“The Last Time to Look on This World of Lies”

The Boys explores the corruption and temptation that comes with having power of any kind as different partnerships continue to fracture.

Power and how it’s being used is a clear emerging theme this season with Butcher and Homelander taking the lead on the exploration of it. Butcher has been compromising his own values by taking on temporary powers in order to level the playing field in combatting Supes and Homelander has been bludgeoning his way into a position of power extending beyond his superpowers. Both are equally problematic but in different ways.

Butcher gets called out on his shift in approach by Mother’s Milk who challenges his morality. He points out that he has betrayed what the Boys is supposed to stand for. Their very existence is built on the notion that nobody has the right to that kind of power and they have taken it upon themselves to force the change they feel should take place. Later in the episode, Butcher encourages him to compromise and take on temporary powers but Mother’s Milk refuses to compromise. He recounts advice that his father imparted to him; “if you don’t draw the line somewhere, how the Hell are you gonna know where you stand?”. They are words to live by and Mother’s Milk fully believes in them. Butcher states that he doesn’t see that there is a line so there’s a clear difference in values there.

This culminates in Butcher removing Mother’s Milk from the equation by drugging him. Butcher sees him as an obstacle to what he feels must be done and is happy to be hated in pursuit of the larger goal. It is somewhat commendable that Butcher is so committed to what he is doing that he will accept the destruction of friendships and relationships for what he considers to be the greater good. He thinks that he needs people to fight and those people need to have powers.

There is a larger debate attached to this that the show fails to go into extensively. The high-level issue is that of principle; according to Mother’s Milk, the Boys exist to bring down Vought and rid the world of Supes and taking on powers means going down to their level so they should always remain powerless. An obvious problem is that the Supes have a considerable advantage in that they have superpowers which makes it very difficult for those without to combat. Mother’s Milk has already compromised by accepting Kimiko and Annie into the fold but that’s justifiable because they are tools used in the fight rather than directly taking on powers. It’s a grey area but it’s easy to see how Mother’s Milk could accept it as a compromise. Butcher has been very vocal with his contempt for all Supes which includes those that they work with so until recently, Mother’s Milk could be secure in the knowledge that Butcher saw them as a means to an end while maintaining distance due to his prejudice against Supes but taking on powers, however temporary, is a step too far for Mother’s Milk and he can’t bring himself to accept it because he feels that they need to occupy moral high ground otherwise the fight is meaningless.

Butcher taking on the powers is interesting from a self-image point of view. It’s established that he is willing to be hated in service of the end goal of bringing down Vought and the Supes but he is also willing to hate himself. It’s portrayed as an addiction with the basis of it being that Butcher recognises that the powers are something he needs but they don’t make him feel good nor does he feel good about taking them on. He hates having them because he knows they amplify the worst of himself and he already has a deflated sense of his standing as a good person so the idea of being worse is unpalatable. In many ways, he is offering himself as a sacrifice by amplifying his own self-loathing but the concerning thing is that he’s willing to drag others down with him and actively encourages them to do so. Early on it looks like he respects choice but his treatment of Mother’s Milk counters that notion. It’s unlikely this is a villain arc for Butcher as he still has focus on what he wants to achieve but he’s crossing lines and possibly ensuring that he will have nothing left if he succeeds.

His perspective of the powers amplifying the worst of himself gives him a sense of clarity. He is convinced that this applies to all Supes and reinforces his desire to do away with all of them. There is definitely a blind spot as he fails to consider Kimiko or Annie; two Supes he has direct experience with who haven’t had their worst traits amplified by having powers. This is consistent with who he is as he will be wilfully ignoring any evidence to the contrary otherwise he’d have to consider his campaign in a more nuanced way.

Addiction is a concept that feeds into a number of the characters. Hughie is descending into addiction brought on by his own exposure to having powers. He admits to Annie that he loved having the power and he barely hesitates when offered another opportunity to have abilities. Initially, he lies to Annie about what he did but quickly opens up to her about it and tries to steer the conversation in a direction where they are both excited about being powerful. He has never been able to compare notes with her about that so feels that there is a stronger connection between them now that they have that shared experience. The visual of him easily opening the jar after making a point of showing Annie having to do that for him in prior episodes shows the perceived shift in the power dynamic from Hughie’s perspective. He states to her that he feels like he has overcome his fear but it’s clearly a delusion and a temporary fix brought on by the temporary powers. The dark truth of what he’s doing will eventually settle in and possibly a dependence on taking on abilities.

Insecurity has been something that defines Hughie. His inability to open the jar was a metaphor for impotence but it wasn’t something he seemed overly concerned about until recently. He was shown to pass the jar to Annie knowing that it was her role to open it for him. He accepted it and understood that there were qualities she admired in him beyond physical strength. Recognising that there are things you can’t do and accepting the help of those who can is a mature outlook and signifies confidence in the partnership that has been created between them. Circumstances created by Homelander changed that outlook and reawakened the feelings of helplessness that come with being bullied. Suddenly Hughie started to feel like the supporting figure in his relationship with Annie so turned to powers in an attempt to address the balance. He points out to her that he wants to protect her which is countered by her stating that she doesn’t want or need to be protected. Her view of their relationship had nothing to do with any sort of power imbalance that may exist so she sees Hughie’s concerns as being unnecessary. It’s another example of toxic masculinity on Hughie’s part, however well-intentioned.

The Boys allying with Soldier Boy as a weapon against Homelander feeds into the impasse between Annie and Hughie. In a way, it’s no different to Annie’s plan to recruit allies who will support her when the time is right to move against him but the allies she is recruiting may be more trustworthy than Solider Boy who is wholly unpredictable. Butcher is bringing him on side through manipulation which probably means there will be a betrayal at some point. Hughie supporting this play makes a strong case for Annie worrying that he’s going too far and driving a further wedge between them. They have the same goal but are taking entirely different approaches so the emotional stakes are significant.

Soldier Boy’s reappearance in the United States and the explosion he causes doesn’t have the impact that it needs to. It does cause a stir but there’s almost no sense of the panic it would realistically cause. Very little of the public perception of what amounts to a terrorist attack is shown with more focus on Homelander trying to manage the message in the wake of the events. It comes across as more of a catalyst to allow other things to happen rather than a monumental event by itself.

Homelander’s approach to having power and seizing control continues to be interesting. The meeting he attends where he realises running Vought isn’t as fun as he thought it would be is an interesting scene. Homelander is at his worst when confronted with the practical considerations that come with running a business such as this and reacts childishly when called out on the responsibility he has to make practical decisions on things he has no interest in. Once again he doubles down on his powers inspiring fear in others even though that doesn’t offer a practical answer to what he is being asked. It reminds him that he has a tenuous hold on what he has gained control of and that there are things about it that render him out of his depth.

The tenuous hold on his control of the business and the situation at large is reinforced through his conversation with Maeve where he tries to assert control over her by tapping into her self-loathing in order to keep her in her place. She turns it around on him with some choice words about how she sees him and how she felt in their sham relationship. Maeve tells him that she pitied him which is designed to be emasculating as it tells Homelander she perceived him to be pathetic enough to take pity on him. It’s clear that it gets to him but he refuses to admit these things to himself and responds by taking Maeve off the board so that she can’t say things like that to him. What he does with her is left as a mystery but it’s clear that there are things Homelander refuses to address about himself.

Maeve’s disappearance prompts Annie to look into it and try to get information by appealing to Ashley’s better nature. The question posed is whether her position as CEO is worth what she will have to do to maintain it and Ashley’s reaction indicates that it’s something that’s on her mind but she gives into her fear and the promise of power even when presented with an opportunity to do the right thing. The associated message is that this is a world where superheroes don’t get to be inspirational. Annie tries to be the beacon of hope and the one who inspires others to be their best selves but people are too afraid to be their best selves because the world around them doesn’t reward being morally upright. Examples of that can be found in Hughie compromising along with Butcher and in other places.

There is some hope to be found, particularly in the Kimiko/Frenchie scenes. Kimiko is delighted that her encounter with Soldier Boy seems to have taken her powers from her. The happiness on display as she realises that something is too heavy for her to lift is infectious and her associating the loss of her powers with freedom furthers her desire to escape to live a normal life. This is brilliantly showcased through the imagined song and dance routine that calls back to her imagining herself singing in the first episode as well as her love of the simplicity that is musicals. Part of freedom for her appears to be finding her voice so singing and dancing is the purest expression of her having total control over her life. Losing her powers may be the first step in her having a life that she can call her own. There is an unfortunate contrast between Kimiko and Frenchie who is the opposite of being free as he is still being forced into taking action when all he wants to do is escape this life with Kimiko. It’s a natural offset of the hope that Kimiko is embodying and feeds into the ongoing idea that anything good in this world is offset by something that corrupts it. Hope still exists in the show but it is dwindling and the challenges to a positive outcome are increasing.

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Verdict

A strong episode that covers its ongoing themes well and keeps the developments grounded in engaging characterisation. Power and how it’s being used is a clear emerging theme this season with Butcher and Homelander leading the exploration of it. Butcher has been compromising his own values by taking on temporary powers in order to level the playing field in combatting Supes and Homelander has been bludgeoning his way into a position of power extending beyond his superpowers. Both are equally problematic but in different ways. Butcher gets called out on his shift in approach by Mother’s Milk. He points out that he has betrayed what the Boys is supposed to stand for. Later in the episode, Butcher encourages him to compromise and take on temporary powers but Mother’s Milk refuses to compromise. The difference in their values is clearly delineated and forms the basis of an engaging conflict. There is a larger debate attached to this that the show fails to go into extensively. The high-level issue is that of principle but there are considerations on a granular level that aren’t part of the debate even though they should be. Allying with Supes as a means to an end is an acceptable compromise but taking on temporary powers is a step too far for Mother’s Milk because they feel that they need to occupy moral high ground because the fight is meaningless. There are opportunities to explore this further that go ignored. Butcher taking on the powers is interesting from a self-image point of view. It’s established that he’s willing to be hated in service of his end goal and is also willing to hate himself. It’s portrayed as an addiction with the basis of it being that Butcher recognises that the powers are something he needs but they don’t make him feel good nor does he feel good about taking them on. He hates having them because he knows they amplify the worst of himself and he already has a deflated sense of his standing as a good person so the idea of being worse is unpalatable. In many ways, he is offering himself as a sacrifice by amplifying his own self-loathing but the concerning thing is that he’s willing to drag others down with them and actively encourages them to do so. Addiction is a concept that feeds into a number of the characters. Hughie is descending into addiction brought on by his own exposure to having powers. He admits to Annie that he loved having the power and tries to steer the conversation in a direction where they are both excited about being powerful. The visual of him easily opening the jar after making a point of showing Annie having to do that for him in prior episodes shows the perceived shift in the power dynamic from Hughie’s perspective. Insecurity has been something that defines Hughie. His inability to open the jar was a metaphor for impotence but it wasn’t something he seemed overly concerned about until recently. Homelander changed that outlook and reawakened the feelings of helplessness that come with being bullied. Suddenly Hughie started to feel like the supporting figure in his relationship with Annie so turned to powers in an attempt to address the balance. He points out to her that he wants to protect her which is countered by her stating that she doesn’t want or need to be protected. It’s another example of toxic masculinity on Hughie’s part, however well-intentioned.

The Boys allying with Soldier Boy as a weapon against Homelander feeds into the impasse between Annie and Hughie. In a way, it’s no different to Annie’s plan to recruit allies who will support her when the time is right to move against him but the allies she is recruiting may be more trustworthy than Solider Boy who is wholly unpredictable. Butcher is bringing him on side through manipulation which probably means there will be a betrayal at some point. Soldier Boy’s reappearance in the United States and the explosion he causes doesn’t have the impact that it needs to. It does cause a stir but there’s almost no sense of the panic it would realistically cause. It comes across as more of a catalyst to allow other things to happen rather than a monumental event by itself. Homelander’s approach to having power and seizing control continues to be interesting. The meeting he attends where he realises running Vought isn’t as fun as he thought it would be is an interesting scene. Homelander is at his worst when confronted with the practical considerations that come with running a business such as this and reacts childishly when called out on the responsibility he has to make practical decisions on things he has no interest in. Once again he doubles down on his powers inspiring fear in others even though that doesn’t offer a practical answer to what he is being asked. It reminds him that he has a tenuous hold on what he has gained control of and that there are things about it that render him out of his depth. Homelander and Maeve’s conversation have both parties trying to prey on the other’s insecurities in order to assert dominance. Homelander is on the losing side of that interaction and deals with it by taking Maeve off the board. Maeve’s disappearance prompts Annie to look into it and try to get information by appealing to Ashley’s better nature. The question posed is whether her position as CEO is worth what she will have to do to maintain it and Ashley’s reaction indicates that it’s something that’s on her mind but she gives into her fear and the promise of power even when presented with an opportunity to do the right thing. The associated message is that this is a world where superheroes don’t get to be inspirational. There is some hope to be found, particularly in the Kimiko/Frenchie scenes. Kimiko is delighted that her encounter with Soldier Boy seems to have taken her powers from her. Associating the loss of her powers with freedom furthers her desire to escape to live a normal life. This is brilliantly showcased through the imagined song and dance routine that calls back to her imagining herself singing in the first episode as well as her love of the simplicity that is musicals. Part of freedom for her appears to be finding her voice so singing and dancing is the purest expression of her having total control over her life. There is an unfortunate contrast between Kimiko and Frenchie who is the opposite of being free as he is still being forced into taking action when all he wants to do is escape this life with Kimiko. It’s a natural offset of the hope that Kimiko is embodying and feeds into the ongoing idea that anything good in this world is offset by something that corrupts it. Hope still exists in the show but it is dwindling and the challenges to a positive outcome are increasing.

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