The Boys' Two Best Cameos Predicted The Series Finale's Most Fitting Death

Contains spoilers for "The Boys" Season 5, Episode 8 — "Blood and Bone"

There's a reason why The Deep's (Chace Crawford) storyline in "The Boys" features two massive celebrity cameos. It's not just the fact that his supporting characters tend to be marine animals, either. While it's true that having A-listers Tilda Swinton and Samuel L. Jackson voice The Deep's octopus lover Ambrosius and hammerhead shark steed Xander is hilarious, both cameos also serve a purpose: The Deep's interactions with these two characters foreshadow the supe's pitiful death.

During The Deep's fight with Starlight (Erin Moriarty) in the Season 5 finale, "Blood and Bone," she gains the upper hand and blasts him into the sea. Unbeknownst to Starlight, the oceans are very, very angry with The Deep, and she can only watch in disbelief as numerous sea creatures surround him and a giant squid drives a tentacle through the back of The Deep's head. 

This fate directly references Jackson and Swinton's aquatic animals. Xander tells The Deep in Episode 7 that the supe will die the second he gets in the water. The fact that a tentacle finishes him, meanwhile, is a pretty clear nod to Ambrosius, a tragic and well-meaning character whom The Deep allows to die after breaking her aquarium near the end of "The Boys" Season 4.

The Deep isn't nearly as powerful as Homelander (Antony Starr), but he's arguably worse in his own slimy way. For five seasons, he's used every possible opportunity he can to snatch morsels of power and prestige, often embarrassing himself but also causing plenty of pain along the way. 

Some of The Deep's most notoriously awful deeds include sexually assaulting Starlight, killing Ambrosius, and instigating a feud with Black Noir II (Nathan Mitchell) that caused the Alaska oil spill, killing 1.4 billion fish. That last one, of course, is what causes The Deep to kill Noir in a fit of rage, and Xander to deliver the message that all marine life now has a blood vendetta against The Deep.

"The Boys" Season 5 is bold and occasionally brilliant. The way the series finale allows Starlight to defeat The Deep and the sea to finish him off in a way that acts as a callback to both Ambrosius' fate and Xander's warning definitely falls in the "brilliant" category. This was a very fitting end for a deeply flawed supe who definitely had it coming.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).