Homelander might not be winning any Father of the Year awards, but some fans justify his actions.
Fans of the popular Amazon TV series The Boys would confirm that you just can’t help having mixed feelings about Homelander, the show’s primary antagonist.
He’s powerful, intimidating, and often downright terrifying. But a recent discussion on Reddit has shed some light on a different side of him, particularly in his role as a father.
In a scene where Homelander is with his son, Ryan, on a rooftop, he encourages (or rather, forces) Ryan to jump off, believing that his son will fly just like him. When Ryan asks him not to make him do it, Homelander pushes him off the roof.
At first glance, this might seem like a cruel act, but some fans argue that there’s more to it. Some fans pointed out that Homelander’s actions might stem from his own traumatic childhood. He was subjected to similar tests by Dr. Vogelbaum to harness and understand his powers.
When Ryan hesitates and pleads not to be pushed, it probably reminds Homelander of his own past, where he too begged but was forced anyway. In his mind, he might be thinking that this method worked for him, so it should work for Ryan too.
There is also an opinion that Homelander might not understand why Ryan would be scared in the first place. After all, Ryan is his blood and is supposed to be incredibly powerful. The fear Ryan shows might be something Homelander attributes to his mother’s influence, making him feel weak.
However, not all fans are sympathetic. Some believe that Homelander simply doesn’t care about Ryan’s well-being. If Ryan has powers, great; if not, he’s just another human. Others argue that no matter his reasons, pushing a child off a roof is inexcusable.
But then there’s the perspective shared by one of the users in the discussion, thatguywiththeposts, who compares the situation to parents throwing their kids in a pool to teach them to swim.
In Homelander’s eyes, even if Ryan’s powers weren’t fully developed, he believed that a fall from the roof wouldn’t harm him.
So maybe Homelander isn’t really a terrible dad? At least in this specific situation, he might not be all that bad.
