Over the course of four seasons, Amazon Studios’ The Boys has come up with some outlandish, violent, and messed-up scenarios involving animals. From blasting a whale to demolishing a dolphin to devouring a living octopus, there has to be a scene in every season that will make viewers feel sorry for the creatures who sustain collateral damage due to the superfreaks of The Boys universe. Whether the motive of such portrayals is to generate cheap shocks, crass comedic elements, or genuine awareness—like PETA thought about the previous season—remains unknown anyway. Carrying on the bloody legacy, the fifth episode of the ongoing season, titled “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son,” showcases an entire farm full of compound V-doped animals who are wreaking havoc on the humans who experimented on them. There is a proper narrative context that explains the situation and connects it with one of the more important plot points of the ongoing season. Furthermore, through the predicaments of some of the animals, we get much-needed hints about Butcher’s condition as well.
Spoilers Ahead
‘The Boys’ Gives New Meaning to Animal Farm
As Butcher and the titular ragtag bunch of do-gooders follow Stan Edgar to locate where Neuman might have stashed away the supe-killing virus, the former Vought CEO brings them to his farmhouse, which has been turned into a secretive virology lab. Neuman confronts the team later, as she suspects the Boys of causing absolute mayhem on the farm, whereas it is revealed that it was caused by the animals of the farm having been dosed with Compound V. As a result, the domesticated sheep, cows, and chickens have turned into bloodthirsty, feral creatures, who wiped out the majority of the scientific team and Neuman’s security as well. Later, the chief scientist of the project, Sameer, reveals that the horrendous drug was administered to the animals—presumably along with Temp V in some cases—to study the supe-killing virus and mutate it. Ultimately, the last vial of the virus gets used to kill the monstrous creatures of the farm—using a spiked bait.
The Supe Killing Virus Would Have Been A Gamechanger For Neuman
Ever since the supe killing virus was introduced in The Boys spin-off series, Gen V, fans have assumed that it will end up being an important McGuffin in the struggle between Vought and the Boys. After killing its creator, Dr. Cardosa, chief scientist of the secret experimentation wing of Godolkin University, Congresswoman Victoria Neuman secretly took the entire available stock of the virus for herself. The virus could have given her the best chance to assume control over Homelander and get an upper hand over Vought, but with the virus not being strong enough to kill him yet, she decided to mutate it to create a deterrent for the strongest supe on the planet. However, the enhanced animal uprising foiled her entire plan by sabotaging the experiments, and as of now, Neuman is back to square one after losing the virus. However, Billy Butcher, who has resorted to his old, diabolical ways, is revealed to have abducted Sameer, faked the scientist’s death, and is going to coerce him into making new batches of the virus. His target is clear, and on the chance that he gets a hold of a strong, mutated virus to take down Homelander, the Boys are clearly in a potentially advantageous situation.
One of the Suped Up Animals Hints About Butcher’s Own Condition
Since the last episode, after Butcher miraculously survived a near-death situation while battling Ezekiel and turned the supe into a bloody mess without even realizing it, the nature of Butcher’s new powers has piqued our interest. It was revealed that while already suffering from the side effects of Temp V overuse, Butcher had taken Compound V as well, in hopes of undoing the effects, but it didn’t help. In this episode, Butcher finds Mr. Fuzzy Buzzy, a Temp V-induced rabbit, inside the virology lab at the farmhouse, and perhaps out of a sense of sympathy for sharing the same condition, he decides to free the creature. Later on, Butcher is horrified to find out the rabbit has passed away, and a vicious, gnarly-looking tentacled monstrosity has emerged from within by tearing apart its carcass. The godawful sight is enough to make Butcher feel a sense of fear, as he considers this a premonition to his own inevitable predicament as well, and disgusted, Butcher kicks the creature to death.
A parasite-type creature has indeed been moving through Butcher’s body ever since his condition started deteriorating, and it seems like after Compound V intake, it has gotten strong enough to emerge out of Butcher’s body upon sensing its host to be in near-death condition, which is what happened during Butcher’s fight with Ezekiel. Whether the tentacled parasite ends up draining Butcher from inside or if he is going to operate it out of his system will only be known in the upcoming episodes. What is certain, though, is that severe physical and mental agony awaits the former leader of The Boys as he pays the price of a life spent in violence.Â
