WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for The Boys Season 2, Episode 8, "What I Know," available now on Amazon Prime Video.
The Boys' season finale is satisfying, from a majority of the protagonists receiving happy endings, to Homelander further descending into madness, to an incredible team-up between Kimiko, Queen Maeve and Starlight. Not only is the latter satisfying, but their fight with Stormfront is also ironic given Season 2's commentary on using feminism as a marketing tool. While the show's been riffing on how big corporations push a specific brand of "girl power" that is style over substance, this team-up features the female identifying Supes in a way that develops them as characters and pokes fun at Vought's "Girls Get It Done" campaign.
Starlight, Kimiko and Maeve Take a Stand
Superhero stories dominate entertainment, and some team-ups pay off better than others, whether that's because of emotional investment or fan service. In this case, Starlight, Kimiko and Maeve all have a stake in the fight. For Kimiko, she's been harboring hatred for Stormfront since she killed her brother, so much so she's closed herself off for part of the season while also developing deep seated insecurities. Because The Boys explores Kimiko's complex emotions, when she comes head to head with Stormfront, there is a huge pay off in seeing her attack the Nazi.
Kimiko's emotional journey isn't the only one explored. Maeve's Season 2 storyline focuses on her turmoil over being compliant with Vought. For her, it's easier to roll with the punches than challenge them. While she has moments where she tries to help, she'd rather not ruffle too many feathers. That is until Stormfront's secret is revealed. After years of compliance, learning about Vought's Nazi ties are enough to remind Maeve she needs to fight for what's right.
As for Starlight, she's been trying to take down Vought since the season started. Meanwhile, Stormfront has been trying to rattle Starlight from day one. When the two finally fight, it's the culmination of a season's worth of animosity. Furthermore, this fight proves that Starlight is far from the "barbie" Stormfront thought she was.
Stormfront Gets a Bloody Beatdown
Along with delivering three distinct heroes, this team-up also delivers on fan service in the form of watching three women beat a Nazi to a bloody pulp. Stormfront is a racist Supe who's trying to radicalize America, murders innocent people and takes pleasure in killing. She's also a genuine threat to The Boys, so it makes sense the only people who could handle her are other Supes, specifically Kimiko, Starlight and Maeve.
Where this scene could've been a more traditional superhero fight featuring lots of special effects, the team-up has the three heroes beating up Stormfront with their strength and rage, making it feel more personal, brutal, realistic and cathartic. It's satisfying to watch these women take out their justified anger on a Supe who's the embodiment of hate, especially since it's far from the glamorized, heroic fights often seen in mainstream superhero stories.
Girls Get It Done
With how brutal the fight is, Kimiko, Stormfront and Maeve prove, "girls get it done," but not in the way Vought wants them to. The show has been making fun of how companies use a polished version of feminism to reach a wider audience, best seen in Season 2, Episode 2, where Starlight and Stormfront are forced to support the "Girls Get It Done" campaign, with Starlight being told to say, "strong is the new pretty."
This team-up is far from pretty, and it's not the shallow and shiny message Vought's going for. Starlight, Kimiko and Maeve are flawed women who will get their hands dirty, unlike the picture perfect superwomen of the past. This approach makes them relatable, avoiding the pitfalls of turning them into super role models no one can live up to.
Furthermore, the scene maintains the comedic tones the show is known for. It's humorous to watch a season satirize hallow girl power messages, only for said season to end with three women beating up a Nazi in the most unmarketable way. The show is well aware of how this team-up contrasts to those corporate messages Vought and real world companies push, even having Frenchie remark, "girls do get it done," throwing Vought's campaign back in its face.
This is an organic team-up where all the women are invested in the fight and have been developed well, so when the fight happens, fans cheer for the characters they love (Starlight, Maeve and Kimiko) while enjoying the character they hate (Stormfront) getting her due justice. Finally, the show knows it's been mocking "girl power" marketing since the season began. Instead of forgetting this commentary, it delivers a fight scene that is far from the shallow messages that try to profit off feminism, instead delivering a team-up that's substance over style.
Amazon Studios' The Boys stars Karl Urban as Billy Butcher, Jack Quaid as Hughie, Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk, Tomer Kapon as Frenchie, Karen Fukuhara as the Female, Erin Moriarty as Annie January, Chace Crawford as the Deep, Antony Starr as Homelander, Aya Cash as Stormfront and Simon Pegg as Hughie's dad. Season 2 is airing on Prime Video now.