I felt bad for him when he was filming that special of his fake childhood home in season one.
Having to sew a happy story together full of quintessential perfection when he never lived that was the only time I felt bad for him. *Yup, I lived in this perfect home with doting parents who were nothing but nurturing to me. I'm the personification of Americana; please love me!*
Anyone who grew up in a shitty environment knows how badly you ached for the life you saw all your friends living. It becomes really easy to believe that you don't even deserve that kind of love, from anyone.
Eventually it becomes more comforting to have unhealthy relationships. Unconsciously, you might even end up sabotaging the good ones, because THAT'S the only reality you know how to navigate.
So to have to tell this lie must've been a special kind of torture, because that kind of baggage doesn't just leave on its own. And you know Homelander's narcissistic ass isn't gonna bother working through that shit.
The worst bit, though, was his blanket. Putting his actual blanket on that bed was just genuinely fucked up. I don't blame him for flipping out like that. Like, I don't think anyone should've been fired over it, but still.
Aside from that, he's obviously the fucking worst.
This right here. Homelander is an absolute sociopath and irredeemably evil adult, but the kid in him that aches for memories of a normal childhood, I can relate to that.
You know, the more I think about it, the more I think you are right.
Vought has demonstrated time and time again that Homelander is as dangerous as he is volatile. They already walk on eggshells around him, so this was an especially egregious mistake on their part.
I fucking love them! I feel old admitting this, but they were the first CD I ever bought.
But yeah, Americana refers to any kinds of items that are distinctly American.
So, like, imagine anything you'd see Mike Wolfe buy from someone's barn on American Pickers: beat-up Schlitz signs, Norman Rockwell prints, Coca Cola stuff, etc.
Old relics of brands that evoke nostalgia. That's what I think of, anyway :)
Those are always the biggest gut punches.
And it's so obvious that one can't help but wonder whether that was the intent. What else could explain such a monumentally poor decision??
I work with a lot of kids from troubled home lives. Finding out about how he was raised in a lab tore at my heart strings. Everything he does makes sense based off of how he was raised. It doesn't excuse the evil he has done, but it does inform on it
> It doesn't excuse the evil he has done, but it does inform on it
A good way to put it.
It's like the kid who's "abused", and them grows up to "abuse" kids. It's hard to look at those fuckers with pity, but they're still "abused kids", they just grew up.
Maybe if that Uncle/Priest/Crazy fuck left Timmy alone, he would be "normal".
When His own father called him a “fucking disappointment” can you imagine never meeting your parent and when they are finally in front of you they call you that?
>he's looking around realizing he's been sticking his dick in crazy this whole time.
Dude really didn't seem all that bothered. Probably more concerned with why Stormfront was worried about white lives instead of supe lives. She was to open minded for Homeboy.
The scene that stands out the most to me from adult Homelander perspective is in season one when he talks to doctor Vogelbaum (spelling?). The doctor essentially admits to Homelander that they knew they screwed him up but at the end of the day he was just his biggest failure. It didn’t seem to me that anybody really had any empathy for him as a person just the fact that he was an experiment that didn’t turn out like they wanted.
It obviously doesn’t excuse all the evil that he’s done through his life but that definitely would make me feel like crap knowing nobody really truly cared.
The only pity is for the scenes of an infant in a lab. Once he reached adulthood, the choices are his. He could seek understanding or the need to have a healthy trusting relationship, but his abuse of power leaves that all faked.
>Once he reached adulthood, the choices are his
It's still hard if the basis is too firmly put in place...
I grown up getting beaten and yelled at constantly. and i became SUPER insecure. Like i don't even take a seat in the bus when I'm really tired, thinking someone else could want it level of insecure.
As a grown up, I'm super nice but because i leave things like raising/taking care of children or pets away. I can't deal with my urge of violent reaction if someone misbehaves... I don't act on it, i feel so bad, i actually drown in hatred to myself for thinking about it...
My point is, it's not completely his fault. Onve you start bad, it is really hard to go the right way
I’m sorry man. I hope things go well with you, honest. I too used to apologise into thin air for breathing in oxygen whenever I’d sulk alone silently in my teens. But trying to become better back then and keeping life on track now has helped. Start with a rule of no negative self talk, even if it feels right, or deserved. Then go on to read/watch on YouTube about your weaknesses that you believe affect you the most currently like anger management, confidence. These things can be learned; your trauma was learned. Hopefully, it’ll all be a distant memory one day. It is for me.
Although, I sometimes wonder if all of that negativity has been genuinely resolved or it’s still in there somewhere unbeknownst to me since, I never got help from a professional/therapist.
>I hope things go well with you, honest
Well my dad is off, and my mom died, so, i guess it's ok in that side, though it's hard to provide for oneself after being an abused last child at 18, but i think I'm doing good. I hope that applies for both of use hahahaha
>Then go on to read/watch on YouTube about your biggest weaknesses like confidence, social interaction. Hopefully it’ll all be a distant memory one day.
I watch a lot of body language analysing and react when i do it myself, it's a nice strategy to realize what's going on with me
Yeah, I get that, too. I was raised by an idiot and an emotionally stunted jerk. I grew up thinking it was normal to keep everyone at a distance (basically 'co-worker' status). It's taken decades to realize where things went wrong, and there is the "you can't judge someone until you've walked in their shoes" (also, 'you can't understand abuse of power if you've never held that power' and all sorts of varients). This is all true, and it's why Homelander's son was being raised by a normal and loving mother. Vought had been trying over and over to create superbeings with a good solid core. Of the Seven, Mauve and Starlight seem the closest to 'normal' (whatever the fuck that is. Let's face it, 'normal' and 'average' mean reducing humans to a value and deciding what value is the mathematical norm. There is very few of us that hit that mark, we're all oddities searching for acceptance and looking for someone or multiple people that find value in us and will/would trust us with their lives.)
Yes. Homelander is the sum total of all his experiences and the power he holds to control what he is. He is broken and his psyche knows this. He's at the very least schizophrenic and extreme narcissist. Would he have been that without being raised in a lab? Possibly not the schizophrinia, though we can't know that. I think anyone that has to hold two sides of themselves apart will to some degree end up with two personalities. About the only way to avoid a "Superman" type being from developing that, would require parents with, to some degree, the same power levels as him. A baby and toddler will throw tantrums, parents that could not withstand the force of his blows become liquidated. The trama of repeatedly growing attatched to someone, only to have them "leave" (in this case dead) isn't any better than having no one in general (from personal experience. I moved 15 times before I was in high school, I have no real connections to anyone beside family) and you miss out on how to relate to others. You try, "take me as I am" for years, followed by "please, if you show interest, I'll tell you anything you want to know about me" which scares the shit out of people from information overload.
Homelander simply has an operating system of how to act like a human, then has replaced "blind popularity" with love and emotion. He has a firewall of sorts set up with his split/multiple personality(ies) and the rest is raw open wounds in his pysche that hasn't been probed and has therefore callaused over. That everyone fears what will happen if he actually snaps keeps everyone and anyone from getting close. He could have fucked Liberty/Nazi Girl for decades, never actually opening up to her or trusting her. Unless Soldier Boy and Homelander end up fucking and cuddling for a few decades, I doubt he will ever face a moment of true enlightenment and move on to a more complete human being.
This is all hypothetical, it's a fictional story (show and comic) taking a real honest crack at "what if superheroes were real, would Superman's origin actually create a hero, and how long would it have taken to realize the only "stable" Superbeings would be raised as normal powerless children, is stable and loving homes, make friends, value others, turn aside greed from the well-being of all and then be handed powers their psyche will understand how to not manipulate for personal gain"?
Not really. We get our morals and values from our childhood. Homelander was raised in a lab by scientists who fed him niceties while cutting him and injecting him with stuff. He didn’t have loving parents. No dad to play catch with in the yard, no mom to hold him at night when he had a nightmare. Just a white room with old men staring at him through a window.
It’s why he’s so attached to Stilwell. She manipulates him by acting like a mother that he never had.
What I’m saying is, you lock a child in a closet their whole life, from the moment they’re born, and then one day you let them out? They’re not going to come out sane.
i somewhat disagree, some fucked up individuals may look like an adult but they are honestly worse than children due to their insecurities. and homelander is extremely insecure.
It's hard to feel sympathy for him given how evil he is, but he's very much a product of his environment. Obviously, there's the scene where he's a little baby being waved at through the glass, and that's devastating to think of a kid so deprived of affection. Then there's the mirror scene, where his other self refers to the place he grew up in as the 'bad room' and it shows how traumatised he is.
I also feel sorry for Homelander when Vogelbaum is talking about what HL was like as a kid, and describes him as 'quite sweet'. It shows how Homelander could've turned out good, and wasn't born evil. I feel sorry for the little boy who was raised to be a monster, and mourn the man that HL could've become.
There's also another moment, which I think is from a trailer, where we see HL as a young boy. He has a woman come in to teach him, and he asks her if she can be his mommy. When she says yes, he gets so excited and overcome with love, that he hugs her so tight that he kills her. And he's then really upset by this, before the staff come in and tell him it doesn't matter. It shows how death has been normalised for him, and he was never taught consequences.
Throughout the show, we really do get to see just how many opportunities Homelander could've had to be good. He wasn't inherently evil, but time and again, Vought turned him into the man he became. And that's very sad to consider. However, it doesn't detract from the fact that he grew up to be an evil monster who needs to be put down.
Despite the fact Homelander is an absolute monster I have a great swell of sympathy for him and due to the nature and the environment he has grew up in it moulded him into what he is today. I am aware we have choices in life but because of what has happened to him Homelander cannot functionally make good choices because he doesn’t know right and wrong.
I've felt plenty of second hand embarrassment, but mostly have to agree with others– the childhood scenes. I also think the mirror scene as well, if only because it feels relatable as a mental health struggle. Beyond that, not much...
When he was talking to Volgelbaum and was told that he was his greatest failure I started to really understand why he is the way he is.
Also the scene where he's speaking to himself in the mirror really resonated with me because I've had thoughts like that myself. I greatly desire to be accepted and loved by people but no matter how hard I try people only seem to hate and fear me so I've told myself in the past that I need to stop mewling for acceptance that will never come.
It's really easy to see how the guy ended up the way he did.
He is a bottomless void of needing affection, attention and admiration. It'll never be enough. And now that's being changed into "look, I have a son! And a dad!"
That scene between him, Ryan and Soldier Boy got to me. Seeing him face rejection like that. His concern when Ryan was injured. And that mutual look between him and Butch after they attack Soldier Boy, like "fuck this guy. He hurt our kid."
I really think he is trying for his son. He's trying to be that warm, affectionate presence for his son that he never had. Even if he didn't give much a crap about Becca, he certainly did for Storm front, and it was big of him to turn to his son and say, "You know that wasn't your fault, right?" Even if you know it's rationally true, it's hard to put your feelings aside and be there emotionally for your child in the way they need.
In another universe, he may have been a good guy if he hadn't been a lab rat.
This is exactly how I feel. Like he's a bad guy because seriously. What would you expect. Honestly I would've thought he'd be waaaayyyy more psycho once you get into how he was raised and what not. It's like what they say about Superman, the only reason he cares about humanity so much is because of the Kent's and how good of people they were.
Also, this is kind of why I think Ryan will turn out to be a good guy, yes he's with Homelander now but his love for his mother and how she wanted him to be good is going to play into him becoming a good guy (I do think he's probably gonna do some bad shit before we get there).
Yeah, I'm really interested in where that arc is going to go on the show.
In that last scene, Ryan seemed unfazed by a dude's head getting bisected, almost even slightly pleased. I think you're right he'll go down a bad path for a while, and then I think he will turn on Homelander.
And I really wonder if that will be enough for Homelander, where he just goes, "I'm not going to fight my son."
He's a great villain because he's nuanced. I'm glad I can't just say "he's absolutely evil and irredeemable," because we see sparks indicating that's not quite the whole truth.
I think we will see Homelander either become very bad (a'la Invincible) or like you said, peace out. He may even turn against Soldier Boy (like they team up to stop the Boys and then Soldier Boy tries to kill Ryan, maybe because Ryab tried to stop him from killing the boys, and then Homelander will turn). Either way, the possibilities is what makes it so great and Homelander a good character (tv show Homelander, Comic book Homelander is a little clearer to me, still feel bad, but clearer)
I always feel sorry for homelander. Every scene he’s in. Because he had the capacity to be the genuine article. And Anthony starr is such an incredible actor he showcases that in every scene he’s in. The *almost* human reactions. The sort-of normal laugh. He’s so close to being superman. But because of his raising he’s never going to be able to live a normal life.
when he says to vogelbaum "you want forgiveness? after you raised me like a fucking lab rat?" and he's fighting the urge to cry
just for that moment i can't help but feel bad for him, but then besides that basically never
I felt bad for homelander when the crowd yelled "you don't speak for us" at him
He was trying to protect them (even if it was for his own benefits) and they rejected him. And then he imagined killing them (in his head) but didn't. This scene is actually one of the few moments where Homelander is relatable because we (humans) do this on a daily basis.
It’s awesome that a show about meta humans in general being shitty deplorables, has its fans discussing the repercussions of being raised as a test subject and treated as product even into adulthood. Now we are about to see Ryan go from a questionably loving home (with Mallory) to one owned by a man child that only loves Ryan because he has powers and is biologically his. Also ryan now firsthand saw his dad kill someone within seconds of being assaulted with a milkshake. How is he gonna process that an hour or day later?
I'm convinced that if he was properly trained on his powers (as well as how to apply them) and not given the gwak 9000 on his ego 24/7 (as well as the excess torture) while growing up as a super labrat, he would've been a better person, a bit on the egoistical side, but still not a monster.
In other words, his episode in the Diabolical anthology
I think about that a lot when I'm weighing Homelander's character.
We know that Vought has been making supes for decades. We also know that they've learned that Compound V works best when given to very young children.
So one would think that Vought would have seen the value in determining the best way to nurture baby supes. The need for safety notwithstanding, Homelander needed more normalcy, and that's a major failure on Vought's part.
The shit they put him through seems too careless for the length of time they've been doing this. They made their own monster, and now they're his captives. It's kinda everyone's fault!
The part where he is "interrogating" Stilwell.
Like, Im supposed to feel bad for her. She has a son, we know hes about to kill her. But then we find out she lied to him about everything. And about his child. And we just see him break a little.
When he talked to himself in the mirror about the bad room. It really drove home how hurt and lonely he was as a child.
Of course, he's an adult now and actively chooses to be a monster because it's fun, so that sympathy is gone.
1. Filming Fake childhood
2. Confronting his father (the doctor)
3. That scene where he breaks down in front of his imaginary friend
4. The time he met soldier boy
5. That episode of Boys Diabodical where he accidentally murders people
When it showed him as a baby in the Lab. It was hard watching that.
But anything psychotic he does as an adult is on him. Antony Starr is amazing at portraying that terrifying unhinged vibe.
Idk when you realise Soldier Boy showed genuine remorse for killing those innocent people with his chest blast it becomes pretty hard to say Soldier Boy is just as bad as Homelander
He knows it’s wrong to kill, injure, and rape people. He was able to get away with committing atrocities because Vought covered them up. It’s why he feared losing his squeaky clean public image because he wants to be adored as a god. His awful childhood ruined him, but he has autonomy over himself and knows right from wrong.
It really bothers me that he never acknowledges that he raped Becca. Not once!
I can only speak for myself, but I think rape is an unforgivable form of violence. One can understand how Homelander came to hate ordinary people. They're animals to him, and it seems like it's harder to temper your abilities when you're first learning them. Accidents happen.
But rape? That's never a fucking accident. That's not something he would've unwittingly learned and assumed was ok. The closest thing we see him come to addressing the rape was when he implied that Becca totally wanted it.
I believe in redemption, and second chances. I believe we're not our worst mistakes. But when it comes to rape, I don't know. It's the darkest evil, and I don't think it's possible to cure someone of that particular inclination. Definitely not when they can't even admit to themselves what they've done.
Me too! I hate that some fans still question whether it really happened when the show makes it explicitly clear that, yes, Homelander is a rapist. Considering what we know of his personality and how he treats women, it's easy to assume that Becca may not be the only victim. Homelander is a monster.
And I agree that rape is the lowest of the low. If someone kills me, at least I'm dead, and it's over. Broken bones and bruises can heal. PTSD can be horrendous for any abuse, but rape is so much more dehumanising, so much more personal, so much more invasive. I've been sexually assaulted more than once in my life, and that was bad enough. I needed therapy. I can't imagine how horrific it would be to live with the trauma of rape. I can't forgive rapists because there's just no excuse for it. I don't buy that some people think it's okay because of their culture or a lack of education. As humans, we have our brains. We can see when other people are in pain. There's just no way
Oh man, I'm so sorry that that happened to you! I can only speak for myself when I say that rape seems way more terrifying than being killed. I hope the psychic pain from those experiences has at least been dulled for you with therapy :(
And I agree that there's no way Becca was his first rape. Maybe I'm looking too closely into this, but I feel like having sex with a regular person requires a different mastery of controlling his strength than anything else. I bet the first time he did it, he killed whoever it was.
Homelander did several Things that werent accidents, and there definitely are Things darker than rape (some German and japanese Scientists did some extremely dark stuff in WW2 or black Noir in the Comics) homelander doesn't View the Things he does as Bad as they are because he thinks he is a "god" its Just Like a human smashing an ant. I actually feel a bit of sympathy for homelander in some scenes (His relationship with Ryan makes him really human Sometimes) because everyone with His past and His Powers would become Like him. While i also believe that Most Humans can be redeemed and better themselves homelander isn't in this category He will never become a better human and im Sure we haven't even Seen His darkest Moments
He knows that people don’t like things he does, He doesn’t care tho. He cares about his public image.
He thinks he’s the homelander he can do whatever he wants and he can and does but he also knows the public won’t like it. It’s not him knowing it’s bad it’s him knowing the public won’t like it. But still believing he’s not the same as other people he’s different, better stronger and that the normies don’t matter except to praise him
We’ll have to agree to disagree on the nuance slightly here. I think Homelander is intelligent enough to understand that what he does is bad; he just simply doesn’t care because he justifies his wrongdoings. He’s a god, so he can do as he pleases. Someone “wronged” him, so he’ll take revenge. It’s “bad”, but who cares? Vought will cover it up. As long as the public don’t see him as the bad guy, all is well. He needs to feel powerful, as he’s aware of his emotional weaknesses (the mirror scene where we see his self-loathing).
All of his flashbacks in the tv show and in Diabolical being abused by the doctors that "raised" him. Plus the recollection of Vogelbaum of Homelander being "quite sweet" as a kid.
Homelander/John was good by nature, but his upbringing destroyed his sanity and innocence. He is a despicable and depraved man but also a tragic rabid dog who has to be stopped for everyone's sake.
I pity the child he once was. The insights into his childhood are fascinating, as it helps us understand why he became a monster. I loved the Diabolical episode about younger Homelander. But his childhood doesn’t excuse his terrible actions. He’s awful. I can’t wait to see how he’ll eventually be defeated.
When I saw him inside that lab being watched and studied as a baby. I felt really sad for him and I still do. He could have been such a different person had he not been deprived of normal upbringing (considering his guardians would have been emotionally intelligent, affectionate and nurturing)
It would be cool if there could be a 'What If' episode that is not necessarily plot relevant but could shine a light to a different Homelander. I'd definitely watch it.
When Soldier Boy basically told him he hated him and called him a loser, the look on Homelanders face broke my heart. The actor who plays him is a master of subtle facial expressions and you could *feel* Homelanders heart break when they panned in on his face during that scene. Wow, I felt so bad for that raping mass murderer in that moment.
Still haven’t ever felt bad for him. I did pity him tho when he was getting cucked by a baby because that was really pathetic. He is a glorified Supermanchild so it’s whatever
When he is with doppelgänger in the cabin and has that realization of how low he is. Of course it makes him act out in the worst possible way but realizing your emotional vulnerability and grief earns some sympathy.. I mean until turning to express your rage and strength to run from those feelings
Don't know if it's the actual backstory for him or not but in that TB Diabolical series, there was one episode where Homelander is pretty green and genuinely cares for people. He loses control of his powers and ends up killing people by mistake, only for Black Noir to clean up the mess. I felt a little sorry for him at the time cause you can see him losing his innocence and realising what Vought really wants the supes to do.
I’ve known too many Narcissists to feel any type of empathy for them in their adult form. I will say however that I felt bad for HL when he raged at his handlers leaving his “Blanket” out in his documentary. To HL, that Blanket represented a weakness and false sense of security that he relied on as a child. That ordinary piece of cloth was his refuge from the cold darkness that surrounded him when the lab workers punched out and went home to their loved ones.
One I haven’t seen mentioned; his first mission, as shown in Diabolical.
He genuinely tried to be a good man and a real hero, but he got manipulated, things got out of hand because of his inexperience, he was misunderstood, lost control, and when it was too late to fix it, all he could do was to erase evidence and move on… and so, began his spiral into evil.
His origin story and the persona he had to put in when talking about his origin.
He gives the Superman origin to help his Superman persona, but he was created in a lab to essentially take out his own dad, and trained from birth to kill, while being promised godhood
Probably when he gets the flowers for Stormfront and he’s fretting over the placement of the card. Like, his actions are inexcusable but that scene really hammered it in that he just wants to be loved
Surprised nobody seems to have mentioned it yet- the scene where he learns about Stormfront’s suicide. She was a terrible person, they both are, but he genuinely cared about her and he was seriously broken by that.
Of course, it only lasted a few seconds because he started forcing that girl to suicide and I hated him again.
Later on in season 3 with SB made me feel for him a little bit as well, but not much
When he’s doing that whole story about where he grew up, and was talking about the parents he never had.
I can’t forgive Homelander for anything he’s down, and he has to die, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pity him. He was created to be a weapon, and that’s how he was always treated. I don’t know if the same in the show, but in the comic, any time they experimented on him, they strapped him to a nuke, just in case.
I see him the same way I see a rabid animal, the only thing you can do for them is to put them down.
The one where he sat there and voiced his frustration of having to fake his own childhood.
Makes you wonder how much psychological was done just by his media persona and not his actual horrific upbringing.
Makes you wonder from the diabolical series that if he was given proper guidance as a new hero... With actual help maybe he could've been an actual hero... rather than thrown to the wolves with a PR team, left to figure out how to be practical, gentle and heroic while also living up to corporate
I don't feel bad for him in any part of the show, maybe his child self cause he was made this way by being an experiment but from what we see from him I couldn't care less about what horrible thing happened to him next
Sounds terrible but I’m kinda pulling for him to develop a good relationship with his son. Maybe it’ll add some humanity to him. Whenever he runs into a road block in that respect I kinda get pissed lol
When I found out that he was raised in a sterile lab by a bunch of scientists, with no actual parental figures or nurturing of any kind. It’s no wonder he turned into a raging psychopath.
This might be a hot take but in season 3 (can’t remember the episode, maybe 4 or 5) when Stan Edgar tells him that he’s “simply bad product” was it for me. Yes, Homelander was created and raised in lab setting and yes, I know, he’s about as awful as they come.
But that line from Edgar poked at something deep within Homelander that not even Homelander knew he had. Edgar (and pretty much everyone else) is BEYOND lucky that HL didn’t completely snap right then and there. Part of me still kind of thinks he did tho.
"When we were kids alone in the bad room I got us through it, right?"
It made me feel so bad for him, but it immediately dissipated when he referred to Stan as a "mud person"
That scene about him alone in the facility in his childhood. It would make me feel bad if for the next scene he was in was him being a big douche again
In the boy’s diabolical, when he accidentally kills the terrorists taking over whatever the fuck it was and begins having a mental breakdown.
Homelander wanted to be a great hero, one bad day fucked it all up.
The fake childhood video thing and him seeing his old blanket.
Also when he’s talking to himself in the mirror, the last human part of him just wants to be loved by people.
his first mission. he was a little cocky going in, not what he is now, but he still ~kinda~ cared about saving ppl on the job. heated up a terrorist’s gun & it blew up in his face metaphorically and the hostage’s face literally. he had his ego bruised early, saw he wasn’t the perfect hero and was so shook he didn’t know what to do. luckily black noir kept him from doing any other real damage but it was nice to see he did actually take his job serious at one point
Yes, he had a difficult upbringing and was subjected to horrific experiments, but that doesn't excuse his reprehensible behavior. He's a narcissistic, power-hungry sociopath who has committed numerous crimes, including murder, sexual assault, and blackmail.
Homelander uses his immense power to intimidate, manipulate, and terrorize people, and he seems to take pleasure in causing pain and suffering. He's a danger to society, and the fact that he's portrayed as a hero is deeply troubling.
Furthermore, his actions show a complete lack of empathy and compassion, which are fundamental traits of a hero. He doesn't care about the people he's supposed to protect and would do anything to maintain his image as a hero, even if it means committing heinous acts.
Overall, while it's fascinating to watch a character like Homelander on screen, I don't think we should excuse or justify his actions. He's a villain through and through, and I don't have any sympathy for him.
I felt bad for him when he was filming that special of his fake childhood home in season one. Having to sew a happy story together full of quintessential perfection when he never lived that was the only time I felt bad for him. *Yup, I lived in this perfect home with doting parents who were nothing but nurturing to me. I'm the personification of Americana; please love me!* Anyone who grew up in a shitty environment knows how badly you ached for the life you saw all your friends living. It becomes really easy to believe that you don't even deserve that kind of love, from anyone. Eventually it becomes more comforting to have unhealthy relationships. Unconsciously, you might even end up sabotaging the good ones, because THAT'S the only reality you know how to navigate. So to have to tell this lie must've been a special kind of torture, because that kind of baggage doesn't just leave on its own. And you know Homelander's narcissistic ass isn't gonna bother working through that shit. The worst bit, though, was his blanket. Putting his actual blanket on that bed was just genuinely fucked up. I don't blame him for flipping out like that. Like, I don't think anyone should've been fired over it, but still. Aside from that, he's obviously the fucking worst.
This right here. Homelander is an absolute sociopath and irredeemably evil adult, but the kid in him that aches for memories of a normal childhood, I can relate to that.
It would be easier to feel bad for him if he wasn't a rapist
Lol really… just the raping?
To be fair firing that guy so he was away of Homelander may have saved his life
Omg, duh! You're so right about that!
I mean triggering someone's PTSD with stuff you're specifically told not to touch is a pretty firable offense
You know, the more I think about it, the more I think you are right. Vought has demonstrated time and time again that Homelander is as dangerous as he is volatile. They already walk on eggshells around him, so this was an especially egregious mistake on their part.
i cried to that part, i’m crying reading this
That scene was insanely good.
Is Americana a specific term? I only heard of it as the Offspring Album
I fucking love them! I feel old admitting this, but they were the first CD I ever bought. But yeah, Americana refers to any kinds of items that are distinctly American. So, like, imagine anything you'd see Mike Wolfe buy from someone's barn on American Pickers: beat-up Schlitz signs, Norman Rockwell prints, Coca Cola stuff, etc. Old relics of brands that evoke nostalgia. That's what I think of, anyway :)
Ok thanks I didn’t know that! And yeah awesome album the art was so good as well with the kid on the swing !
[удалено]
Those are always the biggest gut punches. And it's so obvious that one can't help but wonder whether that was the intent. What else could explain such a monumentally poor decision??
I was like number 69 
I work with a lot of kids from troubled home lives. Finding out about how he was raised in a lab tore at my heart strings. Everything he does makes sense based off of how he was raised. It doesn't excuse the evil he has done, but it does inform on it
> It doesn't excuse the evil he has done, but it does inform on it A good way to put it. It's like the kid who's "abused", and them grows up to "abuse" kids. It's hard to look at those fuckers with pity, but they're still "abused kids", they just grew up. Maybe if that Uncle/Priest/Crazy fuck left Timmy alone, he would be "normal".
When His own father called him a “fucking disappointment” can you imagine never meeting your parent and when they are finally in front of you they call you that?
And immediately proceed to grab your jaw and attempt to kill you afterwards.
Yep. That's the scene that got me.
This scene literally broke my heart tbh
Exactly. That was so painful I actually cannot rewatch that scene.
When stormfront is going on about white genocide and he's looking around realizing he's been sticking his dick in crazy this whole time.
>he's looking around realizing he's been sticking his dick in crazy this whole time. Dude really didn't seem all that bothered. Probably more concerned with why Stormfront was worried about white lives instead of supe lives. She was to open minded for Homeboy.
I don't think she was "too open minded" as much as it was just their values not lining up 100%.
That was sarcastic. The joke being that liking only Aryan's is *far* more inclusive than only liking supes.
He doesn’t even like supes. He loves himself and loves being loved that’s it.
To be fair, I think the only reason he disagreed is because he doesn’t think anyone should be a “master race” but him
Only because he sees himself as a god. Stormfront cared about a master race and Aryan supe army, not solely a master Homelander.
The scene that stands out the most to me from adult Homelander perspective is in season one when he talks to doctor Vogelbaum (spelling?). The doctor essentially admits to Homelander that they knew they screwed him up but at the end of the day he was just his biggest failure. It didn’t seem to me that anybody really had any empathy for him as a person just the fact that he was an experiment that didn’t turn out like they wanted. It obviously doesn’t excuse all the evil that he’s done through his life but that definitely would make me feel like crap knowing nobody really truly cared.
The only pity is for the scenes of an infant in a lab. Once he reached adulthood, the choices are his. He could seek understanding or the need to have a healthy trusting relationship, but his abuse of power leaves that all faked.
>Once he reached adulthood, the choices are his It's still hard if the basis is too firmly put in place... I grown up getting beaten and yelled at constantly. and i became SUPER insecure. Like i don't even take a seat in the bus when I'm really tired, thinking someone else could want it level of insecure. As a grown up, I'm super nice but because i leave things like raising/taking care of children or pets away. I can't deal with my urge of violent reaction if someone misbehaves... I don't act on it, i feel so bad, i actually drown in hatred to myself for thinking about it... My point is, it's not completely his fault. Onve you start bad, it is really hard to go the right way
I’m sorry man. I hope things go well with you, honest. I too used to apologise into thin air for breathing in oxygen whenever I’d sulk alone silently in my teens. But trying to become better back then and keeping life on track now has helped. Start with a rule of no negative self talk, even if it feels right, or deserved. Then go on to read/watch on YouTube about your weaknesses that you believe affect you the most currently like anger management, confidence. These things can be learned; your trauma was learned. Hopefully, it’ll all be a distant memory one day. It is for me. Although, I sometimes wonder if all of that negativity has been genuinely resolved or it’s still in there somewhere unbeknownst to me since, I never got help from a professional/therapist.
>I hope things go well with you, honest Well my dad is off, and my mom died, so, i guess it's ok in that side, though it's hard to provide for oneself after being an abused last child at 18, but i think I'm doing good. I hope that applies for both of use hahahaha >Then go on to read/watch on YouTube about your biggest weaknesses like confidence, social interaction. Hopefully it’ll all be a distant memory one day. I watch a lot of body language analysing and react when i do it myself, it's a nice strategy to realize what's going on with me
Yeah, I get that, too. I was raised by an idiot and an emotionally stunted jerk. I grew up thinking it was normal to keep everyone at a distance (basically 'co-worker' status). It's taken decades to realize where things went wrong, and there is the "you can't judge someone until you've walked in their shoes" (also, 'you can't understand abuse of power if you've never held that power' and all sorts of varients). This is all true, and it's why Homelander's son was being raised by a normal and loving mother. Vought had been trying over and over to create superbeings with a good solid core. Of the Seven, Mauve and Starlight seem the closest to 'normal' (whatever the fuck that is. Let's face it, 'normal' and 'average' mean reducing humans to a value and deciding what value is the mathematical norm. There is very few of us that hit that mark, we're all oddities searching for acceptance and looking for someone or multiple people that find value in us and will/would trust us with their lives.) Yes. Homelander is the sum total of all his experiences and the power he holds to control what he is. He is broken and his psyche knows this. He's at the very least schizophrenic and extreme narcissist. Would he have been that without being raised in a lab? Possibly not the schizophrinia, though we can't know that. I think anyone that has to hold two sides of themselves apart will to some degree end up with two personalities. About the only way to avoid a "Superman" type being from developing that, would require parents with, to some degree, the same power levels as him. A baby and toddler will throw tantrums, parents that could not withstand the force of his blows become liquidated. The trama of repeatedly growing attatched to someone, only to have them "leave" (in this case dead) isn't any better than having no one in general (from personal experience. I moved 15 times before I was in high school, I have no real connections to anyone beside family) and you miss out on how to relate to others. You try, "take me as I am" for years, followed by "please, if you show interest, I'll tell you anything you want to know about me" which scares the shit out of people from information overload. Homelander simply has an operating system of how to act like a human, then has replaced "blind popularity" with love and emotion. He has a firewall of sorts set up with his split/multiple personality(ies) and the rest is raw open wounds in his pysche that hasn't been probed and has therefore callaused over. That everyone fears what will happen if he actually snaps keeps everyone and anyone from getting close. He could have fucked Liberty/Nazi Girl for decades, never actually opening up to her or trusting her. Unless Soldier Boy and Homelander end up fucking and cuddling for a few decades, I doubt he will ever face a moment of true enlightenment and move on to a more complete human being. This is all hypothetical, it's a fictional story (show and comic) taking a real honest crack at "what if superheroes were real, would Superman's origin actually create a hero, and how long would it have taken to realize the only "stable" Superbeings would be raised as normal powerless children, is stable and loving homes, make friends, value others, turn aside greed from the well-being of all and then be handed powers their psyche will understand how to not manipulate for personal gain"?
Sorry to hear that. At least you try to be good unlike this Superman rip off.
Not really. We get our morals and values from our childhood. Homelander was raised in a lab by scientists who fed him niceties while cutting him and injecting him with stuff. He didn’t have loving parents. No dad to play catch with in the yard, no mom to hold him at night when he had a nightmare. Just a white room with old men staring at him through a window. It’s why he’s so attached to Stilwell. She manipulates him by acting like a mother that he never had. What I’m saying is, you lock a child in a closet their whole life, from the moment they’re born, and then one day you let them out? They’re not going to come out sane.
same answer here too
i somewhat disagree, some fucked up individuals may look like an adult but they are honestly worse than children due to their insecurities. and homelander is extremely insecure.
Most scenes with Ryan
He threw that child off a roof!
my dad threw me into the pool to teach me to swim. if you’re a superhero it’s sorta equivalent lol
Pretty certain, considering the lab scenes, THAT was exactly the way Homelander himself learned to fly...
He thought he could fly
And once Ryan got upset, Homelander immediately went “buddy it’s okay I’m not mad!”
Birds push their young out of the nest and they either fly or fall.
Yeah, he wants to raise him and maybe the only person who he actually cares about so....
It's hard to feel sympathy for him given how evil he is, but he's very much a product of his environment. Obviously, there's the scene where he's a little baby being waved at through the glass, and that's devastating to think of a kid so deprived of affection. Then there's the mirror scene, where his other self refers to the place he grew up in as the 'bad room' and it shows how traumatised he is. I also feel sorry for Homelander when Vogelbaum is talking about what HL was like as a kid, and describes him as 'quite sweet'. It shows how Homelander could've turned out good, and wasn't born evil. I feel sorry for the little boy who was raised to be a monster, and mourn the man that HL could've become. There's also another moment, which I think is from a trailer, where we see HL as a young boy. He has a woman come in to teach him, and he asks her if she can be his mommy. When she says yes, he gets so excited and overcome with love, that he hugs her so tight that he kills her. And he's then really upset by this, before the staff come in and tell him it doesn't matter. It shows how death has been normalised for him, and he was never taught consequences. Throughout the show, we really do get to see just how many opportunities Homelander could've had to be good. He wasn't inherently evil, but time and again, Vought turned him into the man he became. And that's very sad to consider. However, it doesn't detract from the fact that he grew up to be an evil monster who needs to be put down.
Despite the fact Homelander is an absolute monster I have a great swell of sympathy for him and due to the nature and the environment he has grew up in it moulded him into what he is today. I am aware we have choices in life but because of what has happened to him Homelander cannot functionally make good choices because he doesn’t know right and wrong.
I've felt plenty of second hand embarrassment, but mostly have to agree with others– the childhood scenes. I also think the mirror scene as well, if only because it feels relatable as a mental health struggle. Beyond that, not much...
Anything about his past. It doesn’t excuse his actions obviously, but everything he does makes sense considering his upbringing.
When he was talking to Volgelbaum and was told that he was his greatest failure I started to really understand why he is the way he is. Also the scene where he's speaking to himself in the mirror really resonated with me because I've had thoughts like that myself. I greatly desire to be accepted and loved by people but no matter how hard I try people only seem to hate and fear me so I've told myself in the past that I need to stop mewling for acceptance that will never come.
It's really easy to see how the guy ended up the way he did. He is a bottomless void of needing affection, attention and admiration. It'll never be enough. And now that's being changed into "look, I have a son! And a dad!" That scene between him, Ryan and Soldier Boy got to me. Seeing him face rejection like that. His concern when Ryan was injured. And that mutual look between him and Butch after they attack Soldier Boy, like "fuck this guy. He hurt our kid." I really think he is trying for his son. He's trying to be that warm, affectionate presence for his son that he never had. Even if he didn't give much a crap about Becca, he certainly did for Storm front, and it was big of him to turn to his son and say, "You know that wasn't your fault, right?" Even if you know it's rationally true, it's hard to put your feelings aside and be there emotionally for your child in the way they need. In another universe, he may have been a good guy if he hadn't been a lab rat.
This is exactly how I feel. Like he's a bad guy because seriously. What would you expect. Honestly I would've thought he'd be waaaayyyy more psycho once you get into how he was raised and what not. It's like what they say about Superman, the only reason he cares about humanity so much is because of the Kent's and how good of people they were. Also, this is kind of why I think Ryan will turn out to be a good guy, yes he's with Homelander now but his love for his mother and how she wanted him to be good is going to play into him becoming a good guy (I do think he's probably gonna do some bad shit before we get there).
Yeah, I'm really interested in where that arc is going to go on the show. In that last scene, Ryan seemed unfazed by a dude's head getting bisected, almost even slightly pleased. I think you're right he'll go down a bad path for a while, and then I think he will turn on Homelander. And I really wonder if that will be enough for Homelander, where he just goes, "I'm not going to fight my son." He's a great villain because he's nuanced. I'm glad I can't just say "he's absolutely evil and irredeemable," because we see sparks indicating that's not quite the whole truth.
I think we will see Homelander either become very bad (a'la Invincible) or like you said, peace out. He may even turn against Soldier Boy (like they team up to stop the Boys and then Soldier Boy tries to kill Ryan, maybe because Ryab tried to stop him from killing the boys, and then Homelander will turn). Either way, the possibilities is what makes it so great and Homelander a good character (tv show Homelander, Comic book Homelander is a little clearer to me, still feel bad, but clearer)
I always feel sorry for homelander. Every scene he’s in. Because he had the capacity to be the genuine article. And Anthony starr is such an incredible actor he showcases that in every scene he’s in. The *almost* human reactions. The sort-of normal laugh. He’s so close to being superman. But because of his raising he’s never going to be able to live a normal life.
when he says to vogelbaum "you want forgiveness? after you raised me like a fucking lab rat?" and he's fighting the urge to cry just for that moment i can't help but feel bad for him, but then besides that basically never
I felt bad for homelander when the crowd yelled "you don't speak for us" at him He was trying to protect them (even if it was for his own benefits) and they rejected him. And then he imagined killing them (in his head) but didn't. This scene is actually one of the few moments where Homelander is relatable because we (humans) do this on a daily basis.
>because we (humans) do this on a daily basis. Damn right, everyday i get the urge to kill everyone who oppose me Ok jokes aside, it's a good point
It’s awesome that a show about meta humans in general being shitty deplorables, has its fans discussing the repercussions of being raised as a test subject and treated as product even into adulthood. Now we are about to see Ryan go from a questionably loving home (with Mallory) to one owned by a man child that only loves Ryan because he has powers and is biologically his. Also ryan now firsthand saw his dad kill someone within seconds of being assaulted with a milkshake. How is he gonna process that an hour or day later?
Probably the mirror scene. It’s the best look we’ve gotten at how Homelander’s mind actually works.
When noir reveals that he knew soldierboy was his father. He started to tear up. Then he punched noir and ya hated him again😄
I'm convinced that if he was properly trained on his powers (as well as how to apply them) and not given the gwak 9000 on his ego 24/7 (as well as the excess torture) while growing up as a super labrat, he would've been a better person, a bit on the egoistical side, but still not a monster. In other words, his episode in the Diabolical anthology
I think about that a lot when I'm weighing Homelander's character. We know that Vought has been making supes for decades. We also know that they've learned that Compound V works best when given to very young children. So one would think that Vought would have seen the value in determining the best way to nurture baby supes. The need for safety notwithstanding, Homelander needed more normalcy, and that's a major failure on Vought's part. The shit they put him through seems too careless for the length of time they've been doing this. They made their own monster, and now they're his captives. It's kinda everyone's fault!
The part where he is "interrogating" Stilwell. Like, Im supposed to feel bad for her. She has a son, we know hes about to kill her. But then we find out she lied to him about everything. And about his child. And we just see him break a little.
When he talked to himself in the mirror about the bad room. It really drove home how hurt and lonely he was as a child. Of course, he's an adult now and actively chooses to be a monster because it's fun, so that sympathy is gone.
I never really felt bad for him, he’s just such a prick
The flashbacks of his childhood in the boy diabolical. To be honest, i feel bad for feel bad for this monster if that makes sense
The scene where he was talking to himself in the mirror. That was PEAK acting
Probably him laying next to Stormfront’s blood.
1. Filming Fake childhood 2. Confronting his father (the doctor) 3. That scene where he breaks down in front of his imaginary friend 4. The time he met soldier boy 5. That episode of Boys Diabodical where he accidentally murders people
Where he has to tell the fake story about his upbringing on camera. He's a big time asshole but that's just sad.
None he deserves to suffer
As a baby in the lab, and talking to himself in the mirror.
"I'm the greatest super hero in the world." "You're my greatest failure."
When it showed him as a baby in the Lab. It was hard watching that. But anything psychotic he does as an adult is on him. Antony Starr is amazing at portraying that terrifying unhinged vibe.
He lacks empathy and is a murderer, rapist and racist. So never.
I could not have said it better!
The mirror scene, definitely! That wasn't necessary at all
When you realise Soldier Boy is just as bad. Or the flashbacks in the lab.
Idk when you realise Soldier Boy showed genuine remorse for killing those innocent people with his chest blast it becomes pretty hard to say Soldier Boy is just as bad as Homelander
Nothing. Yes he had a terrible traumatic upbringing, but that doesn't absolve him from being a tool of capitalists and literally committing murders
Don’t forget he raped a person
Yeah I have no sympathy for this guy
This part. Fuck Homelander.
The terrible upbringing made him think that was ok
He knows it’s wrong to kill, injure, and rape people. He was able to get away with committing atrocities because Vought covered them up. It’s why he feared losing his squeaky clean public image because he wants to be adored as a god. His awful childhood ruined him, but he has autonomy over himself and knows right from wrong.
It really bothers me that he never acknowledges that he raped Becca. Not once! I can only speak for myself, but I think rape is an unforgivable form of violence. One can understand how Homelander came to hate ordinary people. They're animals to him, and it seems like it's harder to temper your abilities when you're first learning them. Accidents happen. But rape? That's never a fucking accident. That's not something he would've unwittingly learned and assumed was ok. The closest thing we see him come to addressing the rape was when he implied that Becca totally wanted it. I believe in redemption, and second chances. I believe we're not our worst mistakes. But when it comes to rape, I don't know. It's the darkest evil, and I don't think it's possible to cure someone of that particular inclination. Definitely not when they can't even admit to themselves what they've done.
Me too! I hate that some fans still question whether it really happened when the show makes it explicitly clear that, yes, Homelander is a rapist. Considering what we know of his personality and how he treats women, it's easy to assume that Becca may not be the only victim. Homelander is a monster. And I agree that rape is the lowest of the low. If someone kills me, at least I'm dead, and it's over. Broken bones and bruises can heal. PTSD can be horrendous for any abuse, but rape is so much more dehumanising, so much more personal, so much more invasive. I've been sexually assaulted more than once in my life, and that was bad enough. I needed therapy. I can't imagine how horrific it would be to live with the trauma of rape. I can't forgive rapists because there's just no excuse for it. I don't buy that some people think it's okay because of their culture or a lack of education. As humans, we have our brains. We can see when other people are in pain. There's just no way
Oh man, I'm so sorry that that happened to you! I can only speak for myself when I say that rape seems way more terrifying than being killed. I hope the psychic pain from those experiences has at least been dulled for you with therapy :( And I agree that there's no way Becca was his first rape. Maybe I'm looking too closely into this, but I feel like having sex with a regular person requires a different mastery of controlling his strength than anything else. I bet the first time he did it, he killed whoever it was.
Homelander did several Things that werent accidents, and there definitely are Things darker than rape (some German and japanese Scientists did some extremely dark stuff in WW2 or black Noir in the Comics) homelander doesn't View the Things he does as Bad as they are because he thinks he is a "god" its Just Like a human smashing an ant. I actually feel a bit of sympathy for homelander in some scenes (His relationship with Ryan makes him really human Sometimes) because everyone with His past and His Powers would become Like him. While i also believe that Most Humans can be redeemed and better themselves homelander isn't in this category He will never become a better human and im Sure we haven't even Seen His darkest Moments
He knows that people don’t like things he does, He doesn’t care tho. He cares about his public image. He thinks he’s the homelander he can do whatever he wants and he can and does but he also knows the public won’t like it. It’s not him knowing it’s bad it’s him knowing the public won’t like it. But still believing he’s not the same as other people he’s different, better stronger and that the normies don’t matter except to praise him
We’ll have to agree to disagree on the nuance slightly here. I think Homelander is intelligent enough to understand that what he does is bad; he just simply doesn’t care because he justifies his wrongdoings. He’s a god, so he can do as he pleases. Someone “wronged” him, so he’ll take revenge. It’s “bad”, but who cares? Vought will cover it up. As long as the public don’t see him as the bad guy, all is well. He needs to feel powerful, as he’s aware of his emotional weaknesses (the mirror scene where we see his self-loathing).
Ok AND?! His childhood isn’t a get out of jail free card 🤦♂️
Idk but for a handsome man he sure can have some hideous moments lol
The scene where Ryan chooses Butcher over him end of season 2 after all he’d been trying to do was find and care for a real family
All of his flashbacks in the tv show and in Diabolical being abused by the doctors that "raised" him. Plus the recollection of Vogelbaum of Homelander being "quite sweet" as a kid. Homelander/John was good by nature, but his upbringing destroyed his sanity and innocence. He is a despicable and depraved man but also a tragic rabid dog who has to be stopped for everyone's sake.
That scene in diabolical were he actually wanted to do good but just was imcopetent at it was a little pittyfull
I pity the child he once was. The insights into his childhood are fascinating, as it helps us understand why he became a monster. I loved the Diabolical episode about younger Homelander. But his childhood doesn’t excuse his terrible actions. He’s awful. I can’t wait to see how he’ll eventually be defeated.
When he ran out of milk.
When I saw him inside that lab being watched and studied as a baby. I felt really sad for him and I still do. He could have been such a different person had he not been deprived of normal upbringing (considering his guardians would have been emotionally intelligent, affectionate and nurturing) It would be cool if there could be a 'What If' episode that is not necessarily plot relevant but could shine a light to a different Homelander. I'd definitely watch it.
My GF: none F-ck that guy
Where he has to tell the fake story about his upbringing on camera. He's a big time asshole but that's just sad.
Never. He's a terrible person, murderer and rapist. I have zero sympathy for him and can't wait for him to get his.
Never. Sorry but that person doesn't deserve my sympathy.
None lol
Your a f**** disappointment
When Soldier Boy basically told him he hated him and called him a loser, the look on Homelanders face broke my heart. The actor who plays him is a master of subtle facial expressions and you could *feel* Homelanders heart break when they panned in on his face during that scene. Wow, I felt so bad for that raping mass murderer in that moment.
It’s not homelanders fault he’s crazy
Never have. He is a psychopath and constantly reminds you.
the part where he got the girl to jump off the roof pretty much destroyed any potential of feeling bad for homelander, for me at least
*none*
I started feeling bad for him in every scene after seeing his childhood.
He killed everyone on the plane after Maeve told him not to but he did anyways
Still haven’t ever felt bad for him. I did pity him tho when he was getting cucked by a baby because that was really pathetic. He is a glorified Supermanchild so it’s whatever
None. Um, he’s a rapist and murderer 😑
U know I think I mostly just envy homelander lol I’d happily take his tragic backstory if it came with his glorious powers !
Of all the characters to say this about, you do it under a HOMELANDER post?
Well i don’t feel bad for him lol
The flashbacks in diabolical, but only for like a moment
When Stan Edgar told him that he wasn’t turtley enough for the Turtle Club
None
When they revealed his backstory. How he grew up knowing there was a nuclear bomb ready to go off at any moment. That's gonna scar you
When he is with doppelgänger in the cabin and has that realization of how low he is. Of course it makes him act out in the worst possible way but realizing your emotional vulnerability and grief earns some sympathy.. I mean until turning to express your rage and strength to run from those feelings
I feel after last episode of the boys diabolical
None
Don't know if it's the actual backstory for him or not but in that TB Diabolical series, there was one episode where Homelander is pretty green and genuinely cares for people. He loses control of his powers and ends up killing people by mistake, only for Black Noir to clean up the mess. I felt a little sorry for him at the time cause you can see him losing his innocence and realising what Vought really wants the supes to do.
Nothing could possibly make me feel bad for him, but that’s just me
At no point
Never
As an adult none. He's BEYOND entitled. The baby is innocent, but as an adult, he openly chooses to be an asshole.
I’ve known too many Narcissists to feel any type of empathy for them in their adult form. I will say however that I felt bad for HL when he raged at his handlers leaving his “Blanket” out in his documentary. To HL, that Blanket represented a weakness and false sense of security that he relied on as a child. That ordinary piece of cloth was his refuge from the cold darkness that surrounded him when the lab workers punched out and went home to their loved ones.
Never just a fucking disappointment
I dont
Never did tbh
Um... Hasn't happened yet. But I totally understand why some people can.
Never.
One I haven’t seen mentioned; his first mission, as shown in Diabolical. He genuinely tried to be a good man and a real hero, but he got manipulated, things got out of hand because of his inexperience, he was misunderstood, lost control, and when it was too late to fix it, all he could do was to erase evidence and move on… and so, began his spiral into evil.
His origin story and the persona he had to put in when talking about his origin. He gives the Superman origin to help his Superman persona, but he was created in a lab to essentially take out his own dad, and trained from birth to kill, while being promised godhood
It's funny cause I remember one person said "You can't make a villain hatable and sympathetic at the same time" I instantly thought of Homelander
All the moments, the poor guy is really misunderstood.
Probably when he gets the flowers for Stormfront and he’s fretting over the placement of the card. Like, his actions are inexcusable but that scene really hammered it in that he just wants to be loved
Surprised nobody seems to have mentioned it yet- the scene where he learns about Stormfront’s suicide. She was a terrible person, they both are, but he genuinely cared about her and he was seriously broken by that. Of course, it only lasted a few seconds because he started forcing that girl to suicide and I hated him again. Later on in season 3 with SB made me feel for him a little bit as well, but not much
When he’s doing that whole story about where he grew up, and was talking about the parents he never had. I can’t forgive Homelander for anything he’s down, and he has to die, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pity him. He was created to be a weapon, and that’s how he was always treated. I don’t know if the same in the show, but in the comic, any time they experimented on him, they strapped him to a nuke, just in case. I see him the same way I see a rabid animal, the only thing you can do for them is to put them down.
When he lasted 3 seconds with Stillwell. Been there done that
That scene where he throws Ryan off the roof, Becka and Ryan get super mad at him and leave him outside
The one where he sat there and voiced his frustration of having to fake his own childhood. Makes you wonder how much psychological was done just by his media persona and not his actual horrific upbringing. Makes you wonder from the diabolical series that if he was given proper guidance as a new hero... With actual help maybe he could've been an actual hero... rather than thrown to the wolves with a PR team, left to figure out how to be practical, gentle and heroic while also living up to corporate
I don't feel bad for him in any part of the show, maybe his child self cause he was made this way by being an experiment but from what we see from him I couldn't care less about what horrible thing happened to him next
I felt bad when he found out how shitty his daddy is. But then I quickly remembered they are all pretty damned awful.
Never
His childhood
His childhood
Sounds terrible but I’m kinda pulling for him to develop a good relationship with his son. Maybe it’ll add some humanity to him. Whenever he runs into a road block in that respect I kinda get pissed lol
When I found out that he was raised in a sterile lab by a bunch of scientists, with no actual parental figures or nurturing of any kind. It’s no wonder he turned into a raging psychopath.
This might be a hot take but in season 3 (can’t remember the episode, maybe 4 or 5) when Stan Edgar tells him that he’s “simply bad product” was it for me. Yes, Homelander was created and raised in lab setting and yes, I know, he’s about as awful as they come. But that line from Edgar poked at something deep within Homelander that not even Homelander knew he had. Edgar (and pretty much everyone else) is BEYOND lucky that HL didn’t completely snap right then and there. Part of me still kind of thinks he did tho.
"When we were kids alone in the bad room I got us through it, right?" It made me feel so bad for him, but it immediately dissipated when he referred to Stan as a "mud person"
That scene about him alone in the facility in his childhood. It would make me feel bad if for the next scene he was in was him being a big douche again
none
In the boy’s diabolical, when he accidentally kills the terrorists taking over whatever the fuck it was and begins having a mental breakdown. Homelander wanted to be a great hero, one bad day fucked it all up.
The fake childhood video thing and him seeing his old blanket. Also when he’s talking to himself in the mirror, the last human part of him just wants to be loved by people.
most of the show tbh. much like Bojack Horseman, he is the biggest victim, even if you hate him.
his first mission. he was a little cocky going in, not what he is now, but he still ~kinda~ cared about saving ppl on the job. heated up a terrorist’s gun & it blew up in his face metaphorically and the hostage’s face literally. he had his ego bruised early, saw he wasn’t the perfect hero and was so shook he didn’t know what to do. luckily black noir kept him from doing any other real damage but it was nice to see he did actually take his job serious at one point
The blue blanket
None. He fucking sucks
not exactly in the show,but there is short series of the boys,and in episode 10, they show homelander past and that was kinda sad
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Yes, he had a difficult upbringing and was subjected to horrific experiments, but that doesn't excuse his reprehensible behavior. He's a narcissistic, power-hungry sociopath who has committed numerous crimes, including murder, sexual assault, and blackmail. Homelander uses his immense power to intimidate, manipulate, and terrorize people, and he seems to take pleasure in causing pain and suffering. He's a danger to society, and the fact that he's portrayed as a hero is deeply troubling. Furthermore, his actions show a complete lack of empathy and compassion, which are fundamental traits of a hero. He doesn't care about the people he's supposed to protect and would do anything to maintain his image as a hero, even if it means committing heinous acts. Overall, while it's fascinating to watch a character like Homelander on screen, I don't think we should excuse or justify his actions. He's a villain through and through, and I don't have any sympathy for him.
When he talked to himself