The Best Part Of The Boys' Herogasm Was A Pounding (No, Not That Kind)

From the opening episode of season 3, fans knew "The Boys" was only going to continue gleefully shocking its audience. The superhero satire has consistently subverted expectations — which becomes increasingly difficult as the show proves its willingness to push boundaries viewers weren't even considering it would touch — and the newest episode "Herogasm" is no exception. Showrunner Eric Kripke has spent quite a while building hype for the episode and several of the cast members have also discussed the intensity of the shoot.

Comic fans were already expecting a certain level of debauchery after learning the storyline would be adapted this season. After all, "Herogasm" is a spinoff of "The Boys" centering on an annual superhero orgy. However, the Amazon Prime show has often zigged where the comics zagged and this episode didn't, um, climax, in the way viewers assumed it would. So, what was the best part of "Herogasm?" It should go without saying, but massive spoilers for "The Boys" season 3, episode 6 follow!

Don't get me wrong, there's definitely some pretty wild stuff happening in "Herogasm," but honestly, it's more sordid than sexy. Plus, it ultimately serves as the backdrop to an episode centering more on the relationships between our core characters and the widening chasm between them. Glimpsed through the eyes of several major players (though Frenchie would be crushed to miss it), the supe sexual exploits are about as disturbing as you might expect, though considering all the hype leading up to this episode, seem almost inconsequential. It turns out the excitement Kripke was stoking was entirely warranted, though for reasons completely unrelated to ice dildos, flaming phalluses, and the forbidden love between a man and an octopus.

Nope, the best part of this undeniably packed episode is the knock-down-drag-out brawl between Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) and Homelander (Antony Starr), in which the former gets some assists from V-powered Butcher (Karl Urban) and Hughie (Jack Quaid). Fans knew the two supes would have to clash eventually, but it was a situation no one was banking on coming to a head in "Herogasm." The superhero confrontation is every bit as exciting as viewers hoped, with the sociopathic Superman taking on the warped Winter Soldier. In the end, Soldier Boy proves himself something of a match for Homelander, especially with help from his jacked-up cohorts. It looks like they are actually about to kill him, but a definitely shaken Homelander is able to fly to safety at the last second. Still, no one endured as much damage as MM (Laz Alonso) who, aside from watching his best friend team up with his worst enemy, quite literally took it to the face.

Fans have reacted quite favorably to "Herogasm," with the episode now being the show's most highly rated on IMDb. While this installment did indeed feature a superhero orgy, a parody of a certain "Imagine" video, and another brush with death for the couple who has my heart, Frenchie and Kimiko — seriously, if anything happens to them I will riot — it's the awesome fight between Homelander and Soldier Boy that fans can't stop talking about.

The fact that Homelander now knows what a threat Soldier Boy is to him, not to mention Butcher and Hughie, in conjunction with the fact that Starlight (Erin Moriarty) criticized both him and Vought publicly at the end of the episode definitely means that we can expect Homelander to further come apart at the seams. However, in view of the inexorable pull of some people to a public figure Homelander is a direct parallel of, it seems safe to assume that the villain's popularity won't immediately fade because Starlight called him out on social media. It was a great moment for Annie, who finally quit The Seven at the end of "Herogasm." Hopefully, it doesn't spell the end for her.

Antony Starr's performance has been incredible since the beginning, with some viewers adoring him so much that they somehow missed the part where Homelander is the villain of the piece. Look, I'd be bummed if Homelander died this season because I've loved watching Starr portray him, but that doesn't mean the character doesn't have it coming. As for Jensen Ackles, he may not have had too much screen time yet, but I'm super intrigued by his version of Soldier Boy and can't wait to see what "The Boys" has in store for him. Knowing this show, it'll be the last thing we're all anticipating.