really the only term, but he said,
"You find them, Homelander.
And you stop them."
So I say to you, Maverick...
and to all the sons and daughters
of this great nation, I will stop them.
I will save you.
I'll do it for you.
For America.
-(cameras clicking) -(sighs)
And for a dear...
dear old friend.
Goodbye, brother.
-And thank you. -(applause)
♪ ♪
♪ We're defended by our heroes ♪
♪ He stood among the best ♪
♪ Protecting us from evil ♪
♪ You rose above the rest ♪
♪ And though we could see through you ♪
♪ It seems we hardly knew you ♪
♪ We confess ♪
♪ Thanks to all you've done ♪
♪ We've all been blessed ♪
♪ But our heroes ♪
♪ Never die ♪
♪ Your spirit ♪
-♪ Fills the sky ♪ -(slurping)
♪ Your presence truly blessed us ♪
♪ From the start ♪
♪ And you'll never truly vanish from our hearts ♪
Hey, that's my shoulder.
BARTENDER: What?
Right there. That's my fucking shoulder, they...
They cut me from the picture.
(chuckling): They can't...
can't just cut me from the fucking picture!
They can't cut me out!
Okay. That's enough.
Time to go. (clears throat)
Just get me another fucking lava flow, please.
I said it's time to go, or I call TMZ.
♪ Your spirit ♪
♪ Fills the sky ♪
♪ Your presence truly blessed us ♪
♪ From the start... ♪
Out of sight, never out of mind!
-Two for $64! -(bagpipes playing)
Out of sight, never out of mind!
Two for $64!
Out of sight, never out of mind. Two for...
(indistinct chatter)
(cheers and applause)
HOMELANDER: Good to see you.
Thank you.
Yeah. There you go.
-(man sobbing) -I know.
I miss him, too, pal.
-Thank you so much, Starlight. -Mwah. Thank you, guys.
It means a lot.
(cheering)
-Homelander, Starlight. -Hi, David. -David.
How's everyone holding up in the Tower?
Well... (sighs) I'm not gonna lie, um,
-it's hard. -Mm-hmm.
It's really hard. Um...
It comes in waves, you know?
Yeah, but this one, he's just really been our rock.
He sat us down and he said,
"We're more than just a team. We're a family.
And we need to pull together like one."
Aw... Starlight.
-Thank you for saying that. -Aw, thank you.
Really. I don't know where we would be without you.
(chuckles)
-Isn't she the best? -(laughs)
-Isn't she the best? -Oh...
You both...
(hip-hop music playing faintly)
(sighing)
(sniffs)
("Pressure" by Billy Joel playing)
(grunts)
(exhales)
♪ You have to learn to pace yourself ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ You're just like everybody else ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
-(exhales) -♪ You've only had to run so far ♪
♪ So good ♪
♪ But you will come to a place ♪
♪ Where the only thing you feel ♪
♪ Are loaded guns in your face ♪
♪ And you'll have to deal with ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ You used to call me ♪
♪ Paranoid ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ But even you ♪
Looks good.
♪ Cannot avoid ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ You turned the tap dance ♪
♪ Into your crusade ♪
♪ Now here you are with your faith ♪
♪ And your Peter Pan advice ♪
♪ You have no scars on your face ♪
♪ And you cannot handle... ♪
MOTHER'S MILK: The fuck you going?
Uh... no, I'm just getting you your Purell.
(distant siren wailing)
Get the shit with aloe. And come right back.
Yeah. Yeah, the aloe. It's really good.
Keeps your skin s-smooth. Okay.
(sighs)
♪ ♪
(buzzing)
♪ ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ I'm sure you'll have some ♪
♪ Cosmic rationale ♪
♪ But here you are with your faith and your... ♪
WOMAN: Citizen Starlight. Coming this fall on Vought.
Justice never looked so good.
♪ And you cannot handle pressure ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ One, two, three, four, pressure. ♪
The-the burner phone, did you
-snap the SIM card? -Jesus.
When was the last time you slept, Hugh?
Head down. Head down. Sorry.
I just... I'm wanted and you're kind of super famous,
so, uh...
-Did you snap the SIM card? I... -Yes. Uh, yes.
I snapped the SIM card, okay?
And no one followed me down here,
and they can't even trace my chip down here.
We're okay.
You look good.
Yeah, you, um... you look good, too.
You look very, you know, uh...
Yeah, I'm lying. I'm sorry.
-You look like shit. -I know.
I know.
Where are you guys living?
Club Med in Ibiza.
It's been awesome.
The foam parties will change your life.
Idiot.
(laughs softly)
Oh, um... here it is.
STARLIGHT: Oh, shit.
I know him.
-You do? -Yeah.
I mean, not for a while,
but yes, from my Capes for Christ days.
Are you sure you can do this?
I have a choice?
Hey, I, uh...
I saw a really great picture of you
at the Teen Choice Awards with, um-- what's his name?
Ansel Adams?
Alden Ehrenreich.
Are you stalking me on Instagram?
No. No, of course not. Get over yourself.
So did the PR people put you together or what, what's...
-No. He's a nice guy. -He's an actor.
He's an actor who didn't lie to my face every day.
Okay, yeah. Yeah, I got it. Ouch.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
-I-- Hughie, I... -(chime over P.A.)
AUTOMATED VOICE: Times Square, 42nd Street.
Transfer is available...
Hey.
Get some sleep.
I'll sleep when I know you're safe.
(children shouting playfully)
(siren chirps)
You think this is fun?
You think water's supposed to be fun?
Try swimming in the Mariana Trench,
you little fucking idiots.
Yeah, not so fun there.
No, it's dark and it's cold.
-And you're so alone. -OFFICER: Sir?
-You're so... -Sir?
...goddamn fucking alone.
(indistinct radio chatter)
(keys jingling)
Swim free, little fish.
You made bail.
(squishing)
(laughter)
(laughter continues)
Hey, man.
Want a Fresca?
Thanks.
Hey, I know you.
Yeah, you're, uh, Raven... Ravenwing.
It's Eagle. Eagle the Archer. Out of Cleveland?
We met, like, five times at Vought-Con.
I mean-- mm. No, that doesn't matter.
You bailed me out?
-Yeah. -Why?
Because even heroes need a hand once in a while.
Come on.
The Translucent franchise,
especially Invisible Force 2, is...
Please.
My baby needs a mother.
Oi! Shut your trap, you dumb bird,
or else I'll bollocks you.
But that's exactly what William Butcher did.
He murdered Vought Vice President Madelyn Stillwell
using upwards of 30 pounds of C-4.
Why would William Butcher do it?
Disgruntled, perhaps, over his deceased wife,
a former Vought employee.
And why was Madelyn Stillwell's baby found safe in a yard
17 miles away?
It is a puzzle.
Where is Monsieur Charcuter?
-Why hasn't he called? -Who cares?
He could be dead.
(chuckles): No. No.
He's too much of an asshole to die.
-(shushing) -...or any of his known associates--
Marvin Milk, Hugh Campbell, or this man,
whose real identity is unknown--
please call 1-888-0-CRIMES.
Christ.
(sighs)
We gotta get out of here, now.
Good passports do not come cheap.
I sell the RPGs, smuggle in the Kalashnikovs.
We have enough money. That's it.
-Where will you go, Petit Hughie? -Could just stay here.
With Frenchie's gangbanger friends.
The cots, they got 31 flavors of semen on them.
You'll love 'em.
Oh, and you have a better idea?
No, maybe we can stay, all of us,
in your mother's asshole.
Or... maybe we could not run.
FRENCHIE: You are like a record that is broken.
Well, we shouldn't just give up.
Guys, we get some Compound V,
we-we bring it to The New York Times,
we burn Vought to the ground.
MOTHER'S MILK: You got some V, Hughie?
-'Cause I don't. -We could...
get some. Someone could help us get it.
And who might that be?
FRENCHIE: You did not hear the television?
We are famous now.
-Butcher even more so. -Fuck Butcher!
We don't need him.
A-Team had Hannibal.
Dirty Dozen, Lee Marvin.
Beatles, Brian Epstein.
We don't need Butcher.
FRENCHIE: Okay, who's going to be our captain? You?
I mean, guys, just-just-just hear me out.
Shut the fuck up!
This is over.
(door closes)
(sighs)
(door closes in distance)
(pulsing)
(exhales sharply)
Homelander, hi.
-(bottle drops) -Ashley.
(clears throat)
Glad to see you're, uh, making yourself at home.
Yeah. (chuckles)
Renovation is definitely overdue.
It's like 2003 called, they want their office back.
You know?
Huh. I liked it.
Yeah, me, too. It was really great.
Homelander, I just want to thank you again
for recommending me for this job.
I was so surprised to get the call.
I am gonna fill Ms. Stillwell's shoes
as best I can.
God rest her soul.
Yeah.
God rest it. Yeah.
Any luck catching her killer, that Butcher maniac?
No, not yet.
But we will.
Oh, good news.
I think I found a hero.
Perfect candidate to replace Translucent.
-Really? -Mm-hmm.
So soon?
He's in the gym right now.
You want to meet him?
Do I? (chuckles)
Lead the way.
♪ ♪
(grunting)
That's Blindspot, right?
A differently abled member of The Seven.
We're gonna poll through the roof with millennials.
Inclusion's a big priority to them right now.
-HOMELANDER: Amazing. -And then I think we find
an ethnic or female or, fingers crossed,
an ethnic female to replace the Deep,
and we're golden.
(laughs)
Homelander, wow, you're...
It's-it's an honor, sir.
Wait. Hold on.
-You can tell it's me? -Mm-hmm.
(laughs) Wow.
That's-that's impressive.
You don't need super eyes when you have super ears.
Can I just say, that is amazing.
And you, my friend, are a true hero.
Not because of what you do for a job,
but... (sighs)
well, because of what you've overcome.
Thank you.
That means everything coming from you.
Aw, stop it. Come on.
Hey, guys, um,
-I just have one question, if that's okay. -Yeah.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
All right, so...
what happens if, uh,
I don't know, I do this?
-(high-pitched ringing) -(shouting)
(screaming)
And now you're just another useless fuckin' blind guy.
(screaming continues)
This must be some kind of a joke.
Ashley...
What made you think I would ever allow a cripple into The Seven?
For fuck sakes, Ashley, don't look at him, look at me!
(Blindspot groaning)
Ashley! Look at me.
-Sorry. Sorry. -Let's get one thing straight.
The only reason you're here and not doing corporate PR
for fucking Diva Cups
is that I brought you here.
You are dispensable, which means you answer to me.
Okay. Okay.
From now on, I will set my own agenda,
I'll approve my own marketing
and write my own talking points.
You will tell me everything that goes on
on the 99th floor, and I mean everything.
Every call, e-mail, group chat.
If a fucking light bulb goes out, you will tell me.
And, Ashley, in no fucking way
do you decide who goes in The Seven.
I decide.
Do we have an understanding?
Yes.
-(phone chimes, vibrates) -ANNOUNCER: Translucent was laid to rest today,
surrounded by his family, friends, fans
and fellow Vought comrades.
You can see the memorial
featuring a performance by Starlight
singing "Never Truly Vanish" on Voughtify.
Available now.
♪ Your spirit ♪
♪ Fills the sky... ♪
ANNOUNCER 2: Bet you can't resist this arrest.
America's hottest crime-fighter is giving law enforcement
a superpowered makeover in Citizen Starlight.
Coming this fall from Vought.
Go ahead, make her day.
(clears throat)
-(engine turns off) -(car door opens)
(sighs)
(exhales)
You know how it is.
Don't want to get stuck with the cleaning bill.
(clears throat)
Okay.
So, what's your poison?
You a leg guy?
Uh, d-- a-an arm, please, actually.
400?
(clears throat)
(exhales)
Um, d-do you want me to, uh,
-s-saw or-or chop or...? -Whatever floats your boat, tiger.
(blade clinks)
(Ted panting)
Holy shit.
Holy shit! Holy shit!
Thank you. That was so...
I-I can keep the arm, right?
Yeah, just keep it refrigerated.
For an extra grand, I'll let you chop off my dick.
Where's the closest ATM?
-(door opens) -(overlapping shouting)
-(shouting in French) -(groaning)
-What the hell happened? -Aide!
Holy shit. Sit him down.
-Sit him down. -Just bring him over here.
Aide le!
-Aide le! -What's wrong?
(shouting in French)
(others exclaim)
MOTHER'S MILK: Shit.
Listen, he's broken every single bone in his arm.
Broken half his ribs. I can't do nothing here.
You got to take him to the hospital.
-(speaking French) -Hospital...
Translate for me, Frenchie.
Tell him to take him to the hospital.
(speaking French)
Fuck!
(shouting in French continues)
Move, move.
(both speaking French)
(shouting in French)
Okay?!
(continues in French)
What'd he say? What's going on?
Frenchie, what did he say?
♪ ♪
(fly buzzing)
-Cops seen this? -MAN: No one's seen it.
I ain't trying to get life without parole.
FRENCHIE: They promised me.
They would only smuggle in guns and cocaine and fentanyl.
-Not fucking... -Not human fucking cargo?
-Jesus Christ, Frenchie. -They didn't tell me.
Or you didn't ask.
A Supe.
FRENCHIE: Supe Terrorist.
They got paid to smuggle in a Supe Terrorist.
How about this one?
How does it make you feel? Anyone?
-I hate it. -That's a strong reaction, Margaret.
I'd love to follow up on that.
What do you mean when you say you hate
the term "Super Terrorist"?
I just mean, it's really scary.
It makes me want to lock the door
and hide under the bed, you know?
Which means a double-digit drop
the opening weekend of the Tek-Knight movie.
HOMELANDER: I keep saying
"Super Villain" is the better term.
MARGARET: Uh, "Super Criminals" sounds like something in a cartoon.
Jill, ask them what they think about "Super Villain."
Uh, what about the term "Super Villain"?
That sounds better to me. More exciting.
-More exotic. -JILL: Okay.
JILL: Okay, turning our attention back to these,
which do you prefer?
"Saving America," can I get a show of hands?
Okay. How about "Saving the World"? Wow.
Unanimous, strong reaction. So what is it about...
Nope. It's "Saving America."
Uh...
I-I don't know. I-I feel like "Saving the World" has a...
JILL: Okay. But is there something specific
about "Saving the World" that "Saving America..."
It's Americans that are gonna keep us in the Army,
not the fucking world.
It's "Saving America."
Mm-hmm?
-Pull the trigger. -(pats back)
Great. Great.
(snoring)
DEEP: Hey, man.
(grunts)
Thanks for letting me crash.
Sorry, about the bathroom.
-I'll clean it up. -No need to apologize.
Okay.
Oh, shit.
-You scared me. -EAGLE: Oh, that's just Carol.
Good friend.
Carol, this is the Deep.
I have been looking forward to meeting you, Deep.
Would you like a Fresca?
Thank you.
Anyway, no need to apologize.
We've all been there. It's tough.
(grunts)
-Been where? -Rock bottom.
I... (sighs)
I don't think I'm at rock bottom.
EAGLE: Uh, f-for me,
my aha moment came with a hostage situation at Kroger.
Multiple shooters.
I showed up, I'm letting arrows fly, my aim is perfect.
But...
...there's only so many arrows a quiver can hold.
I just ran out.
And then, we lost a lot of good people that day.
Then you start to question,
like, fucking arrows against TEC-9s?
-But? -But I came to see
that archery isn't irrelevant, it's timeless.
It's a pure and ancient art.
Carol helped me see that.
And what are you, his therapist
-or something? -(laughs): No.
No, therapy's very destructive, actually.
You could say I'm his teacher.
What about you, Deep?
What-what about, what about me?
How did you end up here?
You can tell her, Deep.
(chuckles): Tell her what?
About your drinking.
About your self-esteem issues.
-Really open up, Deep. -No, I don't...
I don't have a drinking... (laughs softly)
-I'm fine. -This is a safe space, Deep.
CAROL: If you don't have any self-esteem issues,
why are you constantly demeaning women?
-That's a good question, Deep. -Okay, thank you.
You know what? I don't know what the fuck this is,
but it's weird as fuck, so I'm leaving.
W-We just want to help.
-Carol really helped me, Deep. -No, thank you.
Help you get back into The Seven.
NEWS ANCHOR: Yesterday, the Deep was found drunkenly ranting at children
at Splash Zone in Sandusky, Ohio.
He was later arrested and taken to Sandusky...
(speaks French)
...he was released on bail shortly after.
Did you make this?
You wrote something.
"Boy."
What boy?
I do not understand. What boy?
(huffs)
Okay, so?
They were wired the money from a blind account
to smuggle the bastard in.
Cold trail.
Amazing fucking friends of yours.
I never said they were my friends, huh?
I only said we will be...
safe here.
Okay, okay, all right. What do we do?
Oh, you just call 911.
What, an anonymous tip?
Yeah, I'm sure that'll go straight to the mayor.
You saw that video.
What if he does that to-to an airplane?
Or the fucking Brooklyn Bridge?
So, what's your big plan, Hughie?
Okay, the CIA lady, right?
Rayner.
Right, the same CIA
that wants to clamp our nuts
into some jumper cables.
We could call Butcher.
For the last time, we don't need Butcher.
Then what?
We should...
call Annie.
(chuckles)
"Call Annie."
Annie?
Yeah.
You mean Starlight?
'Cause that's who she is.
Vought has her phone so bugged...
they're praying that you do that.
Oh, no.
You fucking called her?
No, no. I'm not, I'm not stupid, okay?
-I texted her. -Oh, fuck.
And then we met up, but we're getting some Compound V.
-Fuck you, Hughie! Are you fucking crazy? -M.M., easy!
-Are you fucking crazy?! -We were careful!
-What the fuck are you doing?! -We used burner...
-We used burner phones. -Kid, you don't get it!
They could've been following you.
They could be watching us right fucking now!
If you're the fucking reason
why I can't finish
that Vermont country dollhouse,
I will fucking end you.
You've been walking around for days
like you want to kick my ass,
so do it already.
Goddamn it.
(sighing)
Shit!
I don't want to kick your ass, Hughie.
I just don't want to get dragged back into this shit, all right?
I want to get home to my wife
and my kid.
That's it.
If I still can.
This guy could kill a lot of people.
Hughie... let somebody else handle it, okay?
There's no one else!
No one's coming to save us.
You don't get it.
You are not a soldier.
You're not a spy.
You're just a kid that sells stereo equipment.
No, I don't!
I don't have a job.
Or Robin.
Or my dad.
Or Annie.
One way or another, they all, uh...
Now all I have is this.
This.
Which is really fucking depressing, but it's true.
So, maybe I can't be Lee Marvin.
But I can be Harry Potter.
Or, uh... you know, John Connor
or-or-or what's her name from The Hunger Games.
Katniss.
Yeah, the point is I could be the person
that nobody thinks is awesome,
but it turns out they're kind of fucking awesome.
M.M.
Listen, we help the CIA lady,
she could help you maybe get back to your family.
Did you ever think of that?
(sighs)
My baby needs a mother!
Oi! Shut your trap, you dumb bird...
or else I'll bollocks you.
MAN (on TV): But that's exactly what William Butcher did.
Gecko?
Is that you?
Starlight?
I mean, Annie, hi.
-Hi. -Oh, my God, hi!
Look at you, big-time Seven hero.
Oh, shut up.
You know, I-I work in Vought Tower
at the, uh, labs on-on 67?
Oh, you don't say?
I see your posters everywhere.
They're marketing the shit out of you.
(scoffs)
I'm happy for you, really.
Buy you some coffee?
(laughs) Thank you.
Yeah, at the, uh, Capes for Christ Bible Camp, yes, totally.
Mm-hmm, that Passion play we put on?
You were the best Jesus.
I mean, no one's gonna take
a nail through the hand like I can.
And Big Game was Pontius Pilate.
Oh, my God, those freckles.
You know he wanted to make out with me?
-Pontius Pilate and Mary hooking up? -Mm-hmm.
Ooh, "sacri-licious."
Yeah, we never did.
Why not?
-He was so cute. -Yeah, it just,
it was what Ezekiel always said.
And my mom, too.
That God is watching over you,
every second.
You know, I thought that He was watching us,
and I thought that He'd be upset.
Yeah, it's a, it's a messed up thing
-to tell a kid. -Yeah.
But looking back?
I should've made out with Big Game.
I should've done a lot more stuff.
Because...
there is nothing
up there.
There's nobody in the sky watching over us.
Not God, not Homelander.
Not anybody.
It's all just...
lies.
I need a favor.
Yeah.
Yeah, anything for a Bible Camp alum.
(clears throat, smacks lips)
I need you to go into the labs on 67,
and steal me a sample of Compound V.
Um...
I, uh...
I don't, I don't know what that is.
Ah, see?
Another lie.
I know how we're made.
And it is not Jesus.
I can't.
I mean, it's impossible.
I'm a nobody there.
I'm a lab rat.
They cut off my limbs and they grow back.
-I can't get you... -You have to.
Or I put this on Facebook tonight.
Gecko,
former teen star
of Vought Summertime Clubhouse,
working as an S&M hooker
as a side hustle?
I'm sure inquiring minds will want to know.
Annie?
I thought that we were friends?
I'm sorry.
But...
we're not anything.
(helicopter blades whirring)
Hi.
You know who we are.
But let's meet another hero.
This is Lance Corporal Dan Miller.
Dan and the other brave Marines of Second Battalion
are helping keep you safe from the Super Villain threat.
We're proud to fly alongside them.
And now, we could use your support.
That's right, Maeve, with our new campaign, Saving America.
Here I go, you guys! Wish me luck.
Oh, FYI, not a real base.
As if Homelander and Maeve are gonna eat MREs
and piss in a ditch with the rest of the grunts.
Uh, hey, yeah, hi, we're filming right now. Excuse me?
Also, you might recognize "Army Boy" as Hotel Clerk #2
-from "The Devil's Breath" -Hello, excuse-- okay.
episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
Well, hello!
Oh, my God, hi!
My nana's your biggest fan.
I'm Stormfront.
-Great. -Oh, right, yeah.
From Seattle, right?
Uh... Portland, actually, Your, uh, Highness.
Holy shit!
Your eyes are really fucking blue up close.
(chuckles)
You are... fun.
It's been a hoot, but we got work to do,
so... let's get back to it.
Oh, totally, uh,
they just wanted me to meet you.
Who?
Oh, the boys on 82.
-I'm the new girl. -Wait...
what are you talking about?
Oh! Hi.
I'm in The Seven.
Replacing Translucent.
God bless his soul.
Ink's barely dry, but, uh,
yeah, reporting for duty,
so... fuck yeah!
Um, no, I don't think that this is, it's not true.
I don't know anything about this.
Wow!
Well, uh, Stormfront?
Who delivered the good news?
STORMFRONT: Oh, uh, Mr. Edgar,
the big guy?
-MAN: All right, back to one. -Wonderful.
Great.
All right!
-Great! -MAN: We're going again, people.
Well, I think this is going great.
MOTHER'S MILK: You know,
you ain't John Cusack, man.
You ain't got no motherfucking boom box.
-Sorry? -You want to get back together
-with Starlight. -No. No-no, I don't.
Yes. Yes, you do.
But this ain't the way to do it, Hughie.
You can't keep pulling this shit, man.
Calling her, texting her.
Are you crazy?
You know, you sound like Butcher.
-She's on our side. -I know.
I'm saying this for her, kid.
You're putting her in danger.
Homelander finds out that she's been talking to you?
She's fucked.
The deeper you keep pushing her into this thing,
the deeper in the meat grinder she goes.
RAYNER: How are you guys doing?
MOTHER'S MILK: We're hanging in there.
RAYNER: Has Butcher contacted you?
Nope.
He's completely ghosted.
Do you think he killed Madelyn Stillwell?
MOTHER'S MILK: I'd like to think that he didn't.
But I... I don't know.
Deputy Director, I know this might not be
the best time to ask, but do you ever...?
Hear about your family?
Your daughter is, uh, starting soccer, I think.
Soccer?
Um, ma'am.
Can M.M. see them?
You know what, let's, let's see if this checks out.
And I will see what I can do.
Thank you, ma'am.
Okay, so give me the description of this guy.
All right, uh, about five-ten, 165,
black hair, wearing knockoff jeans and sneakers
probably from Taiwan, maybe India.
You got all that from the video?
So, the other shoe drops,
and it just crushes us all.
MOTHER'S MILK: Meaning?
Meaning I've been trying to put this puzzle together,
and there's a missing piece and it's been driving me nuts.
And I think you just handed it to me.
Okay, so, then, what's the whole picture?
The whole picture-- it's Vought!
It's a fucking coup from the inside.
HUGHIE: Wait, what are you talking about?
Uh, ma'am, your nose.
-Fuck! -Let's get the fuck out of here! -Holy shit!
-Holy shit! (screaming) -Come on! Get in! Go, go, go, go, go!
Must be a Supe out there.
Are-are our heads gonna explode?
Frenchie, who do you know who could do that?
No one!
Are our heads gonna explode?!
Look, I have a daughter.
I'm worried about Super Terrorists, too.
But that does not mean
that Vought can use that fear to control us.
-Morning. -Mr. Edgar, I'm sorry, I...
EDGAR: That's all right, Samantha.
Busy day. (chuckles)
Morning, Homelander.
(TV turns off)
To what do I owe the pleasure?
Well, you never come up to 99.
So, figured I'd pay you a visit.
-What a lovely idea. -(chuckling): Right?
After all, you run a superhero company,
and, uh, you never check in with your superheroes,
do you?
Like, uh... oh, I don't know...
around the hiring of that girl, for example.
You wished to be consulted on Stormfront?
Well, why not?
I signed off on all the rest.
I'm the leader of The Seven.
For which you have my undying respect.
See, I don't think I do.
No.
Not even Madelyn would've dared
to try and pull this kind of shit.
Of course you know how important you are to everyone at Vought.
No, no. Stan.
I am Vought.
You show my photo to some illiterate fucking camel jockey
in the middle of the Sahara, he's gonna turn around and say,
"Homelander," in perfect American.
You know what?
My contract's up, end of this year.
(sighs)
Maybe it's time I, uh, move on.
How do you think your shareholders
would feel about that?
What do you know about Frederick Vought?
Excuse me?
Frederick.
Vought.
Our esteemed founder.
Well, I don't know, um, not a lot, probably.
I only read his autobiography...
-five times? -(chuckles softly)
Not the self-serving bullshit
that we peddle to the shareholders, the real story.
-Enlighten me. -Got his doctorate from Munich.
Ahead of his time in genetics.
Such the rising young star that in '39,
Hitler appointed him chief physician at Dachau,
where he enjoyed a ready supply of human subjects
on which to test his earliest iterations of Compound V.
For which we condemn in the strongest of possible terms.
Early in '44, he felt the winds change,
got spirited away to the Allies.
When Oppenheimer was flailing with the bomb,
Dr. Vought already had practical applications of Compound V
tested in the field.
Heroes like Soldier Boy,
killing Germans by the dozen.
So, Roosevelt pardoned him,
and he became as Wonder Bread American
as Disney and Edison.
Well, this is a truly fascinating,
if not slightly condescending lecture, but, um...
I don't think I see the point, Stan.
The point is...
that you are under a misconception
that we are a superhero company.
We are not.
What we are, really, is a pharmaceutical company.
And you are not our most valuable asset.
That would be our confidential formula for Compound V.
Which you, man-child that you are,
released into the wild.
(sputters)
Don't know what you're talking about.
Well, let me remind you.
You slipped Compound V to terrorists all over the globe
to get you and your cronies into national defense.
But maybe at the cost of destroying the whole company.
I don't think I appreciate your tone, sir.
Not much at all.
And I don't appreciate that the FDA now knows about Compound V,
or that it's only a matter of time
before the public finds out.
While you're preening at the Golden Globes,
we're busy, running around like maniacs
trying to clean up the mess you made.
I don't have to consult you
about Stormfront or anything else.
Now...
I believe you have a premiere of Tek-Knight Lives to go to?
♪ ♪
(dogs barking in distance)
(exhales)
What are you doing here?
Well, I've come to see my son.
MOTHER'S MILK: Fuck, Hughie.
So glad you...
got us into this shit.
HUGHIE: She had a husband.
Right?
(stammers): A kid?
Two... kids.
And I got her killed.
You didn't get her killed.
That wasn't meant for us.
How do you know?
MOTHER'S MILK: Because our brains aren't all over the dash, that's how.
Someone was watching her.
And the minute she said something
she wasn't supposed to? (imitates splat)
Somebody from Vought?
So, we're saying that
Vought may have just assassinated
the deputy director of the CIA.
And now we're in the middle of that, too.
Happy now, motherfucker?
(phone vibrating)
Hello?
STARLIGHT: It's me.
Jesus, you shouldn't be calling.
STARLIGHT: I'm on a burner phone, it's fine.
Yeah, but somebody could be listening.
Hughie, we did it.
He's getting me the Compound V in, like, a day or two.
What do you think? Um... New York Times?
I mean, I was thinking CNN or MSNBC, but...
Okay, wait, wait, just-just-just hold on a second.
Come on, this is what we've been waiting for.
Let's burn those fuckers down.
Just take a beat, let's figure out
-the best way to do this. -Why?
-What happened? -Nothing.
Vought's just dangerous, that's all.
I mean, you got to be careful. I don't want you getting hurt.
I'm not gonna get...
If something happened, you know you can trust me.
We're in this together.
No, I do trust you. It's just...
I just want to take our time.
You know, do this right. That's all.
I know when you're not telling me the truth, Hughie.
I kind of lived with it every single day.
Don't lie to me.
Not again.
I'm not.
Swear to God.
Whatever. I, um...
I got to go.
(mutters)
♪ ♪
(guns clicking)
All right, easy does it, lads. Easy does it.
Like I tried to tell this cunt...
I'm with that lot.
Yeah.
What the fuck are you wearing?
That is a good question.
You called him?
I'm sorry, Petit Hughie. It's not a game now.
We need a real captain.
BUTCHER: Frenchie's right.
This is a fucking mess, son.
We got a Supe Terrorist, Rayner's blown her canister,
and we're the most wanted cunts in the country.
But don't you worry.
("Pressure" by Billy Joel playing)
Daddy's home.
♪ ♪
♪ One, two, three, four, pressure. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ You have to learn to pace yourself ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ You're just like everybody else ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ You've only had to run so far ♪
♪ So good ♪
♪ But you will come to a place ♪
♪ Where the only thing you feel ♪
♪ Are loaded guns in your face ♪
♪ And you'll have to deal with pressure ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ I'm sure you have some cosmic rationale ♪
♪ But here you are with your faith ♪
♪ And your Peter Pan advice ♪
♪ You have no scars on your face ♪
♪ And you cannot handle pressure ♪
♪ Pressure ♪
♪ One, two, three, four, pressure. ♪