Why Hughie's Mom Pulls THAT Compound-V Stunt In The Boys Season 4, Episode 4
Alert: This page has spoilers for "Wisdom of the Ages," episode 4 of The Boys season 4.
Hughie is debating whether he should use Compound V to save his father in season 4, episode 4; the stunning finale of the chapter sees his mother injecting Hugh with the drug instead. Early in The Boys season 4, Hughie's dad has a stroke; the sad turn of events brings him first-time contact with his mother, Daphne. It also leaves him considering the likelihood of losing the parent who reared him. Hughie gets desperate enough to contact A-Train and request Compound V in episode 4, which is hardly surprising.
A-Train comes through for him, but Hughie feels mixed about rescuing his father in this manner. And Butcher views things from another angle before Hughie pays his last-minute visit to his dad. Hughie decides, after much thought, to let go of his father instead of turning him into a Supe. Unfortunately, Hughie's mother discovers the bottle of Compound V when he leaves the hospital room and substitutes it for Hugh's IV. This is an unexpected turn of events and could leave viewers questioning why she would act in such manner.
Hughie's mother most likely wanted to atone for her missing.
The first episodes of The Boys Season 4 explore where Hughie's mother has been, and it's clear she feels awful about having to part from her husband and kid. Post-partum depression caused her to leave, she tells Hughie, and she saw no other way to get better. She apparently wrote to Hughie after she left, though, something Hugh doesn't tell his son—probably because of his own resentment of his wife. Given Hughie's mother's remorse at leaving, it's likely she sees giving Hugh Compound V as a way of atonement.
Given her sorrow over leaving, Hugh's mother might see offering Hugh Compound V as a way at atonement. Daphne doesn't explain her behavior in the fourth episode of The Boys, although she could think Hughie meant to use the Compound V on his father. She neither knows of her son's last-minute decision not to inject Hugh nor the suffering he is going through. Daphne might have felt that by removing the pressure to act off her son, she was doing him a favour. She wasn't able to provide the life he wanted her to, hence she is trying to offer him the one he so sorely needs: his father, awake and alive.
After The Boys Season 4, Episode 4 Hughie's Mom Might Have a Secret Motive
Daphne's behavior in episode 4 of The Boys Season 4 could have guilt behind them. They could also point to a hidden agenda Hughie and the viewers are ignorant of, though. Though The Boys manages to justify Daphne's unexpected arrival, her turning up following all this time raises some questions. Daphne finds Hughie's Compound V to be handy, but it begs issues about whether she is searching for something once he leaves the room. Maybe Daphne kept Hugh alive or even used the V on him for a reason.
Though Daphne does disclose she has ties to Vought in The Boys' three-episode opener, it is difficult to determine what this secret motivation would be. She underplays her contribution to the company, although it might be more than she is allowing. Knowing who Hughie is, Homelander and The Seven could have even hired her to cause damage on the Campbells. Time will tell whether Daphne has more than first meets the eye, but her unexpected behavior in episode 4 points to her deserving of closer examination.
The Boys Season 4 is creating a gulf between Hughie and his mother.
The Boys season 4 puts up a greater gulf between Hughie and his mother in whatever Daphne's motivations for injecting Compound V. Hughie most likely won't be happy about his mother handling things because he decided not to use the drug on his father. Hugh wakes up and seems unaffected, but the truth most certainly will surface. Any difficulties he encounters will be Daphne's feat, as will any resentment he experiences about getting Compound V. Hughie's already strained relationship with his mother will get more complicated from this.
It's difficult to determine if Compound V would cause such a significant distance between Hughie and Daphne that they stop communicating. But Daphne's actions could make Hughie distrustful of her, maybe understandably so. Hughie's reaction to Daphne's behavior will probably rely on how his father wakes from his coma. Should Hugh be indeed well, Hughie could come to appreciate his mother for her intervention. Knowing The Boys, though, the Campbell family may find more shocks. And should things go wrong, Daphne has positioned herself as the accountable party.
Supe Simon Pegg is joining The Boys Season 4!
Though it's intriguing, Hughie's mother becoming into a villain is not nearly as fascinating as Hughie's dad turning into a Supe in The Boys season 4. One of the most beloved performers on the Amazon series, Simon Pegg is clearly underused in its first seasons. Hugh is injecting Compound V, and The Boys season 4 is at last giving Pegg a part fit for his skills. Should his character become Supe in the next episodes, it will fulfill something audiences have been yearning for since The Boys season 1: a more prominent part for the actor.
Though either development would provide the actor interesting new material to work with, Pegg's character may become a Supe as strong as The Seven or one with less ideal ability. Though he might be hesitant to join their activities, Hughie's dad will be a great benefit to The Boys team if he gains powers that can match those of the best Supers. And should Pegg's new talents have drawbacks or limitations, that will also create an emotional performance avenue. Hugh's son and wife will probably let him down with providing Compound V.
Season 4 of The Boys: a Deeper Dive into Family Dynamics
The Boys season 4 is, very naturally, laying Hughie and his parents some fascinating narratives. Daphne's behavior alone begs a lot of concerns coming into the latter half of the season; now the show has to deal with Hugh's new situation as well. The Boys should investigate the Campbells more thoroughly, but hopefully these turns won't severely affect Hughie too much. He has most definitely gone through enough already.
Eric Kripke developed the superhero/dark comedic satire series The Boys based on the same-named comic book series. Set in a "what-if" universe honoring superheroes as gods and celebrities with few consequences for their deeds. One group of vigilantes, led by a vengeance-obsessed guy called Billy Butcher, will counter these super-charged "heroes" to reveal them for what they are, though.
