Valorie Curry as Firecracker on season five of "The Boys."

Prime Video

Warning: Spoilers ahead for season five, episode five of The Boys.

Firecracker’s dilemma between her devotion to Homelander and her faith in God reaches a dramatic climax in the latest episode of The Boys.

Season five, episode five of The Boys, “One-Shots,” follows Firecracker/Misty Gray Tucker (Valorie Curry) as her religious beliefs are tested amid Homelander’s (Antony Starr) demand that everyone treat him as the one true God. Unfortunately for Firecracker, Homelander learns of her wavering loyalty and brutally kills her at the end of the episode.

“I think I really knew from the time I joined the show that she was going to meet her end at some point, because [showrunner] Eric Kripke was pretty clear that one of the themes he wanted to touch on with her was that trope of 'the leopards won’t eat my face,' and that eventually the leopard was going to eat her face,” Curry said.

Before meeting her death, episode five takes viewers inside the lives of several characters over the course of the same day, including Firecracker.

In the Firecracker-centric portion of the episode, the chipper supe ditches her bright red lipstick, skin-tight costume and platform boots to meet with Greg Dupree (W. Earl Brown), the reverend of the Daytona Baptist church where she grew up.

Curry said that the makeup and costume play a significant part in how she gets into character, and the diner scene was a rare, exciting moment to see the real Firecracker, without all the bells and whistles.

“I was so glad that we got to see her unmasked before her demise,” she said.

In the scene, Greg explains that the church is losing members to the newly created Democratic Church of America, and he asks Firecracker if she can do something, given her close association with Homelander. He also reminds her that Homelander isn’t a god.

Curry said Firecracker is a lonely character, and her reverend is the only person on the show who sees and loves her earnestly.

“So to have that moment of humanity and connection was really meaningful,” Curry said.

Later, Firecracker makes the mistake of confiding in Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) about her struggle with the notion of replacing Jesus with Homelander in her heart.

While filming her show, Truthbomb, Firecracker is forced to betray her reverend as she reads a teleprompter script riddled with falsehoods. She says that the Daytona church has become “a hotbed of Starlighter infestation” and accuses her reverend of being a child groomer.

Afterward, Firecracker throws a Jesus figurine in the trash before entering her apartment, where she finds Homelander sitting on her couch. He reveals he knows about Firecracker’s “inner turmoil” and although she assures him that he’s her one and only savior, her rapid heartbeat gives her away.

Homelander tells Firecracker to pack her things and leave, but she becomes emotional and reminds him that she’s the only one who’s ever loved him unconditionally. Firecracker also says that she loves him, but nothing she ever did was good enough for him. And ever since he cast her aside, she’s been trying to get him to see her the way he used to, back when she was useful to him.

“We all need love, don’t we? Even God,” Firecracker says, teary.

Then, Homelander shoves Firecracker’s head into the wing of her eagle statue, killing her.

“I think the abruptness of it is part of what's interesting about it and shocking because I really feel that she felt like she was winning the argument, and maybe that's why he does it and why it happens,” Curry said.

“He wanted real love, and she’s the only person who actually offered him that from jump, and he’s done nothing but disdain and dismiss her,” she added. “So I think the abruptness comes out of the fact that she is naming a lot of truths in that sort of argument.”

Curry said she filmed her scenes for episode five in sequential order, which made it easier to trace Firecracker’s emotional journey and tap into her character’s anger by the time she comes face-to-face with Homelander.

“She’s not just begging,” the actor said. “It's outrage, and it's this righteous indignation because she has given up everything.”

Firecracker’s feelings are compounded by the fact that she’s given up her entire belief system and has fully given herself to Homelander, only to be rewarded with death.

“She’s so at the end of her rope that it just comes out of her, this feeling of, 'How dare you?’” Curry said.

The first five episodes of season five of The Boys are streaming on Prime Video. New episodes release weekly on Wednesdays, culminating in the series finale on May 20.