The first two episodes of The Boys Season 5 are here, and they answer one of the biggest lingering questions from the Season 4 finale: what becomes of Ashley Barrett after taking Compound V. The Boys Season 4’s ending sees Ashley, Vought’s PR-person-turned-CEO, injecting herself with the drug in a last-ditch effort to save herself from Homelander’s ordered slaughter. The last time we see her, she’s on the floor, screaming — and while Gen V Season 2 features a throwaway comment about her being in rough shape, it doesn’t offer a clear idea of what happens next.
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The Boys Season 5’s trailer confirmed Ashley would be back, presumably with new powers, and we finally have answers about what those are. The final outing’s premiere wastes no time filling us in on Ashley’s new abilities, though we don’t get the complete picture of how Compound V has affected her until the end of The Boys Season 5, Episode 2. Ashley’s new power is incredibly fitting for her character, even if it comes with an unpleasant physical change. There’s one person who seems immune to it, though, raising questions about how her Season 5 story will play out. Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Boys Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2.
Ashley Barrett’s Supe Powers in The Boys Season 5 Explained
The beginning of The Boys Season 5 premiere reveals that Ashley Barrett is now Vice President of the U.S. — proof that there’s always room to fail upward — and that she has the ability to read minds. During a press conference to address the newly released Flight 37 footage, she responds to a reporter, saying, “Look Chris, I know exactly what you’re thinking, literally,” before shooting down his accusations of bias. And she’s not jesting or exaggerating. During a later scene, when we learn she’s married Daveed Diggs’ Oh Father, she predicts what he’s going to say next. “Try marrying a mind-reader,” she quips, confirming her new power.
It’s a useful ability to have, especially as Ashley continues to navigate the dangerous and ever-shifting power structure at Vought International. However, the end of Episode 2 reveals there’s more to her transformation than that. In the midst of a heated discussion with Sister Sage, a voice from Ashley’s head starts talking to her. And once she removes herself from the conversation and takes off her wig, we finally see where it’s coming from. Ashley now has a second face on the back of her head, a very Voldemort-esque turn for Colby Minifie’s character. It attempts to guide her, then chides her after she fails to get the information she’s looking for. It calls her a coward, reading her own thoughts and doubling as a sort of conscience. It’s likely to drive Ashley’s story as Season 5 continues, potentially pushing her to do the right thing by its end.
The Boys Season 5 Couldn’t Have Chosen a Better Power for Ashley’s Character
The “psychic f***ing tumor” on the back of Ashley’s head, as she refers to it, is just the sort of grotesque twist you’d expect from a show like The Boys. And it’s a perfect addition to Ashley’s character — a woman who has spent the last few seasons of The Boys realizing how rotten the system she’s a part of really is…but who continues to uphold it to keep herself alive. This misalignment gives Ashley anxiety and causes her to rip out her own hair. Considering that tendency, it’s no surprise her conscience manifests on the back of her head.
The Boys Season 5, Episode 2 confirms that Ashley is still having misgivings about how far Homelander and Sister Sage are willing to go. And she’s clearly affected by A-Train’s death in The Boys Season 5 premiere. After all, he appeals to her better morals — and even asks her to leave Vought beyond — in Season 4. The final outing is building to a show of courage from Ashley, and it’s likely going to involve her new powers. There’s one challenge she’ll need to overcome, however: the fact that they don’t work on Sister Sage.
Why Ashley’s Mind-Reading Abilities Don’t Work on Sister Sage
Ashley might be capable of reading minds in The Boys Season 5, but her power doesn’t work on Sister Sage — a harsh truth revealed by their tense meeting in Episode 2. Ashley desperately fishing for information is enough to suggest she’s locked out of Sage’s mind. But Susan Heyward’s character confirms as much, telling Ashley, “Don’t strain yourself trying to read my mind again. You know you can’t.”
We don’t get a proper explanation for why Sage is immune to Ashley’s mind-reading, though it likely stems from her superhuman intelligence. In a battle of the minds, Sage’s strength is bound to outshine everyone else’s, even a supe with a power like Ashley’s. Sage’s abilities also enable her to stay one step ahead of others and consider countless scenarios. The latter would make it difficult to get to the heart of her thoughts, while the former would make her prepared for Ashley’s mind-reading attempts. Needless to say, the U.S. VP is going to need a Plan B to get the upper hand against Sage. For the sake of The Boys universe’s social-media activists, we hope she comes up with one.
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