We’ve known bits and pieces about the horrible treatment Homelander (real name John) went through at the hands of Vought scientists since season 1 — in case you need a reminder, here’s our recap of what went down leading up to “The Boys” season 4 — with Jonah Vogelbaum being the main scientist in charge of raising him. However, it’s only in season 4 that Homelander finally decides to take his revenge while also destroying his remaining humanity by torturing those responsible for “experimenting” on him as a child (like boiling him alive).
Throughout the show’s latest episode, Homelander does increasingly more gruesome things to his former caretakers, including boiling one of them alive and lasering another scientist’s privates off, all while forcing the rest to eat ice cream cake and cheer as Homelander kills them one by one. Granted, it’s horrific, disturbing stuff that shows Homelander at his worst, yet it’s also extremely cathartic (in a sense). After all, we’ve known for years that Homelander thinks of himself as a higher being and sees humans as mere ants. But humans doing equally horrific things to a kid for the sake of the military industrial complex is pure evil.
Making matters worse is the way the Vought scientists refuse to appear genuinely sorry or apologetic for their sins. Sure, they beg for mercy and say “Oops, sorry for torturing you for decades, boy!” but their cries are about as sincere as a YouTube apology video where the person never actually recognizes what they did wrong. Is the way Homelander kills them extreme? Sure. Is it also thrilling to see them pay for their crimes? Absolutely.
