[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 3 finale of The Boys.]Victoria Neuman’s (Claudia Doumit) taken an especially dark turn in The Boys Season 3. Sure, she did pop a lot of heads in Season 2 and she’s been secretly using her political power to protect Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito) and Vought, but teaming with Homelander (Antony Starr) and injecting her own daughter (Olivia Morandin) with Compound V are going to be two mighty tough things to come back from.
Edgar’s always looked out for Neuman ever since he adopted her, but in Season 3, she starts to doubt the value of his protection and also whether he truly looks at her as a daughter or just as someone to use for his own nefarious purposes. Ultimately, Edgar pushes too hard in Episode 4, “Glorious Five-Year Plan,” by asking Neuman to do something extremely dangerous that could put her and her daughter at risk — go against Homelander.
Neuman decides that’s where she has to draw the line, so instead of following through on Edgar’s ask, she uses the press conference to tell the world about Edgar’s own corruption, ending his reign as the CEO of Vought. In return, Neuman receives a vial of Compound V that she injects into her daughter and, on top of that, Homelander helps clear the way to advance Neuman’s political career.
During a recent episode of Collider Ladies Night, Claudia Doumit retraced Neuman’s steps on The Boys thus far, ultimately hitting the end of Season 3 when her daughter is changed forever and when Lamar Bishop’s murder puts her in prime position to become Robert Singer’s presidential campaign running mate.
That’s a whole lot of corruption and bloodshed to get what she wants, but, this is The Boys we’re talking about here. There are a handful of characters who’ve done terrible things, realized the error of their ways, and made an effort to right their wrongs. Could Neuman be next? Is there any chance that Season 4 will involve some sort of recognition that she went too far? Here’s Doumit’s take on the matter:
“I think there is hope for Neuman. [Laughs] I’m imagining us cutting to Season 4 and she’s just completely gone dark. Look, I’m imagining there is hope for Neuman because throughout this season you definitely see her struggle with the decisions that she makes. She doesn’t make them effortlessly. These are huge sacrifices that will have consequences, and she’s fully aware of that. She understands that, no matter how morally gray the decision is that she makes. So she has a good measurement of what is good and what is bad. She’s not clueless to that. She’s not completely lost. Whether or not she actually goes through with that or has a redemption of sorts, I’m not sure that we will get that because on a show like The Boys, I mean, every character’s introduction and progress is kind of like a baptism of fire. Every character has a moment where they’re essentially going through the gauntlet and I think Neuman’s right at the beginning of that. She’s making some decisions that will put her in some pretty dark places. I mean, she’s made a deal with Homelander, so I don’t think we’re on the way up. I think we’re on the way down.”
Looking for more from Doumit on her journey from Scandal to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to The Boys? We’ve got that and then some for your in her full Collider Ladies Night interview in the video at the top of this article or in podcast form below: