The Boys Season 4 Episode 6 Review: Dirty Business

The Boys Season 4 Episode 6, “Dirty Business,” gets down and dirty as our heroes spend a revelatory evening at Tek Knight’s mansion. While Homelander and Sage’s endgame finally gets more context, the outing itself is a bit of a tepid affair. It fails to eclipse last week’s more fast-paced fare — especially Hughie’s moving story of grief and loss. 

The Boys Engage in Dirty Business

Episode six spends too much time in the Tek Cave for my liking. Sure, this show is known for its ability to “top itself” in the shock value department, as it were.

However, one could usually write some of that off as crucial to the overarching (or episodic) narrative. Considering Hughie is at the center of the sex dungeon action, it feels downright gratuitous and, let’s face it, tryhard. Did we really need to subject one of the show’s most emotionally vulnerable characters to a night of assault?

As usual, the dungeon scenes are presented with The Boys‘s signature tongue-in-cheek, “wink-wink/nudge-nudge” style. It shows us how depraved Tek Knight is and that multimillionaires have too much time on their hands. I can’t help but wonder if this story would’ve landed better if it hadn’t been Hughie under the Webweaver mask. 

Jack Quaid turns in a heartbreaking performance, effectively tapping into Hughie’s raw vulnerability and grief. If anything, I suppose his placement in the episodic narrative is to show that he’s not ready to move forward. He’s still grieving and learns that the grief process is anything but brief. 

Performances 

Other standout performances in “Dirty Business” include Karl Urban, who doesn’t get enough credit for the work he delivers on this show. Butcher is seemingly on his last legs in Season 4. We see his rapid decline — mentally and physically — and this episode tips him over the edge. 

Is it wholly surprising that Kessler is a figment of Butcher’s imagination? Not entirely, but it sheds light on the fragility of Butcher’s mental state. He has an angel (Becca) and a devil (Kessler) on each shoulder.

Urban seamlessly conveys Butcher’s conflicted nature in “Dirty Business.” Sure, Butcher loathes supes for a good reason, but he’s pretty fond of Kimiko and at least tolerates Annie. Plus, he’s grown to love Ryan, especially since the boy is an extension of Becca. 

It’s understandable that hearing the term “genocide” gives Butcher pause. Does he really want to wipe out all supes? How does one ensure an airborne virus only affects two people? Urban delivers understated work here while also showcasing how utterly exhausted Butcher is. 

Laz Alonso also shines in “Dirty Business,” delivering a nuanced performance as Mother’s Milk. I’ve always resonated with MM’s struggles with OCD and anxiety. I love that The Boys uses these human elements to ground the series. Episode six allows Alonso to tap into MM’s heightened anxiety, and for those who’ve experienced panic attacks, his behavior is all too relatable. 

Susan Heyward continues to offer standout work this season. She’s one of the MVPs in my book. Sage is a compelling character whose true motivations finally take center stage in this episode. As a woman (and someone who has a family member with CLL), I can relate to Sage somewhat. 

That said, her big brain makes her the most formidable threat on the planet. While she doesn’t have laser eyes and can’t fly, Sage can easily sway the masses to do her bidding. That’s dangerous. Heyward delivers a layered, complex performance as Sage, tapping into the character’s dangerous edge. 

Where We Go Next

“Dirty Business” prematurely kills off Tek Knight, giving him an unceremonious ending. Perhaps it’s what the character deserves. However, The Boys could’ve done more with him. Why bring in a stellar performer like Derek Wilson only to discard him? Although, I imagine his end would be no different down the line. 

This outing does lay terrifying groundwork for what’s to come, but it takes us a while to get there. Some of the scenes in “Dirty Business” feel like they could’ve been shortened, and we wouldn’t lose much. The over-the-top antics feel almost robotic and formulaic here as if to say, “This is what we do!” 

That’s not to say I’m not excited about where we go next. I hope we get a satisfying, fulfilling conclusion to this season that’s worthy of the characters we love (and hate) and ties the countless narrative threads into a neat bow. 

Stray Observations: 

• Leave it to The Boys to have an effed-up take on Spider-Man (Webweaver) and Bruce Wayne (Tek Knight).
• Sometimes, I, too, wish I could pop my own head when a man mansplains something to me. I can’t fault Victoria there.
• I love that scene outside the hospital when A-Train drops off Mother’s Milk. His connection with that kid might be key to his redemption arc. (I’m all for an A-Train redemption arc, to be honest.) What a sweet, subtle moment.
• So, Becca is the angel on Butcher’s shoulder, while Kessler is the devil. That checks out. 
• Admittedly, I got a good chuckle from “Zendaya” being the safe word, especially with her Spider-Man connections.
• Homelander and Sage’s desire to install concentration camps (where their dissenters will go) shows that someone learned nothing from his time with Stormfront. 

What did you think of this episode of The Boys? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Boys drops new episodes every Thursday on Prime Video. 

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