"What I Know" is the eighth episode and the season finale of the second season of The Boys. It premiered on Amazon Prime on October 9, 2020. It is the sixteenth episode overall.
Summary[]
Becca shows up on Butcher's doorstep and begs for his help. The Boys agree to back Butcher, and together with Starlight, they finally face off against Homelander and Stormfront. But things go very bad, very fast.
Plot[]
A PSA from Vought plays with Homelander and a police officer talking about supervillain attacks at schools. The supervillain problem is everywhere! Grace Mallory and Victoria Neuman meet with the Secretary of Defense, who informs them that the US government has authorized the use of Compound V among military and law enforcement personnel. Becca escapes her secured compound by running through the woods. Starlight and her mother share a brief goodbye where her mother hands her a new cross necklace. Starlight says she will not wear it, but accepts the gift anyway.
Hughie and Starlight attempt to convince the members of The Boys to not go ahead with their plan to kill both Stormfront and the other members of The Seven. After failing, they request the remainder of the day to find anyone willing to testify against Vought, or any hard evidence against the company. Starlight claims she knows a credible witness.
Stormfront talks to Homelander about how the attack at the congressional hearing allows them to move forward with their plans, and how Black Noir is in a coma after his allergic reaction caused by Queen Maeve force-feeding him an Almond Joy while saving Starlight.
Hughie and Starlight have a conversation on the way to their possible witness where Starlight asks why Hughie likes Billy Joel so much. After he refuses to say, she asks him why he saved her life while she was imprisoned in the tower. Hughie confesses that he couldn't let her get hurt. Starlight replies saying she feels the same about Hughie.
The two then arrive at Queen Maeve's house. They ask her if she will testify. She angrily replies that she does not care about fighting anymore because she's tired and it's suicide. Starlight tries to empathize with Maeve's retreat inward but Maeve cuts her off. She states that she is tired of seeing nothing change and yells at the two to leave her house.
Stan and Alistair Adana have a meeting to discuss the return of The Deep and A-Train to The Seven. Stan is agreeable with The Deep but considers A-Train too risky because of Stormfront's racist beliefs. Taking one back is okay, but to take two would show weakness. The two make a deal and then leave. A-Train is revealed to be listening to the conversation.
A distraught Becca finds Butcher at the pawn shop. Kimiko, Mother's Milk, and Frenchie console Becca before Butcher goes out to dig for information. Becca stops Butcher and says she has no right to ask him for help. Butcher promises to find Ryan. Stan Edgar then gets a call from Butcher.
Ryan is having trouble bonding with Homelander and is clearly uncomfortable around him and Stormfront. Ryan has retreated into a habit of his: writing down the names of US states to distract himself. To cheer him up they both take him to a crowded restaurant where the two heroes are mobbed by fans. As the fans cluster around , Ryan becomes overwhelmed with the sensory overload. Homelander flies away with a crying Ryan.
Starlight mentions her own mother fussing over herself and complains about it to Hughie. Then apologies for complaining about it since Hughie's mother is dead. Hughie then reveals that she didn't die, but rather left him at age 6 and never contacted him again. She is also the reason he was into Billy Joel. The two have a touching moment that is interrupted by A-Train springing into their back seat.
A-Train hands them files stolen from the Church of the Collective detailing Stormfront's former Nazi past. He says he is doing it because he wants back into The Seven and knows he can't go back unless Stormfront is out. He tells them they're even for saving his life after his heart attacks and demands they tell no-one where they got the files from. Meanwhile, Butcher and Stan negotiate a deal after Butcher impresses upon Stan that he can't control Stormfront or Homelander and admits that Stormfront's racist views makes him uncomfortable. Butcher reminds him that Ryan is the only thing that could possibly be used to control Homelander and makes an offer; he'll get Ryan out and then give him to Stan on the condition that Becca stays with him.
Stormfront gets to the cabin Homelander has used before and prompts Homelander to try to console the distraught Ryan. Homelander opens up to Ryan about the first time he was in public and felt so overwhelmed he had to fly away and cry. He tries to bond with Ryan saying that he wants to teach Ryan better then he was raised himself and says he loves him. Ryan does not reply, but does lean against him.
Back at the hideout, Hughie shows the Boys the stolen files. Butcher reveals his plan to rescue Ryan, trying to convince the other members to stay uninvolved, which they all refuse. The files on Stormfront are leaked to NNV by Hughie and Annie. Becca insists on coming on the mission as well, impressing upon Butcher that Ryan won't trust anyone else. Becca also makes Butcher promise that he will take care of Ryan no matter what and make sure he does not end up like Homelander. Kimiko tells Frenchie she is worried she might freeze in front of Stormfront again, like she did when Stormfront killed her brother. Frenchie says that he has faith in her abilities and confidence.
Homelander and Stormfront try to help Ryan use his laser eyes, and burn a "The Deep" toy. They tell him to think of something he hates. Stormfront tries to convince Ryan that white genocide is real, but is cut short by the reaction to her Nazi background going public. She flies back to Vought Tower. Meanwhile, while preparing a device outside the cabin, Frenchie and Kimiko share a moment where Kimiko asks Frenchie if he enjoys dancing, to which he responds that he does. Stormfront returns to the tower where she finds that photos of her with Hitler and other high-ranking Nazis are all over the news and public opinion has turned entirely against her.
The sonic device is then activated, causing both Homelander and Ryan to suffer in pain. As Homelander leaves to find the source of the sound, Becca and Butcher burst into the cabin and rescue Ryan. When Ryan asks who Butcher is, Becca calls him her husband. Homelander notices the sonic device has Vought branding on it and figures out the noise is a distraction and returns to the cabin. Butcher takes Becca and Ryan back to the group and tells everyone that the plan has changed and he can't separate Ryan and Becca anymore, instructing M.M. to take them to Mallory. He then reveals he made a deal with Stan Edgar that would separate the pair.
Back at the cabin, Vought PMCs breach and clear the cabin, only to be interrupted by Homelander's arrival. After he figures out they are here for Ryan, he demands to know the location of his son before killing the entire team. Butcher and Becca argue about whether Butcher should be around his son, with Butcher concerned that his upbringing by his cruel father may affect Ryan. Becca agrees to go and M.M. starts taking Ryan and Becca away.
Their journey is immediately ended by Stormfront landing in front of the car and sending it flying. Butcher chases off after the car. Starlight and Stormfront have a confrontation about who is in the wrong. Ending in a tense moment as Starlight and Kimiko stare down Stormfront. Kimiko starts to freeze up, but breaks her stare and laughs. Signing an insult to Frenchie, which he relays to Stormfront. Starlight and Kimiko try to fight Stormfront, but are struggling. The Boys try to get their weapons from their car, but Stormfront blows it up. Her victory is cut short when Maeve shows up and knocks her to the ground. Starlight and Kimiko then join in beating on Stormfront until she is on the ground again and the trio encircle her.
Stormfront escapes but lands next to Becca, Butcher, and Ryan. Becca stabs her in the eye but she grabs and pins her by the neck. She then chokes out Becca while Butcher hopelessly tries to stop her. Ryan then uses his laser eyes for the first time, amputating all of Stormfronts limbs and burning her face off. Sadly, he also makes a deep cut on Becca's neck. Becca uses her last moments to make Butcher promise he will protect Ryan and make sure he ends up as a good person.
After Becca dies, Butcher struggles with his immediate desire to kill Ryan. However his thoughts are cut short by the arrival of Homelander. Homelander briefly attends to the still dying Stormfront, who is rambling in German, then calls out for Ryan to come near him. Instead, Ryan moves behind Butcher. Homelander taunts Butcher and moves to kill him, but he is stopped by Maeve's arrival. She shows him the recovered footage of the plane crash that Homelander and Maeve abandoned. Homelander replies that if she makes it public he will massacre the public. Maeve tells him that's fine with her, because it will mean no one will ever love him again. Shaken by this, Homelander freezes in place, and Butcher leaves with Ryan.
At a press conference, Stan Edgar informs a crowd that Stormfront was acting alone and was responsible for the attack on the senate here. He also announces that the release of Compound V will be on indefinite pause. Homelander reintroduces Starlight as a member of The Seven, saying she was falsely accused. As he is speaking, a long zoom into a super close up and discordant music is used to imply his fragile mental state. Meanwhile, Alastair Adana has a meeting with The Deep and A-Train about A-Train stealing the files and leaking them. But, rather then admonishing him, he praises A-Train before telling him he's back in The Seven. They will only take one of them, because to take two would show weakness. The Deep is angry about this, as he no longer has a spot, and walks out, saying he is leaving the Church of the Collective, ending the conversation with "Fuck Fresca" as he walks out.
Hughie and Starlight have a moment at the park bench where they met, and Hughie discloses that he's looking to stand on his own and try to be his own man. Starlight starts saying she understands why he's breaking up with her, but Hughie responds that he's not doing that. Butcher and Ryan sit together on a riverbank. Ryan says he's scared. Butcher gives him a St Christopher pendant that Becca gave him to keep him safe. Mallory then arrives to take Ryan away and as she is leaving she stops to mention that a new bureau has opened up called the Office of Supe Affairs that is headed up by Victoria Neuman. She offers him work, Butcher leaves without comment. M.M. goes back to his family and is welcomed by his daughter, while Frenchie and Kimiko leave the pawn shop, dancing. Homelander masturbates pantless on top of the Chrysler Tower eagles while exclaiming "I can do whatever the fuck I want".
Alastair Adana and Victoria Neuman have a phone call about how it was his files that led to Stormfront's past being revealed and he mentions that he has dirt on a dozen more Supes. After their call concludes, Alastair cracks open a can of Fresca just as his head suddenly explodes. Victoria is seen outside of his window, and it appears that she is the one responsible for the head explosions. She then walks into her campaign headquarters where she is met by Hughie. Hughie offers to work for her, saying he wants to fight Vought in the right way. She asks him, “When can you start?”
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Special Guest Star[]Guest Starring[]
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Co-Starring[]
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Quotes[]
| “ | If Billy Butcher can do the right thing, then there’s gotta be some kind of higher power.
―Annie
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” |
| “ | Lick my big black balls. Sorry Becca…
―MM
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| “ | Homelander’s a friend. Why would I betray him?
―Stan Edgar in reference to Homelander
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” |
Trivia[]
- What I Know is the name of the 13th story arc in the original 72-issue comic book series and the 3 companion-piece 6-issue mini-series run of The Boys.
- The scene where Maeve, Starlight and Kimiko stomp on Stormfront is a homage to Stormfront's death scene in the comics, where he is brutally stomped to death by the Boys in a similar manner. Stormfront losing her eye also references the comic, where it was torn out by Kimiko.
- Becca's demise is also reminiscent of her comic death, as she is unintentionally killed by her and Homelander's child.
- When Stormfront is lying injured on the ground, she is muttering to herself in her native German. She says "Es war so schön. Wie wir dort zu dritt gesessen, im Schatten eines Apfelbaums. Erinnerst du dich an den Tag Frederick? Chloe hat die Arme aus dem Autofenster gestreckt. Wir haben den perfekten Platz am Fluss gefunden, im Schatten eines Apfelbaums. Es war das erste mal dass Chloe frische Äpfel gegessen hat." Which translates as "Do you remember the day Frederick? Chloe's arms out of the car window. We found the perfect spot by the river, in the shade of an apple tree. It was the first time Chloe ate fresh apples." Later, when Homelander and Ryan are talking, she mutters to herself, "...war so glücklich. Es war herrlich. Ich wollte dass er nie zu Ende geht." Which translates as ""...was so happy. It was wonderful. I wanted it to never end."
- Easter egg: During a song revealing Stormfront's Nazi past to the public, her animated counterpart is hit by a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala. This car is a gag reference to the iconic Impala of the Winchester brothers from the other Kripke-produced series, Supernatural.
- Homelander's final scene of him masturbating on one of Chrysler building Eagles was actually meant to appear in season 1, but it was cut by Amazon, who felt it went too far too early in the show's run. Kripke says it was brought back to replace another scene they had in mind to end Homelander's season 2 arc. This time around, Amazon thought that scene didn't portray Homelander's broken state of mind well enough, and Kripke suggested this one and they approved it.
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Videos[]
| TV series The Boys Episodes |
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| Season One 1. The Name of the Game • 2. Cherry • 3. Get Some • 4. The Female of the Species • 5. Good for the Soul • 6. The Innocents • 7. The Self-Preservation Society • 8. You Found Me Season Two 1. The Big Ride • 2. Proper Preparation and Planning • 3. Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men • 4. Nothing Like It in the World • 5. We Gotta Go Now • 6. The Bloody Doors Off • 7. Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker • 8. What I Know Season Three 1. Payback • 2. The Only Man in the Sky • 3. Barbary Coast • 4. Glorious Five Year Plan • 5. The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies • 6. Herogasm • 7. Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed • 8. The Instant White-Hot Wild Season Four 1. Department of Dirty Tricks • 2. Life Among the Septics • 3. We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here • 4. Wisdom of the Ages• 5. Beware of the Jabberwock, My Son • 6. Dirty Business • 7. The Insider • 8. Assassination Run |