Dear The Boys, Please Stop Making Me Feel Sorry For Homelander

As a fan of the hit Amazon Prime series, The Boys, I have to admit that I’m both fascinated and frustrated by the show’s portrayal of its most despicable character, Homelander. Played by Antony Starr, Homelander is the leader of The Seven, a group of superheroes who are more concerned with their celebrity status and corporate sponsorships than with actually helping people.

At first, it’s easy to hate Homelander. He’s arrogant, entitled, and willing to do whatever it takes to maintain his power and status. He’s responsible for some of the show’s most heinous acts, including the brutal murder of a young woman and the manipulation of his teammates. But as the series progresses, we’re given glimpses into Homelander’s backstory, and suddenly, I find myself feeling…sorry for him?

It’s not just me, either. Fans of the show have taken to social media to express their conflicted feelings about Homelander. “I hate him, but also kind of feel bad for him?” wrote one Twitter user. “Homelander is the worst, but his backstory is so sad,” posted another.

So, what’s going on here? Why are we, as viewers, being manipulated into feeling sympathy for a character who is, by all accounts, a terrible person? The answer lies in the show’s clever writing and Antony Starr’s nuanced performance.

Through a series of flashbacks and subtle hints, we learn that Homelander’s rise to power was facilitated by his abusive and manipulative mentor, Madelyn Stillwell. We see glimpses of a vulnerable, insecure young man who was desperate for approval and attention. We’re shown how he was molded into the arrogant, entitled superhero he is today, and it’s hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for the person he used to be.

But here’s the thing: just because Homelander had a tough childhood doesn’t excuse his behavior. He’s still a grown man who makes choices that hurt and harm others. He’s still responsible for his actions, and we shouldn’t be letting his backstory excuse his cruelty.

And yet, The Boys keeps pulling at our heartstrings, making us feel like maybe, just maybe, Homelander isn’t entirely to blame for his actions. Maybe he’s just a product of a toxic system that rewards selfishness and ambition over empathy and kindness.

As a viewer, it’s uncomfortable to confront these feelings. I want to hate Homelander, to see him as a one-dimensional villain who deserves our scorn. But The Boys won’t let me do that. Instead, it’s forcing me to confront the complexity of human nature, to acknowledge that even the most despicable people have motivations and backstories that shape their behavior.

So, dear The Boys, please stop making me feel sorry for Homelander. Or, at the very least, stop making me feel so conflicted about it. I want to be able to hate him without reservation, to see him as a straightforward villain without any redeeming qualities.

But deep down, I know that’s not what The Boys is about. It’s about exploring the gray areas, about challenging our assumptions and forcing us to confront the complexity of the human experience. And if that means feeling sorry for Homelander every now and then, so be it.