Claudia Doumit of The Boys explains Victoria Neuman’s decision to seek help from Hughie (Jack Quaid) in the season 4 finale.

After joining Eric Kripke’s popular Prime Video superhero show in season 2 and gradually increasing her power, Neuman’s tale took a terrible turn in The Boys’ season 4 finale. With Homelander turned against her, Neuman approaches Hughie, a former colleague, and offers assistance in exchange for her and her daughter’s safety. Butcher (Karl Urban) utilizes his new Superman powers to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 Neuman before Hughie can fulfill his end of the contract.

In a recent interview with THR, Doumit discusses Neuman’s decision to contact Hughie in The Boys’ season 4 finale, saying that her character was sincere and not trying to manipulate. According to the actor, Neuman saw collaborating with Hughie as her and her daughter’s only chance of survival, but the two characters also had a unique affinity. Check out Doumit’s response below:

“She knows what moves to make. She knows what she needs to do in terms of survival, or in terms of coming out on top. That’s how she’s been raised. I think Stan Edgar has instilled that in her since a very young age.

“Eric Kripke, the creator of the show, I remember said to me one time, ‘Neuman is someone who is playing 3D chess.’ I loved that! That gave me so much. It meant that she’s always assessing the situation, she’s always analyzing outcomes and the best possible outcome for herself. Everything is a winner and a loser no matter what, and I think that Stan had a hand in planting that motivation.”

THR: So, when she reached out to Hughie, was she being sincere or was she plotting?

“Oh, 100 percent she’s being sincere! It’s really sad, because I think that Huey is the first real connection and real friend she has had in her adult life. And even though she hasn’t told him everything, even though she’s only told him part-truths and half-vulnerabilities, I think that is as much as she can give.

“That is a lot for her, and Neuman even says this season, ‘I almost told you one time.’ I say that in the first episode, I say, ‘I almost told you about my powers,’ and that’s such a huge thing for her because there’s so much shame surrounding that. I think it does cost her when she loses him as a friend, because he sees that little part of humanity in her and so very few people do.”

How Neuman’s Death Could Affect The Boys Season 5

Butcher’s Decision Will Have Major Consequences

Neuman had long been presented as an antagonist in The Boys‘ cast of characters, but her unique head-popping powers and lack of real respect for Homelander (Antony Starr) also positioned her as a potential ally. If Neuman was able to be turned, she could potentially be used to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 Homelander. With her death, that hope is now gone, meaning Homelander will have to be taken down some other way.

Butcher’s decision to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 Neuman is going to have a significant impact on the dynamic between him and Hughie in The Boys season 5. Hughie’s relationship with Butcher was already strained, and the latter’s choice to assassinate Neuman could be the tipping point. Hughie and Butcher have frequently had similar aims, but they have not always agreed on how to attain them. Butcher is vicious and willing to sacrifice anything to murder Homelander, but Hughie is more empathetic and level-headed. That divide is simply going to get wider.

Furthermore, The Boys’ season 4 conclusion leaves Neuman’s super-abled daughter, Zoe (Olivia Morandin), alive. It appears that Zoe will seek vengeance, as previous episodes in the season demonstrated her powerful abilities. While the entire repercussions of Neuman’s death are unknown, the tragedy will undoubtedly have a significant impact on The Boys in the future.