Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Boys Season 4, Episode 1, “Department of Dirty Tricks,” and Episode 2, “Life Among the Septics.”
Blitzed through The Boys‘ available episodes and hungry for more? Good news: The Boys Season 4 also includes hidden bonus content you probably missed – here’s how to access it.
Related: The Boys: Is Season 4’s Shocking Sauna Scene in the Comics?
How to Access The Boys Season 4’s Hidden Bonus Content, Explained
The Boys Season 4’s hidden bonus content is accessed via Prime Video’s X-Ray mode. To enable this mode, tap your screen, move your cursor, or press up on your remote (depending on your device). A menu will appear; hit the View All button to load the X-Ray features dashboard. From here, select Trivia. Now, when you’re watching The Boys Season 4, funny captions in the superhero satire’s signature snarky style will intermittently appear among other, more straight-faced factoids.
One notable example doing the rounds online comes during Season 4, Episode 2’s now-infamous sauna scene. When Frenchie and Kimiko walk in on Splinter in an X-rated Human Centipede with a bunch of his duplicates, a tongue-in-cheek caption pops up. “Actor Rob Benedict wants us to remind everyone that he studied Shakespeare at Northwestern University,” it reads. “There is no contractual obligation for us to carry out this request. This is merely a kind gesture.”
Another amusing X-Ray gag accompanies the return of The Deep’s octopus lover, Ambrosius, putting a humorous slant on The Boys Season 4’s biggest casting coup. “Ambrosius is voiced by none other than Academy Award-winning actress, Tilda Swinton. This is not a joke,” the X-Ray trivia text quips. So, if you were already considering a mid-season rewatch, The Boys Season 4’s bonus content should be enough to tip you over the edge!
Related: The Boys Season 4: Which A-List Actor Voices Ambrosius the Octopus?
The Boys Showrunner Unpacks Two of Season 4’s Big Surprises
The Boys‘ X-Ray trivia isn’t the only source of intel on the fourth season’s biggest surprises so far. Showrunner Eric Kripke is currently working the promotional circuit and recently shared the behind-the-scenes story of both the sauna scene and Swinton’s casting.
Of the former, Kripke revealed that he was upfront with Rob Benedict about what shooting Splinter’s superhuman sex act and subsequent nude brawl would entail. “I said, ‘Here are the things that this role is going to be doing,'” Kripke told Variety. “‘And you need to know exactly what you’re getting into, because we’re friends.'” He also revealed that Benedict simulated oral sex with a cast of his own rear end, and wore a weighted prosthetic penis for his full frontal fight.
Regarding Swinton’s portrayal of Ambrosius, Kripke explained in an Entertainment Weekly interview that his goal was to recruit “the biggest, classiest British Oscar-winning actress.” This resulted in The Boys team reaching out to Swinton, who was happy to oblige. “[Swinton’s] rep was like, ‘She loves this and thinks it’s hilarious and would love to do it’ […] Watching the classiest possible actress record the dumbest possible s— was one of the great professional days of my life,” Kripke said.
The Boys Season 4 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new, X-Ray mode-enable episodes dropping Thursdays.
