“Glorious Five Year Plan”

The Boys continues to develop the Homelander threat as various parties consider how best to combat him.

Homelander becoming more unhinged is a solid narrative through-line for this season. Every character is orbiting this in their own way, and battle lines are starting to be drawn as it quickly becomes apparent that a conflict is coming necessitating choosing a side. There’s a compelling lack of elegance to Homelander’s approach with his seizure of power relying on the threat of brute strength and the fear that comes with being on the receiving end of it. He doesn’t have allies as such but he does have people who will support him because they believe that being against him is a bad idea.

There are a number of ways he asserts control and dominance throughout the episode. One of which is literally signing his name on Hughie to send the message that he has the power and can therefore dictate the rules. He taunts Hughie with the fact that his relationship with Annie won’t be recognised by the public because he has forced the narrative around them being a couple. The reaction to this with some unflattering parody animations feeds into Hughie’s insecurity and the lack of power he has in the presence of Homelander is evident to him even if he does try to put a brave face on it.

Another control tactic is manipulating Victoria into changing the narrative of Vought’s reaction to his birthday event outburst. Stan’s idea is for Vought to officially condemn and reprimand Homelander for his behaviour to show that they still hold the reins and remind the public that Vought is a responsible organisation with things they won’t tolerate. Victoria’s statement discredits Stan which allows Homelander to take full control of Vought which makes him functionally unstoppable. Now he entirely calls the shots and won’t be shy about flaunting the various types of power he wields. His attitude indicates he is drunk on that power and feels truly invincible.

Despite appearing to lose everything, Stan seems unphased by the development. His interaction with Homelander indicates that he isn’t afraid of him. He calls Homelander out on his insecurity and weaponises it against him in their conversation. His words are carefully chosen and remind Homelander that he has always been product that Vought uses to further its own interests. This massively dehumanises Homelander by reminding him that he didn’t have a childhood and has no happy memories of growing up to call his own. His life is a fiction created to create a narrative that the public can respond to. Stan doesn’t regard Homelander as a person so sees no need to feed him. The fact that Homelander doesn’t threaten or attack him suggests that his claims that he no longer fears him are false. He could easily overpower Stan but he doesn’t and Stand doesn’t seem at all afraid of the possibility. He knows that he still has some measure of control over him which allows him to walk out confidently. There’s still something there keeping Homelander at bay and it could be instrumental in bringing him down.

Annie’s response to the escalating Homelander problem and the way he treats her is to tough it out until the time is right to move against him. She quietly -or at least she thinks so- starts to put together an anti-Homelander team consisting of other Supes. She entices them with the promise of a weapon that can bring Homelander down while being clear that strength in numbers may be the only way to buy time for it to be used on him. The candidates range from obvious to unlikely with the most effective interaction being the one she has with Maeve who is motivated by self-loathing. She is at the end of her tether and is willing to offer herself as a sacrifice if it means bringing him down. Maeve feels that she deserves punishment and sacrificing herself to stop Homelander would qualify as that punishment. It’s a deeply concerning scene played brilliantly by Dominque McElligott that succinctly details Maeve’s current mental state. Annie reacts with obvious horror as if it dawns on her she’s using Maeve’s vulnerability to gain her support. She allows this to happen because bringing down Homelander is the more urgent problem. As good as the coverage of Maeve’s mental state was, the show is struggling to juggle the large number of characters it has. The Homelander through-line helps to negate that to some degree but many characters are left with the minimum of coverage.

Unlikely support comes from A-Train after an altercation with the Deep. Homelander takes the Deep’s side following the brief conflict which confirms to A-Train that he no longer has any relevance in the Seven. The Deep is desperate for approval and takes anything he is offered. It won’t be long before Homelander chooses to humiliate him for his own amusement but for now, he is supported and that’s what he wants. Homelander is very much a bully and the Deep is so vulnerable that he allows it because it’s the path of least resistance. He can take comfort in knowing it isn’t all of the time and that sometimes there are other targets. A-Train’s reaction to the humiliation is to be malleable to what Annie has to offer which bolsters her position. He does back away from supporting her out of cowardice but it shows how tenuous the loyalty Homelander has is.

Supersonic is another obvious ally against Homelander. It takes no effort to convince him and there’s a bizarre attached conversation about his feelings for her that puts them out in the open while making it clear that nothing will be done about them because he respects that she is with Hughie. Their interaction is very natural and makes great use of the comfort level between them brought on by their history. This makes his death all the more tragic as Annie loses a close friend as well as an ally. Homelander brutally kills him to send Annie a very clear message about how unstoppable he is. It’s designed as a warning to deter her from taking any action. Whether this means he knows about the steps she has already taken, has his suspicions of caught wind of her recruiting Supersonic to her cause is left ambiguous but it’s very clear that he wants to stamp out any rebellion that might threaten his seizure of power. The reveal of Supersonic’s mangled body is shocking and impactful as is Erin Moriarty’s subdued grief as Annie faces away from Homelander stopping herself from reacting. It’s likely this loss will galvanise her and she will be even more motivated to bring Homelander down to avenge the murder of her friend.

The Seven aren’t the only group to be tearing themselves apart from the inside as the same thing is happening to the Boys. Butcher seems to be running it into the ground by creating massive unrest through his behaviour and attitude. His conversation with Mother’s Milk acknowledges that along with him feeling that he needs to be that way in order to get results. It’s a really endearing conversation with Butcher displaying a rare moment of vulnerability. Typically he’s emotionally closed off and hides his feelings behind a veneer of contempt. His loyalty has rarely been in question but he’s also someone that people struggle to trust as his mission seems to come before them.

He tells Mother’s Milk that he wasn’t recruited to the Boys for the reasons he thinks he was. Mother’s Milk thought that his skills and hatred for Supes were the primary reasons for him being brought into the fold but Butcher tells him that it was because he’s known to be a natural leader and held his old platoon together. Butcher’s thinking is that the Boys need Mother’s MIlk because he can be the stabilising force that Butcher never could be. This shows Butcher cares about the team but hides it under his swagger and tough exterior.

This pep talk isn’t enough to stop the Boys from coming apart. In a way, this is to be expected as they exist to be finite as there is no further need for them once Vought and Supes are no more. That time isn’t now and the Boys are far from united as a team. This is best exemplified through the plans Kimiko and Frenchie make. They pledge to run away together when the current situation is over. This means they can be free and live life on their own terms rather than answering to Butcher. Kimiko’s reading of Butcher is very unflattering but also incredibly accurate; her view is that there’s no difference between him and the people he sends her against. Based on the evidence presented in this episode it’s difficult to disagree with that assessment. Kimiko feels uncomfortable with the violence she inflicts and desires a far more innocent life. Frenchie agrees with her so there is already a plan for one of Butcher’s most powerful assets to part ways from him. It reinforces the division and how challenging a presence Butcher is.

Butcher giving himself temporary powers once again is a further betrayal of what stands for but the interesting thing is that Butcher is willing to be that contradiction for what he considers to be the greater good. His compassion is further shown by his reaction to Hughie’s desire to join the fight with temporary powers. He tells Hughie that the powers are a burden that he is willing to shoulder so that the others don’t. He also sees them as a punishment for the way he is and the circumstances he has played a part in creating. Powers as penance is an interesting thematic idea that feels very at home in this show as the prevailing message is that superpowers are not a good thing. There are exceptions to this such as Annie and how she tries to use her abilities but, predominantly, powers are synonymous with corruption. The depiction of powers is usually grotesque and violent which suggests that they are to be feared and condemned. There is no wonder and very little optimism so Buther accepting his temporary powers as punishment for his own misdeeds is a strong example of what the powers represent in this universe.

Hughie’s desire to take on temporary powers is fuelled by his earlier encounter with Homelander which serves as a reminder of all the bullies he has dealt with in his life that he was powerless to stand up to. It’s understandable that feeling that way would prompt a desire to feel powerful and get revenge on those who caused the pain and humiliation. He also wants to protect Annie and overcome the weakness he feels that defines him. There’s more than a hint of toxic masculinity to his desire to be powerful as Annie has never expressed any interest in being protected by anyone nor does he need to but Hughie’s feelings can also be understood when considering his characterisation thus far. The clumsiness he displays when taking on temporary powers is a clear indication that being powerful isn’t the solution to his fractured sense of self-worth.

The action sequence towards the end of the episode is nothing short of devastating for the Boys. At first, it looks to be a victory for them but the reveal of Soldier Boy and Kimiko being near death turns the tide very quickly. There is a physical loss shown through Kimiko’s injury and an emotional loss with Mother’s Milk lost faith in Butcher when he states that there’s no holding the team together now. It’s a devastating ending and ramps things up nicely.

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Verdict

A strong episode that ups the stakes through impressive development of Homelander’s growing instability and seizure of power while compelling shifts in the dynamic of the Boys occur. Homelander becoming more unhinged is a solid narrative through-line for the season. Every character is orbiting this in their own way, and battle lines are starting to be drawn as it quickly becomes apparent that a conflict is coming necessitating choosing a side. There’s a compelling lack of elegance to Homelander’s approach with his seizure of power relying on the threat of brute strength and the fear that comes with being on the receiving end of it. He doesn’t have allies as such but he does have people who will support him because they believe that being against him is a bad idea. Changing the narrative of Vought’s reaction to his birthday event outburst is one way he goes about seizing control. He discredits Stan and takes full control of Vought. Despite appearing to lose everything, Stan shows no fear and chooses words very carefully in a conversation with Homelander to dehumanise him by reminding him that he is Vought product. Homelander states that he isn’t afraid of Stan but doesn’t attack him which suggests there is something holding him back from taking action. Annie’s response to the way he treats her is to tough it out until the time is right to move against him. She starts to put together an anti-Homelander team consisting of other Supes who have a reason to hate him and want to act on it. Maeve’s self-loathing and willingness to sacrifice quickly establishes her motivation and A-Train’s willingness following Homelander supporting the Deep over him is fully justified. Both characters receive limited coverage which is a general problem with the show having too many characters to juggle but Supersonic is an obvious ally but makes perfect sense given their connection and his obvious decency. Homelander murdering him to further assert dominance is shocking and the reaction is wonderfully played by Erin Moriarty.

The Boys are tearing themselves apart just as the Seven are. Butcher is running it into the ground by creating massive unrest through his behaviour and attitude. His conversation with Mother’s Milk acknowledges that along with him feeling that he needs to be that way in order to get results. It’s a really endearing conversation with Butcher displaying a rare moment of vulnerability. He tells Mother’s Milk that he wasn’t recruited to the Boys for the reasons he thinks he was. Mother’s Milk thought that his skills and hatred for Supes were the primary reasons for him being brought into the fold but Butcher tells him that it was because he’s known to be a natural leader and held his old platoon together. Butcher’s thinking is that the Boys need Mother’s MIlk because he can be the stabilising force that Butcher never could be. This pep talk isn’t enough to stop the Boys from coming apart. In a way, this is to be expected as they exist to be finite as there is no further need for them once Vought and Supes are no more. That time isn’t now and the Boys are far from united as a team. This is best exemplified through the plans Kimiko and Frenchie make. Kimiko’s reading of Butcher is very unflattering but also incredibly accurate; her view is that there’s no difference between him and the people he sends her against. Kimiko feels uncomfortable with the violence she inflicts and desires a far more innocent life. Butcher giving himself temporary powers once again is a further betrayal of what stands for but the interesting thing is that Butcher is willing to be that contradiction for what he considers to be the greater good. a further betrayal of what stands for but the interesting thing is that Butcher is willing to be that contradiction for what he considers to be the greater good. His compassion is further shown by his reaction to Hughie’s desire to join the fight with temporary powers. He tells Hughie that the powers are a burden that he is willing to shoulder so that the others don’t. He also sees them as a punishment for the way he is and the circumstances he has played a part in creating. Powers as penance is an interesting thematic idea that supports the portrayal of powers in this show. Hughie’s desire to take on temporary powers is fuelled by his earlier encounter with Homelander which serves as a reminder of all the bullies he has dealt with in his life that he was powerless to stand up to. It’s understandable but there’s more than a hint of toxic masculinity to his desire to be powerful. The clumsiness he displays when taking on temporary powers is a clear indication that being powerful isn’t the solution to his fractured sense of self-worth. The action sequence towards the end of the episode is nothing short of devastating for the Boys. At first, it looks to be a victory for them but the reveal of Soldier Boy and Kimiko being near death turns the tide very quickly. There is a physical loss shown through Kimiko’s injury and an emotional loss with Mother’s Milk lost faith in Butcher when he states that there’s no holding the team together now. It’s a devastating ending and ramps things up nicely.

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