‘The Boys’ Star Tomer Capone Says Frenchie Is ‘Asking for Help’ With Episode 5 Decision

Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Boys” Season 4, Episode 5.

Frenchie felt the fallout of his confession to Colin (Elliot Knight) that he killed his family years ago — after the two were already in a relationship for weeks.

Series star Tomer Capone said that Frenchie’s admission came from a place of wanting to get “clean” as a way of being worthy of “authentic, real love.”

“I think, for Frenchie, it’s about being more spiritual with yourself, and in terms of cleansing yourself, to think that you’re worthy enough to win love or have love in your life,” Capone told TheWrap. “How can I clean myself enough to be worthy of authentic, real love?”

Despite battling bloodthirsty barn animals, much of Episode 5 saw Frenchie having a dark night of the soul after his admission to Colin. He and Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) — who is dealing with her own ghosts this season — are doing some top-tier lying about how they’re really feeling, and Capone said it’s because confronting each other is like confronting themselves.

“Kimiko is going through some hard stuff this season, going back to her past. So when they see each other, whether they know it or not, they’re looking at each other and seeing themselves,” he said. “That’s the reason they’re shutting down each other. They know if they look too much, you can burn.”

Capone spoke to TheWrap about Frenchie’s final decision to turn himself in for murder, those fan reactions to him and Colin’s relationship, and more.

Where you surprised by some of the reactions to Frenchie and Colin’s relationship? It seemed clear from past seasons that he was bisexual.

It’s plain and simple. As someone who has taken a step back and looked at it from a bird’s eye view and talking as a fan – because even if I wasn’t in the show, I’d probably watch it and love it. I’d go like, “What the hell are you talking about?” The guy’s catchphrases are ‘my cakehole will remain open’ and when Love Sausage is strangling Mother’s Milk he goes “don’t be so closed-minded.” It’s like, duh.

As Frenchie, the response would be two birds flipped and go F yourself. Don’t even talk to me about it because we’re in 2025 in a second. Fugazi Fugazi, forget about it.

Is there any part of Frenchie that feels relief for coming clean to Colin?

At the end of the day, I went to it from a point of view of, why do we feel like we need to be punished or we need to go through remorse or agony to overcome something that we either been or did in the past? And we need it from the outside world. I think for Frenchie, it’s about being more spiritual with yourself, and in terms of cleansing yourself, to think that you’re worthy enough to win love or have love in your life.

For me personally as a human being, that’s the strongest energy on this planet. Love. Unfortunately these days, in our world, it can be hard to see clear this energy.

So I think that’s where it’s headed. “How can I clean myself enough to be worthy of authentic, real love?”

You mention spirituality, he has a conversation with Starlight at the farm about God and penance and showing forgiveness but not always being forgiven. He’s clearly working toward something but are we seeing Frenchie at his lowest point in the series?

I think they were smart enough to figure out that Frenchie needs to move for a second, to get a breather, just so he can come back in and try to climb that ladder of being alive once more.

Really, in a way, they had to kill him for one episode.

Frenchie and Kimiko spend most of Episode 5 lying to each other and saying they’re fine. Did Colin’s reaction to Frenchie telling the truth close him off wanting to open up more to her?

It makes me think about the circle going back to Episode 1. We find the guy completely stoned, doing things he doesn’t want to do. Until the part where Kimiko joins the team, Frenchie’s lost and then, by finding Kimiko and being those two outsiders and holding on to each other.

I’m thinking those two half-hearts that they are. I think they can’t exist without one another and that’s a conversation that we’re always having behind the scenes. What are they to each other and how sometimes having a relationship that’s so deep and so strong, it hurts sometimes. You can get burned really quickly.

Kimiko is going through some hard stuff this season, going back to her past. So when they see each other, whether they know it or not, they’re looking at each other and seeing themselves. That’s the reason they’re shutting down each other. They know if they look too much, you can burn.

Is Frenchie turning himself in at the end of the episode his way of paying his penance?

To be honest, it’s more simple than it looks. Basically, he’s asking for help. He’s looking for someone to help him not do something worse to himself. I don’t think Frenchie thinks he’s a danger to society or anyone else at this point, but I think at that point – really his lowest – he knows that he is his worst enemy.

He’s asking for salvation. He’s asking for someone to punish him legally for the first time.

Is Frenchie a good guy or a bad guy at the end of the day? Where does he fall in the shades of gray the show is always talking about?

In terms of Frenchie, and Season 4 in particular, it’s about doing your best with the bad cards that you’ve been dealt. He’s just trying to make amends, trying to go something that is bigger and better. Maybe that’s just me protecting my character because I love this guy so much.

Listen what’s wrong is right, what’s right is wrong. This is the show, it’s a chaotic world like the one we’re living in the moment. Again, in any given choice and every given minute characters and real people can choose love. Hopefully that’s where Frenchie is headed toward – the one energy that can really save all of us.

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