by This article contains SPOILERS of The Boys Season 4.
The Boys Season 4 Recap
Season 4 of The Boys kicks off with Starlight asserting her independence from Vought and launching her movement against Superhumans. Meanwhile, Homelander faces trial for murder after brutally lasering one of Starlight’s supporters on live television in front of thousands of witnesses. Compared to previous seasons, Season 4 emphasizes Supes revealing their dark side to the masses and getting justified. An even clearer depiction of American politics, particularly the divide between Republicans and Democrats, drawing parallels between Donald Trump and his far-right supporters.
As viewers, it becomes clear Homelander is a murderer and a sociopath desperate for love and validation. He is obsessed with mother figures and breastmilk. For many years, he hid behind closed doors, maintaining the facade of a perfectly moral hero with Vought’s expert marketing. In this season, Homelander reveals his true colors and his innate Machiavellian actions. After realizing the extent of his power and the unwavering support from his followers, he becomes unapologetic and cynical in the eyes of mainstream media. This character arc mirrors the societal dynamics of our current world. For instance, think of the activists in the media who defend the oppressed and raise awareness on several issues. Even though they fight to improve those problems, they still face backlash from those who disagree.
Homelander’s story exemplifies the “Law of the Jungle” in its purest form. Regardless of social-political structure and governmental organization, anything goes. Victoria Neuman keeps hiding and The Boys keep condemning murder- unless it serves personal gain or vengeance. In a world driven by celebrity culture and the idolizing of public figures, The Boys fits like a glove. Season 4 portrays how those in power can escape justice by manipulating the masses into believing they are pursuing a greater cause. This Season, The Seven finally expose themselves for who they truly are, especially Homelander. They show their tyrannical side as they reinforce fear amongst the population. They remind everyone that they can be destroyed in any way- through the media, professionally, and physically.
"From athletes to artists, politicians, and social media stars, people's popularity grows as fast-paced as their superiority complex".
Meanwhile, Butcher, Hughie, Starlight, Frenchie, MM, and Kimiko are working on a virus that could weaken, perhaps kill, Homelander, while also trying to avoid a Supe Pandemic. They continue their pursuit of Homelander and The Seven, often coming up short. In this Season, the call comes from within- The Boys confront their deepest desires and inevitably realize their drive to stop Vaught is rooted in their wish for payback, rather than their pursuit of a greater good. Each of them deals with their biggest demons, including their selfishness. These two storylines represent our current global political climate, where leaders are sinkingtheir own ships, and those who try to stop them are motivated by personal gain. Many activists preach about social welfare and communal growth, but, in the end, they turn their backs on those they claim to defend- just as Butcher does.
The Seven and Vaught also symbolize celebrities’ role in modern society. Many celebrities strategically collaborate with public relations and marketing managers to build an impeccable image to cater to their audiences’ desires. From athletes to artists, politicians, and social media stars, people’s popularity grows as fast-paced as their superiority complex. Many of them believe they are unstoppable and scrutiny-proof, which, to some extent, is true. They may not be unstoppable, but several thrive unexpectedly after slander. We live in a world obsessed with celebrities as heroes, so they’re put on a pedestal while they monetize their controversy. Fans forget they’re being manipulated by those public figures who perfectly craft speeches to fit a structured algorithm.
The series has consistently been explicit in this critique of celebrity culture. The Boys highlights how extreme fame and wealth can insulate individuals from reality. These people benefit from and perpetuate hyper-consumption while keeping themselves alienated from reality. They have a distorted perception, like many real-life celebrities. But how accurate is it? It’s not far from the truth as we’ve all seen famous people self-sabotage through their narcissism. The question remains: are celebrities sinking themselves or getting away with it?
Celebrities who avoid downfall are those who have always been transparent about their personalities. They build a fandom that sees them for who they are and continues to support them. This is why cancel culture is a farce – it doesn’t truly exist. You only get canceled if you pretend to be someone you’re not and are eventually exposed. Celebrities who pretend to be kind and the ideal role model but, in the end, show their true colors are those who lose their influence. They lose it because their actions didn’t align with what they preached, and they gained followers with those specific values. This explains why figures like Andrew Tate experience no decrease in viewership and even see their influence grow. Their target audience empathized with them from the beginning and always knew what they were signing up for.
Therefore, Homelander can get away with lasering Starlight’s supporter, but Starlight faced backlash after being exposed for bullying Firecracker back when they were beauty pageant contestants. It is also why she lost many supporters after getting exposed for having an abortion and beating Firecracker.
"The problem is rooted in putting celebrities on a pedestal".
Celebrity Culture
Celebrity culture is present like never before and it only seems to get worse. People say we should make the right people famous, but the problem is rooted in putting celebrities on a pedestal. Without generalizing too much and accusing every influencer of narcissism, a lot of them think they are infallible. The biggest downside is how their supporters buy into this belief and feed their hubristic egos with fanaticism. Perhaps these fans are searching for a hero to look up to for guidance, distracting themselves from their own issues. Todd is a perfect example of this. He idolizes Homelander exactly how many voters adore radical politicians. For instance, many people feel they are struggling -like anyone else would- with money, stability, and personal affairs, and they need someone to blame. Enter the perfect controversial figure pretending to care for them, to empathize and listen. This figure says exactly what is expected and, in turn, receives unquestionable loyalty.
In a way, these supporters might be in the wrong, but deep down they feel unheard as they struggle. The root of the problem goes beyond simply wanting to put a savior-like figure on a pedestal. Rather a sum of problems in our society that remain unsolved. Even though followers have morally questionable thoughts, they should be heard so they can receive the proper help they need and even change their initial beliefs. From a psychological standpoint, no matter how unacceptable their idiosyncrasy is, these people need guidance, and since most of them get immediately shut down, they turn to others with the same mindset, yet greater influence. They feel represented as if their voices were louder. They are in search of a superior figure which they can blindly trust hoping their struggles will disappear or become easier to navigate.
Incels
Consider the case of “incels”. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an Incel is a person (usually a man) who regards himself or herself as being involuntarily celibate and typically expresses extreme resentment and hostility toward those who are sexually active. “The term “incels” emerged from a Reddit group in which tens of thousands of users, most of them young men, commiserate about their lack of sexual activity—many of them placing the blame on women—Josh O’Kane (O’kane in Webster, 2024). Let’s say an “incel” blames and attacks women – especially the Feminist movement- for what he is experiencing. No matter how irrational his complaint is, he is desperate for validation. In truth, he should go to therapy and treat those feelings. Maybe he needs to work on behaviors that make him unsuccessful with dating. However, we also live in a society that prioritizes money, looks, and a certain type of man. In The Boys, Homelander’s image provides all the things these people lack and need. He pretends to be the shoulder they can cry on.
Homelander also represents people in positions of power: those who perpetuate polarization with the help of incredibly popular figures, like The Seven. It becomes a never-ending cycle of “Panem et Circenses”. Even cancel culture, as pointless as it may seem, has contributed to societal divisions without substantial effect. In The Boys, Sage knows this perfectly well and uses it to make The Seven’s manipulation more influential. Her powers seem fantastical because she can read incredibly fast and fully retain the information. However, anyone without supernatural powers who studied an environment in detail would eventually discover what Sage did. Hence, this Season’s stronger reminder that with perfect marketing and public relations, anyone can be manipulated- even you.
