We’re halfway to the finish line with The Boys season 5, and the show is very much in endgame mode. Episode 3 hit the brakes a bit, but it also yanked the Boys’ best shot at taking out Homelander. With episode 4 landing this week, here’s the quick-and-dirty on where things stand, when to watch, and who’s showing up.
When and where to watch
Episode 4 drops Wednesday, April 22, 2026 on Prime Video. Expect it to go live around 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET. The first three episodes are already up if you need a refresher (or a rewatch).
Yes, this is the last season
There’s no season 6 coming. The showrunner has already confirmed season 5 is the end. Antony Starr has even been teasing that the final scripts are jaw-droppers, which…yeah, that tracks.
Episode 3 recap: everything exploded, then somehow got worse
Soldier Boy didn’t just survive the virus the Boys used on him — Sister Sage figured out why: he’s got the original Compound V, a.k.a. Compound V1, in his system, which basically makes him functionally immortal. Homelander tried the whole loving-son routine to pull Soldier Boy into the Seven and swore he didn’t set him up to die. Soldier Boy wasn’t buying it, but he took the seat anyway. Meanwhile, Homelander had a very on-brand religious vision of the late Madelyn Stillwell pushing him toward his new obsession: getting his hands on V1 for himself.
On the Boys’ side, Butcher sat this mission out while the rest tracked down ex-Vought boss Stan Edgar. Edgar was holed up in a vault with his adoptive granddaughter Zoe Neuman and Maverick — yes, Translucent’s son, the kid tied to Hughie’s first kill way back when. Hughie, drowning in guilt, tried to keep Maverick from going down the revenge path.
That plan did not hold. Zoe secretly called her boyfriend, Ryan Butcher, to try to bait Butcher into a trap. Ryan said no. Then Zoe stowed away with Frenchie and Kimiko back to the Boys’ base, found her dad, Sameer, and told him Butcher killed her mother, Victoria Neuman. In the chaos, Sameer destroyed the supe-killing virus. Frenchie and Kimiko caught them in the act, but Kimiko let Zoe and Sameer go.
Back at the vault, The Deep, Black Noir, Cindy, and Dogknott closed in. Maverick tried a sneak move, but Deep told him Hughie killed his father. Feeling sold out, Maverick opened the door for them. It went sideways instantly: Cindy accidentally killed Maverick while aiming for Hughie; Starlight killed Cindy in a rage, only to realize after that Cindy wasn’t the one who murdered Translucent. Edgar then turned on the Boys — and The Deep immediately bagged him anyway. The team escaped, but Starlight flew off solo, rattled by what she’d just done.
Meanwhile, Butcher convinced Ryan to agree to an unthinkable plan: use the virus to kill Homelander, Butcher, and Ryan himself if that’s what it took to save everyone else. When they learned the virus was gone, Ryan confronted Homelander and nearly got beaten to death for it. As the episode ended, Butcher reached a barely-breathing Ryan while Homelander held Edgar’s fate in his hands.
What episode 4 is teeing up
The Boys just lost the only weapon that could wipe out Homelander and possibly every supe. Priority one now: stop Homelander from getting Compound V1 and making himself effectively unkillable. The team is very mortal, and the margin for error is gone.
Trailer check
Prime Video’s season 5 trailer shows plenty from beyond the first three episodes, including Homelander’s full-court press for immortality and a bumpy father-son vibe with Soldier Boy. It’s not subtle about where this is all heading.
How many episodes this season?
Eight total. New episodes roll out every Wednesday through May 20, 2026.
Can you watch for free?
Technically, yes. Prime Video offers a 30-day free trial for new users. If you’re planning to use that, wait until we’re within a month of the May 20 finale so you can binge the whole season without paying.
Who’s in and who’s back
Season 5 is mixing in some new faces and a couple of very familiar ones (there’s a reason everyone keeps talking about a certain reunion).
- New and returning additions: Daveed Diggs as Oh Father; Jensen Ackles back as Soldier Boy; Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins in undisclosed roles; Seth Rogen in a mystery role; Mason Dye as Bombsight; Paul Reiser as The Legend; Giancarlo Esposito as Stan Edgar.
- The core cast: Karl Urban as William 'Billy' Butcher; Jack Quaid as Hugh 'Hughie' Campbell Jr.; Antony Starr as Homelander; Erin Moriarty as Annie January / Starlight; Jessie T. Usher as Reggie Franklin / A-Train; Laz Alonso as Marvin T. 'Mother’s Milk' / M.M.; Chace Crawford as Kevin Kohler / The Deep; Tomer Capone as Serge / Frenchie; Karen Fukuhara as Kimiko Miyashiro; Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir II; Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett; Cameron Crovetti as Ryan Butcher; Susan Heyward as Jessica 'Sage' Bradley / Sister Sage; Valorie Curry as Misty Tucker Gray / Firecracker; Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Joe Kessler.
The bottom line
Episode 3 took the nuclear option off the board and put Homelander on the path to something worse. Episode 4 is where the Boys have to pivot, fast, or get steamrolled by a god who’s shopping for immortality.