Homelander Is Somehow More Unhinged Than Ever in Season 4 of 'The Boys'
Homelander and Starlight's groups of fans are at odds in Season 4.
Published June 25 2024, 10:06 a.m. ET
Just when you thought Homelander couldn't possibly get any worse, Season 4 of The Boys happened. And now that he ordered some of his fans to be killed in the name of furthering his cause, any small glimmer of hope that Homelander could ever turn over a new leaf is gone. OK, we aren't sure who had any hope for him exactly, but hey, he took his son Ryan under his wing, and for any non-supe without a God complex, that might have softened them up a bit.
So why did Homelander kill his fans? Or, rather, why did he order them to be killed by three other members of The Seven? It's all part of a larger plan that he has for total domination. And apparently, it starts with tearing Starlight and her cohorts down until Homelander has no enemies left to stand up to him.
Why did Homelander kill his fans on 'The Boys'?
Season 4 of The Boys has a clear vision that somewhat mirrors MAGA enthusiasts and those they stand against. In this case, it's Homelander and his followers against the more liberal-esque Starlight and her supporters. As protests run rampant in the Season 4 premiere, with two clear groups against each other, Homelander and Sage hatch a plan to put a target on Starlight and her followers.
Homelander meets three of his "biggest fans" in private, only to call them "martyrs" to his cause. Upon their confusion, Homelander orders The Deep, Black Noir, and A-Train to beat them to death with baseball bats. And for supes, this means one good whack to the head, apparently.
And in case you're wondering if you saw these guys before this scene, one of them is indeed Todd, the former step-dad figure to Mother's Milk (MM)'s daughter. No big loss there, but he was a minor character for a little while.
Afterward, A-Train plants the bodies in the middle of a protest, and as a result, it looks like Starlight's supporters are responsible for the heinous acts of violence. It appears to be part of Homelander's plans to win this war against Starlight and ensure that he maintains his place as a pillar of strength and fear.
Does A-Train turn against Homelander?
Right from the start of Season 4, it's clear that A-Train isn't really on the Homelander train (no pun intended). He doesn't even immediately participate in killing Homelander's fans, and he instead uses his power of extreme speed to plant the bodies where Homelander and Sage order him to. But A-Train seems to be over being part of The Seven and part of Homelander's group of minions.
A-Train isn't even getting the Vought movie roles he deserves. By all accounts, it seems like A-Train has the desire to go against Homelander in an even bigger way than he already has. He just needs the right moment to present itself.
Watch The Boys on Prime Video on Thursdays.