2 Episodes In, The Boys Season 5 Completes Butcher's Transformation Into Homelander
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Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for The Boys season 5, episodes 1 & 2.
Over the course of five seasons, no feud has been more prominent than Billy Butcher vs. Homelander. Despite being the leader of the Seven and a public hero, Homelander is easily the show's most despicable character, and his past with Butcher made him a permanent enemy and target of The Boys' leader.
In fact, he's the very reason this group of rebels formed in the first place, with Butcher vowing to get revenge on Homelander and the rest of Vought's supes. While it's been clear from the beginning that Butcher isn't the most moral man around, his original reason for wanting Vought's poster boy dead was understandable and served the greater good.
However, as time has passed, the joint-protagonist has only become increasingly similar to his adversary, with season 5 completing this journey. Although his actions in season 4's finale signified a point of no return, in the recent premiere when he decided to visit his dad.
Having long resented his father for how he treated both himself and his late brother during their childhood, Butcher could've easily taken the moral high ground since Sam Butcher was terminally ill. Instead, he chose to return to England for one final confrontation, where he mocked and seemingly killed his father.
Episode 2 continued this trajectory, as just moments after Vought and Oh-Father lied about who was responsible for , Butcher lied to Sameer Shah about who killed his wife, Victoria Neuman. These scenes make it impossible to ignore just how alike Butcher and Homelander are these days, and this transformation sets up a bleak future.
Butcher's Transformation Into Homelander Has Been A Long Time Coming
While Butcher may not be anywhere near as evil as Homelander, the central character has lost more and more of his morality over the years, making season 5's transformation a long-time coming. Even from the first season, Butcher didn't hesitate much about killing, but it's more the behavior towards his allies that has worsened throughout the seasons.
Between isolating Ryan, cutting off Sameer's leg, killing Victoria Neuman, and lying to Hughie about Temp V, we've seen Butcher's desperation to kill Homelander escalate, hence why he's now so far gone. In season 5, he seems more mentally stable than he did in the last installment, yet there's still only one thing on his mind.
Previously, he would've been much more concerned about protecting his allies, but with each close-call he's experienced, Butcher has grown increasingly apathetic. Even if The Boys' virus were to wipe out every supe on the planet — including himself, Starlight, Ryan, and Kimiko — there's no doubt he'd be willing to make that sacrifice.
Taking Compound V was the ultimate sign that he'd finally embraced the "can't beat them, join them" mentality, which is how he ended up just like Homelander. The primary villain visited the lab where he grew up to intimidate, mentally torture, and kill the scientists who were responsible for conducting experiments on him when he was younger.
He holds them partially responsible for how he turned out, the same way Butcher does his own father, hence why returning to kill a vulnerable old man seems straight out of Homelander's playbook. Likewise, lying about killing Victoria to Sameer's face is another Homelander trait that shows he's no better than the man he wants to destroy.
Butcher may have started season 1 wanting to avenge his wife and make the world a better place, but he has instead ended up as feared and menacing as Homelander, with even some of his long-term allies wanting him dead.
Considering , Hughie doesn't trust him, and he's one of the most wanted men in America, nothing is stopping Butcher from going scorched Earth with his nemesis, and no matter who wins, it's the people around them that will be the real losers.
What Butcher Being More Like Homelander Means For The Boys Season 5
Now that Butcher's behavior parallels Homelander's, the rest of The Boys season 5 is bound to be much more intense. Firstly, Butcher's ruthless demeanor means that death is inevitable. Currently, he seems less likely to kill The Boys for incompetence in the same way Homelander would the Seven, but he could eventually get there.
If he overhears any conversations about betraying him — like the type that have already taken place — he might not stick around to hear the whole context. Instead, it does seem in character for him to devise his own plan to take out anyone plotting against him before the opposite can happen, and he won't exactly feel remorseful about it.
Additionally, this transformation also puts the villains at more risk. Surprisingly, Butcher has still acted with caution in season 5, as he didn't try to fight Homelander one-on-one. However, he did almost kill Cindy, one of the show's more powerful supes, meaning anyone who stands in the way of his goal will be in serious jeopardy.
Butcher is smart enough to know that even with his new powers, the likes of Homelander and Soldier Boy may still be too big a match for him, but with , the outlaw won't hesitate to murder these newcomers and any of the Seven members he can get his hands on.
He's also more likely to conduct chaotic, high-risk plans, and just like Homelander, he won't necessarily listen to reason. Anyone in favor of his methods will immediately become his new favorite member of the team, while those standing against him will be neglected and dealt with accordingly.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of Butcher's more sinister turn is how it could set up his comic ending. While the show might not play out in the exact same way, there is a world where Butcher and the group kill Homelander, but this simply isn't enough, with the Brit wanting to eliminate supes entirely.
As a result, we may see Butcher stop at nothing to get rid of his so-called enemies, even if that means murdering his own friends. Therefore, rather than simply becoming more like Homelander, Butcher may replace him as the main villain in the final few episodes, setting up a heartbreaking finale.
Butcher's Connection To The Boys Will Make Him An Even More Terrifying Villain
Between his menacing powers and changing attitude, Butcher is already a pretty terrifying part of The Boys' final season, but his connection to the other main characters will make him an even scarier villain, should he fully turn. Even before taking Compound V, Butcher was the type of character whose bad side was best avoided.
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However, with powers, he is even more intimidating, especially since he is directly responsible for killing numerous supes such as Victoria Neuman, Ezekiel, and Gunpowder. Whereas Homelander's overall incompetence and ego prompt him to toy with his foes despite being far more powerful than them, Butcher isn't the type to take prisoners.
Therefore, seeing him as a fully-fledged villain would be pure horror, as he'd almost certainly hunt down and kill the other Boys to complete his mission, despite all the history they share. Knowing he's put himself at risk for these characters and has developed emotional connections with them would make it that much harder to watch this betrayal if he became an antagonist.
Hughie feels like a little brother to him at times, and no matter how many times they clash, there's still a bond there, which would be devastating to see broken. Likewise, Butcher, MM, and Frenchie go way back, making the idea of this fan favorite character murdering his long-lasting friends a hard pill to swallow.
Butcher may be fond of The Boys, but he also knows their fears and weaknesses. He could easily go after MM's family or target the connection between Hughie and Annie/ Frenchie and Kimiko to get what he wants, further proving why he'd be an even worse foe than Homelander.
New episodes of The Boys season 5 release every Wednesday at 12 am PT/ 3 am ET. The finale will take place on May 20.
may seem like a win as it gives them a way of fighting back against Homelander and his army, but it also means Butcher may believe he can eliminate every remaining supe, which could lead him down a dark path.
It would be great to see Butcher stay at least somewhat heroic throughout the remainder of The Boys, even if he dies in the process, but with all signs pointing towards him being Homelander's successor, he has the potential to become the show's most ruthless villain yet.
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