WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Boys season 3, episode 4
Supersonic's shocking death stops The Boys season 3 taking the worst possible story route with Hughie and Starlight. Navigating a supe-human romance is tricky at the best of times, but between a rampaging Homelander and a vengeful Billy Butcher, Hugh Campbell and Starlight's relationship faces bigger obstacles than most. Finally, after two whole seasons of strife, The Boys season 3 begins with Hughie and Starlight in a state of domestic, minty fresh bliss. They've even gone public, stepping onto the red carpet together for Vought's "Dawn of the Seven" premiere. Because this is The Boys, however, their happiness doesn't last.
Supersonic's arrival in the Seven throws a supe-shaped spanner in Starlight and Hughie's satisfaction. Charming, good-looking and actually quite a nice guy, Hughie can't stand seeing the suave Supersonic reminiscing with Starlight over their teenage celebrity romance, and his presence brings tension to a love that seemed unshakable only a few scenes prior. The Boys season 3 appeared to be building toward a love triangle, where Starlight would be tempted by an old flame and Hughie would question why his non-super blood and strawberry-scented hair wasn't good enough.
The Boys season 3, episode 4 takes that love triangle and mangles it beyond recognition. Supersonic makes the fatal mistake of recruiting A-Train to the growing anti-Homelander resistance, not realizing the ex-speedster is driven purely by self-interest. A-Train runs (well, jogs) straight to Homelander, and the ruthless Seven leader responds by brutally murdering Supersonic. Obviously, any chance of Starlight rekindling her childhood romance is now lost in a pile of reddish goop on a New York rooftop, but while that's not ideal for Supersonic himself, it's a good thing for The Boys. A love triangle storyline between him, Starlight and Hughie in The Boys season 3 would've been boring, frustrating, and a backwards step for all involved.
Fictional relationships being tested by an old flame's surprise return is as cliched a love story as you'll find. The Boys taking this route would've been overly predictable both in execution and outcome, since everyone would anticipate Hughie and Starlight reuniting eventually. Starlight being tempted away from Hughie by the classically-handsome, muscular Supersonic is also an insult to the integrity of Erin Moriarty's The Boys character, painting her as superficial and disloyal when The Boys seasons 1 & 2 already proved Starlight is exactly the opposite.
The Boys has always sought to defy convention and subvert narrative tradition; by deliberately teasing a love triangle between Hughie, Starlight and Supersonic then gleefully stomping all over audience expectations, the Amazon TV series stays ahead of the curve once again. As an added bonus, audience expectations that Supersonic and Starlight would continue to reignite their romance across The Boys season 3 (and possibly beyond) make his demise in episode 4 all the more shocking when it happens.
Supersonic's death allows the real problems within Starlight and Hughie's relationship to surface. The arrival of a tall, dark, handsome figure from Starlight's past was never the root of their romantic rot - Hughie's insecurities were. Hughie is frustrated by how Starlight always has to save him, or open his jars - not to mention how paparazzi make him step aside at red carpet events - and it's these feelings of inadequacy that push Hugh Campbell to inject V-24. Supersonic's appearance merely intensified anxieties Hughie was already experiencing, but he can't hide behind simple jealousy now his rival is a puddle of jello. Thankfully, watching Hughie overcome his relationship insecurities about Starlight being a supe sounds far more interesting for The Boys season 3 than a derivative love triangle.
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The Boys continues Friday on Prime Video.