Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Boys season 4, episode 4.
Summary
The Boysseason 4 continues a tradition for the character of Hughie, marking the sixth time in five years it has been included in the show. As ofThe Boysseason 4, episode 3’s ending, Hughie was shown reckoning with his father’s illness. Played by the returning Simon Pegg inThe Boysseason 4’s cast, Hugh Campbell Sr. had a stroke that rendered him comatose, forcing Hugh Campbell Jr. to make some tough choices in episode 4.
This storyline coincides withThe Boysseason 4’s new Supesand the lengths the titular team will go to defeat them. From Firecracker’s continued vendetta against Starlight to Sister Sage’s master plan for Homelander, the team has their work cut out for them beforeThe Boysseason 5 ends the show. InThe Boysseason 4, episode 4, Hughie also dealt with several Supes by going on a mission with Kimiko that saw him cross paths with A-Train and a super-powered being from the former’s past. Via this story,The Boyscontinued a five-year-old trend for Hughie’s character.
16 Best The Boys Season 4 Easter Eggs & References
The Boys season 4 kicked off with a massive three-episode premiere, and here is every Easter egg and reference that can be found in the episodes.
Hughie Gets Covered In Blood Yet Again In The Boys Season 4
Hughie Continues His Tradition Of Being Splattered With Gore
The tradition in question comes as Hughie is forced to get his hands dirty. After meeting with A-Train, Kimiko’s actions against Shining Light inThe Boysseason 4, episode 3 catch up with her and Hughie as the two are attacked. Hughie is forced to fight off a Shining Light mercenary, eventually killing him with a box cutter. This leads to Hughie being covered in the man’s blood, something that has remained a consistent trend for the character sinceThe Boysbegan in 2019.
Admittedly,The Boysis not afraid to detail blood, gore, and other gruesome elements; The show’s dedication to upping the ante regarding shocking, often violent scenes is one of its calling cards. That said, Hughie seems to be a character impacted by gore more frequently than any other. Since the show began,The Boyshas covered Hughie in bloodnumerous times, from Robin’s death and Translucent’s demise in season 1 to the whale crash in season 2’s premiere. Now, withThe Boysseason 4, episode 4, Hughie’s trend has recurred for the sixth time in five years.
Why Hughie’s Latest Splattering Breaks The Boys' Tradition
The Boys Season 4 Highlights Hughie’s Growth
Although Hughie being splattered with blood inThe Boysseason 4, episode 4 is the sixth instance of this happening, the scene does break tradition in one key way. The other five times Hughie has been covered in blood and guts, he has been visibly affected. From reacting in disgust and horror to even grief and sadness, Hughie’s response to being gruesomely drenched is often justifiably exaggerated. That said,The Boysseason 4, episode 4 has Hughie react in a different way altogether.
This shows the extent of Hughie’s evolution thanks to his violent line of work…
This time, Hughie looked almost steely rather than reacting in disgust as usual. This shows the extent of Hughie’s evolution thanks to his violent line of work. What is even more telling of his transformation is that Hughie was directly responsible for killing someone and covering himself in gore inThe Boysseason 4. Unlike Translucent’s death in the past, killing someone with a box cutter is undoubtedly more personal and gruesomely intimate. This makes Hughie’s cold reaction even more symptomatic of his change in character acrossThe Boys' four seasons, with the once-timid man now a hardened operative.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
