The Boys never shies away from pushing buttons. This show, about a superhero group called The Seven, couldn’t be further from the comic-book movies that dominate cinemas; the MCU wouldn’t dream of being this transgressive. Shock factor is practically ingrained in the show’s DNA—whether it's extreme violence and gore, or the vicious lampooning of alt-right politics, the show, created by Eric Kripke, is never afraid to “go there.”
When it comes to the show’s plentiful sex scenes, outrageousness seems to be the show’s mission statement. Let’s not forget the infamous Season 3 premiere when one supe exploded inside another man’s penis, killing him instantly. That seemed to set off a theme: There was even an exploding penis moment in the Boys spin-off series, Gen V. Heck, just a few episodes ago on The Boys, there was a moment that’s best described as a rimming train in the vein of The Human Centipede. Its plethora of penetration is often gasp-worthy, but even the raunchiest sex in The Boys is brief. Or at least it was. In Episode 6, “Dirty Business,” The Boys tops itself (pun intended) with its longest and single most outrageous sex scene to date.
The scene takes place in the home of Tek Knight (Derek Wilson), an uber-wealthy supe who’s invited leading politicians and The Seven to his home for a party. Hughie (Jack Quaid) and the Boys want in so they can figure out The Seven’s secret plan. To infiltrate the party, Hughie has to assume the identity of Tek Knight’s potential new sidekick Web Weaver, who conveniently has a super suit that covers his entire body, therefore hiding Hughie’s identity.
Tek takes Hughie on a tour of his mansion, and when they’re alone, he asks Hughie if he wants to see the Tek Cave. While I was expecting a high-tech secret base à la the Bat Cave, with remarkable surveillance possibilities and world-class gadgetry, Tek’s secret haven is actually a seedy sex dungeon. And I do mean seedy—dildos, masks, ropes, and whips adorn the walls. There’s a urinal that looks like it needed a deep clean two decades ago. Some things in the room would make even the kinkiest person blush, including a medieval torture device (a gibbet cage) and various other objects that defy description. There’s even Tek’s old sidekick, chained to the wall in a red gimp suit. And things only get weirder from there.
The next time the episode shows Tek’s cave, Tek is self-asphyxiating off a chain hanging from the ceiling—and while this is happening, he prompts Hughie to sit on a chocolate cake. Tek is delighted as Hughie hesitantly puts his bare ass on the cake. “Smush it,” he commands, which Hughie does. “Now, fart,” Tek orders. Hughie does, and a look of ecstasy flashes on Tek’s face: “That’s fucking hot,” he snarls.
What’s remarkable about this unhinged cornucopia of sexual fetish is that it never seeks to kink-shame, instead taking these sexual taboos at face value. It’s funny, sure, but the laughs come from the sheer outlandishness of the scenario Hughie has found himself in, rather than the specific desires on display. Things are weird, but it’s the weirdness, rather than people getting off on unexpected things, that’s amusing. In the cake moment, laughter is almost a defense mechanism. It’s not funny because Tek is turned on, but rather because Hughie is so uncomfortable that chuckling is the only way to make the scene palatable. It’s worth noting too that Tek believes it’s Web Weaver behind the mask, not Hughie. As far as he’s concerned, Web Weaver is more than happy to play along with his sexual proclivities, in order to become his sidekick. The reality that it’s actually Hughie, who is deeply opposed to participating in every second of the ordeal makes this more complicated and infinitely more queasy.
If the cake felt like too much, things ramp up into overdrive when Ashley (Colby Minifie), Vought CEO and close friend of Tek, enters the cave. It turns out their relationship runs way deeper than a mere friendship. To the dulcet tones of Chrisopher Cross’ soft-rock “Sailing,” Hughie is chained on all fours on a leather chair, feet exposed. Ashley, now wearing a black latex dominatrix outfit, tickles Hughie’s feet with a feather, threatening to piss all over his face.
Ashley clearly relishes the role of the dom, delivering unforgettable (and extremely graphic) lines like “I’m gonna bite your dick off and cook it. I am 100 percent a cannibal” and “I’m going to feel your pink asshole around my wrist until you shit.” It proves to be too much for Hughie, who begs for her to stop—but he doesn’t know Web Weaver’s safe word so he continues concealing his identity as the antics wear on.
The sequence begins as amusing, but grows increasingly uncomfortable as Hughie becomes terrified over the situation he’s in. It’s clear Tek is truly balls-to-the-wall, and uses sex as a sort of weapon. There’s no guarantee that Hughie will survive this interaction. The Boys is a show that viewers expect to feel uneasy while watching, but seeing Hughie earnestly beg and plead for the sexual escapades to stop while Ashley and Tek parade on, believing it’s all part of a sexual fantasy they’re all in on, is more extreme than the show has ever been.
The punchline of the scene comes as Ashley achieves orgasm while tickling Hughies feet, and goes over to make out with Tek in the throws of passion and debauchery. The camera pulls back to a medium shot, revealing them kissing over Hughie’s rigid, traumatized body. She wipes her bodily fluids on Hughie’s mask, and he limply says, “Thank you so much.” The sequence is simultaneously upsetting, hilarious, disgusting, and respectful. And it’s gotta be seen to be believed.
