The Boys' Sister Sage Lobotomy Twist May Be The Most Horrifying Supe Reveal Yet, But I've Got One Question

Over the years, The Boys has consistently delivered shocks incomparable to other TV series. In Season 4 already we’ve gotten that raunchy scene with Rob Benedict’s Splinter and a Vought on Ice rehearsal gone deliciously wrong, but in the third episode (available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription), there was also a pretty significant reveal involving one of Season 4’s new supes, Sister Sage. The disturbing lengths that she went to in order to quiet her brain is stuck in my head (much like that bloody lobotomy tool), and I’m left with one big question: Was this a one-time thing or a regular occurrence?

Sister Sage’s Lobotomy Reveal Was One Of The More Horrifying Things I’ve Seen On The Boys

Susan Heyward has joined the cast of The Boys Season 4 as Sister Sage, whose superpower is being the smartest human on the planet. “We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here” saw her get recruited to The Seven, a role that made her obviously uncomfortable but was necessary to placate Homelander (Antony Starr). After witnessing just how unstable the milk-loving supe can be when he offed another human for no reason, Sister Sage chose to veg out in hilariously basic fashion.

We’re talking Bloomin’ Onion-eating, Say Yes to the Dress-watching basic. It was clear that something was amiss, especially when she showed interest in The Deep (Chace Crawford), and sure enough, the camera panned down to reveal a bloody tool, suggesting that she’d lobotomized herself.

It is straight-up horrifying to think that Sister Sage would have to go full lobotomy, sticking a tool — where, behind her eyelid? In her ear? — into her brain just to get some relief. Of all the depressing things we’ve seen on The Boys thus far, could that possibly be the darkest?

It also doesn’t make me feel so good about humanity (or myself) in general to think that the smartest person in the world would have to cause themselves intentional brain damage just to enjoy some guilty pleasure TV, greasy takeout and possibly a meaningless hookup. Are we ALL a little brain damaged? That leads to my big question.

Was This A One-Time Lobotomy, Or Is This Her Typical Way Of Winding Down?

With this being the first evidence we have of Sister Sage’s lobotomizing ways, we don’t actually know how permanent the effects are. Did she realize trying to work with Homelander was futile, choosing to throw her entire gift away to avoid becoming one of his minions? Or will her superpowers heal her brain, making the release from the real world merely temporary?

I’m inclined to think it’s the latter. The way she left the lobotomy tool casually lying on the table suggests to me this wasn’t the first time she did this. Being who she is, I imagine she’s aware of how to manipulate her brain and how long the effects will last. If that’s the case, is this something Sister Sage engages in regularly, or only in extreme circumstances — like after watching an innocent woman get lasered in the head?

I’m honestly not sure which of the above scenarios is tougher to wrap my head around. What I do know is that if you leave a bloody lobotomy tool on the table in Episode 3, we’re going to see it again before the end of The Boys’ penultimate season. New episodes drop each Thursday on Amazon Prime Video, one of the best streaming services available.