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The Boys · Season 4 · Episode 1

The Boys Season 4 Episode 1: Department of Dirty Tricks

Aired Jun 13, 2024 66 min Prime Video
In the Season 4 premiere, an Election Night operation targeting Victoria Neuman goes sideways when Butcher breaks off to confront Ryan. Hughie's attempt to take down Neuman backfires, while Sister Sage advises Homelander to stoke public disorder and exploit the chaos. In the Season 4 premiere, an Election Night operation targeting Victoria Neuman goes sideways when Butcher breaks off to confront Ryan. Hughie's attempt to take down Neuman backfires, while Sister Sage advises Homelander to stoke public disorder…
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Episode Recap

Episode Recap

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During an Election Night operation targeting Victoria Neuman, Butcher breaks from the mission to confront Ryan. The operation collapses after Zoe Neuman unleashes lethal snakes that kill two of President-elect Robert Singer's security agents. Hughie confronts Neuman over her secrets and Zoe's Compound V exposure. Attempts to kill Neuman fail, and she threatens people Hughie cares about. Sister Sage proposes that Homelander create public disorder and then present himself as the solution.

Quick Answer

The Boys Season 4 Episode 1, "Department of Dirty Tricks," follows an Election Night operation against Victoria Neuman that collapses when Zoe Neuman unleashes lethal snakes, killing two of President-elect Robert Singer's security agents. Butcher tells Ryan he has roughly six months to live after his V24 use, Hughie's attempt to kill Neuman fails, and Sister Sage's strategy of framing Homelander's supporters' deaths on Starlighters inflames a courthouse confrontation.

Quick Facts

Episode Information

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Episode
Season 4, Episode 1 of 8
Title
Department of Dirty Tricks
Air Date
Jun 13, 2024
Runtime
66 min
Director
Philip Sgriccia
Writers
David Reed

Overview

Episode Summary

In the Season 4 premiere, an Election Night operation targeting Victoria Neuman goes sideways when Butcher breaks off to confront Ryan. Hughie's attempt to take down Neuman backfires, while Sister Sage advises Homelander to stoke public disorder and exploit the chaos. By the end, a courthouse confrontation escalates after Homelander's supporters are killed and the blame is pinned on Starlighters.

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Full Recap

The Boys Season 4 Episode 1 Recap

During an Election Night operation targeting Victoria Neuman, Butcher breaks from the mission to confront Ryan. The operation collapses after Zoe Neuman unleashes lethal snakes that kill two of President-elect Robert Singer's security agents.

Hughie confronts Neuman over her secrets and Zoe's Compound V exposure. Attempts to kill Neuman fail, and she threatens people Hughie cares about.

Sister Sage proposes that Homelander create public disorder and then present himself as the solution. Homelander's supporters are killed and the deaths are blamed on Starlighters, helping inflame the courthouse confrontation.

Butcher tells Ryan he has roughly six months to live after his V24 use; this is delivered during their confrontation.

Annie makes a public courthouse appearance as Starlight, while Frenchie begins a relationship with Colin and is troubled by a photograph of Colin's family.

Full Recap & Ending Explained

Read the complete scene-by-scene recap and ending explanation for The Boys Season 4 Episode 1, “Department of Dirty Tricks”.

Read the full recap and ending explained

At a Glance

Key Moments

  1. Butcher breaks from the Election Night operation to confront Ryan and tells him he has roughly six months to live after his V24 use.
  2. Zoe Neuman unleashes lethal snakes during the operation, killing two of President-elect Robert Singer's security agents and causing the mission to collapse.
  3. Hughie confronts Neuman over her secrets and Zoe's Compound V exposure; his attempts to kill her fail, and she threatens people he cares about.
  4. Sister Sage advises Homelander to create public disorder and then position himself as the solution.
  5. Homelander's supporters are killed, and the deaths are blamed on Starlighters, inflaming the courthouse confrontation.
  6. Annie makes a public courthouse appearance as Starlight.
  7. Frenchie begins a relationship with Colin but is troubled by a photograph of Colin's family.

Analysis

Character Development

Annie resumes a public Starlight role, making a courthouse appearance as Starlight. Frenchie begins a relationship with Colin, but the relationship is complicated by a photograph of Colin's family tied to Frenchie's past. Butcher declines to use Hughie's Red River information against Neuman, and in a separate confrontation tells Ryan he has roughly six months to live after his V24 use.

Cast

Main Cast

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Karl Urban
as Billy Butcher
Jack Quaid
as Hugh 'Hughie' Campbell
Antony Starr
as Homelander
Erin Moriarty
as Annie January / Starlight
Laz Alonso
as Marvin T. 'Mother's Milk' Milk / M.M.
Chace Crawford
as Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep
Tomer Capone
as Serge / Frenchie
Karen Fukuhara
as Kimiko Miyashiro
Nathan Mitchell
as Justin / Black Noir II
Colby Minifie
as Ashley Barrett

Cast

Guest Stars

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Simon Pegg
as Hugh Campbell
Shantel VanSanten
as Becca Butcher
Olivia Morandin
as Zoe Neuman
Frances Turner
as Monique
Leigh Bush
as Hailey Miller
Matthew Edison
as Cameron Coleman
Laila Robins
as Grace Mallory
Jim Beaver
as Secretary of Defense Robert A. Singer
Matthew Gorman
as Todd
Rosemarie DeWitt
as Daphne Campbell

Analysis

The Boys Season 4 Episode 1 Ending Explained

Spoilers below

This section discusses the ending of "Department of Dirty Tricks" in detail. Stop here if you haven't watched the episode.

The episode's final major plot beat is the aftermath of the courthouse operation. Homelander and Sister Sage's provocation succeeds: the deaths of Homelander's supporters are attributed to Starlighters, escalating public conflict. This leaves several threads unresolved, including Butcher's illness and hallucinations, Ryan's allegiance, and Neuman's threat to Hughie's circle.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in The Boys Season 4 Episode 1?

An Election Night operation targeting Victoria Neuman collapses when Zoe Neuman unleashes lethal snakes that kill two of President-elect Robert Singer's security agents. Butcher confronts Ryan and tells him he has roughly six months to live. Hughie's attempt to kill Neuman fails and she threatens his loved ones. Sister Sage advises Homelander to create disorder and present himself as the solution, and Homelander's supporters' deaths are blamed on Starlighters, inflaming a courthouse confrontation.

Why does the Election Night operation collapse?

The operation collapses after Zoe Neuman unleashes lethal snakes that kill two of President-elect Robert Singer's security agents.

What does Butcher tell Ryan?

Butcher tells Ryan he has roughly six months to live after his V24 use. This is delivered during their confrontation.

What is the courthouse confrontation about?

Homelander's supporters are killed and the deaths are blamed on Starlighters, which helps inflame the courthouse confrontation.

Who does Sister Sage advise?

Sister Sage proposes that Homelander create public disorder and then present himself as the solution.

What happens with Hughie and Neuman?

Hughie confronts Neuman over her secrets and Zoe's Compound V exposure. Attempts to kill Neuman fail, and she threatens people Hughie cares about.

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