"Fuck this world for mistaking niceness for virtue," hissed Stormfront, the freshest addition to 'The Boys,' summing up the show's core motif with venom. On the surface, heroes may parade their niceness, yet behind the curtain, their goodness is far from assured. Conversely, those often perceived as villains, like Billy Butcher and his Boys, could very well be the true champions of justice. This season of 'The Boys' seems more inclined to delve into gender dynamics, beautifully encapsulated in Stormfront's fraught journey with Annie and Queen Maeve's heart-wrenching revelation at the hospital about Homelander's jealousy-fuelled murder to keep her in his thrall. 'The Boys' is increasingly fascinated by the perversion of masculinity in a world where superpowers feed into its toxicity.
Yet, "Proper Preparation and Planning" is fundamentally an episode woven with the threads of relationships – between Maeve and her ex, Becca/Homelander and their son, A-Train and Annie, Stormfront and Annie, Kimiko and her brother, and the Deep and his conversant gills. In an era where TV shows often suffer from stretching narratives to meet a fixed episode quota, Eric Kripke and his team behind 'The Boys' confront the opposite dilemma: cramming so much exposition and rich storytelling into a single hour that it borders on exhausting. The complex dynamics between Annie and Stormfront, the Deep's hilarious encounter with his talking gills, and Kimiko's poignant reunion with her brother – any one of these could easily span multiple episodes of a Netflix Marvel series. Instead, they're skillfully compressed here, vivid and distinct, inviting us to explore them one by one.
Let's commence with the episode's whimsical comic relief: The Deep undergoes some bizarre form of therapy/programming with Eagle the Archer and Carol, culminating in a surreal event where his gills start chatting away, voiced by none other than Patton Oswalt. Chace Crawford adds his comic flair, but the true highlight is Oswalt crooning "You Are So Beautiful" through the gills of a character spoofing Aquaman. Will The Deep ever muster enough self-confidence to stop exploiting his body to harm others? Will Oswalt reprise his role? Can anyone else hear him now? Let's make it happen – because if there's one thing 'The Boys' knows how to do, it's push boundaries and surprise us at every turn.
When it comes to public personas, Starlight and Queen Maeve have embarked on a media blitz to herald Stormfront's induction into The Seven. There's an intriguing twist in Stormfront's narrative; she ascended the ranks without Homelander's endorsement, amid whispers of an internal rebellion at Vought, as hinted by Raynor in the previous episode. Mustn't Stormfront be entwined in this turbulence? Why would Edgar or other influential figures within Vought welcome someone seemingly bent on dismantling the Seven's façade, unless this was their covert intent all along?
Regardless of her path, Stormfront brooks no defiance. Initially, she plays along with the publicity stunt, but once Maeve receives an urgent call and exits, Stormfront breaks free from the script. Subjected to repetitive mundane inquiries ("Regale us with tales of your female empowerment"), she eventually snaps. Later, she mocks her action figure as Annie attempts to forge a rapport, suspecting her of being a Vought spy. Stormfront confides in Annie that the ultimate superhero was one who "never bothered with politeness or charm": Pippi Longstocking. Annie yearns to expose her efforts to tear down Vought but refrains... for now.
First, she must confront the resurfaced A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), who appears indifferent to Annie's life-saving intervention at the season's close. As the episode concludes, A-Train discovers the Compound-V sample Gecko bestowed upon Annie and threatens to expose him. Annie retaliates, perhaps fueled by Pippi's empowering words, and blackmails him with the truth behind his girlfriend's demise. She emerges victorious in this battle of threats, or at least, it's a drawn-out stalemate.
It's captivating to observe Homelander spending the bulk of the episode tormenting Becca Butcher and their son. Recall, he soared to their location after a demoralizing dressing-down by Stan Edgar, clarifying his standing at Vought. As the epitome of toxic masculinity, Homelander craves power incessantly. He believes he wields it over Becca and their son, urging the boy to harness his inherited superpowers and join him. This sociopathic Batman seeks a Robin, and he reveals his mindset to his son candidly: "Gods should never endure such anguish." Homelander counters criticism or perceived pain with his god complex, further underscored by a statement exposing his addiction to the super-dopamine of his abilities: "We can do as we please, unchecked by anyone. That, that is a delightful sensation, an exhilarating sensation." Becca fiercely resists, threatening to unveil Homelander's true colors, but he asserts his impending stay. Stripped of power within The Seven, he seeks redemption through his son.
Ultimately, we witness the narrative arc of Billy and the Boys in hot pursuit of a super-terrorist who has been covertly introduced into the nation. Billy strikes a bargain: apprehend this adversary, and the government shall guide Butcher to the whereabouts of his beloved wife. Their quest leads them to a bustling party supply store, where Kimiko springs into action, seamlessly seizing control. Her initial move? Detaching a man's head with a clean strike, revealing a chilling familiarity. These perpetrators, it transpires, were once her captors.
As for the terrorist himself? None other than her brother, Kenji (Abraham Lim). Their reunion is bittersweet, swiftly transitioning into a clash of superhuman proportions when Kenji urges her to align with his mission. His objective? To scorch the American landscape, a goal he's prepared to achieve by hurling his own sister through a solid brick wall. Kimiko, swifter than thought, gains the upper hand, choking the life out of him before tossing his unconscious form into Butcher's van.
Billy, fuming with rage, lambasts Hughie for stopping him from eliminating the threat earlier, unleashing a brutal punch. "Cross my path to my wife again, and I'll make sure it's your last." These words resonate with a sinister prophecy, hinting at darker days ahead.
