‘The Boys’ Star on [SPOILER]’s Tragic Death, Why He Can’t Watch His Final Episode and Dancing With Homelander Between Takes: ‘We Had to Keep It Light’

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for Episode 7 of “The Boys” Season 5, now streaming on Prime Video.

In a final season full of major deaths, “The Boys” killed off another main character in its penultimate episode.

Frenchie (Tomer Capone) put up one last fight against Homelander (Antony Starr) to protect his love Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) — but he was no match for the all-powerful supe. In his final moments, Frenchie and Kimiko shared a kiss, and then he succumbed to his wounds, surrounded by friends.

The episode begins with Homelander at peak power. He kills the president in the Oval Office, disbands Congress and dissolves all boundaries between church and state. He even abolishes the Seven, which prompts Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) to leave the country — but Homelander chokes him out and puts him back into cryostasis. Meanwhile, the Boys are investigating pro-Homelander propaganda films being made at Vought Studios, thanks to a tip from “Gen V” heroes Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) and Jordan Li (London Thor). Hughie (Jack Quaid) and Butcher (Karl Urban) are captured by a shape-shifter who transforms into Butcher’s old colleague Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), but they’re able to kill the supe and escape.

Back at the Boys headquarters, Frenchie, Kimiko and Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) are experimenting with radiation as a way to weaken Homelander. Much to Frenchie’s dismay, Kimiko instructs him to keep testing the radiation on her, and the two later dream of starting a family together once they defeat Vought once and for all. However, that day will never come. Homelander crashes their hideout, and Frenchie tells Kimiko and Sister Sage to hide. He confronts the evil supe and springs the radiation trap on him, but it’s no use. After Homelander flies off, Kimiko finds Frenchie bleeding on the floor. The lovers share one final goodbye, and the episode ends on Kimiko heartbroken as Hughie and Butcher return.

Speaking with Variety, Capone talks Frenchie’s death scene, dancing with Starr between takes and why he can’t bring himself to watch his final episode yet.

Tomer Capone (Frenchie), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko)

Jasper Savage/Prime

This is a sad episode to discuss with you. I was tearing up at your final scene.

Can I be honest? I have not watched the episode. It’s too close, man. I’m too attached. It’s the longest character I’ve ever had in my career. Frenchie has been there for five seasons, and at the moment it feels too close to watch. I’m happy to hear that it touched you.

Do you think you’ll watch the episode once it’s streaming?

I don’t know. I’ve never had it before, where I really feel nervous about watching it and how I’ll feel about it. We’re still seeing and talking with each other; it feels like we’re still going. I don’t think I got it wrapped around my head that this is the last season, and it’s done. Maybe I’ll stretch it a little more and just hear from others what they think about the episode. There’s this thing with actors that after you finish a project, you find yourself in the most ridiculous moments, either taking a shower or doing the dishes, and you think about a specific scene you did a year ago. You go, “I just got it. Wait, can I go back? How can we do it again?” But we can’t go back with Frenchie’s last episode, obviously. So that’s a new thing for me. I did my best, and there’s no turning back. Karen and I are obviously talking a lot about Episode 7 coming. We’re excited, and it’s bittersweet.

Did you film this scene on your last day on set?

I need to watch what I’m saying right now. I don’t think it was the last thing, but it was a big day. It was very late at night, and we did this block with all the crew and the cast. Everybody knew the scene was coming. I remember it was different. There was this silence, and people really were emotional about that. I started to feel a little nervous about having to perform. But then really quickly, it was magical. It felt like I gave Frenchie the keys and he drove and did everything, and I was gliding behind him with the rest of the crew and cast. It was a very, very beautiful, emotional moment on set.

When did you find out that Frenchie would be dying this season?

Every time we start a new season, we jump on a Zoom with Eric Kripke to go through the character arc. Usually we have this 10-minute chat about life and everything before we start working. But something was serious on that Zoom call, and I felt it. I know the source material and how Frenchie’s story ends in the original comic book, but I wasn’t sure. Kripke says, “I can’t keep it anymore. I have to tell you something. It’s happening.” He didn’t need to say anything further. I knew where it was going, and we had a silent moment. Afterwards, there was this epiphany of, “This is good. This needs to happen.” I won’t lie, in the back of my mind, I’m like, “‘The Boys’ is a crazy TV show. He did ‘Supernatural’ with people coming back and stuff. Who knows?” I was walking around my apartment back and forth for maybe two hours just thinking about the last couple of seasons and this journey with Frenchie I had.

Right before Homelander kills Frenchie, you get to flip him off, tell him to “gargle my hairy nuts” and that Homelander has “never danced a day in his life.” Out of those three insults, which do you think hurt Homelander the most?

It’s got to be the dancing. I loved the link to Frenchie and Kimiko doing their dance in Season 3. With his tragic past, Frenchie was always about surviving the next day, and dancing was a big part of it. To use something like that a moment before Homelander takes him down, something so sincere, it met Homelander in the right spot in terms of who he is and what is he chasing after.

We don’t see Homelander attack Frenchie on camera, just the trail of blood leading to his body. Was there anything from their scene that was left out?

Honest answer: We were dancing between takes. Listen, the scene is dark. We had to keep it light. Antony and I are very good friends. I won’t lie, it was a lot of fun behind the scenes. When they yelled “action,” we got in character and did what we had to do. So we kept it light and danced, and I think they have footage of that. It’s gonna come out, I bet.

What music did you dance to?

We sang. I gave him French songs. I think he did some Frank Sinatra stuff. We kept it light.

How many takes did you do for your final scenes with Homelander and Kimiko?

Not a lot. It’s always the big scenes, the one that you’re waiting for, that you will have the least time to shoot. We got there super, super late. It was almost dawn. We were so in tune with what we needed to accomplish. The trail of blood was probably the hardest thing in terms of continuity because I had to crawl, so that took a couple of times. But other than that, I think everyone was so in tune that it was maybe three takes with Homelander, and Kimiko was one and a half or two takes.

Frenchie’s final words to Kimiko really stuck with me. When he says, “You saved me,” what does that line mean to you?

It’s such a big part of the show. Will you choose love, connection and compassion? The whole arc of Frenchie and Kimiko is finding that one individual that can redeem you, save you and take you in without judgment. It’s just pure love.

This interview has been edited and condensed.