Star of The Boys Karen Fukuhara discusses Kimiko’s pivotal scene in the fourth season finale. Kimiko, who chose to remain silent when she first appeared on the program in season 1, has grown to be a significant player on Butcher’s (Karl Urban) team as they try to defeat Homelander and Vought.
The relationship between Kimiko and Frenchie (Tomer Capone) was particularly significant in season 4, but when Frenchie was brainwashed and taken away in the season 4 finale of The Boys, Kimiko’s first words were a scream of agony.
In a recent interview with Variety, Fukuhara discusses Kimoko’s first appearance in The Boys’ season 4 finale, as well as the path leading up to that point. The actor also discusses how exciting it was when she first saw Kimoko speak in the finale screenplay. Check out Fukuhara’s comment below:
It was really exciting, reading that in the script. Almost as exciting as when I read that I could heal in Season 1. I think it’s earned, as well. I think it has been building up to this moment. We see Kimiko at the top of Season 4 trying to tackle her speech therapy — and really, it’s not the physical speech therapy that she needs, it’s the emotional therapy that she needs in order to get there.
And it’s such a visceral moment at the end of the season, when we see Frenchie getting taken away and there’s nothing else she can do but to scream out his name. And it’s gutteral. I loved where we took it this season, it was a really great surprise. And I feel like I always get that question from fans: When is she gonna speak? And just you wait!
Will Kimiko & Frenchie Get A Happy Ending In The Boys Season 5?
Dark Days Are Ahead For Kimiko & Frenchie
While earlier episodes of The Boys season 4 seemingly reinforced that the dynamic between Frenchie and Kimiko is purely platonic, the finale sees the two characters share a passionate kiss. This major development in their relationship only makes Frenchie’s brainwashing hit that much harder. The last audiences see of the pair in The Boys‘ season 4 finale is of Frenchie getting into a van while Kimiko struggles to go after him.
Since Frenchie appears to be under Cate’s (Maddie Phillips) control, he could become an antagonist in The Boys season 5, the show’s final season. It would be awful, after all, if Kimiko was compelled to battle the person she cares the most about in the world. It is highly plausible, however, that Cate will use her talents to brainwash Kimiko, as Fukuhara’s character appears to be unable to escape Sam (Asa Germann).
Without spoilers from The Boys comic series, it does not appear that the Prime Video drama will provide happy endings for all of its characters. Given their dark, terrible pasts, Frenchie and Kimiko have undoubtedly earned one. It’s unknown how Kimiko and Frenchie’s stories will unfold in season 5 of The Boys, but both characters will undoubtedly play important roles.