This week's penultimate episode of The Boys ended with arguably the show's most devastating death yet, as Frenchie sacrificed himself to save the woman he loves.
After Homelander took the V-One last week, Billy Butcher devised a new plan to expose Kimiko to enough radiation to replicate Soldier Boy's powers in the hope that she could blast Homelander and fry the V out of his system. A crazy idea, but it might have just worked with Sister Sage's help.
Unfortunately, "God" is made aware of their scheme and arrives just as Frenchie manages to hide Kimiko and Sage in a zinc-protected crawlspace. Frenchie gets Homelander's attention before he can discover the hiding place, and defiantly hurls a few insults his way before the inevitable happens.
We don't actually see what Homelander does to the former assassin, but Kimiko finds her lover in a bad way with a trail of blood behind him. Serge dies in her arms as Butcher and Hughie arrive on the scene.
Frenchie's last words, "Je t'aime, from the first," are taken from the comic, though the circumstances of his death are very different (both he and Kimiko are killed in an explosion set by Butcher).
While speaking to Variety, actor Tomer Capone weighed in on his character's tragic demise, and hinted that Frenchie may still appear in the series finale in some capacity.
"I need to watch what I’m saying right now. I don’t think it was the last thing, but it was a big day. It was very late at night, and we did this block with all the crew and the cast. Everybody knew the scene was coming. I remember it was different. There was this silence, and people really were emotional about that. I started to feel a little nervous about having to perform. But then really quickly, it was magical. It felt like I gave Frenchie the keys and he drove and did everything, and I was gliding behind him with the rest of the crew and cast. It was a very, very beautiful, emotional moment on set.
Capone was also asked if a longer version of Frenchie's death scene was filmed that showed what Homelander did to him, but he somewhat deflected the question.
"Honest answer: We were dancing between takes. Listen, the scene is dark. We had to keep it light. Antony and I are very good friends. I won’t lie, it was a lot of fun behind the scenes. When they yelled “action,” we got in character and did what we had to do. So we kept it light and danced, and I think they have footage of that. It’s gonna come out, I bet."
Since the episode aired, several cast members have taken to social media to share some behind-the-scenes photos.
In the fifth and final season of The Boys, it's Homelander’s world, completely subject to his erratic, egomaniacal whims. Hughie, Mother's Milk, and Frenchie are imprisoned in a "Freedom Camp." Annie struggles to mount a resistance against the overwhelming Supe force. Kimiko is nowhere to be found. But when Butcher reappears, ready and willing to use a virus that will wipe all Supes off the map, he sets in motion a chain of events that will forever change the world and everyone in it. It's the climax, people. Big stuff's gonna happen.
The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Colby Minifie, Cameron Crovetti, Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jensen Ackles, and Daveed Diggs.
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Phil Sgriccia, Michaela Starr, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Judalina Neira, Jessica Chou, Gabriel Garcia, Ori Marmur, Ken F. Levin and Jason Netter serve as executive producers.