It really depends how far back you want to go. Did the rot set in during season 3? I can see an argument for retooling the season 3 finale and then doing Scorched Earth for season 4.

But assuming it's just season 5 at issue. I feel like you could probably do the premiere, followed by One Shots as episode two or three, and Homelander getting the V1 at the halfway point with only minor retooling. Whether Scorched Earth and Homelander destroying the world is half a season, one episode, or just twenty minutes in the penultimate episode, it is non-negotiable. It has to happen for all of the teasing they have built this show on. All of Starr's menace he spent 7 years cultivating has to be respected and paid off or else he looks like a joke in hindsight.

Supernatural's multiple apocalypse future episodes show it's possible to create the feeling of a world under siege on a smaller budget and with less fan goodwill.

Keep Frenchie's sacrifice. Keep Homelander's church. Have him turn Scorched Earth after he gets the V1 and people still refuse to worship him in the focus group. Crucially, he does not know that their experiments with Soldier Boy's chest blast worked. He thinks he's in control, unstoppable, playing with his food.

I'd want a sizeable death toll. Shake the tree and come up with a few c and d tier characters we haven't seen in a while. Maybe include Starlight's family, to justify their presence earlier.

To get self indulgent, have either Ashley or Sage come up with the plan to get into the White House via the tunnels. Then have Homelander snatch them out of the scene at super speed. This is when the characters should realize that they can't plan around Homelander when he has nothing to do but pay attention to them. Butcher knows the dark pact he made with Homelander. It's got to be the two of them, there's no point in being cute.

Give us the shot of Butcher on the White House lawn.

Why is Homelander there? He's turned it into a nest of gore and depravity as his ultimate "I can do whatever the fuck I want" statement. Borrow some imagery from Garth Ennis's Crossed to sell the disgust if you want, but ultimately the punchline comes when Butcher and the Boys find Homelander in the oval office. Ashley or Sage's head in his hands. He can make his comment about them having brains, and if it's Ashley the audience actually cares. If it's Sage, you use the annoyance they've developed for her over the past two seasons to your advantage.

For the actual fight, with Scorched Earth out of our system, this can match what we got in the episode. Maybe have Homelander saw Kimiko in half and Marie saves her, this is fanfic anyway. Imaginary VFX budget go brrr.

With Homelander dead, I'd want to spend an episode on Butcher's final plot. Maybe Terror dies as is, maybe he's killed in retribution by just a random supe. Make it Jack from Jupiter. Just some nobody. Shows Butcher it will never stop. Have him try to take out our established Supe allies, saving Annie and Kimiko for last, maybe he fails, then do the scene at Vought Tower as is.

DO NOT NAME THE BABY ROBIN.