The following contains spoilers for The Boys season 4 episode 8, "Assassination Run," now streaming on Prime Video

Summary

• Sister Sage's plan in The Boys season 4 was a success, ensuring Homelander's rise and the collapse of the US President.
• Despite some setbacks, Sister Sage used manipulation to create a more dangerous and loyal Supe force.
• Sister Sage's schemes set the stage for a potentially devastating "phase 2" in season 5, establishing her as a major threat.

Sister Sage's true plan in The Boys season 4 helped ensure the villainous victory seen in "Assassination Run," tying together several seemingly disconnected events to form an impressive conspiracy. Sage has been one of the most compelling elements of The Boys' fourth season, a truly cerebral foe that the heroes couldn't reason with or punch out. Her machinations have played out over the course of eight episodes, turning villains into monsters and transforming her few apparent setbacks into assets.

It's made the ending of season 4 of The Boys, and how it all is seemingly building to a far grander scheme for the final season of the show.

Almost Everything In The Boys Season 4 Went According To Sister Sage's Plan

Even A Few Curveballs Couldn't Ruin Sister Sage's Schemes

The season 4 finale of The Boys revealed that Sister Sage's true schemes have succeeded, ensuring Homelander's apparent victory and setting her up as season 5's most dangerous Supe. Recruited by Homelander in "Department of Dirty Tricks" to help him remake the country in his image, Sage has been working along the sidelines for much of the season. This has benefited her natural genius, as she's been able to easily manipulate and maneuver allies and enemies alike into positions that benefit her mission to elevate Homelander.

While she its to Homelander in "Assassination Run" that there were some "curveballs" that forced her to adapt and keep secrets from him, Sage was able to largely ensure that Homelander is in charge of the government, the Boys are considered enemies of the state, and the public is in full of Homelander's Supe conspiracy. This plan was carried out in several steps, some in plain sight for the viewer while others played out behind the scenes.

"Department of Dirty Tricks" Made Martyrs Out Of Homelander's ers

Sister Sage's First Play Killed Three People And Turned Them Into Victims Of Starlight's Cause

The Boys' season 4 premiere went a long way towards establishing Sister Sage's methods, with the genius sacrificing some of Homelander's ers for their cause. Rightly anticipating an intense public conflict over the verdict of his murder trial, Sage used the opportunity to further garner by painting the Starlight ers as murderous and dangerous. After having three Homelander ers murdered by other of the Seven, Sage ensured their bodies were delivered to a public space while the nearby crowd was distracted by a riot she set off.

The ensuing chaos left two innocent men arrested for murder and public denouncements of Starlight's movement. It garnered sympathy for Homelander's ers and played into her schemes to undermine Starlight's influence on the public. It also helped ensure Sister Sage's place within Homelander's schemes, further convincing the villain to trust her with power. It was an early indicator of how ruthless Sage can be while enacting her plans, something that would become more pronounced over the course of the season.

Sister Sage Used A-Train's Betrayal To Her Advantage

How To Turn A Traitor Into An Asset

An apparent hiccup in Sage's plan came in the form of A-Train, who went through an emotionally complex arc in season 4. Fueled by guilt over his brother's injuries and the subsequent disconnect with his family, A-Train became a mole for MM and the Boys. He was crucial to many of the Boys' gains during the season, helping exonerate the Starlight ers and saving Hughie's life. Sage's season-long hunt for the spy within their organization seemed to be a serious blunder on her part.

In reality, Sage was aware of A-Train's actions all season long. As she explaind to Homelander, she ensured that A-Train only learned certain information, effectively keeping tabs on what the Boys were aware of at any given time. The reason she didn't inform Homelander was because she felt A-Train's betrayal was too much of an advantage to waste. Given that Homelander's temper resulted in two other leaks into his organization being brutally murdered, A-Train's lucky that Sage saw the value in keeping him alive.

Homelander's Army Has Only Stronger (And More Vicious) Thanks To Sister Sage

Some Sisterly Advice Has Made The Seven Far More Ruthless

Sister Sage's efforts extend beyond controlling how much the Boys and the public were aware of. Her subtle manipulations all season long have turned many other Supes into more ruthless people. Sage's influence on the Deep has cemented the character's villainy, morphing his superiority complex into a much more malicious form. This in turn helped push the new Black Noir to embrace his dark side, with the pair coming close to killing Butcher and Annie on just an implied order from Homelander.

Sage has also played the women around her, using Firecracker's public persona and personal feud with Starlight to villainize the hero in the eyes of the public — and turn Firecracker into a popular figure. Sage also seemingly opened up to Victoria during the events of "Dirty Business," inspiring Neuman to continue with the plan as intended. This proved to be a crucial play, as Sage's unexpected injury at the hands of MM prevented her from keeping the politicians and corporate executives on board. Sage's efforts have helped turn the Seven into a far more dangerous (and loyal) force for Homelander.

Sage Brought Down The President Of The United States

"Phase 1" Has Been Building To The Collapse Of The US Government & The Rise Of Homelander

One of the most crucial elements of Sage's plan only came to light in "Assassination Run," after the death of Victoria Neuman. While Sister Sage's shapeshifter failed to kill Robert Singer, she did help ensure footage leaked of the president complaining about the failure to kill Victoria Neuman. When Neuman was subsequently killed by Butcher, it was easy for Sage to release the footage and help ensure the prompt arrest of Singer. This leaves Speaker of the House Calhoun next in line for the presidency, who promptly calls Homelander and swears allegiance to him.

It's a brutal tactic that openly dismisses the death of their nominal ally Victoria as a means to an end. It also worked, with Homelander ascending to a new position of power by the end of the finale. All of this underscores the scope of Sage's plans, especially considering the complete collapse of an American presidency is only part of "phase 1" of her plans. The imposition of martial law and the escalation of a Supe police force under Homelander's command changes the power structures of the country overnight, setting up season 5 to have a more volatile status quo.

What Sister Sage's "Phase 2" Comment Means For The Boys Season 5

Sister Sage's success has transformed the world of The Boys, and she did it all for the joy of destroying a society that she couldn't stand. However, the truly harrowing element of her actions comes at the end of her conversation with Homelander. After ensuring his ascension and turning the United States into an extension of his will, Sage is already teasing a "phase 2" that could bring about the full end of modern society, recalling the conversation Sage and Homelander had early in the season about the collapse of Rome and the rise of Caesar.

Sage's schemes may cement Homelander and other Supes like him as the brutal leaders of the world, all just to see if she pull it off. This sets up Sage to be an even more dangerous force in season 5. Having earned Homelander's confidence in her abilities, Sage will likely have more freedom to test out her theories on a grand scale. While her endgame remains a mystery, Sage is clearly being set up as The Boys' ultimate chess master and potentially the true overarching threat of the show's concluding season.