Amazon series The Boys celebrated 2020’s Mother’s Day with a look back at the unsettling relationship between Homelander (Antony Starr) and Madelyn Stillwell (Elisabeth Shue).
On May 10th, 2029, the official Twitter account for the hit superhero show dropped a 24-second compilation video of some of the most disturbing moments between Homelander and Stillwell from the show’s first season that perfectly capture their twisted mother-and-son-like relationship. It includes clips of Homelander sucking Stillwell’s fingers, Stillwell flashing her boobs to Homelander, and Stillwell telling Homelander to take his pants off.
One thing supes aren't immune to: Mommy Issues pic.twitter.com/1WX5M9NQke
— THE BOYS (@TheBoysTV) May 10, 2020
While some people weren’t expecting to see such an obscene video on Mother’s Day, a lot of the show’s fans actually found the post funny. Others even praised the series and Amazon for having the guts to share the content on social media. Take a look at some of the reactions to The Boys’ Mother’s Day post below:
Ok I didn’t want to see this on mother’s day ugh
— Bruised Wayne (@bruisedwayne69) May 10, 2020
Yo THIS of all clips, my lord ?
WHERE THE NEW SEASON AT???
— Jest Real (@JestReal) May 10, 2020
I’m traumatized to my very core. pic.twitter.com/l8mQWLJwPJ
— Waz Jadwiga (@wazjadwiga) May 10, 2020
So much cringe – said while eating my cereal ? with my wife’s breast milk.
— The reason your girl won’t let you fist her. (@HyperThruster) May 10, 2020
?
— Marls (@MarleyakaTroy) May 10, 2020
Only this show would have the balls to post stuff like this pic.twitter.com/b09d2BeEu4
— ARRAN. (@arran_day) May 10, 2020
Who is Homelander?
Homelander is the main antagonist in The Boys. He is the leader of the Seven, a group of superheroes who are owned and managed by the powerful corporation Vought International. Homelander is a Superman-like character with superhuman strength, speed, and the ability to fly. He is also depicted as being nearly invulnerable to physical harm and has heat vision and other powers.
In the TV show, Homelander is portrayed as a psychopath who is obsessed with his own image and fame and is willing to go to extreme lengths to protect Vought International and his own reputation, even if it means committing horrific acts of violence and cruelty.
Homelander is played by Antony Starr. His portrayal of Homelander has been praised by critics and audiences alike, with many commending his ability to bring depth and nuance to such a complex and challenging character. Starr’s started his career in the entertainment industry in his home country New Zealand. In addition to The Boys, he is also known for his roles in the New Zealand TV series Outrageous Fortune and the American series Banshee.
Who is Madelyn Stillwell?
Madelyn Stillwell was a high-ranking executive at Vought International, the powerful corporation that manages and controls the superhero group Seven for publicity and profit. In the show’s first season, she was the primary liaison between Vought and the Seven and was responsible for managing their public image and ensuring that they remain popular and profitable.
Driven by ambition and a desire for power, she was willing to do whatever it takes to advance her career and maintain her position within Vought, even if it means compromising her own morals and ethics.
Unlike Homelander who is still very much alive in the series, Stillwell met his demise in the season 1 finale. In that episode, it was revealed that Becca Butcher (Shantel VanSanten), the wife of the show’s protagonist Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) was actually alive and being held captive by Homelander in a secret facility. At the end of the episode, Stillwell discovered this information and attempted to convince Homelander to release Becca, but he got mad and killed her by burning a hole through her head using his heat vision.
The death of Stillwell was a major turning point in the series and set up much of the plot for the second season. Her passing left a power vacuum within Vought and set off a chain of events that ultimately led to the introduction of a new villain, Stormfront (Aya Cash). It also had significant consequences for the other characters in the series, particularly Homelander, who became increasingly unstable in the aftermath of Stillwell’s death.
Stillwell was played by actress Elisabeth Shue. Some of her notable film roles include Ali Mills in The Karate Kid, Jordan Mooney in Adventures in Babysitting, and Sera in Leaving Las Vegas, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Shue has also appeared in a number of TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Kominsky Method, among many others.
Homelander and Madelyn Stillwell’s relationship
Created in a lab by Vought International, Homelander was raised from birth to become the perfect American superhero. But he was deprived of a normal childhood and parental figures, leaving him with a deep sense of loneliness and a desire for maternal love and approval.
In the first season, Homelander sought the approval and affection of his boss, Madelyn Stillwell, who he saw as a maternal figure. Homelander’s mommy issue is so serious that seeing Madelyn’s breastfeeding her infant son, Teddy Stillwell brought him great jealousy. But in the most twisted sense, Homelander was also sexually attracted to Madelyn and repelled by her at the same time, as he was well aware of her manipulative nature.
Stillwell, meanwhile, saw Homelander as a means to an end, a powerful and charismatic figure who coup help her advance her career and maintain her position within Vought. She was also aware of his instability and used it to manipulate or control him for her own purposes.
In the second season, following Stillwell’s death, Homelander convinced a Doppelganger (Dan Darin-Zanco) to shapeshift into Stillwell and spend time with him, reliving his memories of her and seeking the maternal love and approval he so desperately craves.
True to the show’s dark theme, this relationship quickly became disturbing. As Homelander became increasingly unstable and volatile, he began to see the Doppelganger as the real Madelyn Stillwell and engaged in sexual roleplay with him.
About The Boys
Based on a comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys is a dark and satirical take on the superhero genre, exploring themes of power, corruption, and celebrity in a world where superheroes are real and have become a ubiquitous presence in society.
The show takes place in a world where superheroes, known as “Supes,” are sponsored by a powerful corporation called Vought International and are treated like celebrities. Created with the substance called Compound V, the Supes are portrayed as narcissistic and often morally corrupt, with their public personas carefully crafted by Vought to maintain their image and marketability.
The main characters of the show are a group of vigilantes called The Boys, who are dedicated to taking down the Supes and exposing their corruption. Throughout the series, The Boys work to uncover Vought’s lies and bring down the Supes, often using violent and unconventional methods.
The Boys’ cast
In addition to Antony Starr (Homelander), Elizabeth Shue (Madelyn Stillwell), Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), Becca Butcher (Shantel VanSanten), and Stormfront (Aya Cash), The Boys has also starred Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell), Erin Moriarty (April January / Starlight), Laz Alonso (Mother’s Milk), Tomer Capon as Frenchie), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko Miyashiro), Dominique McElligott (Maggie Shaw / Queen Maeve), Jessie T. Usher (Reggie Franklin / A-Train), Chace Crawford (Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep), Nathan Mitchell (Earving / Black Noir), Colby Minifie (Ashley Barrett), Claudia Doumit (Victoria Neuman / Nadia), Ryan Butcher (Parker Corno) and Jensen Ackles (the leader of Payback, Soldier Boy)
How many seasons does The Boys have?
Launched in July 2019, The Boys currently has three seasons, with a fourth season currently in production.
The Boys season 4 release date
The fourth season of The Boys doesn’t have an exact release date yet. But the first season of the show’s spinoff series, Gen V, is expected to premiere sometime this 2023. Watch the first-look trailer for the offshoot series below and see if you can see an Easter Egg that gives a nod to the original show:
Where to watch The Boys
The first three seasons of The Boys are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, which will also be the streaming home for Gen V.