The Boys Season 5, Episode 6 Delivers A Major Turning Point For The Deep

This post contains spoilers for Season 5, Episode 6 of "The Boys."

Morality has never been black or white in "The Boys." But even within such moral complexity, some characters, like Homelander (Antony Starr), have unambiguously been the greatest of all evils. And in the show's fifth and final season, those who have been too spineless to challenge Homelander's regime have been put under scrutiny. Some, like A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), have heroically redeemed themselves at a steep cost, while others, like Firecracker (Valorie Curry), have been brutally discarded despite aiding fascism at every turn. Season 5's sixth episode finally tightens the noose around one of the most despicable characters in the show: The Deep (Chace Crawford), who has managed to slip through the cracks of retribution so far.

Episode 6 needs to be contextualized against Deep's actions in the latest season so far. After wrongfully taking credit from Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell) for the mission to nab Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito), The Deep momentarily gained Homelander's favor. This obviously didn't go well with Noir, who undermined his fellow Seven teammate in retaliation. In a cruel turn of events, Deep killed director Adam Bourke with an eel to rattle Noir and shatter his Broadway dreams.

In Episode 6, Sage (Susan Heyward) asks The Deep to film a PSA in favor of a Vought underwater oil pipeline in a bid to subdue protesters. This PSA is expectedly filled with lies, as Deep claims that his aquatic friends are okay with such a project. Noir takes this opportunity to enact revenge by bursting the pipeline, which kills millions of sea creatures. After learning the truth, The Deep kills Noir in a fit of rage. 

So what's the path ahead for the most sycophantic member of the Seven?

It's difficult to assign gentleness to someone like The Deep, as his affinity for sea creatures has always been tainted by selfishness. Still, sea creatures have always been loyal to him despite becoming unwitting casualties (you might remember the titular Boys ramming through a massive whale in Season 2). The oil spill catastrophe, however, becomes a point of no return. In the episode, we see a genuinely perturbed Deep attempting to save a fish, who blames him for the disaster before breathing its last. Untold amounts of sea life have died due to his active endorsement of the oil pipeline, and for the first time, the guilt is inescapable. Even if Noir hadn't burst the pipeline, an accident of this magnitude was inevitable.

When Noir laughs off these deaths, Deep kills him without thought. This might be his first instance of impulsive violence against another human, but his lack of impulse control can be traced back to season 1. The Deep had cemented what kind of person he is by assaulting Starlight/Annie (Erin Moriarty) and refusing to apologize for his crimes. His willingness to indulge in misogynistic violence runs parallel to the cowardice that prevents him from ever standing up for what's right. Deep gleefully takes advantage of the vulnerable, but lacks the courage to stand up to people like Homelander, who have gone as far as force-feeding him his aquatic friends. Will any of that change now?

Although Noir's mass murder of sea life cannot be justified, Deep's revenge comes with consequences. Sage has already defected, and Homelander has injected himself with V-One. The threat of the Supe Virus looms large. What will The Deep do next?

An individual's trauma can explain their behavior, but it doesn't always excuse it. For example, both Homelander and Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) were subjected to horrific experiments, which partially shaped their worldviews. That said, both men are walking the same moral path at the moment in spite of their differences.

Although Soldier Boy isn't a violent, petty megalomaniac like Homelander (having displayed restraint and remorse at times), any disdain he had towards Homelander is now tempered by a twisted familial fondness. The turning point is their shared love for Stormfront (Aya Cash), which is why Soldier Boy hands over the only vial of V-One to Homelander in Episode 6. As Soldier Boy has no qualms about making someone like Homelander immortal, he's no longer the Neutral Evil he was introduced as. After all, anyone who emboldens evil should be held accountable to the same degree. This rationale also applies to The Deep.

It's too late to redeem The Deep. Although A-Train's reverse heel-turn occurred in later seasons, the seeds for this change were planted with great intention, eventually leading to a meaningful payoff. The Deep's inherent lack of remorse prevented him from any sort of self-rumination so far, but the oil spill incident has finally jolted him awake. With Homelander at the peak of power (and arrogance), it makes sense for Deep to either swear allegiance or go into hiding. Will he still be desperate for male approval and end up dying a horrible death in the process? Will Starlight kill her assailant in a cathartic display of poetic justice?

No matter what the upcoming episodes hold, The Deep has been backed into a corner he cannot slither out of. His aquatic friends will forever remember his betrayal, which essentially strips him of his powers. Our so-called Lord of the Seven Seas will have to either find a way to stay afloat or sink under the weight of his own moral ineptitude.

"The Boys" is currently streaming on Prime Video.