# What I Know (The Boys episode)
"What I Know" is the eighth episode and season finale of the second season of the American superhero television series *The Boys*, and the sixteenth episode overall. Based on the comic book series by [Garth Ennis](https://www.edgepedia.org/garth-ennis), it premiered on Amazon Prime Video on October 9, 2020, and was written by [Rebecca Sonnenshine](https://www.edgepedia.org/rebecca-sonnenshine) and directed by Alex Graves.[1](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/What_I_Know) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12187284/fullcredits/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original premiere | October 9, 2020, on Amazon Prime Video[1](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/What_I_Know) |
| Writer / director | Written by Rebecca Sonnenshine; directed by Alex Graves[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12187284/fullcredits/) |
| Recognition | Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Sonnenshine)[3](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Rebecca_Sonnenshine) |
| Audience rating | 9.4 on IMDb, the second-highest-rated episode of the series after "Herogasm" (9.6)[4](https://episodegraph.com/tv/the-boys-2019) |
| Preceded / followed by | "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker" / "Payback"[1](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/What_I_Know) |
## Production background
The episode's script, *The Boys* #208 "What I Know", circulated in production drafts dated October 2019.[5](https://f004.backblazeb2.com/file/screenplays/posts/the-boys-2019/episodes/The%20Boys%20208%20-%20Production.pdf)
The climactic fight against Stormfront was storyboarded in advance by director Alex Graves, who took inspiration from the film *Rocky* as a way to show the characters working together and finally snapping against Stormfront, determined to bring her down for her actions across the season.[15](https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/the-boys-season-2-finale-fight-stormfront-1234984152/)
## Plot
After the head explosions that ended the previous episode, Compound V is authorized for law enforcement use, putting the characters at a crisis point.[6](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-recaps/the-boys-finale-season-2-episode-8-recap-2776760) Becca escapes the compound where she has been held and reunites with Butcher and the Boys, telling them that [Homelander](https://www.edgepedia.org/homelander) and Stormfront have taken her son Ryan. Butcher makes a secret deal with Vought's Stan Edgar to take Ryan to a safe location, with the condition that Becca stays with him, but he later goes back on the arrangement for her sake.[7](https://collider.com/the-boys-season-2-finale-ending-explained/) • [8](https://filmobserver.com/the-boys-season-2-episode-8-what-i-know-review/)
The episode builds to a confrontation in which Butcher, Becca, and the Boys, joined by Starlight, face Homelander and Stormfront. Hughie, Frenchie, and Mother's Milk shoot at Stormfront ineffectively until Queen Maeve arrives; Starlight, Kimiko, and Maeve then overpower her in a fight that reviewers noted as a centerpiece of the episode.[9](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-boys-stars-break-down-the-explosive-season-2-finale/) During the fight Becca is killed, and Ryan uses his laser vision, severely injuring Stormfront.[7](https://collider.com/the-boys-season-2-finale-ending-explained/) • [16](https://www.tvline.com/2252343/the-boys-main-characters-deaths-explained/) Maeve blackmails Homelander with evidence of his misdeeds, and Ryan is placed in CIA custody.[8](https://filmobserver.com/the-boys-season-2-episode-8-what-i-know-review/) In parallel storylines, A-Train is reinstated into the Seven, leaving the Deep dismayed, and Starlight's past is leaked.[8](https://filmobserver.com/the-boys-season-2-episode-8-what-i-know-review/)
## Reception
The episode holds a 9.4 rating on IMDb, making it the second-highest-rated episode of the series, behind season 3's "Herogasm" (9.6) and ahead of season 1's finale "You Found Me" (9.1).[4](https://episodegraph.com/tv/the-boys-2019) Reviewers at the time were largely positive: the A.V. Club described a "frenzied finale" while criticizing what it called a frustrating false equivalency,[10](https://avclub.com/the-boys-wraps-its-2nd-season-with-a-frenzied-finale-an-1845327479) and other critics called it a satisfying close to an exceptional season, with particular praise for [Karl Urban](https://www.edgepedia.org/karl-urban)'s performance as Butcher.[11](https://aiptcomics.com/2020/10/10/the-boys-season-2-finale-recap-review/) • [12](https://thenerdybasement.com/television/the-boys-season-2-finale-review/) The Ringer noted that the finale premiered the day after the FBI uncovered a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, underscoring the show's grasp of how cults of personality form.[13](https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/12/tv/the-boys-season-2-amazon-prime)
Sonnenshine received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode.[3](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Rebecca_Sonnenshine) In later years the episode remained a benchmark: when the series finale of season 5, "Blood and Bone", drew a 5.6 IMDb rating, commentary repeatedly contrasted it with "What I Know" as one of the highest points in the show's run.[4](https://episodegraph.com/tv/the-boys-2019) • [14](https://www.comicbasics.com/shocking-finale-stats-the-boys-ends-with-its-worst-record-yet/)
## References
1. [What I Know, The Boys Wiki](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/What_I_Know)
2. ["The Boys" What I Know (TV Episode 2020) - Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12187284/fullcredits/)
3. [Rebecca Sonnenshine, The Boys Wiki](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Rebecca_Sonnenshine)
4. [The Boys Episode Ratings & Series Graph, EpisodeGraph](https://episodegraph.com/tv/the-boys-2019)
5. [THE BOYS 208 "What I Know" production script](https://f004.backblazeb2.com/file/screenplays/posts/the-boys-2019/episodes/The%20Boys%20208%20-%20Production.pdf)
6. ['The Boys' finale – season 2 episode 8 recap: 'What I Know', NME](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-recaps/the-boys-finale-season-2-episode-8-recap-2776760)
7. [The Boys Season 2 Finale Ending Explained, Collider](https://collider.com/the-boys-season-2-finale-ending-explained/)
8. [The Boys Season 2 - Episode 8 "What I Know" Review, Film Observer](https://filmobserver.com/the-boys-season-2-episode-8-what-i-know-review/)
9. [The Boys Stars Break Down the Explosive Season 2 Finale, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-boys-stars-break-down-the-explosive-season-2-finale/)
10. [The Boys wraps its 2nd season with a frenzied finale and a frustrating false equivalency, The A.V. Club](https://avclub.com/the-boys-wraps-its-2nd-season-with-a-frenzied-finale-an-1845327479)
11. ['The Boys' season 2, episode 8 'What I Know' recap/review, AIPT Comics](https://aiptcomics.com/2020/10/10/the-boys-season-2-finale-recap-review/)
12. [THE BOYS: SEASON 2, EPISODE 8 – WHAT I KNOW (FINALE REVIEW), The Nerdy Basement](https://thenerdybasement.com/television/the-boys-season-2-finale-review/)
13. [The Second Season of 'The Boys' Was Fueled by the Nihilism of Reality, The Ringer](https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/12/tv/the-boys-season-2-amazon-prime)
14. [Shocking Finale Stats: 'The Boys' Ends With Its Worst Record Yet, Comic Basics](https://www.comicbasics.com/shocking-finale-stats-the-boys-ends-with-its-worst-record-yet/)
15. ['The Boys' Team on Season 2 Finale Fight With Stormfront, Variety](https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/the-boys-season-2-finale-fight-stormfront-1234984152/)
16. [The Boys: How Every Main Character Dies In The Series - TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/2252343/the-boys-main-characters-deaths-explained/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Episodes and serial chapters › Individual episode articles › Season and series finales › Science-fiction and fantasy franchise finales*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license