What if it was NEVER the Power? | Homelander Analysis

The strongest man on Earth was raised in a laboratory, by people who took notes instead of tucking him in. So what does Homelander actually want, if it was never just power? This psychological character analysis follows The Boys through all five seasons, from the fake farmhouse Vought built for his on-camera childhood, and the one real blanket that broke the act, to Madelyn Stillwell, the milk, Doppelganger, a cheering rally, Ryan's staged rescue and the final broadcast from the Oval Office. My reading is that Homelander never learned the difference between being watched and being loved. We also look at what the comic did differently, including a Stillwell who was never a mother and an alibi the show refused to give him. Full spoilers for The Boys seasons 1-5, including the series finale. Discusses violence, the rape of a character and a child raised as a test subject, without graphic detail. A film and television essay from Summit Cinema. This is an interpretation, not a clinical diagnosis. Chapters: 0:00 Hook 0:28 The key 2:02 The wound 3:31 The mother 5:08 The pattern 6:56 The son 8:36 The cost 10:05 Fairness 11:37 The last broadcast 13:11 Your turn Sources (plot and episode facts from the show and its episode guides; comic comparison from Garth Ennis's The Boys; no direct quotes): The Boys (Prime Video), developed by Eric Kripke, based on the comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Antony Starr as Homelander. Episode facts: Season 1, The Innocents, The Self-Preservation Society, You Found Me, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, Season 5, Blood and Bone (Wikipedia). Comic vs show: Homelander and The Guy from Vought (James Stillwell) on Wikipedia. Antony Starr on the Doppelganger scene (TVLine) and on loneliness and the milk (Looper). Official clips and trailers: Season 1 Final Trailer, Season 2 Trailer and Teaser, Season 3 Trailer, Season 4 Trailer and Teaser, Final Season Teaser and Trailer, Homelander & His Milk, The Many Personality Masks of Homelander, Homelander Recruits Sister Sage; Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video UK & IE. The link between observation and love is my interpretation of the series, not a clinical diagnosis. Archival images (all free-licensed, via Wikimedia Commons; credit also shown on screen): Spoiler note: full spoilers for The Boys seasons 1-5, including the series finale. Content note: violence, murder, the rape of a character and a child raised as a test subject are discussed without graphic detail; none of it is shown beyond brief non-graphic frames. Footage and frames from official Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video UK & IE videos of The Boys, used for commentary and criticism. Summit Cinema: what you missed the first time.