'The Boys' Season 3 Episode 6: Herogasm explained as series adapts Garth Ennis' controversial comic storyline
'The Boys' Season 3 Episode 6 uses one of the most controversial comicbook storylines to set up an epic first encounter between Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) and Homelander (Antony Starr). Titled 'Herogasm', the chapter sees some key character deaths, while also showcasing the much-awaited showdown between two Alpha supes.
In an episode where 'The Boys' manages to up the sex quotient by a few notches, 'Herogasm' is just what the name is, an orgy event that sees Supes go at it. Fandom describes it as "An annual orgy held by Vought-American to let all the Supes on the planet relax for a week." It was a six-episode spin-off by Ennis and was released in 2009 to much criticism for portraying superheroes in a more vulgar light.
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The episode ends with Homelander beating a hasty retreat after a Temp V-powered Butcher (Karl Urban) and Hughie (Jack Quaid) overpower the supe with Soldier Boy. Just before the trio could subdue him completely, Soldier Boy's failure to power up in time gives Homelander the split second he needed to escape. However, the party ends with ample casualties and the exposing of Vought's criminal activities. Prior to the episode's release, Erin Moriarty, who plays Anne January/Starlight teased the episode.
"It was five days in a row, 12-plus hours a day, well over 12 hours, of just being surrounded by nudity," she explained to Slashfilm.. "And it was pretty wild. I'd never been in a room with so many dildos, so many sex toys, so much nudity, so much simultaneous sex going on in all different ways. I had to do one scene with one character where I'm talking to him and he's totally nude. So I'm trying to maintain eye contact with him because that was on the first day and I'm still getting used to working around so many naked people."
She dubbed the episode hilarious and scarring at the same time. "I think my favorite part was observing the director of that episode, Nelson Cragg, who was so awesome, directing the people in the background who are simulating sex. He all of a sudden became a porn director. And the things that he was saying to them to get what he wanted for them to simulate sex, I think that was one of my favorite parts of filming the episode, is just observing him and then him yelling, 'Cut,' and shaking his head like, 'What am I doing?' But it was amazing, hilarious, and scarring at the same time."