Analyzing MM's Dramatic Shift and Its Impact on The Boys Season 5 Finale
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Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Boys season 5, episode 5, "One Shots."
Many of central characters have undergone severe changes throughout the series, but no one feels more different than Mother's Milk in season 5. As a founding member of The Boys, MM naturally had to be tough and strong-willed to embark on such a dangerous mission, yet he has often acted as the group's moral compass.
He hasn't been afraid to butt heads with Butcher or side with Hughie and Annie at times when the team is at risk of crossing lines. As a result, seeing has been a huge shock, as this usual source of inspiration and togetherness has become pessimistic and single-minded.
The same man who turned A-Train from villain to hero is now blindly siding with Butcher, even though releasing the supe virus could cost Starlight, Kimiko, and Butcher their lives, not to mention the various other good supes out there. He even helped save Countess Crow a few episodes ago, yet is willing to let her die to take down Homelander.
Originally, it looked like this shift in personality came down to his time in the Starlight internment camp, as being stuck there caused his mindset to become more bleak and hopeless. However, MM finally explained the true reason behind his personality switch in "One Shots", and it's even more tragic than we expected.
During Terror's POV, we saw various members of The Boys interact, but MM and Butcher's conversation was easily the most eye-opening. Despite nearly killing each other when , Butcher and MM remain on good terms since they share a similar goal, even though MM's outlook feels out of character compared to previous seasons.
His explanation came after Butcher called him out for eating chocolate that fell on the floor, which was strange since MM has historically had OCD and would never dare do such a thing. He went on to claim he's never slept better despite the hellish situation The Boys are in, simply because he's made peace with dying.
MM claimed he gave up the stress of needing to stay alive and didn't expect to ever see his family again, since they were better off without him, stating, "If I thought there was a snowball's chance in hell that I might see them again, then I might be too scared to do what you and me both need me to do."
Seeing his way of thinking change so drastically is heartbreaking, especially since MM has completely given up hope of a happy ending, which is a bad sign for his future in The Boys.
MM's Personality Switch Is A Bad Sign For His Chances Of Survival In The Boys' Finale
With just three episodes to go, there is a chance MM survives The Boys' finale, but his changing personality is far from a good sign. Despite the show protecting its main characters for five seasons, big deaths are inevitable in the final few outings, meaning it would take a miracle for all The Boys to make it out alive.
Unfortunately for MM, the more moral characters are likely the ones who will live to fight another day, as even if the finale isn't cheery, it's hard to see a world where Butcher and an increasingly bleak MM are the ones burying their friends.
Hughie, Starlight, Frenchie, and Kimiko all at least have something to fight for, meaning they won't run headfirst into danger without thinking. In contrast, MM, trying to disassociate himself from his family, suggests he truly isn't afraid to die and will happily put his life on the line to get revenge on Soldier Boy or take down Homelander.
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We've already seen him challenge and kill Love Sausage despite not having powers himself, but something like this would backfire massively if he tried it with one of . Sadly, it seems like a realistic possibility, as the OG Boys member has lost his sense of pragmatism and just wants this war to be over.
This means he's vulnerable to listening to Butcher and joining him on a suicide mission, which makes me concerned remaining episodes. He may believe his family is a weakness when it comes to fighting these supes, but it has always proven to be a strength so far.
Powering through with the hopes of seeing them again and making bold yet strategic decisions has made him an influential part of the group. Therefore, without all that, MM may simply become an ambitious rebel who wants to kill Homelander and his army, despite having no real firepower to throw at them.
Considering MM is easily one of my favorite characters in the entirety of The Boys, I'm still holding out hope he'll survive. However, deep down, it's hard not to feel like his attitude adjustment makes him one of the most at-risk heroes left standing, setting up a tense end to season 5.
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