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Warning: Spoilers Ahead for “The Boys” Season 5, Episode 1 – “Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite”
Jasper Savage/Prime Video
The latest season of “The Boys” has once again left critics in awe, maintaining its reputation for blending shocking humor with compelling storytelling. The premiere episode, titled “Fifteen Inches of Sheer Dynamite,” showcases the show’s knack for surprise with a creative prison break strategy. As Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), and Starlight (Erin Moriarty) embark on a mission to rescue Hughie (Jack Quaid), Frenchie (Tomer Capone), and M.M. (Laz Alonso) from an impending execution, they enlist the help of an unexpected ally—a screenwriter who is secretly a superhero known as The Worm.
The Worm, portrayed by Ely Henry, who is recognized for his role as forensic chemist Philip Elertson in “NCIS: Origins,” brings a unique twist to the series. Unlike his procedural past, The Worm is one of the most bizarre characters to grace “The Boys.” His superpower involves consuming soil at rapid speeds to create subterranean tunnels. The unpleasant twist? As Kimiko and Starlight quickly discover, The Worm expels the excess dirt in a manner akin to human waste disposal—albeit with significantly more volume and force.
In true “The Boys” fashion, the premiere wouldn’t be complete without an outrageous, jaw-dropping moment. This season’s opener is no exception, reminiscent of previous shockers like Termite’s ill-fated intimate encounter in Season 3 and Billy Butcher’s scandalous text to Victoria Neuman in Season 4. Fans have come to anticipate these bursts of obscenity, and this episode delivers in spades.
The scene with The Worm is set up with more foreshadowing than usual. Audiences are clued in early that his ability to tunnel involves ingesting soil, so the ensuing spectacle, while somewhat predictable, still manages to stun. The sequence is designed to maximize its shock value, especially as Starlight and Kimiko find themselves perilously close to the aftermath of The Worm’s subterranean escapades. Despite its grotesque nature, the scene propels the storyline forward, proving that the final season of “The Boys” continues to excel in its signature brand of audacious entertainment.
The Worm provides the latest in a long line of season premiere gross-out moments
MLM Images Los Angeles/Shutterstock
Catch Season 5 of “The Boys” now streaming on Prime Video.
The Worm’s grand moment is telegraphed more elaborately than most such scenes. We find out pretty early on that he’s able to dig tunnels and legitimately eats soil, so it’s technically possible to see the big moment coming. Still, the sheer audacity of the tunneling scene does the shock value trick, especially since the show devotes plenty of time to the fact that Starlight and Kimiko find themselves within the blast radius of the Worm’s, uh, expulsions. The end result is as gross as it is entertaining, and it still manages to advance the plot. In other words, the bold final season of “The Boys” very much delivers on the nastiness front.
“The Boys” Season 5 is streaming on Prime Video.
