This is the quintessential "The Boys" episode that was missing in Season 4 so far. Every character is at their worst, in the best way possible.
Anthony Starr perfectly captures Homelander's trademark diabolical smile throughout the episode. He is rapidly moving towards transcending his human emotions and achieving his goal of total domination.
It's also smart what they've done with Butcher's character and health arc. Having him just resign and accept his fate didn't feel like the Butcher the show has built up. This episode changes the trajectory his character has taken since the seventh episode of Season 3, and I am all for it. Only Butcher, at his devious best, can be a true counterweight to Homelander, which the showmakers seemed to have forgotten in the previous few episodes.
Starlight and Firecracker are yin and yang. It would be interesting if the show gave Starlight more grey undertones to add depth and substance to their feud.
Hughie and Mother's Milk have been done a disservice by this new emphasis on past trauma, as their characters are unlikely to receive any substantial growth or screentime this season. However, what they do with Hughie's father will be very interesting to watch.
Overall, this is a fun episode through and through, with some despicable eye gore moments. This is what I expected the first episode of the season to be, but I guess better late than never.