Despite Homelander's irrefutable lack of morals and evil status, you have to admit that he does TRY to be a decent father to Ryan, however short lived it may be.
He tries but he is *very* damaged. And has a lot of enemies. In the Universe of The Boys the game is rigged from the start. I'm sure things will go as horrible as they can ^^
I think homelander genuinely loves ryan. In the last season when he brings ryan to a super hero themed event, there was a moment where ryan was severely overwhelmed and homelander was able to immediately see that and took action to remove him from the situation. There was no gain for that, he was just trying to make his son feel safe.
Homelander feels like he's enacting some kind of godly, cosmic justice by taking care of his son because he feels wronged by the world for not being allowed to have a childhood. Its not all that clear whether he loves his son or not. Part of it may be love but part of it may be feeding into his narcissistic tendencies through the idea of finally finding an equal
@@caralho5237 I think he loves him, when Ryan gets injured by Soldier Boy, Homelander even forgets about his own safety to go make sure his son is okay. If Butcher hadn't stopped Soldier Boy, both Homelander and Ryan would have been blasted.
bingo! that said really told the story that Homelanders feelings for Ryan are genuine and it isn't just a tactic to use him. He loves his son and wants to protect him.
Homelander is a monster but the scene where Ryan actually saves him and gets injured you can see the legit love he has for his son. Guy might be a villian, but there are slight moments that show he could have been a real hero if not for Vought.
if you eat meat by your own logic you would be a monster too. Or will you gaslight like we are used to see meateaters always do. There are no villains or we all would be one.
@@creativeideas5985 if homelander had been raised a actual person instead of the lab rat they treated him as he would 100% be a better human. Probably not a hero like marvel and DC have but definitely not the same person. It does seem like your comment isn't replying to the right person in this case though.
that's it tho, his he doesn't REALLY love Ryan, he wants him to be his Mini Me, he wants someone to be like him so he won't be alone ... that's why he got so attached to Stormfron, she was probably the first person in his entire life who was at least close to him in power level.
@@YashamaruSensei nah I disagree, I think evil people can love too, and I think though his love is for unhealthy reasons, he truly does love Ryan, because to homelander, he needs to.
@@YashamaruSensei nah, I don't think he only sees himself as surperior. I think he sees his blood, his family as surperior. He wants his son to be better than him so he can carry his honor.
@@Brnolan22 yes, he loves Ryan, but because he sees him as an extension of himself, that's it, he WANTS Ryan to be like him, otherwise why not leave him to live in peace with Becca? Ryan was happy, but that's not enough.
There's so much psychology to work with on this show. Butcher's warpath, Hughie's abandonment issues, Frenchie and Kimiko's abuse with being weaponized, Mother's Milk's OCD, even the Deep's body image issues. I hope to see more breakdowns in the future!
@@GeorgiaDow Can't wait! Loved your Arcane analysis of Silco. Lends credence to the competence of the writers when professionals like yourself can identify the depth of the content. Thanks again!
I think Homelander cares about Ryan just from the scene where Ryan is knocked out. HL turns his back on 3 people that he knows for a fact want to kill him, but he still turns to check on Ryan. In that moment he was more concerned about his sons well being than his own.
That scene is the turning point for Homelander in this season and the whole series. By saying what Ryan needs to hear, what Homelander needed to hear as a child, he gives them both what they want. Homelander after that point becomes a different character. I really hope this spark of humanity in him continues to grow, I doubt it will, but it's a nice thought.
Ryan can sense heartbeat to tell if someone is lying or not. That’s why when Butcher yelled at him, knew that Butcher really believed what he was saying at him to be true (at some level at least. So when Homelander is saying that he loves him, he is being genuine
I think he does love him even if it comes from a self-love/need. He would probably do anything for Ryan and we see him try to protect Ryan even if it was overboard with the last scene. Unfortunately, Homelander just isn't suitable in the long term because of his own issues and discrimination towards non-supes. I do hope we see something with Luke and Darth Vader where Ryan is able to bring his dad from the dark.
@@Jonjon13Jonjon13 Darth Vader technically wasn't redeemed and he knew it. He died with the universe hating him. I would only hope he would be redeemed at least from the eyes of Ryan as that would be Homelander's greatest accomplishment (granted if they don't make him pure evil in season 4 which i hope they don't cause that would be boring).
@@Jonjon13Jonjon13 every living being deserves to not suffer. you are biased and still on the first step of the awakening. you have eaten meat in the past and for your luxury the nature is stolen and destroyed. Are you now irredeamable? Now you will say its not the same. Oh its actually worse that you take part in grooming childanimals to be improisoned and then their dead bodies eaten. and what about the trees that are destroyed so you can sit or lie down.
@@creativeideas5985 get off your high horse. We're talking about fictional characters that have done truly despicable things, are you gonna compare that to eating meat, are you that delirious?
Even butcher technically acknowledges that homelander cares for Ryan, however briefly. When soldier boy tries to hurt Ryan they actually team up with a look and go after Soldier Boy putting aside their differences temporarily. Unfortunately for Ryan butcher would be no better a father than homelander is because butcher has his own issues.
Homelander does love Ryan in this scene, but it comes from a place of ego and desperation. It sadly isn't a sustainable, unconditional love. He believes it is, but it isn't. He loves Ryan as an extension of himself, as a chance to heal his own wounds. If things in their relationship don't continue to progress the way Homelander wants, things could go very sideways between them. Especially since Homelander is already making Ryan more and more comfortable with violence and brutality, which will only make Ryan more willing to fight back when eventually pushed too far by his father who demands something he doesn't want to do. If Billy can swallow EVERY instinct he has, cut the snarky BS for ONCE in his life, and just be genuine with Ryan, maybe the world has a chance. It's also entirely possible Homelander does a great job as a father, relatively speaking, and raises Ryan to be the spitting murderous image of his old man who sees Human life as little more than collateral damage because that's just the way he was born and, oh well. It would be a really interesting psychological journey to see them try to balance. The show has so much more depth than the comics ever did.
He does love Ryan. Is it out a selfish need and desire to be loved? Yes, absolutely. But that’s most parents. I think what sets Homelander apart is his genuine care for Ryan. Because despite him being a disaster and a horrible person. He does love his son. And he shows it time and time again (minus that time it took him a THOUSAND years to get his son out of a hostile situation). It what makes him different from his bio father and father (the main scientist) in regards to his parental instincts
The great thing about Homelander is that on the surface, he seems like a one-note villain. We've all seen the evil Superman, and he embodies every aspect of that and more. But once you peel back that initial layer, you find an incredibly complex human being underneath. A scary, narcissistic, evil human being, but a human being just the same.
I would say yes he actually does care about Ryan if you look at some of the interactions they have with soldier boy homelander tells Ryan to run so he doesn't get hurt and the time that he tried to get soldier boy to be apart of his family with Ryan I think that family is something home lander really wants so that's one of the few times we'll actually see him be genuine. Is he a perfect dad no... He was a test tube baby abused and raised in a lab with violent tendencies but he does care for his family
I think that because Homelander isn’t emotionally very mature, he doesn’t understand his own emotional limits, which makes what he is doing to Ryan all the more horrifying- because it’s comes from a subconsciously selfish need to avoid loneliness and is ultimately doomed to fail. Would love to see you do a comparative analysis between Mother’s Milk and Homlander’s perspectives on fatherhood.
As strange as it is, Homelander and Ryan's relationship really demonstrates the importance of representation: of being able to see someone like yourself represented in media. Though, in this case, it's seeing someone like yourself actually existing in the world. As messed up as Homelander is, part of that is his lack of connection to others: he's so powerful, and no one is anywhere near his power level, and so while no one can really stand up to him, no one can also understand what he goes through just living day to day with so much strength, in a world designed for people so much weaker and fragile than he is. In Ryan, and FOR Ryan, this is the opportunity to finally meet someone who can understand what he deals with every day... someone who understands having to exert so much control over yourself, not even just morally, but also physically, to just be able to exist in a world that is not built for someone of your strength and senses. A world where everything is too fragile, too loud.
For some maybe, as a Peruvian dude that never sees Peruvians in movies or anything else I don't care about having someone of my ethnicity shoved into some random movie for the sake of representation, but I get what you are saying and it is true to some degree
Also in the scene where he takes ryan to a hero restaurant, he started to get anxious and homelander genuinely worries about him and about stormfront giving ryan a hate speech
This would be like if Darth Vader tried to be a father figure to Luke. Some people just AREN'T cut to be parents even if you do love them. I'm not saying ANAKIN didn't love Luke cause he clearly did. But try to imagine ANAKIN as a SITH LORD now having to raise a smol child. Wouldn't go over well.
I think if you revisit this dynamic between Ryan and Homelander, it would be great to include the scene where Homelander and Butcher (on the temporary Compound V) team up to protect Ryan. When I saw it I loved how much it showed that both of them cared about Ryan being protected even more than they hated each other.
When SB hurt Ryan I immediately knew he was going down. Dude effed up when he hurt the kid, the only thing both Butcher and HL cared about. That was game over for SB
I believe that Homelander does genuinely love Ryan. It may be a twisted narcissistic form of love, coming from a place of making him feel like he has a family. However I think it is the most genuine love he’s capable of feeling because he’s so broken inside that his emotions can’t stem from a non selfish place
I had a similar reaction to this scene. It absolutely disarmed me emotionally and choked me up momentarily, because you just absolutely were not prepared for him to say what he did and he delivered it with what seemed like straight shooting, genuine sincerity and I was hyper fixating on him from that point afterwards to look for that manipulation/gaslighting that Homelander has displayed (even with Ryan in season 2!) But when it wasn't there, my head was all sorts of baffled. Amazing writing. Loving my prime video membership haha
This had me crying for Homelander cause the isolation and experimentation he experienced truly made him a monster. He still makes absolutely evil choices that are seeded in the isolation he endured as a child - how could he feel empathy when in his earliest formative years, he was treated like that? It doesn't excuse or justify his behavior....but it makes him so tragic and horrifying at the same time.
This is one of the great things about the show; they know that the worst monsters aren't monsters because they're monsters, they're monsters because they're PEOPLE, with a perfect storm of failings that drive and motivate them to do evil things. Homelander is a person. He needs, he loves, and I think he's sincere in this exchange, but also emotionally incapable of understanding the needs of others, when they don't perfectly mirror his own needs and emotions.
More like it isn't going to end well for us. I don't think Homelander would ever hurt a hair on Ryan's head, but i can picture Ryan getting strong than his dad and fatally wounding him on accident like he did Stormfront. Once Homelander is dead for whatever reason, Ryan will further descend into madness and bite off more than he can chew.
Though I agree most of the times Homelander does or says anything you can tell by his voice and body language it's done to coarse/manipulate. But those very few candid moments he had with his son of telling him it was not his fault and jumping immediately to see if he was ok and leaving his back exposed to 3 credible threats showed there is still one tiny ounce of humanity left. And for that reason if there's even an astronomical chance of him being redeemed in anyway, his son is the key to it.
Homelander definitely loves Ryan, at least in his own way and I guess that will only make him scarier and worse. Right now, if anything or anyone will threaten Ryan, Homelander will just go full berserk. Which is crazy to think he can get any worse xD
Homelander makes me think of something I saw someone comment a long time ago: "Even evil can know love". Is the love a malignant narcissist feels the same thing the average person equates with "love"? Probably not, but I'm sure that, to them, it's as genuine as the love anyone feels. Unfortunately, "love" is not the panacea stories like to pretend it is. "Love" on its own is not enough; you also have to put in _work,_ and unfortunately, that's where some people draw the line. Homelander might "love" his son, but as soon as things start getting difficult for him and he realizes he has to do more than the bare minimum and that it won't benefit _him_ directly, he'll drop Ryan like a sack of potatoes.
I think that he genuinely loves Ryan. You can see it in scenes from previous seasons when Ryan starts having a breakdown from his super hearing and he instantly goes to him and tries to protect him. Then later in this season when Ryan gets hurt he instantly turns to protect him
Homelander can leverage love to suit his own needs, that's a whole other level of terrifying. I believe he tries his best to be what ryan needs, but there's an ominous tone with the music. Like ryan's start to the darkside. Season 4 is going to be something else
I think one thing that people sometimes forget about Homelander is that he is very good at projecting charm. As people who watch the show we get to see behind the curtain. We get to see all the ways that he is broken and evil but most people don't at least not until very recently. I think that in this show we get to see what the public in this world sees and why Homelander is popular. Whether it is real or not is hard to say. I'm not sure Homelander even knows because I have no real doubt that Homelander believes what he is saying. But that doesn't make it true.
I haven't seen the show, but from what I heard and just saw, he might love the IDEA of a son, and not Ryan himself. Like he wants to swoop in and make his boy feel better. Be the person who he never had. Be there for a mini version of himself and raise him to be like him. But it all comes back to HIM, not Ryan. Ryan is hearing what he needs for now, but the more individuality he shows and interests that are not like Homelander that appear, might start to set Homelander on edge. And if Ryan takes on a different moral code, especially one that opposes Homelander, than he might actually be in danger. Homelander also had not seen Ryma when he's being mad, sad, bratty, difficult, sneaky, rebellious and all the little negative parts that a child naturally has to be. He might just want to be a part time parent, which will give Ryan an unreliable father figure at best. Point is, Homelander may have done the right thing in this one instance, but it seems very unlikely he'll keep it up. A broke. Clock is only right twice a day after all.
He always says he wants a family, maybe it comes from a selfish place or not. We've seen this happen before with the character in different grades, he has a messed up sense of love and care. Usually when he loves someone it ends up very badly for that person when he eventually finds something that doesn't lke about that person and something does click on him That said, maybe with Ryan is different, given it's his son But, for now, his love, even if his mind is completetly messed up, is sincere. He is really trying, not interested in the power but in his son. He provesthat when he kills the man that hit Ryan, without hesitation, jeopardizing his public image, the mostimportant thing for him
Could you do Soldier Boy to from The Boy's? I like to hear a therapist talk about him a bit. Also just found ur channel, it's well put together and really interesting. Thank you!
There's no trick. Homelander truly loves his son! He has all the fans and love he could ever want, but Ryan is the only person he really cares about. When Ryan goes missing Homelander goes crazy like any loving parent would. He also shows he would die for Ryan in season 3, when soldier boy is about to kill him and Ryan. Homelander dosen't run away and leave his son, he makes sure his son is ok. I'd say Homelander is a perfect father!
I think it's fine to say that this was a great act of fatherhood but will drag Ryan deeper into his other problematic aspects, which will hurt Ryan later as he either adopts his father's miserable mindset or separates from him with feelings of loss, maybe betrayal, maybe loss of identity, or maybe even guilt and self hatred if Homelander convinces him to perform reprehensible actions of his own. This act could have been (and maybe still could be) transitioned into a more constructive, happy life for Ryan, but will probably be used to bring him down further. Realistically though, Ryan will probably go through some very bad times with Homelander's teaching, almost committing or actually committing some bad actions, before eventually being rehabilitated by Butcher or the Boys.
I think Homelander had no chance to learn empathy as a kid and a teenager, he was never shown any, he's stuck as, idk, toddler (?) in his emotional development and we can't put ALL the blame of who he became on him. But at some point it's your choice how exactly do you deal with your nightmare upbringing and trauma. Maeve genuinely pitied him, Noir loved and trusted him, and i'm sure there were more people in his life who he could've chosen to be compassionate for (Homelander is akin to Johan from "Monster" anime, when he could've been like Grimmer) He could've left Vought, fly away, nobody would've stopped him, damn, he could've killed all the people who tortured him as a kid and go public about horrible things this company did, but he chose to stay as is and lash out on everyone around him I think Homelander does love Ryan, it's the only person he's willing to change and make personal sacrifices for. The problem is he doesn't have experience nor skills of how to connect with people
That scene when homelander always hit too close to home, he was so desperate for love and affection, he was so happy and try to communicate every time the scientists come for check ups T_T
Ryan brings out what is left of Homelander’s humanity, that everyone else believes is long gone. Homelander needs to learn that it’s okay to show your emotions and it’s okay to not be okay. If he loses Ryan, if his son is killed, all hope is lost. Homelander will destroy the world as he destroys himself.
Have you ever thought of making a video about Autism? with The Deep or a character that either has an official diagnosis or a character that you notice signs of Autism in?
I think he really loves Ryan. When Soilder boy attached Ryan Homelander went straight for Ryan to make sure he was ok and kept Ryan safely as his top priority
@@petraw9792 Homelander is very smart. He trows off Vought CEO and he came up with a plan to create sup terrorists around the globe and etc. He isn't a genius,but he is definitely gifted one. So i think he is smart enough to do this,just doesn't need it, he already loves Rayn.
I think he was genuine here, because later when that guy throws trash on Ryan he kills him instantly during a parent defending his kid instinct moment while he was driven by emotions (if it was by reason he would not do that because threw trash cant possible do anything to Ryan so retaliation would make no sense, especially with so many witnesses around xD) and emotions are always honest. TBH I never saw Homelander as evil, I saw him as broken (because he was raised up wrong). Last season of boys put lot of weight on the "evil ppl are not born, but their are made by bad parenting" idea in general with all the characters sharing their bad experience with their fathers and how it shaped them so I guess they made Ryan story this way to show that father can be good as well.
Tbh I've never seen Homelander as a villain but more as a trouble individual, with how he was raised and treated. He never does Evil thing just for being evil. He want to be loved and fit in but just has so much power that he doesn't know how to deal with the weight of it
Being able to see Homelander's genuine humanity towards his son is important because this shows us that anyone of us can be a product of villainy at any given moment in time under specific circumstances in life as well...
You missed the part where homelander and butcher team up because of ryan getting smacked side by soldier boy. That look they give each other says a million words.
I'm glad that in the end of season 3 Ryan has managed to understand the sweetness of power and superiority over other people. Being superior is very pleasent
So I was adopted out of a single mother home so as you can imagine it gave me abandonment issues and even when I got brought into the family I call as such, I still felt like something was missing. I'm happy to be a married man with 2 beautiful children but I'm still working through my own issues. Ngl I only just started your videos today but I absolutely love them and they are helping me figure some stuff out Thank you
Thank you for sharing. I am so happy that you have your own family and can appreciate how important you are to their lives. Its great you are choosing to work through your pain and it is a worthwhile thing to do so you can live a more free life. I wish you the best and I hope you continue to find my content helpful.
In the final episode season 3 when ryan knocked unconscious, he doesn't care about fighting anymore he just wanna save his son, but maive and soldier boys keeps attacking him
I believe Homelander was being genuine and does love his son, the thing is the reason he says Ryan wasn't wrong for what he did is because Homelander genuinely sees Himself and Ryan as above all over supes and those supes above humans. Ryan is part of his superiority complex so what Ryan does to others is always okay as they don't matter. I do think it's genuine care and it wasn't Ryan's fault that anyone was hurt but at the same time this scene only reinforces who Homelander is
Homelander never had a family, love, and most importantly, confidence in the people around him. He hates the lies he has faced all his life. His son is the personification of naive sincerity and the last hope for truth and devotion in this world. Of course he will love him.
I think Homelander learned from pushing Ryan off the roof, letting Stormfront around, and having his son taken from him. He’s more emotionally vulnerable because he believes nobody else can understand him and realizes that he didn’t want Ryan to have the same cold childhood.
@@GeorgiaDow Well your video about Soldier Boy and toxic masculinity/toxic toughness made me sob (I'm not a guy btw) because it's accurate. Subbed to your channel and enjoying your videos!
Great video as always. Y'know you should analyze the rooftop conversation between Daredevil and The Punisher if you haven't already, I feel you would have a lot to talk about it.
Amazing profile.I think Homelander is the way he is with Ryan because he's frying to be the father he knows that someone like him needed. Please do a video on Omni-man as a father next (*Invincible comic and series)
Hi Georgia. Was wondering if you could do a few videos on some characters from the 2018 Lost In Space from Netflix (It's my 2nd favourite tv show after Stranger Things). Was wondering if you could please do a video on Will Robinson, John Robinson, Don West, June Harris / Zoe Smith, and Robot (if possible seeing as he isn't human). Thanks.
I think the relationship between Homelander and Ryan is indicative of how most malignant narcissists feel about their children. So long as Homelander can project his own wounds onto Ryan and address them in a way that reflects positively on himself, he is a "perfect" dad. This scene between the two of them isn't really about Homelander talking to his son, its him self soothing with Ryan as a stand in for himself. I also doubt any if that is a conscious thought on Homelanders part.
@@_Cartographer_ healthy ones do. That said, folks like Homelander don't really see their kids as people separate from themselves, more like they are little extensions of themselves or like show dogs they have trained. So long as the kids reflect positively, they are great, objects to be adored and shown off. Once the kids do something embarrassing or "embarrassing " they are no longer important or to be shown off.
I remember one time I was little I feel out of my dad’s truck from my car seat. He found me laying on the drive way on my face. He carried me up to the house horrified and said my face was covered in blood. That is when I started crying. When I saw how he reacted. Then he dumped my crying face in the bathroom sink to wash off the blood on my lip.
Loved your last of us videos and I was wondering if you would cover the ruined king game. It takes place in the same universe as arcane but with a different cast of characters
Do you think you could do a video on Soldier Boy? I think while some of his ideals are outdated and overboard at times, he's still an extremely interesting character with charisma on scale with Homelander and Butcher. I'd love to see you break down one of his many awesome scenes!
I think like many narcissists, HL sees his son as an extension of himself, which is why he is so kind to him at first. He sees him as his own achievement, his seed, and at that point in the series he's at the idealization stage of their relationship. That only lasts until you disappoint the narcissist in some way, then all hell breaks lose
I could only watch Season 1 of this show, especially after now having a kid myself - too gory for my taste. I'm glad they went this route though - at the end of Season 1, I was sure the storyline would be Homelander molding Ryan in his image and Billy having to "save" the kid - which honestly would have been a bit trite.
When I was a kid and I fell of my bike or the playground my mom would always act like I was dying and I always just laughed even if I was bleeding from a scrapped knee
You should have included the scene with him at VoughtWorld where Ryan hears everyone and is overwhelmed and Homelander takes Ryan out of there for no reason other than to make him feel safe.
![Diggy Graves - Red Vineyard [Official Lyric Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Ro085T0mnQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Despite Homelander's irrefutable lack of morals and evil status, you have to admit that he does TRY to be a decent father to Ryan, however short lived it may be.
I prefer Nolan as a father though
He's a narcissistic sociopath. He really only wants to make a mini-him.
He tries but he is *very* damaged. And has a lot of enemies.
In the Universe of The Boys the game is rigged from the start.
I'm sure things will go as horrible as they can ^^
@@Kakaragi Homelander doesn’t abuse his child
It’s kinda sad that homelander is in the runner ups for best dad of the show
I think homelander genuinely loves ryan. In the last season when he brings ryan to a super hero themed event, there was a moment where ryan was severely overwhelmed and homelander was able to immediately see that and took action to remove him from the situation. There was no gain for that, he was just trying to make his son feel safe.
I agree
Homelander feels like he's enacting some kind of godly, cosmic justice by taking care of his son because he feels wronged by the world for not being allowed to have a childhood. Its not all that clear whether he loves his son or not. Part of it may be love but part of it may be feeding into his narcissistic tendencies through the idea of finally finding an equal
Anyone could have immediately saw that Ryan was overwhelmed
@@caralho5237 I think he loves him, when Ryan gets injured by Soldier Boy, Homelander even forgets about his own safety to go make sure his son is okay. If Butcher hadn't stopped Soldier Boy, both Homelander and Ryan would have been blasted.
bingo! that said really told the story that Homelanders feelings for Ryan are genuine and it isn't just a tactic to use him. He loves his son and wants to protect him.
Homelander is a monster but the scene where Ryan actually saves him and gets injured you can see the legit love he has for his son. Guy might be a villian, but there are slight moments that show he could have been a real hero if not for Vought.
if you eat meat by your own logic you would be a monster too. Or will you gaslight like we are used to see meateaters always do. There are no villains or we all would be one.
@@creativeideas5985 if homelander had been raised a actual person instead of the lab rat they treated him as he would 100% be a better human. Probably not a hero like marvel and DC have but definitely not the same person.
It does seem like your comment isn't replying to the right person in this case though.
Monsters do o very well in that today's society. Let's be honest. Abusers have lines are of people that love them
@@creativeideas5985 what. This made nonsense, why are you suddenly projecting about your guilt of eating meat? Just enjoy it
@@doesnotcomputegaming1913 hypocrite
Homelander really wants a connection to someone. He is genuine. Sometimes I feel bad for him. But then he does something horrible.
that's it tho, his he doesn't REALLY love Ryan, he wants him to be his Mini Me, he wants someone to be like him so he won't be alone ... that's why he got so attached to Stormfron, she was probably the first person in his entire life who was at least close to him in power level.
@@YashamaruSensei nah I disagree, I think evil people can love too, and I think though his love is for unhealthy reasons, he truly does love Ryan, because to homelander, he needs to.
@@YashamaruSensei nah, I don't think he only sees himself as surperior. I think he sees his blood, his family as surperior. He wants his son to be better than him so he can carry his honor.
@@Brnolan22 yes, he loves Ryan, but because he sees him as an extension of himself, that's it, he WANTS Ryan to be like him, otherwise why not leave him to live in peace with Becca? Ryan was happy, but that's not enough.
@@YashamaruSensei But don’t all parents want their child to be a better version of themselves?
There's so much psychology to work with on this show. Butcher's warpath, Hughie's abandonment issues, Frenchie and Kimiko's abuse with being weaponized, Mother's Milk's OCD, even the Deep's body image issues.
I hope to see more breakdowns in the future!
You will get that =)
@@GeorgiaDow Can't wait! Loved your Arcane analysis of Silco. Lends credence to the competence of the writers when professionals like yourself can identify the depth of the content.
Thanks again!
Starlight traumas...
@@larissadealencarsilva9014 Starlight’s objectification by others
I think Homelander cares about Ryan just from the scene where Ryan is knocked out. HL turns his back on 3 people that he knows for a fact want to kill him, but he still turns to check on Ryan. In that moment he was more concerned about his sons well being than his own.
That scene is the turning point for Homelander in this season and the whole series. By saying what Ryan needs to hear, what Homelander needed to hear as a child, he gives them both what they want. Homelander after that point becomes a different character. I really hope this spark of humanity in him continues to grow, I doubt it will, but it's a nice thought.
I believe that Homelander believes what he's saying... whether or not it is actually true has yet to be determined.
Probably not. His reaction last season was completely different.
Ryan can sense heartbeat to tell if someone is lying or not. That’s why when Butcher yelled at him, knew that Butcher really believed what he was saying at him to be true (at some level at least.
So when Homelander is saying that he loves him, he is being genuine
I think he does love him even if it comes from a self-love/need. He would probably do anything for Ryan and we see him try to protect Ryan even if it was overboard with the last scene. Unfortunately, Homelander just isn't suitable in the long term because of his own issues and discrimination towards non-supes. I do hope we see something with Luke and Darth Vader where Ryan is able to bring his dad from the dark.
Ryan deserves redemption, Homelander clearly doesn't.
@@Jonjon13Jonjon13 Darth Vader technically wasn't redeemed and he knew it. He died with the universe hating him. I would only hope he would be redeemed at least from the eyes of Ryan as that would be Homelander's greatest accomplishment (granted if they don't make him pure evil in season 4 which i hope they don't cause that would be boring).
@@Jonjon13Jonjon13 every living being deserves to not suffer. you are biased and still on the first step of the awakening. you have eaten meat in the past and for your luxury the nature is stolen and destroyed. Are you now irredeamable? Now you will say its not the same. Oh its actually worse that you take part in grooming childanimals to be improisoned and then their dead bodies eaten. and what about the trees that are destroyed so you can sit or lie down.
@@creativeideas5985 get off your high horse.
We're talking about fictional characters that have done truly despicable things, are you gonna compare that to eating meat, are you that delirious?
Oohh! I hope it turns out like that too.
It is all going to depend what happens when Ryan does something Homelander doesn't like. When Ryan disagrees with him.
Well he almost killed stormfront and HL wasn’t mad at him
With season 4 and Ryan taking over some of the limelight it's really testing homelanders love for Ryan vs his love for himself
I love how the sweet music that starts upon their embrace quickly distorts.
Even butcher technically acknowledges that homelander cares for Ryan, however briefly. When soldier boy tries to hurt Ryan they actually team up with a look and go after Soldier Boy putting aside their differences temporarily. Unfortunately for Ryan butcher would be no better a father than homelander is because butcher has his own issues.
As many faults as Butcher has. He isn't going to groom Ryan to be a mass murdering sociopath like Homelander is doing
@@ben1ben2ben1 I was not defending homelander and I wasn't saying that butcher wouldn't be a better father I just was commenting on that one situation
@@joem1480 They were agreeing with you, friend!
@@ben1ben2ben1 he probably would use Ryan as a weapon as well, honestly...
Butcher would definitely be a better father, but only because I think it's impossible to find someone who'd be a worse father than Homelander lol.
Homelander does love Ryan in this scene, but it comes from a place of ego and desperation. It sadly isn't a sustainable, unconditional love. He believes it is, but it isn't. He loves Ryan as an extension of himself, as a chance to heal his own wounds. If things in their relationship don't continue to progress the way Homelander wants, things could go very sideways between them. Especially since Homelander is already making Ryan more and more comfortable with violence and brutality, which will only make Ryan more willing to fight back when eventually pushed too far by his father who demands something he doesn't want to do. If Billy can swallow EVERY instinct he has, cut the snarky BS for ONCE in his life, and just be genuine with Ryan, maybe the world has a chance.
It's also entirely possible Homelander does a great job as a father, relatively speaking, and raises Ryan to be the spitting murderous image of his old man who sees Human life as little more than collateral damage because that's just the way he was born and, oh well. It would be a really interesting psychological journey to see them try to balance. The show has so much more depth than the comics ever did.
He does love Ryan. Is it out a selfish need and desire to be loved? Yes, absolutely. But that’s most parents. I think what sets Homelander apart is his genuine care for Ryan. Because despite him being a disaster and a horrible person. He does love his son. And he shows it time and time again (minus that time it took him a THOUSAND years to get his son out of a hostile situation). It what makes him different from his bio father and father (the main scientist) in regards to his parental instincts
In the ending fight he risks his own mortality to protect Ryan he surely does care about him
The great thing about Homelander is that on the surface, he seems like a one-note villain. We've all seen the evil Superman, and he embodies every aspect of that and more. But once you peel back that initial layer, you find an incredibly complex human being underneath. A scary, narcissistic, evil human being, but a human being just the same.
I would say yes he actually does care about Ryan if you look at some of the interactions they have with soldier boy homelander tells Ryan to run so he doesn't get hurt and the time that he tried to get soldier boy to be apart of his family with Ryan I think that family is something home lander really wants so that's one of the few times we'll actually see him be genuine. Is he a perfect dad no... He was a test tube baby abused and raised in a lab with violent tendencies but he does care for his family
I think that because Homelander isn’t emotionally very mature, he doesn’t understand his own emotional limits, which makes what he is doing to Ryan all the more horrifying- because it’s comes from a subconsciously selfish need to avoid loneliness and is ultimately doomed to fail. Would love to see you do a comparative analysis between Mother’s Milk and Homlander’s perspectives on fatherhood.
It felt to me like he was loving himself through Ryan. He sees Ryan as he was when younger and he feeds Ryan the words he wanted to hear himself.
As strange as it is, Homelander and Ryan's relationship really demonstrates the importance of representation: of being able to see someone like yourself represented in media. Though, in this case, it's seeing someone like yourself actually existing in the world. As messed up as Homelander is, part of that is his lack of connection to others: he's so powerful, and no one is anywhere near his power level, and so while no one can really stand up to him, no one can also understand what he goes through just living day to day with so much strength, in a world designed for people so much weaker and fragile than he is. In Ryan, and FOR Ryan, this is the opportunity to finally meet someone who can understand what he deals with every day... someone who understands having to exert so much control over yourself, not even just morally, but also physically, to just be able to exist in a world that is not built for someone of your strength and senses. A world where everything is too fragile, too loud.
For some maybe, as a Peruvian dude that never sees Peruvians in movies or anything else I don't care about having someone of my ethnicity shoved into some random movie for the sake of representation, but I get what you are saying and it is true to some degree
Also in the scene where he takes ryan to a hero restaurant, he started to get anxious and homelander genuinely worries about him and about stormfront giving ryan a hate speech
It definitely wasn’t manipulation. He meant what he said to Ryan.
This would be like if Darth Vader tried to be a father figure to Luke. Some people just AREN'T cut to be parents even if you do love them.
I'm not saying ANAKIN didn't love Luke cause he clearly did. But try to imagine ANAKIN as a SITH LORD now having to raise a smol child.
Wouldn't go over well.
I think if you revisit this dynamic between Ryan and Homelander, it would be great to include the scene where Homelander and Butcher (on the temporary Compound V) team up to protect Ryan. When I saw it I loved how much it showed that both of them cared about Ryan being protected even more than they hated each other.
When SB hurt Ryan I immediately knew he was going down. Dude effed up when he hurt the kid, the only thing both Butcher and HL cared about. That was game over for SB
I believe that Homelander does genuinely love Ryan. It may be a twisted narcissistic form of love, coming from a place of making him feel like he has a family. However I think it is the most genuine love he’s capable of feeling because he’s so broken inside that his emotions can’t stem from a non selfish place
I had a similar reaction to this scene. It absolutely disarmed me emotionally and choked me up momentarily, because you just absolutely were not prepared for him to say what he did and he delivered it with what seemed like straight shooting, genuine sincerity and I was hyper fixating on him from that point afterwards to look for that manipulation/gaslighting that Homelander has displayed (even with Ryan in season 2!) But when it wasn't there, my head was all sorts of baffled.
Amazing writing. Loving my prime video membership haha
This had me crying for Homelander cause the isolation and experimentation he experienced truly made him a monster. He still makes absolutely evil choices that are seeded in the isolation he endured as a child - how could he feel empathy when in his earliest formative years, he was treated like that? It doesn't excuse or justify his behavior....but it makes him so tragic and horrifying at the same time.
I LOVE that you cosplay for these videos!
Thank you I do try to : )
I very think that Homelander cares for Ryan because he wants him to have the up bringing that he didn't have .
This is one of the great things about the show; they know that the worst monsters aren't monsters because they're monsters, they're monsters because they're PEOPLE, with a perfect storm of failings that drive and motivate them to do evil things.
Homelander is a person. He needs, he loves, and I think he's sincere in this exchange, but also emotionally incapable of understanding the needs of others, when they don't perfectly mirror his own needs and emotions.
I feel homelander does "love" ryan in the only way a insecure malignant narcissist can and it isn't going to end well for ryan
More like it isn't going to end well for us. I don't think Homelander would ever hurt a hair on Ryan's head, but i can picture Ryan getting strong than his dad and fatally wounding him on accident like he did Stormfront. Once Homelander is dead for whatever reason, Ryan will further descend into madness and bite off more than he can chew.
What made Homelander such a powerful villain for me was that I had empathy for him.
Though I agree most of the times Homelander does or says anything you can tell by his voice and body language it's done to coarse/manipulate. But those very few candid moments he had with his son of telling him it was not his fault and jumping immediately to see if he was ok and leaving his back exposed to 3 credible threats showed there is still one tiny ounce of humanity left. And for that reason if there's even an astronomical chance of him being redeemed in anyway, his son is the key to it.
I think that he does love Ryan, but he is also very much projecting his trauma onto him, so he can feel better.
Homelander definitely loves Ryan, at least in his own way and I guess that will only make him scarier and worse. Right now, if anything or anyone will threaten Ryan, Homelander will just go full berserk. Which is crazy to think he can get any worse xD
Homelander makes me think of something I saw someone comment a long time ago: "Even evil can know love".
Is the love a malignant narcissist feels the same thing the average person equates with "love"? Probably not, but I'm sure that, to them, it's as genuine as the love anyone feels. Unfortunately, "love" is not the panacea stories like to pretend it is. "Love" on its own is not enough; you also have to put in _work,_ and unfortunately, that's where some people draw the line. Homelander might "love" his son, but as soon as things start getting difficult for him and he realizes he has to do more than the bare minimum and that it won't benefit _him_ directly, he'll drop Ryan like a sack of potatoes.
Homelander is the perfect representation of a monster that didn't want to be one.
I think that he genuinely loves Ryan. You can see it in scenes from previous seasons when Ryan starts having a breakdown from his super hearing and he instantly goes to him and tries to protect him. Then later in this season when Ryan gets hurt he instantly turns to protect him
Another great Homelander analysis my morning is made.
Thanks
@@GeorgiaDow don’t mention it keep these boys videos coming.
Homelander can leverage love to suit his own needs, that's a whole other level of terrifying.
I believe he tries his best to be what ryan needs, but there's an ominous tone with the music.
Like ryan's start to the darkside.
Season 4 is going to be something else
Georgia is a hero in my eyes for 2022
i think he was being honest here. for the same reason you mentioned; its also his wound.
I think one thing that people sometimes forget about Homelander is that he is very good at projecting charm. As people who watch the show we get to see behind the curtain. We get to see all the ways that he is broken and evil but most people don't at least not until very recently. I think that in this show we get to see what the public in this world sees and why Homelander is popular.
Whether it is real or not is hard to say. I'm not sure Homelander even knows because I have no real doubt that Homelander believes what he is saying. But that doesn't make it true.
Please. Could you analyze Jim Moriarty from BBCs „Sherlock“? My favorite Villain
I haven't seen the show, but from what I heard and just saw, he might love the IDEA of a son, and not Ryan himself.
Like he wants to swoop in and make his boy feel better. Be the person who he never had. Be there for a mini version of himself and raise him to be like him.
But it all comes back to HIM, not Ryan. Ryan is hearing what he needs for now, but the more individuality he shows and interests that are not like Homelander that appear, might start to set Homelander on edge. And if Ryan takes on a different moral code, especially one that opposes Homelander, than he might actually be in danger.
Homelander also had not seen Ryma when he's being mad, sad, bratty, difficult, sneaky, rebellious and all the little negative parts that a child naturally has to be. He might just want to be a part time parent, which will give Ryan an unreliable father figure at best.
Point is, Homelander may have done the right thing in this one instance, but it seems very unlikely he'll keep it up. A broke. Clock is only right twice a day after all.
He always says he wants a family, maybe it comes from a selfish place or not.
We've seen this happen before with the character in different grades, he has a messed up sense of love and care. Usually when he loves someone it ends up very badly for that person when he eventually finds something that doesn't lke about that person and something does click on him
That said, maybe with Ryan is different, given it's his son
But, for now, his love, even if his mind is completetly messed up, is sincere. He is really trying, not interested in the power but in his son. He provesthat when he kills the man that hit Ryan, without hesitation, jeopardizing his public image, the mostimportant thing for him
Could you do Soldier Boy to from The Boy's? I like to hear a therapist talk about him a bit. Also just found ur channel, it's well put together and really interesting. Thank you!
There's no trick. Homelander truly loves his son! He has all the fans and love he could ever want, but Ryan is the only person he really cares about. When Ryan goes missing Homelander goes crazy like any loving parent would. He also shows he would die for Ryan in season 3, when soldier boy is about to kill him and Ryan. Homelander dosen't run away and leave his son, he makes sure his son is ok. I'd say Homelander is a perfect father!
Homelander sees himself in Ryan and that's why he cares. Would he be able to love him if he didn't?
I think it's fine to say that this was a great act of fatherhood but will drag Ryan deeper into his other problematic aspects, which will hurt Ryan later as he either adopts his father's miserable mindset or separates from him with feelings of loss, maybe betrayal, maybe loss of identity, or maybe even guilt and self hatred if Homelander convinces him to perform reprehensible actions of his own.
This act could have been (and maybe still could be) transitioned into a more constructive, happy life for Ryan, but will probably be used to bring him down further.
Realistically though, Ryan will probably go through some very bad times with Homelander's teaching, almost committing or actually committing some bad actions, before eventually being rehabilitated by Butcher or the Boys.
I think Homelander had no chance to learn empathy as a kid and a teenager, he was never shown any, he's stuck as, idk, toddler (?) in his emotional development and we can't put ALL the blame of who he became on him. But at some point it's your choice how exactly do you deal with your nightmare upbringing and trauma. Maeve genuinely pitied him, Noir loved and trusted him, and i'm sure there were more people in his life who he could've chosen to be compassionate for (Homelander is akin to Johan from "Monster" anime, when he could've been like Grimmer)
He could've left Vought, fly away, nobody would've stopped him, damn, he could've killed all the people who tortured him as a kid and go public about horrible things this company did, but he chose to stay as is and lash out on everyone around him
I think Homelander does love Ryan, it's the only person he's willing to change and make personal sacrifices for. The problem is he doesn't have experience nor skills of how to connect with people
I loved that homelander this horrible villian was surprisingly a good father. It made him such a compelling character.
That scene when homelander always hit too close to home, he was so desperate for love and affection, he was so happy and try to communicate every time the scientists come for check ups T_T
Thanks…I appreciate your insightful comments. Blessings on your day.
Ryan brings out what is left of Homelander’s humanity, that everyone else believes is long gone. Homelander needs to learn that it’s okay to show your emotions and it’s okay to not be okay. If he loses Ryan, if his son is killed, all hope is lost. Homelander will destroy the world as he destroys himself.
2:02
I've just had to accept that I don't deserve any of those things. It stings, but it's a hard truth.
This is one of the reasons why my brother relates with Homelander
Have you ever thought of making a video about Autism? with The Deep or a character that either has an official diagnosis or a character that you notice signs of Autism in?
I think he really loves Ryan. When Soilder boy attached Ryan Homelander went straight for Ryan to make sure he was ok and kept Ryan safely as his top priority
I don't think, that Homelander is smart enough to emotionally manipulate this way. I just feel like he projected on himself, what he wanted to hear.
Homelander has emotionally manipulated lots of people
@@ben1ben2ben1 Yeah, by threatening them, not by making them feels save. On a personal level anyway. He does know how to work a crowd, though.
@@petraw9792 Homelander is very smart. He trows off Vought CEO and he came up with a plan to create sup terrorists around the globe and etc. He isn't a genius,but he is definitely gifted one. So i think he is smart enough to do this,just doesn't need it, he already loves Rayn.
Hope in an episode about Butcher!
Coming up : )
I think he was genuine here, because later when that guy throws trash on Ryan he kills him instantly during a parent defending his kid instinct moment while he was driven by emotions (if it was by reason he would not do that because threw trash cant possible do anything to Ryan so retaliation would make no sense, especially with so many witnesses around xD) and emotions are always honest.
TBH I never saw Homelander as evil, I saw him as broken (because he was raised up wrong). Last season of boys put lot of weight on the "evil ppl are not born, but their are made by bad parenting" idea in general with all the characters sharing their bad experience with their fathers and how it shaped them so I guess they made Ryan story this way to show that father can be good as well.
I think he is taking advantage of him in a moment of vulnerability, saying what Ryan want to hear just to take him on his side...
I am glad she is real and not imaginary like my other therapist
He also broke the circle of negelet. Like with soldier boy
Tbh I've never seen Homelander as a villain but more as a trouble individual, with how he was raised and treated. He never does Evil thing just for being evil. He want to be loved and fit in but just has so much power that he doesn't know how to deal with the weight of it
Being able to see Homelander's genuine humanity towards his son is important because this shows us that anyone of us can be a product of villainy at any given moment in time under specific circumstances in life as well...
You missed the part where homelander and butcher team up because of ryan getting smacked side by soldier boy. That look they give each other says a million words.
Congrats on a 100K subs!
Thank you so much 😀
@@GeorgiaDow ❤
I think it’s out of love even if we think it’s because of Ryan’s powers what he has the potential to do.
I'm glad that in the end of season 3 Ryan has managed to understand the sweetness of power and superiority over other people. Being superior is very pleasent
So I was adopted out of a single mother home so as you can imagine it gave me abandonment issues and even when I got brought into the family I call as such, I still felt like something was missing. I'm happy to be a married man with 2 beautiful children but I'm still working through my own issues. Ngl I only just started your videos today but I absolutely love them and they are helping me figure some stuff out
Thank you
Thank you for sharing. I am so happy that you have your own family and can appreciate how important you are to their lives. Its great you are choosing to work through your pain and it is a worthwhile thing to do so you can live a more free life. I wish you the best and I hope you continue to find my content helpful.
*DO MR. ROBOT.* Old underrated amazing tv series. 4 seasons, great finale.
In the final episode season 3 when ryan knocked unconscious, he doesn't care about fighting anymore he just wanna save his son, but maive and soldier boys keeps attacking him
I believe Homelander was being genuine and does love his son, the thing is the reason he says Ryan wasn't wrong for what he did is because Homelander genuinely sees Himself and Ryan as above all over supes and those supes above humans. Ryan is part of his superiority complex so what Ryan does to others is always okay as they don't matter. I do think it's genuine care and it wasn't Ryan's fault that anyone was hurt but at the same time this scene only reinforces who Homelander is
He's better than mine
6:10 Well... I don't watch The Boys and I don't know Homelander. So... that is kinda accurate
Homelander never had a family, love, and most importantly, confidence in the people around him. He hates the lies he has faced all his life. His son is the personification of naive sincerity and the last hope for truth and devotion in this world. Of course he will love him.
I think Homelander learned from pushing Ryan off the roof, letting Stormfront around, and having his son taken from him. He’s more emotionally vulnerable because he believes nobody else can understand him and realizes that he didn’t want Ryan to have the same cold childhood.
Your ability to put Homelander in a positive caring is impressive.
appreciate that thanks
@@GeorgiaDow Well your video about Soldier Boy and toxic masculinity/toxic toughness made me sob (I'm not a guy btw) because it's accurate. Subbed to your channel and enjoying your videos!
really happy to hear that = ) i hope you keep enjoying my videos and thank you for your sub
Id love a breakdown of soldier boy and the deep.
Maybe : )
Great video as always. Y'know you should analyze the rooftop conversation between Daredevil and The Punisher if you haven't already, I feel you would have a lot to talk about it.
Homelander is a monster with but he understands the kid because he sees himself in Ryan.
Wow
Yeah that's dope writing
Amazing profile.I think Homelander is the way he is with Ryan because he's frying to be the father he knows that someone like him needed. Please do a video on Omni-man as a father next
(*Invincible comic and series)
i did do a video on invincible let me know what you think of it
You should dissect baldurs gate 3 I know it's not a show but the consequences of choices and character arks are so interesting
Homelander is a true hero
Hi Georgia. Was wondering if you could do a few videos on some characters from the 2018 Lost In Space from Netflix (It's my 2nd favourite tv show after Stranger Things). Was wondering if you could please do a video on Will Robinson, John Robinson, Don West, June Harris / Zoe Smith, and Robot (if possible seeing as he isn't human). Thanks.
I think the relationship between Homelander and Ryan is indicative of how most malignant narcissists feel about their children. So long as Homelander can project his own wounds onto Ryan and address them in a way that reflects positively on himself, he is a "perfect" dad. This scene between the two of them isn't really about Homelander talking to his son, its him self soothing with Ryan as a stand in for himself. I also doubt any if that is a conscious thought on Homelanders part.
Don’t all parents want their kids to not suffer like they did?
@@_Cartographer_ healthy ones do. That said, folks like Homelander don't really see their kids as people separate from themselves, more like they are little extensions of themselves or like show dogs they have trained. So long as the kids reflect positively, they are great, objects to be adored and shown off. Once the kids do something embarrassing or "embarrassing " they are no longer important or to be shown off.
I actually teared up at this moment. Until you realise it's homelander.
I remember one time I was little I feel out of my dad’s truck from my car seat. He found me laying on the drive way on my face. He carried me up to the house horrified and said my face was covered in blood. That is when I started crying. When I saw how he reacted. Then he dumped my crying face in the bathroom sink to wash off the blood on my lip.
Loved your last of us videos and I was wondering if you would cover the ruined king game. It takes place in the same universe as arcane but with a different cast of characters
Do you think you could do a video on Soldier Boy? I think while some of his ideals are outdated and overboard at times, he's still an extremely interesting character with charisma on scale with Homelander and Butcher. I'd love to see you break down one of his many awesome scenes!
At least he makes the effort to see his son my dad never did
Ryan is the only person he considers family , everyone else on the planet is a ant but Ryan has powers like him and is Homelander's son .
Well, Homelander was willing to give his life for Ryan. If Butcher hadn't intervened, he would probably lost his life there.
I think like many narcissists, HL sees his son as an extension of himself, which is why he is so kind to him at first. He sees him as his own achievement, his seed, and at that point in the series he's at the idealization stage of their relationship. That only lasts until you disappoint the narcissist in some way, then all hell breaks lose
I could only watch Season 1 of this show, especially after now having a kid myself - too gory for my taste. I'm glad they went this route though - at the end of Season 1, I was sure the storyline would be Homelander molding Ryan in his image and Billy having to "save" the kid - which honestly would have been a bit trite.
Given the season's ending... You might be a bit disappointed.
When I was a kid and I fell of my bike or the playground my mom would always act like I was dying and I always just laughed even if I was bleeding from a scrapped knee
Youre welcome and you knew how to cope very early
You should have included the scene with him at VoughtWorld where Ryan hears everyone and is overwhelmed and Homelander takes Ryan out of there for no reason other than to make him feel safe.
Will you ever do a analysis on soldier boy?
writing it right now