Though season 4 of The Boys kept its principal characters alive and kicking as we head into the final season, we did lose a couple of supporting players - one of whom had emerged as a series regular and the focus of this season's main storyline.
Spoilers follow.
After Ryan accidentally(?) kills Grace Mallory, Billy Butcher abandons his humanity and decides to fully embrace his darker side and allow his V-induced tumour - which manifests as his late army buddy Joe Kessler - to take the wheel.
Butcher interrupts a meeting between his crew and Victoria Neuman, who had a change of heart and agreed to turn against Homelander for the sake of her daughter, Zoe. Unfortunately, Neuman's redemption arc is short-lived, as Butcher unleashes tentacles from his chest and brutally kills the VP-elect by ripping her in half.
While chatting to THR, actress Claudia Doumit was asked how her character's death could impact season 5, and whether Neuman was being sincere when she reached out to Hughie to set up a meeting.
"I think her death triggers a lot, I would anticipate, for next season. I don’t know what. But you can see it causes a fracture in the relationship between Butcher and Hughie, and I don’t know if they can come back from that."
"Oh, 100 percent she’s being sincere! It’s really sad, because I think that Huey is the first real connection and real friend she has had in her adult life. And even though she hasn’t told him everything, even though she’s only told him part-truths and half-vulnerabilities, I think that is as much as she can give. That is a lot for her, and Neuman even says this season, 'I almost told you one time.' I say that in the first episode, I say, 'I almost told you about my powers' and that’s such a huge thing for her because there’s so much shame surrounding that. I think it does cost her when she loses him as a friend, because he sees that little part of humanity in her and so very few people do."
What did you make of the season 4 finale and Neuman's demise? Did you see it coming? Let us know in the comments section down below.
"The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power," reads the official season 4 synopsis. "Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late."
Returning cast members include Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti, along with new recruits Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The first three episodes of The Boys season 4 will be available to stream from June 13th, with new instalments dropping weekly through to the season finale on July 18.