Well god damn. That…that was something. There are so many things to address here. For one, Stormfront revealed her true colors, and they weren’t pretty. I mean she literally slaughtered an entire household of innocents for having the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not only that, but she’s a big ‘ol wrist snapping racist. Maybe I was just a fool for not seeing it coming. I guess I had just hoped that her attitude came from more of a rebellious nature against Vought than a sign of her truly terrible nature. I mean, she was brutal. It’s no wonder why she was hired to join the team. Now I just can’t wait for Stormfront and Homelander’s new rivalry. Not that Homelander was her only new rival by the end of the episode though, because now she has Kimiko locked on as well.
Kimiko certainly didn’t have the best of times. She had to not only fight her brother, but then continue to survive alongside him against Stormfront, which then culminated into the tragic conclusion of Kimiko having to watch her brother die in front of her. It’s a shame that such a personal plot thread is cut short, but it adds a lot to the stakes of everything for Kimiko in particular. She never really had a personal fight with The Seven like the rest of the crew, but she sure does now.
Another person that wasn’t having the best of days? Poor Hughie. His ascension to any form of leadership was held back by him hitting his breaking point. I mean, I completely understand. On top of everything else, Butcher being Butcher? Man, I was right there with Hughie. Butcher has been hard to swallow these first few episodes. A real asshole that started tilting more towards the villainy side. On the flip side of that, It was touching seeing the team support Hughie so strongly thanks to his Compound-V win. However, nothing was better than the moment when Mother’s Milk came and saved his life. It’s subtle, personal moments like this that I find can hit the hardest. The team’s camaraderie can shine through in the most unexpected ways.
Butcher did finally turn himself around when it came time. Boy was that moment in the sewers intense—I honestly didn’t know how they were gonna get out of that situation. I guess it helps to have a telekinetic Supe that also hates other Supes in your back pocket. Does that move redeem Butcher for how he’s been? Not quite, but it certainly revealed a lot. Not only was he willing to risk his own life, but also that of Becca and the entirety of his crew. That’s a pretty bold move for someone like Butcher. I mean, how satisfying was it to watch Homelander get nailed by that ceiling of concrete? Pretty damn satisfying if you ask me.
Honestly, it was just really neat to see the Seven all out together as a team. There are a lot of fun dynamics at play, most of which we never get to see, because they are usually always off on their own. The last ten minutes of the episode in general was expertly done, and the fight sequence with Stormfront perfectly executed. I mean, we even got to see The Deep with the gang! What a brutal and gory set piece that was. Poor Lisa. I was glad to see The Deep’s plot cross with everything else, and I hope that continues. Having The Deep consistently out on his own, in a completely separate plot thread, will only grow old.
What an eventful, and simply awesome installment. We were graced with a rare team-up, more than one insane sequence, and some emotional stuff to boot. Also, we may need to start worrying about Becca now—seeing as Homelander directly mentioned his involvement with her in front of Starlight (and who knows if anyone else overheard). I don’t think his now-confirmed Super son is going to stay in the dark for too long.
Bonus Notes:
- Was that Black Noir…crying?
- Real close call for Queen Maeve. I don’t think Homelander is gonna give that one up so quickly.
- I don’t think I’ve seen a telekinesis user limited by the use of their hands like depicted here. I think it’s a pretty clever and simple way to limit that power set. Though my mind does wonder how that actually works, and why only his hands? Not that it matters now. ‘Cause…he’s dead and all.
- Did Stormfront just forget about Kimiko? I mean, she seemed to escape a little too easily.
- There was something really great about watching Starlight stand up to the Deep.
- Also, awesome was it to watch Homelander’s own child fight back against him? I have a feeling that won’t be the last of that.
