‘The Boys’ Star Tomer Capone Breaks Down Frenchie’s Sacrifice for Kimiko in Penultimate Episode

The Boys is heading into its series finale short a member of the titular vigilante group after the latest installment, “The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk,” as the show bid adieu to one of its OG stars. Warning: Spoilers for The Boys Season 5 Episode 7 ahead!

In one of the season’s most tragic turns yet, Frenchie (Tomer Capone) made a bold sacrifice for his beloved Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) as Homelander (Antony Starr) uncovered their secret hideaway. As viewers uncovered at the beginning of the episode, Frenchie and Butcher (Karl Urban) were implementing Soviet techniques on Kimiko to try to manifest the nuclear ability Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) acquired when in captivity. The hope was that by exposing Kimiko to periods of radiation, she’d become capable of taking other supes’ powers away, particularly Homelander.

The experiments made Kimiko weak, though, and after Frenchie turned to Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) for advice, she began overseeing the sessions, only for them to be disrupted by Homelander’s arrival. Frenchie hid Kimiko and Sage in a zinc compartment, as Homelander can’t see through the element.

In turn, he sacrificed himself for their safety, luring Homelander into the radiation chamber, making the supe sick. While Frenchie was left bloodied and dying, Kimiko was able to share a final farewell with him. The pair shared a sweet kiss as Frenchie gasped his last breath. Will the experiments pay off or continue? Fans will have to tune in to find out, but in the meantime, Capone breaks down the emotional goodbye in the Q&A below.

Prime Video

How did you feel after learning about Frenchie’s ending?

Tomer Capone: I think somewhere deep inside, I knew it was coming, I knew it was inevitable. I didn’t wanna believe that, but my instincts didn’t fail me. It was a zoom call with Eric, and he couldn’t hold it anymore… we didn’t get into any chit chat. He just delivered it. Frenchie is the longest character I have ever held in my career. I haven’t watched the episode. I’m too attached, not yet. But, funny enough, I didn’t expect to feel so calm and ready for it… It felt like the right thing to do. I still didn’t know how or when [it would happen], and then when I got the script, that’s when it landed.

Do you think or know if the experiments to make Kimiko a weapon will continue after his death, and how did you feel about Frenchie going against his protective nature to weaponize her?

Oh, you’re really trying to get me in trouble [Laughs]? It’s a great observation. The whole fifth season, Kimiko’s coming [into her own], she speaks now, she has her own voice, metaphorically and physically she knows what she wants, and I feel like the couple of episodes prior to that, Frenchie didn’t know how to accept that because he felt like salvation was coming. He’s the cleanest Frenchie we’ve ever had in Season 5. He’s there for her. He’s trying to be his best version, and still, something doesn’t feel right.

Despite the tragic nature of Frenchie’s death, he does get a meaningful sendoff with Kimiko by his side. How important was it for the characters to have that moment just out of reach of their happy ending? 

That was bittersweet, I won’t lie, it was almost like they got to the final round, almost got to Marseille, but again, I think the ending was treated so beautifully by the writers and Eric, and it gave so much space for Karen and me as actors to say goodbye to our characters, it’s the perfect ending for these two, sending them off to the final round. Who knows what would have happened if Frenchie [didn’t die], what trouble would have happened… So, it all feels very protected if that makes sense.

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What was the mood in the room as you and Karen Fukuhara filmed Frenchie and Kimiko’s farewell? 

It was one of those days where you know it’s coming. I was nervous and tense, and I think Karen was as well. We didn’t talk that much. Usually, we talk about the scenes, and we have a breakdown of what we’re thinking or how we’re gonna play it off, and [there was a] different energy on set. When we did the blocking for the scene, I remember everybody standing around, and there was this quietness, and everybody gave respect to this moment, and I remember saying to myself, I’m going to give Frenchie the keys, he’s going to drive, I’m going to glide behind him and we’re just going to explore the moment of Kimiko and Frenchie after fiveseasons just. It was pretty simple in that sense. Neither Karen nor I had one minute of sleep the entire night after we wrapped. We were just texting till six in the morning.

Was it surreal that you’re the first of the OG Boys to get killed off? 

I think everybody was very sad about that. Everybody was very shocked.  We really kept it under the radar for everyone as much as we could, just so people won’t wait for it and talk about it. To me, it felt like a hero moment, more than anything, you know? This world of The Boys is a crazy, noisy, loud world, and here you have Frenchie and Kimiko dealing with healing and compassion and love, and that being the heart of the show… Going away in that sense was again a gift to get as characters and as performers.

That message of love is how Frenchie drives Sage into action, helping Frenchie on experiments to make Kimiko a weapon. Will that message of love carry on in the finale? 

Love prevails. Love prevails.

The Boys, Season 5 Finale, Wednesday, May 20, Prime Video

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