The Boys Season 4 Episode 1 Reveals Homelander's Real Weakness & It Could Kill Him
Contains spoilers for "The Boys" Season 4, Episode 1 – "Department of Dirty Tricks"
At the end of "The Boys" Season 3, the plan to bring Homelander (Antony Starr) to his knees went sideways, leaving Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and the rest of the team to fall back and rethink their strategy. Now, though, even after "Gen V" introduced a superpower that could stop Homelander, it seems that the biggest threat to the show's Superman analog isn't Butcher's crew or other supes, but time itself.
In Season 4, Episode 1 – "Department of Dirty Tricks," the show presents a different side to Homelander by showing him performing some pretty human activities. When we're first reunited with him, this wrathful god among men is using a urinal when he finds a gray hair down there. Starr's signature excellent performance comes into play with the silent rage and disbelief on his face, demonstrating that there might actually be something the leader of The Seven is afraid of. Sure, Homelander is invulnerable, but does this hint that he might not be immortal?
While it's something he'd understandably want to keep to himself, he can't keep it secret from his newest recruit, Sister Sage (Susan Hayward), who has her new employer sized up in no time. Switching to "Sherlock" mode on their first encounter, she discusses his swollen prostate and his hair-dying routine, revealing that he may be just as "human" in some areas as he is "super." This terrible truth, combined with a major "Gen V" revelation, could doom Homelander and the supes if discovered by Butcher and the Boys.
Will legacy be the lethal dose to bring down the Homelander?
It's clear that cracks are starting to show in Homelander's facade, and as recent revelations in "Gen V" have shown, the timing couldn't be worse. Not only is he having to deal with this brush with mortality, but there's also a supe-killing virus just waiting to be put to use following the events that happened on (and under) Godolkin University's campus. That's a mixture the franchise's most frightening character will have to deal with, as Homelander clock-watching like never before because time appears catching up with him.
While it reveals a weakness in the villain posing as a superhero, it's also a strong reminder that Big H is at his worst when things aren't going his way. That's something to consider given that Homelander's biggest battle after "The Boys'" shock Season 3 finale will most likely be going on trial for murder.
While it's a safe bet that Sister Sage will keep quiet about her discovery (for now, at least), it'll be interesting to see how long until Homelander's new mid-life crisis is discovered and weaponized by his. To confirm that the supe might be a little human after all could lead to Butcher and his team, detached as they are, finding more weaknesses they didn't know existed. He might be sleeping easy under the stars and stripes for now, but Homelander's not getting any younger and these are new aches and pains he really doesn't need.