The Most Important Detail in “The Boys”
Season 4 revealed the most important detail of "The Boys," and I haven't seen anyone else discussing it.
In one episode, we finally see Homelander out of uniform. I don't mean when he puts on his civvies to go visit Sister Sage. No, there's a scene where we see Homelander standing in front of the mirror in just his underwear. While the actor portraying him, Anthony Starr, is certainly in good shape, it is plain to see that he is not even remotely close to the swollen-yet-chiseled beefcake he appears to be when in costume.
That single reveal that barely lasts longer than a blink completely reframes Homelander and makes his symbolism nakedly obvious. With that scene, a production decision made behind the scenes magically transforms into a diegetic one made by the character. Anthony Starr is not wearing a padded muscle suit so that he can play a superhero on a TV show. No, it is Homelander the character who always wears a padded suit in public because even he cannot live up to the impossible image of the “superior being” he purports to be. To him, it’s not enough to be the strongest man on the planet and practically invincible. His vanity demands he look the part as well. Appearances are reality to him. That’s why he still considers himself the hero of the story even as he casually rips people in half. That’s why he dyes his hair, whitens his teeth, and wears fake muscles. Because even he, the genetically engineered superhuman, is not perfect. No one is. In that scene, we finally see the emperor has no muscles. And nothing scares Homelander more than people knowing that truth. That he is just as damaged, self-centered and desperate for approval as any mortal movie star. Despite his incredible power, he is not special.
This is the moment that completes the metaphor of Homelander. His “superiority” is just a carefully constructed facade. He’s not some misunderstood ignorant fool that simply can’t comprehend that people different from him are allowed to exist. He’s a virulently bigoted hypocrite, as vicious as he is hateful, lashing out at anyone that he perceives as a threat to the narrative of his supremacy. The message was finally so clear that even the angry incel idiots of the internet were forced to realize that their chosen idol has actually been the villain of the story all along. Hopefully that reveal will inspire some introspective reflection in those who were surprised by it. But sadly, that does sound a little far-fetched, even for a show about a drug that turns people into superheroes.
