Hugh "Hughie" Campbell suffers mental trauma after his girlfriend Robin is killed in a high-velocity impact with celebrity superhero A-Train. Lawyers offer a $45,000 settlement, which Hughie hesitates to accept.
Aspiring superhero Annie January auditions as "Starlight" and is accepted to join the superhero group the Seven following the Lamplighter's retirement. Arriving at the Seven's headquarters, she is greeted by the Deep, who blackmails her into performing oral sex on him.
Vigilante Billy Butcher offers Hughie a chance to expose superhero corruption, taking him to a secret "Supes Club" to show him security footage of A-Train laughing about Robin's death. Butcher asks Hughie to take the settlement money and secretly place a bug at Seven Tower, but Hughie initially refuses.
In Central Park, Annie meets Hughie by happenstance, motivating each other to stand up for themselves and face their challenges. Hughie plants the bug, but Translucent discovers it and confronts him. Butcher arrives and helps Hughie incapacitate Translucent. Elsewhere, Homelander destroys the Mayor of Baltimore's plane while in flight, killing all passengers, in response to the Mayor's attempt to blackmail his boss and surrogate mother figure/lover at Vought International: company VP Madelyn Stillwell.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Autobots, Rock Out!: London Calling starts playing when Butcher grabs a crowbar to take on Translucent, and comes to a sudden stop when Translucent knocks him to the ground.
- Beneath the Mask: A-Train is shown laughing with a colleague over accidentally killing Robin. Deep forces himself on vulnerable women. Translucent is a Covert Pervert. And Homelander turns out to be a mass murderer.
- Big Damn Heroes: Butcher shows up at the last second to save Hughie from Translucent. Then Hughie has to return the favor.
- Big "WHAT?!": Hughie's reaction when Butcher admits that "technically" he's not a Fed.Butcher: Yeah, o-okay, so, look, technically, I'm not a Fed.
Hughie: WHAT?! Then who the fuck are you?! - Blatant Lies: When interviewed on television, A-Train claims that Robin stepped into the road in front of him when she'd actually been standing still, only slightly off the curb.
- There's also the matter of The Deep forcing himself on Starlight, claiming that he's essentially "second in command" and could get her fired very, very quickly. In reality, he's about the lowest rung in the ranks, with the Number Two spot for Homelander arguably going to Queen Maeve or Black Noir.
- Blood from the Mouth: Butcher bleeds from his mouth after getting hit by Translucent. Exploited when he spits that blood onto him, nullifying his invisibility.
- Bloody Smile: After Translucent tracks down Hughie with the intent of punishing him for placing a bug in the headquarters of Vought International, Butcher arrives and confronts him. Butcher gets pummeled by Translucent since he can't see him, and as it looks like Translucent is going to finish him off, Butcher flashes a bloody smile and spits on Translucent's face allowing Butcher to keep track of his position.
- Broken Pedestal: Annie has a childhood crush on Deep that lasts until he demands sex in exchange for not kicking her out of the Seven right after she's been accepted.
- Bullying a Dragon: The mayor of Baltimore tries to blackmail Vought into lowering their price for having one of their supes in his city. This gets him and his son murdered, along with everyone else on board his private plane.
- Buy Them Off: Even though as Robin's boyfriend he's not really entitled to compensation, Hughie is offered a generous compensation package, provided he sign an agreement not to discuss the incident with anyone.
- Car Fu: Butcher ramraids through a shop window into Translucent to stop him killing Hughie.
- Casting Couch: The Deep threatens to have Starlight kicked out of The Seven unless she performs oral sex on him. He has a pretty compelling narrative: she admitted to having a crush on him, then got annoyed at his unsubtle advance, channeled her power, and cracked all the TV screens in the meeting room, so he can claim she "went berserk and attacked him."
- Chekhov's Gun:
- Hughie recommends carbon for a HDMI because it's way more conductive. He later sees Translucent on television talking about his Carbon Skin. This enables him to work out Translucent's vulnerability to electricity.
- Translucent is shown using his invisible powers to lurk in the unisex toilet. This means he witnesses Hughie drop the bug on the toilet floor, and follows him back to his place of work to demand answers.
- When A-Train runs into Robin he has a courier's bag slung over his shoulder despite supposedly being on his way to stop a bank robbery. We find out why in "Get Some".
- Hughie is surprised to see a prominent Christian Supe called Ezekiel making out with a couple of men. This becomes important in "Good for the Soul".
- When Hughie meets Butcher, he's holding a Nanny Cam bear. This also becomes relevant in "Good for the Soul".
- Just before Translucent walks through the door, Hughie is watching a television debate about letting superheroes handle the national defense.
- The first mention of Compound V, a secret that Vought is desperate to keep out of the media.
- Starlight is being brought in to replace retired superhero Lamplighter, whom we meet in Season 2.
- Collateral Damage: Butcher explains that Supes kill hundreds of people per year through collateral damage, but a combination of generous compensation payouts coupled with Non-Disclosure agreements, corporate and political pressure, and people just not wanting to know keeps a lid on most of it.
- Covert Pervert: Translucent likes to hang out in the bathroom, invisible.
- Crocodile Tears: When Hughie is on the phone to the Vought lawyer, Butcher wordlessly indicates that a few tears would come in handy. So Hughie puts a sob into his voice when insisting he just wants closure by getting an apology from A-Train.
- Crowbar Combatant: Butcher wields a crowbar during his fight with Translucent.
- The Day the Music Lied: When Billy prepares to fight Translucent, "London Calling" begins to play and makes it seem as though he'll be able to handle the Supe on his own. Then he gets knocked off his feet and the soundtrack stops. Translucent just goes back to questioning who they are.
- Distracted by the Sexy: When Billy and Hughie enter an exclusive club for super-powered people, Hughie witnesses several sexual acts and immediately gets distracted by a couple shamelessly having sex mid-air. Billy promptly tells him to "Pick your jaw up off the floor."
- Dramatic Irony: Annie and Hughie happen to meet on the same park bench and end up encouraging each other on a course that will drive them into conflict.
- Dynamic Akimbo: After shooting down the mayor's plane, Homelander poses with his hands on his hips.
- Exact Words: When Butcher tells Hughie about how most Supes are self-centered hedonists, Hughie insists that not all of them can be like that, especially Homelander. Butcher agrees that Homelander is "the exception". The end of the episode (and the rest of the series) shows that Butcher doesn't mean Homelander is better than the other Supes... he means that he's even worse and better at hiding it.
- Failed Attempt at Drama: Seeing Hughie behind Translucent readying the power cord to shock him, Butcher gives the appropriate Pre Ass Kicking One Liner... only the cord isn't long enough.
- Friend to All Children: Subverted; after the Batman Cold Open, Homelander gladly poses for a selfie with a couple of kid fans. By the end of the episode he murders another young fan who just happens to be on the same plane as his target.
- Full-Frontal Assault: We don't get to see Translucent's package when he fights Hughie and Butcher, but we do when he reveals himself in the bathroom.
- He Knows Too Much: The mayor of Baltimore blackmails a reduced fee for the services of a superhero in exchange for suppressing rumors about something called "Compound V". He's then killed by Homelander who uses his Eye Beams to shoot down his private jet.
- Hidden Depths: Hughie is portrayed (and regarded by others) as something of a wimp throughout the episode, but instead of fleeing when Butcher is being attacked by Translucent, he comes back and helps defeat him by working out his carbon skin is a good conductor of electricity. Butcher admits it would have taken him a while to think that one up.
- Hot Wind: Queen Maeve, while being hit by a multi-ton armored car, no less.
- Imagine Spot:
- When offered a $45,000 hush money in 'compensation', Hughie loses his temper and demands to know why no-one will actually say to his face that they're sorry. Cut to him sitting quietly telling the Vought lawyer that he'll think about it. The scene becomes a Meaningful Echo when he uses the words for real when pretending he's accepting the money.
- When A-Train turns up for his Ordered Apology, Hughie starts to Freak Out on seeing him covered in Robin's blood. However he quickly snaps out of it, given that he thinks he's putting one over on the Supes by planting the bug.
- Impersonating an Officer: It's no surprise when Billy admits he's not quite the FBI man he's pretending to be. Unfortunately, this is only after they've laid out one of the Seven.
- Last Day of Normalcy: After overhearing a news broadcast of Homelander and Queen Maeve stopping another gang of bank robbers, Hughie has a discussion with Robin, that ends with him asking her if she wants to move in together with him, and before she can answer, A-Train smashes into her at Super-Speed, reducing her to a bloody pulp, and traumatizing Hughie. After Butcher tracks him down, Hughie decides to join Butcher's crusade to take down The Seven.
- Leave No Witnesses: Hughie sees his girlfriend being killed by A-Train, a member of The Seven. Vought International, who funds The Seven, spins the accident as a tragic accident, but Billy Butcher, who is plotting to take down Vought, tells Hughie that Superheroes actually kill a lot more people with a few cases, like Hughie's girlfriend, being allowed to go public. The reason no one knows about the deaths caused by The Seven, or any other superhero, is because Vought International is very good at covering up their misdeeds, and happily compensates relatives of their victims so they'll keep quiet.
- Leno Device: Translucent appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His talking about his carbon skin gives Hughie a "Eureka!" Moment later on how to defeat him.
- Ludicrous Gibs: When A-Train runs through Robin, her body is reduced to a red goo, except for her hands, which Hughie is left holding.
- Male Frontal Nudity: Courtesy of Translucent: after Queen Maeve calls him out in the bathroom, he turns visible again, and so do his genitals.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Robin is clearly this In-Universe; but story-wise it's her death that causes Hughie to stop being an Extreme Doormat.
- Meet Cute: Hughie and Starlight. Neither has any idea who the other is or that they're going to end up working against Vought together. They just happen to sit on the same bench in central park and open up to each other about their problems (without going into specifics).
- Missed Him by That Much: Annie and Hughie miss each other in the bathroom, so Hughie doesn't know she's one of the Seven.
- Moment Killer: Exaggerated when Hughie Holding Hands with Robin is interrupted by A-Train running into Robin at Super-Speed, splattering him with her remains and leaving Hughie holding her severed hands.
- Money to Burn: Exultant over having got one over on the Supes (he thinks) Hughie rips up the compensation agreement in front of Butcher, who is oddly touched by the gesture.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Hughie handles the bug-planting well, except when he fumbles and drops it on the floor in the toilet. At first it appears he's picked it up without anyone noticing, but an invisible Translucent turns out to be there; he follows Hughie and sees him picked up by Butcher.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Translucent rips a widescreen TV from the wall to clobber Hughie with. Hughie later uses the severed power cable to electrocute Translucent.
- Non-Indicative Name: Butcher points out that Translucent actually means semi-transparent, not invisible.
- Ordered Apology: Invoked Trope; Butcher tells Hughie to insist that A-Train apologize in person before he signs the compensation agreement, to give him a chance to plant a bug in the Seven's headquarters. The Vought lawyer refuses at first, but Butcher knows they'll force A-Train to play along.
- Pedestrian Crushes Car: Queen Maeve does this in an Establishing Character Moment in the opening scene where she lets a runaway truck smash into her while it was about to run over a teenager who slipped on the sidewalk.
- Power Perversion Potential:
- Shown in the private club where the Supes relax away from the gaze of the paparazzi.
- Invisible Streaker Translucent uses his powers to hang out in the unisex toilet while the ladies are there.
- Red Pill, Blue Pill: Billy reenacts The Matrix's red pill/blue pill proposition to Hughie although he isn't quite sure which of the two pills is the one leading down the rabbit hole.Butcher: Hughie, calm down, all right? This is like that scene in The Matrix. Now, you could take the fucking red pill, right? Spend the rest of your life jacking off, crying into your chai tea green latte what the fuck. Or... you could take the blue pill. Or is it the red pill? Anyway, take the other pill, and quit being a cunt.
Hughie: (confused) Which pill do you want me to take?
Butcher: Just quit being a cunt, is what I'm saying. - Sexual Extortion: The Deep is showing Starlight around the board room when she tells him she had a crush on him. Hearing this, he pulls down his pants and asks her to perform oral sex on him. She refuses and her powers activate, damaging the board room. He tells her to either do what he says, or he'll tell everyone she used her powers against him, saying that as a high-ranking member of The Seven he'll have her fired, and she will never be a superhero. The next time we see her, she's in the bathroom throwing up.
- Shock and Awe: Hughie tries to shock Translucent with a power cord, only to find it's not long enough to reach him. Butcher obligingly kicks him into it.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: Hughie having served his purpose, Butcher returns him to his workplace and fobs him off when he asks to continue to help. Fortunately Butcher does return in time for a Big Damn Heroes to save Hughie from Translucent.
- Spiteful Spit: Butcher spits his own blood onto Translucent during their fight. This allows him to know where the invisible Supe is.
- Stepford Smiler: After Starlight throws up in the toilet after being forced to have sex with Deep, Queen Maeve tells her off because Your Makeup Is Running and she can't afford to let the others see she is vulnerable.
- Token Good Teammate: Starlight, who applies for the Seven because she really does want to Save the World. Maeve also counts: she comes off as a bitch to Starlight, but she's really giving her some Tough Love so the other members of The Seven don't take advantage of her vulnerability. Homelander appears to be this at first, until the final scene reveals him to be a cold-blooded murderer.
- Training Montage: We see Starlight's training routine, which includes pull-ups, trying to lift the back of a car off the ground, and punching holes through the wall of her garage.
- Trauma Button: Hughie has several panic attacks, first in a convenience store when confronted by images of the Seven, and later when he meets A-Train face to face.
- "Uh-Oh" Eyes:
- Starlight flashes her Glowing Eyes of Doom at Deep to show that she's not going to be intimidated by him.
- The mayor of Baltimore gets Five-Second Foreshadowing of Homelander's intentions when he sees his Eye Beams light up while he's buzzing their plane.
- Villain with Good Publicity:
- Vought International are using their lawyers, PR men and lobby muscle to maintain the image of their superhero clients, some of whom are not as clean-cut as they're promoted.
- Homelander appears to be The Paragon until the Wham Shot of him shooting down an aircraft with a child on board.
- Voice with an Internet Connection: Discussed. Hughie proposes to become the Tech Guy in Billy's team. To help his cause, he mimics an Obligatory Earpiece Touch with his right hand while talking like a Mission Control operator. Billy is not impressed with the idea.
- Wham Shot: At the end, after seeing and hearing about how Homelander is nothing like the corrupt superheroes, we see Homelander flying next to the private jet of the mayor of Baltimore, who's with his son. Homelander then activates his heat vision, destroying the plane and killing everyone inside. This unambiguously reveals that Homelander is just as bad, if not worse, than the other superheroes.
- You Keep Using That Word: During their fight, Butcher criticizes Translucent's superhero name:Butcher: "Translucent" doesn't even mean "invisible." It means "semi-transparent."
- Your Television Hates You: After Hughie's girlfriend is accidentally killed by superhero A-Train, he naturally needs a freaking drink but starts to Freak Out in the liquor store because everywhere he turns there's Celebrity Endorsement by A-Train.
