Hughie's Dad's Health Deteriorates in 'The Boys — Does He Die? (SPOILERS)
In the Season 4 premiere of 'The Boys,' Hughie's father suffers a stroke that ultimately renders him brain dead and teetering on the edge of death.
Published June 27 2024, 12:00 p.m. ET
Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 4, Episodes 1-5 of The Boys.
Season 4 of The Boys begins with a bang, and among its surprises is the shocking news that Hughie's (Jack Quaid) dad, Hugh Sr. (Simon Pegg), suffers a major health scare.
In the first episode, Hugh calls his son, but he declines to answer the phone. Not too long after, Hughie receives a devastating voicemail from an unknown number that shockingly reveals Hugh Sr.'s hospitalization due to a stroke.
Hughie wrestles with guilt over ignoring his father's call, convinced that answering his phone could have prevented the stroke — though tragically, it doesn't work that way.
By the fourth episode, Hugh Sr. shows no signs of improvement. Doctors confirm he is experiencing brain death, delivering the grim news to Hughie and his mother, Daphne (Rosemarie DeWitt), that he has just days left. So, does Hughie's dad die, or is there still hope for a miraculous recovery? Here's what we know.
So, does Hughie's dad die in 'The Boys'?
Let's cut to the chase: Sadly, Hughie's father dies in Season 4 of The Boys. You might be asking, "How? What happened?" Well, we're here to give you the details.
After receiving a dose of Compound V from a redeemed A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), Hughie takes it to the hospital intending to administer it to his dad. However, he finds himself unable to do it. Instead, Hughie's mother steps in and gives Hugh Sr. the dose, ultimately saving his life because she couldn't bear the thought of Hughie losing another parent.
In the fifth episode, titled "Beware the Jabberwock, My Son," Hugh Sr. is awake and alert, expressing that he feels great. He describes his recovery as a "true blue" miracle, given the severity of the stroke that everyone had described.
Everything appears calm and optimistic for some time, but eventually, Hugh Sr. begins displaying symptoms of memory loss. He soon wanders away from his hospital room, prompting Hughie and Daphne to search the building for him. When they finally locate him, the situation takes a grim turn — Hugh Sr. has become a Supe and has inadvertently caused harm, resulting in several deaths due to his newfound powers.
Hugh Sr. is visibly frightened and disoriented, completely unaware of the situation. He mistakes Hughie for an 11-year-old child, unable to recognize his own son standing before him. Hugh Sr. then directs his anger towards Daphne, accusing her of ruining both his and Hughie's lives when she left all those years ago.
When the police arrive to apprehend Hugh Sr., he rips one officer's heart out of his chest as Hughie and Daphne flee to safety. After a tense game of cat and mouse, Hughie makes a difficult decision: He has to kill his father.
In a heart-wrenching moment, Hughie essentially euthanizes his dad to prevent him from living in confusion or killing more people. Ugh — that's absolutely devastating.
New episodes of The Boys drop on Thursdays at 3 a.m. EST on Prime Video.