Diksha Sundriyal
The fourth season of Prime Video’s ‘The Boys’ has been a tumultuous ride, to say the least. In this season, almost every character has had their mettle tested, and they have explored the lengths they can go to get the job done. While some, like Butcher, have tapped into an unknown source of power, Annie January, aka Starlight’s journey, has been very different. At the end of Season 3, she seemed to have powered up when she saw her fly in the fight involving Homelander and Soldier Boy. However, she suffers a crisis of faith this season, and she cannot use her powers for almost half the season. It is only in the final episode that she goes back to normal. What brings about this change? SPOILERS AHEAD
Starlight’s Self-Doubt Was Her Biggest Enemy This Season
Since the first season, Starlight has been through one rollercoaster of a ride after another. From discovering that her powers are not god-gifted due to Compound V to being villainized by Vought when she tried to expose them, Starlight has faced major life-changing events almost every season. Something similar happens to her in the fourth season, as she struggles against the hate targeted towards her, especially by Firecracker.
While Starlight has a lot of haters, no one hates her as passionately as Firecracker. It traces back to their history as teenagers in the pageant circuit, and in some sense, we understand why Firecracker hates her. When Starlight realizes this, she also feels guilty, but she tries to explain it by saying that what she did back then wasn’t her and she has come a long way since then. Still, this isn’t something she can just shrug off as it reminds her who she used to be. But while she tries to process that, Firecracker bombards her with more stuff to stress away.
In a clever move by Sage, Firecracker reveals the details of Starlight’s personal life, like how she blinded a person when she was still learning to control her powers and the abortion she received fairly recently. It angers her, and she beats Firecracker to a pulp in front of the world. This feeds the cycle of hate against her, and she realizes just how easily she was manipulated. This feeds into her already deteriorating confidence and weakens her to the point that she cannot access her powers.
As if Firecracker’s vendetta against her wasn’t enough, Starlight also worries about Homelander winning the fight. The Boys seem to be getting worse at their job, and no matter what approach they take, they never seem to win. Suffering from a bit of a savior complex, Starlight feels the weight of the world on her shoulders, and this adds to her stress, pushing her powers so deep down that it seems impossible for her to get them back again.
Annie Reclaiming Her Identity Outside of Starlight Helps Her
One of the major conflicts for Starlight was her desire to leave that tag altogether. When she left Vought, she thought about dropping the namesake and being Annie January again. But soon, it becomes clear that the world needs Starlight, and she is torn between her identities. She cannot accept Starlight because she feels this is what Vought made her, but she cannot completely shed it because that’s what people want from her.
Losing her powers allows Annie to separate herself from Starlight and see herself differently. It all adds perfectly during her captivity while the Shaper-shifter takes her place. The Supe forces her to assess her own feelings, and this is when she stops relying on her powers to get her out of a difficult situation and thinks as she would if she were just Annie. Later, fighting and killing the Shape-shifter brings further perspective to Annie, and she finally feels some semblance of control over her life. It’s almost as if she killed her self-doubt when she killed the shifter who looked like her.
With Robert Singer saved and Annie back with the Boys, the team starts to plan their next step. When the question of Victoria Neuman joining them comes into the picture, forgiveness is discussed, and everyone, including Kimiko, must reconsider their weight. Starlight also thinks about it, but there is no time to process it because a lot happens fast.
Ultimately, the Boys are forced to go into hiding with Neuman dead, Butcher in the wind, and Homelander’s puppet in the White House. This is when they accept defeat, and it would, in a way, relieve them of the responsibility of saving the world. Things are completely out of their hands now; they can do nothing about it, so there is no point fretting over it. Annie must have felt that relief as well. This, added to her processing all the stress and whatnot and gaining a new perspective of her situation, allows her to shed whatever was bogging her down, and that’s when her powers resurface. Not only do they come back in full force, but Starlight gets another level up, and this time, she flies.
Read More: The Boys Season 4 Finale: Is Neuman Dead? What was Sage’s Real Plan?
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