The Name of the Game (The Boys episode)

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"The Name of the Game" is the first episode of the first season and series premiere of the American superhero television series The Boys, based on the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis. It is set in a universe where superpowered individuals, known as Supes, are portrayed as corrupt individuals instead of the heroes the general public believes they are. The episode was written by the series showrunner Eric Kripke and directed by Dan Trachtenberg.

The episode follows Hughie Campbell being recruited by Billy Butcher to the Boys, after his girlfriend, Robin Ward, is accidentally killed by A-Train, leading him to realize the truth about the heroes and the company behind them, Vought, which would lead him to a conflict with one Supe named Translucent who is also a member of the superhero group known as the Seven. Meanwhile, Annie January / Starlight struggles to realize the truth about the heroes she admired after joining the Seven. She struggles to adapt to her new reality after another member of the team sexually assaults her.

"The Name of the Game" was released on Amazon Prime Video, the streaming service, on July 26, 2019. The episode received critical acclaim from critics with praise for its visual style, direction, performances, black humor, and faithfulness to the comics. It received a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour).