S03.E03: Barbary Coast

[mac123x]

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Who was the woman that Frenchie was helping, and who was the woman who kidnapped him? Have we seen these characters before?

Weren't all four of Stormfront's limbs burned off last season? This season she still had the one arm. Did it regenerate or am I misremembering?

She was mutilated in a deliberate parallel / homage to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith.  He had one arm remaining after Obi-wan chopped him up.

[millennium]

This show revels in gratuitous sadism and cruelty.   I don't know what it says about me that I'm watching it.   Nothing good I would guess.   The octopus scene really cost me some self-respect.

Jensen Ackles is just doing a slightly more boisterous Dean Winchester.   I didn't realize his range is so limited.

[DeeDee79]

4 hours ago, millennium said:

Jensen Ackles is just doing a slightly more boisterous Dean Winchester.   I didn't realize his range is so limited.

Completely and totally disagree with this. But to each their own.

[Bergamot]

13 hours ago, Colorado David said:

What a weird dynamic to have to contend with, to be in Homelander's shoes - he can pretty much do anything he wants, until Butcher finds whatever weapon.

The more that Homelander gets backed into a corner, the more interesting -- and scarier! -- he becomes as a character. There is always so much tension in the scenes between him and Edgar, who so far is the only one to not back down from him. I keep expecting something cataclysmic to happen when they face off, but Edgar always remains amazingly ice-cold sure of himself and Homelander always steps back.

Spoiler

We have not had a chance to see much of Soldier Boy yet (is it a spoiler that he is still alive?), but I have read quite a few reviews from critics who praise Jensen Ackles' performance, especially those that have seen the whole season. I am really looking forward to seeing what he does with the character. I especially want to see what happens when Soldier Boy comes up against Homelander. I saw an interview with Kripke where he said something about how Soldier Boy is the first existential threat that Homelander has ever faced, as opposed to a threat to his approval ratings or his psychological well-being.  But Soldier Boy is the first time Homelander will face someone who can actually end his existence. I can't wait to see Homelander backed into that corner!

Edited June 7, 2022 by Bergamot

[Affogato]

3 hours ago, DeeDee79 said:

Completely and totally disagree with this. But to each their own.

I was absolutely impressed with Soldierboy’s insecure looks when Mallory didn’t back down. Parallel to Homelander, slightly different. 

[Bruinsfan]

That was still 100% Dean Winchester to me. Fast draw insults whenever someone isn't impressed with his bravado.

[Bobcatkitten]

9 hours ago, millennium said:

This show revels in gratuitous sadism and cruelty.   I don't know what it says about me that I'm watching it.   Nothing good I would guess.   The octopus scene really cost me some self-respect.

Jensen Ackles is just doing a slightly more boisterous Dean Winchester.   I didn't realize his range is so limited.

He had one scene. All the critics are saying he nails the character. We have loads more to see. 

[Myrelle]

1 hour ago, Bruinsfan said:

That was still 100% Dean Winchester to me. Fast draw insults whenever someone isn't impressed with his bravado.

Kripke created and wrote/writes both characters and I think that is worth a mention.

For my part, I saw none of Dean Winchester in that scene because Dean hid his feelings far better and more often than it appears Soldier Boy might be able to from just the snippet of the character that we got in this episode. 

No, not so with Soldier Boy-except for possibly a minuscule and barely momentary hint of hurt, but only in the eyes, and very quickly extinguished by the kind of anger that Dean rarely ever let slip so overtly.

Dean seemed more practiced at holding his anger in than Soldier Boy appears to be to me, again, in the little that we've seen of Soldier Boy so far.

That facial twitch would have never come from Dean Winchester, that's for sure.

But yes, acting will always be a very subjective matter for everyone.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Myrelle

[DeeDee79]

27 minutes ago, Bobcatkitten said:

He had one scene. All the critics are saying he nails the character. We have loads more to see. 

Exactly!

[Affogato]

We know Jensen Ackles acting mostly from Supernatural. I remember his show with Jessica Alba and not much else. He has a lot of charisma, the kind of thing that attracts us to an actor in something, whether or not they have much range. The character of Soldier Boy is also in the same ball park as Dean Winchester.

You could say that Dean Winchester tamped down his toxic masculinity by funneling it into protecting his brother--and that was still toxic, because if you need to protect someone, they can't become independent. Anyway, that is another discussion.

At this point I think, from what I've seen of the actor, he is very very good within the range of what I have seen--and Soldier Boy seems in that range. Maybe he is a genuinely great and versatile actor, but we haven't seen it yet.

[Myrelle]

2 hours ago, Bergamot said:

The more that Homelander gets backed into a corner, the more interesting -- and scarier! -- he becomes as a character. There is always so much tension in the scenes between him and Edgar, who so far is the only one to not back down from him. I keep expecting something cataclysmic to happen when they face off, but Edgar always remains amazingly ice-cold sure of himself and Homelander always steps back.

  Reveal spoiler

We have not had a chance to see much of Soldier Boy yet (is it a spoiler that he is still alive?), but I have read quite a few reviews from critics who praise Jensen Ackles' performance, especially those that have seen the whole season. I am really looking forward to seeing what he does with the character. I especially want to see what happens when Soldier Boy comes up against Homelander. I saw an interview with Kripke where he said something about how Soldier Boy is the first existential threat that Homelander has ever faced, as opposed to a threat to his approval ratings or his psychological well-being.  But Soldier Boy is the first time Homelander will face someone who can actually end his existence. I can't wait to see Homelander backed into that corner!

The scary music that plays in the background during these Homelander scenes is extremely effective, too.

I've always wanted to give kudos to who ever Kripke got to handle that aspect of the show.

[Bobcatkitten]

Never once in 15 seasons did I feel Dean Winchester was insecure. But in 60 seconds I got that from Soldier Boy.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Bobcatkitten

[ILoveReading]

I loved the start of this season.  Nice character arcs are being set up and I'm really looking forward to where this goes. 

I love Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk, so I'm extremely happy to have his Boys character be the one with the personal vendetta against Solider Boy and I really look forward to seeing them clash. 

Antony really does an amazing job of showing a Homelander who is barely holding on.  He really looks like he's one minute away from snapping.  

The only arc i'm not feeling right now is the whole American Hero thing.  This season is very crowded and while the writers do an amazing job to include everything I feel like there is not really enough time to develop that plot properly.   I think it would have been better suited for the spin off.    I don't really care about Supersonic. 

IMO one of Jensen's strengths is his ability to do a lot with a little.  When I watched that scene I saw a guy whose bravado doesn't match his ego.  He's used to be the alpha male, and the top dog and when Grace stood up to him, his whole demeanour changed.  Even his tone of voice changed.  I could see he immediately because defensive and went on the attack, plus the little lip and cheek twitch and him looking like he was about to cry.  I thought it was a brilliant piece of acting.   Because it told me a lot about Soldier Boy's real persona.   IMO, small moments like this are often overlooked for big moments. 

That's not to take away from the big moments, they are important too, and Antony was brilliant these last 3 eps and I feel like he should have gotten performer of the week from TVLine.   I do also look forward to the big moments from Soldier Boy too.  I really look forward to these two high calibre actors facing off on screen.  They can only raise each other's game.

While Soldier Boy shares some surface traits with Dean, they are nothing alike.   Dean is rough and the edges and he can crude, but at his core he's a good person.  He hunts to make sure people's families don't end up like his did.  While we see him make some inappropriate comments when he's with a girl he very much is with her.  He treats her well, and is very attentive,  I can't see Soldier Boy doing that.  I'm sure if he's with anyone its all about him. 

Spoiler

Soldier Boy is also a real selfish asshole who doesn't sound like a good guy at all.  He's in it for money, power and fame.     So I don't see these characters the same at all. 

Different motivations for characters who might share some traits, can really help to create a vastly different character.  Soldier Boy carries himself differently than Dean.  He seems more happy go lucky, whereas Dean looks like he he carries the wait of the word.  But this is probably a discussion for a different thread. 

3 hours ago, Bergamot said:

There is always so much tension in the scenes between him and Edgar, who so far is the only one to not back down from him.

I'm not sure if the Don't do drugs PSA The Boys Instagram account counts as a spoiler but I'll tag it just in case. 

Spoiler

I thought this was a really interesting thing contrast between Solider Boy and Homelander.   When Soldier Boy asks who wrote the dialogue and hears Edgar's name he's like get him on the phone, whereas when Edgar speaks Homelander backs down.

Stan didn't have the power he did when Solider Boy was in his hey day so I am also looking forward to seeing how Solider Boy reacts to a much more power Stan Edgar. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by ILoveReading

[gonzosgirrl]

2 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

That was still 100% Dean Winchester to me. Fast draw insults whenever someone isn't impressed with his bravado.

I don't recall Dean Winchester ever insulting a woman (who wasn't a demon). Maybe you watched a different show than I did.

On topic: He really did seem hurt/baffled by her rejection, which is a sign of a true misogynist. They sincerely don't get it. But by all accounts, Soldier Boy is written to be an ahole, so his nasty response to it is on par. I'm actually hoping the don't redeem him - it would be more true to life, because in my experience, guys like that don't change or grow, they just learn to hide it better. 

[millennium]

3 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

That was still 100% Dean Winchester to me. Fast draw insults whenever someone isn't impressed with his bravado.

Not to mention the Dean voice.

[Myrelle]

3 hours ago, Affogato said:

I was absolutely impressed with Soldierboy’s insecure looks when Mallory didn’t back down. Parallel to Homelander, slightly different. 

This. 

I think this is precisely what the actor and the writer are attempting to do with the character in addition to being time warped back a bit.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Myrelle

[millennium]

15 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Eh, I've heard enough direct quotes from Ackles about that issue and in response to fans' other LGBTQ-related questions over the years to be more than fine with him getting his share of the backlash. He can go eat his feelings about it at Zaxby's with his anti-gay bigot friends from Duck Dynasty.

I was never into Supernatural fandom so this came as news to me.  Did a little googling and wow.   Too early to tell whether the Soldier Boy role will help or hurt him in that regard.

I never had a problem with Ackles' work on Supernatural.   I was just expecting him to switch it up for Soldier Boy, at the very least to avoid typecasting.

[gonzosgirrl]

52 minutes ago, millennium said:

Not to mention the Dean voice.

LOL! Now I know you didn't watch Supernatural. ;) Nothing alike. Like, at all.

Jensen is nothing but an ally to all the letters of the rainbow - his actions speak for themselves. Comments regarding his fictional character have nothing to do with the man himself. Google will also show you that if you care to look beyond what some determined (and disappointed) shipping fans have put out there. And that's my first and last post about that.

But again, on topic for this show.... We all know there have been pretty significant changes to most of the characters from their comic book counterparts and that's on the writers, not the actors. This doesn't sound like an actor who has any issues playing gay. :)

On rewatch, I'm still not convinced that Supersonic is on Starlight's side. I have a feeling he's under Homelander's influence - at least promising intel in exchange for 'winning' the spot on the Seven. I can't imagine poor Starlight's therapy bills after having to kiss Homelander. *shudder*

43 minutes ago, millennium said:

I was just expecting him to switch it up for Soldier Boy, at the very least to avoid typecasting.

I think it's way too soon to make a call on what Soldier Boy will be like from a few flashbacks. What's crawling out of that cage most certainly isn't the same animal they threw in there.

Edited June 7, 2022 by gonzosgirrl

[Asha124]

I find it funny that we didn't even get 5 minutes of Soldier Boy and some people are already calling him Dean 2.0 🤦‍♀️ I will wait for more scenes to make any judgement but so far Soldier Boy doesn't remind me of Dean at all (if I disregard that they share a face 😀)

[gonzosgirrl]

4 hours ago, Bergamot said:

The more that Homelander gets backed into a corner, the more interesting -- and scarier! -- he becomes as a character. There is always so much tension in the scenes between him and Edgar, who so far is the only one to not back down from him. I keep expecting something cataclysmic to happen when they face off, but Edgar always remains amazingly ice-cold sure of himself and Homelander always steps back.

Are we 100% sure that Edgar is human? I just can't imagine having the balls to talk to Homelander like he does when [he] could literally kill him with the blink of an eye. Does he just have ice-water in his veins, or is he invincible?

Or is there a reason Homelander can't kill him?

[Ohiopirate02]

21 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

On rewatch, I'm still not convinced that Supersonic is on Starlight's side. I have a feeling he's under Homelander's influence - at least promising intel in exchange for 'winning' the spot on the Seven. I can't imagine poor Starlight's therapy bills after having to kiss Homelander. *shudder*

I don't trust him either.  IMHO, if he is really a good guy, he would not be so flirty with Starlight in front of Hughie.  He's still into her in a bad way.  He will do anything Homelander asks if it gets him closer to getting Starlight back.  Then there's the whole fame thing that being in the Seven entails.  We have seen both A-Train and The Deep doing everything they can to get back in Homelander's good graces.  

13 minutes ago, Asha124 said:

I find it funny that we didn't even get 5 minutes of Soldier Boy and some people are already calling him Dean 2.0 🤦‍♀️ I will wait for more scenes to make any judgement but so far Soldier Boy doesn't remind me of Dean at all (if I disregard that they share a face 😀)

He also shares the same face of Days of Our Lives Eric Brady.  A sweet, earnest photographer who oozes goodness.  

[Myrelle]

13 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Are we 100% sure that Edgar is human? I just can't imagine having the balls to talk to Homelander like he does when [he] could literally kill him with the blink of an eye. Does he just have ice-water in his veins, or is he invincible?

Or is there a reason Homelander can't kill him?

Ooooooooo...

Maybe.

[millennium]

18 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

LOL! Now I know you didn't watch Supernatural. ;) Nothing alike. Like, at all.

I watched every season from start to finish.  Even that award-winning series finale.  

To me, it was the Dean voice.  A little more gruff, but Dean nonetheless.

[Bort]

Ok people, that’s enough of the Supernatural discussion. That belongs in another forum, please.

[Bergamot]

2 hours ago, ILoveReading said:

I love Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk, so I'm extremely happy to have his Boys character be the one with the personal vendetta against Solider Boy and I really look forward to seeing them clash. 

Me too! I like the character of Mother's Milk and it will be interesting to see what they do with this. As you say, though, the season is really crowded and I hope that they spend the time to develop this story. As well as for others -- I am afraid that some of them, like Frenchie and Kimiko, might get lost in the shuffle. The writers have good ideas for the characters but there are only so many minutes in the season.

46 minutes ago, gonzosgirrl said:

Are we 100% sure that Edgar is human? I just can't imagine having the balls to talk to Homelander like he does when [he] could literally kill him with the blink of an eye. Does he just have ice-water in his veins, or is he invincible?

Yes! I mean he never even shows a hint of nervousness, no matter what the situation. It is kind of eerie! They haven't gone into his personal history much -- he is just always there, at the top of Vought, and apparently all-powerful.

In regard to Edgar, I thought it was interesting to see his connection to Victoria Neuman, and the fatherly relationship that he seems to have with her. Is it possible that we are actually seeing evidence that Stan Edgar has a soft spot?! Or is reading bedtime stories just another technique in his arsenal for controlling Supes?

[DeeDee79]

2 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

LOL! Now I know you didn't watch Supernatural. ;) Nothing alike. Like, at all.

To me Soldier Boy's voice sounds closer to Jensen's natural speaking voice, maybe a tad bit deeper. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by DeeDee79

[DeeDee79]

1 hour ago, Bergamot said:

Yes! I mean he never even shows a hint of nervousness, no matter what the situation. It is kind of eerie! They haven't gone into his personal history much -- he is just always there, at the top of Vought, and apparently all-powerful.

I would love to see Stan fleshed out a bit beyond being the man in charge. With his connection to Victoria maybe we'll get a little more of his backstory.

[Bruinsfan]

The scenes with Victoria and her daughter dashed my forming idea that Stan Edgar might be an actual psychopath (albeit an urbane one), and thus neurologically incapable of feeling fear of Homelander or anyone else. His composure is more impressive than anyone else's on the show, including Grace Mallory's.

[roamyn]

22 hours ago, millennium said:

Jensen Ackles is just doing a slightly more boisterous Dean Winchester.   I didn't realize his range is so limited.

And you based this on 10 min of screen time as SB, so far?

[tennisgurl]

So much happened in this episode, but the thing that I cant stop thinking about is the Deep eating Timothy, that was fucked up even by this shows standards. RIP Timothy. It wouldn't surprise me if this was his wife's idea, literally serving Timothy on a platter. I cant blame her for not wanting to get into a love triangle with an octopus, but this seems like overkill. Also, never eat while watching this show, trust me...

Our first look at Jenen Ackles as Soldier Boy is already interesting in just a few scenes. He's an obnoxious sexist creepy, but its so over the top and he was so shocked that young Mallory wasn't interested in him, that it seems to speak to some massive insecurity, which we know is common among supes. He's a real asshole, but unlike the rest of the supes who got stupidly brought to this mission, he does actually seem to have some combat ability, being the only supe (besides maybe Noir) who actually reacted in an efficient way when they were attacked, while everyone else just seemed to flail about or accidently killed several people on their own side. 

Poor Ryan, I understand that Billy was pushing him away for what he thinks is his own good, but that was still a pretty brutal way to burn a bridge, especially with a kid who is very much lacking in trusted adults. I really liked the scene between Ryan and Kimiko, I can see why they would be able to relate to each other. 

I hope that Stormlights ex boyfriend is on the level, but I'm not sure. He could very well be working to undermine or spy on Starlight on Vaught or even Homelanders behalf, or he could start off as a genuinely nice guy now who by the end of the season gets corrupted like most of the Seven, we've seen how far people are willing to go to stay with the Seven, he could start off trying to have Starlights back but then betray her when his spot is threatened. Starlight's going to need to invest in mouth wash if she has to keep kissing Homelander, gross. 

I suspected last episode that Homelander might be pushed so far over the edge that he wouldn't care about the blackmail, and it looks like I was right. He's spiraling so hard that I can totally see him deciding that if he's going down he wants to take the world down with him. Homelander has always thought he was above everyone, but he always had a few checks on him or his neurosis kept him from showing his true self to the public, but now all bets are off. He really does think that he's above everyone and can do anything.  

[Bergamot]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I suspected last episode that Homelander might be pushed so far over the edge that he wouldn't care about the blackmail, and it looks like I was right. He's spiraling so hard that I can totally see him deciding that if he's going down he wants to take the world down with him. Homelander has always thought he was above everyone, but he always had a few checks on him or his neurosis kept him from showing his true self to the public, but now all bets are off. He really does think that he's above everyone and can do anything. 

This is very interesting, @tennisgurl, because I was watching an interview with Kripke where he talks about Homelander. He says that in many ways you can define the mythology of The Boys as the slow unraveling of Homelander as he heads toward a complete sociopathic break. So what are the guardrails and barriers that are keeping him from just destroying the world? Kripke says that there are parts of Homelander that are still human; his ego is so fragile and he needs love so nakedly that there are still things keeping him in control.  Once he starts realizing that he doesn't need those things that are keeping him in control, Kripke says, "God help us all." So as you point out, maybe we are reaching that point where those guardrails and barriers are starting to be removed. 😳

[FlickChick]

4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Poor Ryan, I understand that Billy was pushing him away for what he thinks is his own good, but that was still a pretty brutal way to burn a bridge, especially with a kid who is very much lacking in trusted adults.

I think that Butcher made a big mistake with Ryan (under the influence of TempV). If Soldier Boy or a "secret weapon" fail to kill Homelander, I think Ryan is the only one who could kill a fully sociopath Homelander for the sake of the humans. With loving care such as he had with his mother, Ryan can keep his human side front and center, but Butcher put a larger dent in that with accusing Ryan of killing his mother. To me, it was obvious that Ryan really likes Butcher and maybe thinks of him as a father image, so Butcher should have found a gentle way to say he has to stay away from Ryan for his safety. 

[CaptainE]

On 6/7/2022 at 2:58 PM, DeeDee79 said:

I would love to see Stan fleshed out a bit beyond being the man in charge. With his connection to Victoria maybe we'll get a little more of his backstory.

I’d love to see his backstory too.  Obviously Giancarlo plays the coolness without effort and it’s a joy to watch, but there must be a reason he’s so confident in his conversations with Homelander.  The viewer knows Victoria could pop his head (and everything else off I assume), but we have not been shown that Homelander knows this too. I guess for now, it’s the ratings and adoration that he seeks.

Plot hole here though.  He just let a young lady commit suicide off the building.  That would have brought his numbers down a bit.  I imagine Stormfront’s suicide was a bigger story though.

[questionfear]

20 minutes ago, CaptainE said:

I’d love to see his backstory too.  Obviously Giancarlo plays the coolness without effort and it’s a joy to watch, but there must be a reason he’s so confident in his conversations with Homelander.  The viewer knows Victoria could pop his head (and everything else off I assume), but we have not been shown that Homelander knows this too. I guess for now, it’s the ratings and adoration that he seeks.

Plot hole here though.  He just let a young lady commit suicide off the building.  That would have brought his numbers down a bit.  I imagine Stormfront’s suicide was a bigger story though.

I would also assume that they vetted the crowd that was there, so they paid off anyone who witnessed it and buried the footage. 

[Ohiopirate02]

26 minutes ago, CaptainE said:

I’d love to see his backstory too.  Obviously Giancarlo plays the coolness without effort and it’s a joy to watch, but there must be a reason he’s so confident in his conversations with Homelander.  The viewer knows Victoria could pop his head (and everything else off I assume), but we have not been shown that Homelander knows this too. I guess for now, it’s the ratings and adoration that he seeks.

It would not surprise me if it's revealed that Stan has a whole roster of Supers who could kill Homelander in an instant waiting in the wings.  Victoria cannot be the only ace up his sleeve.  The Red River Institute is not the only facility full of child supes who are orphans for whatever reason. Stan would be the type to keep tabs on all the kids in the system looking for the ones who can benefit Vought.  

[Morrigan2575]

On 6/7/2022 at 11:07 AM, Affogato said:

I was absolutely impressed with Soldierboy’s insecure looks when Mallory didn’t back down. Parallel to Homelander, slightly different. 

Were they insecure? I interpreted them as slightly psycho...basically he's Homelander before Homelander.

Although, the fact that as soon as the fight started he went into action, was competent and, acknowledged Grace's save seems to indicate he's not as egocentric as Homelander...maybe

[Affogato]

11 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Were they insecure? I interpreted them as slightly psycho...basically he's Homelander before Homelander.

Although, the fact that as soon as the fight started he went into action, was competent and, acknowledged Grace's save seems to indicate he's not as egocentric as Homelander...maybe

Well Homelander is insecure as hell. Needs love and admiration and points. Yes also ‘psycho‘. 
 

i was referring to Soldier Boys clumsy defensiveness when Grace didn’t back down.  Very insecure n his masculinity and dangerous. 
 

here is a song that fits right in:  https://genius.com/Phil-ochs-i-kill-therefore-i-am-lyrics

and crom the same album

https://genius.com/Phil-ochs-pretty-smart-on-my-part-lyrics

they aren’t just crazy, these two. They are a specific entitled crazy. 

Edited June 12, 2022 by Affogato

[MAK]

For all of Homelander's show of strength, he looked pretty insecure in that confrontation with Edgar.

Homelander kept trying to rile him up, but Edgar was having none of it. Homelander's giggle seemed a bit nervous.

Both Homelander and Soldier Boy are similar in that they both believe their own hype. They don't seem to have ever had an honest relationship with anyone. 

I wonder was Soldier Boy's background is? Was he given V when he was an adult like Stormfront? His military service during WWII might have been legit when he joined, turned into a supe during.

[Morrigan2575]

2 hours ago, Affogato said:

Well Homelander is insecure as hell. Needs love and admiration and points. Yes also ‘psycho‘. 

Very true 

2 hours ago, Affogato said:

was referring to Soldier Boys clumsy defensiveness when Grace didn’t back down.  Very insecure n his masculinity and dangerous. 

The comments or the facial ticks? I saw those ticks and was like uh oh he's going to blow but, that could be my expectations or belief how this season will play out. 

[Affogato]

4 hours ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Very true 

The comments or the facial ticks? I saw those ticks and was like uh oh he's going to blow but, that could be my expectations or belief how this season will play out. 

The comments sure but the facial ticks sealed it for me. He wasn’t just an asshole. He felt like he was under attack. 

[Bruinsfan]

He felt right, even if the attack was deserved. Grace's comments were meant to belittle him, not provide helpful information.

[DeeDee79]

After rewatching I feel that for all of Butcher’s irrational behavior and rage he wasn’t wrong when he lashed out at Mallory. He was right when he pointed out that if she had advised that there may be a weapon that could kill Homelander he might not have gone down the path that he has, Becca would still be alive and Ryan would not be living in fear of his psycho father. Her response that he’s hateful and just like his father was deflection and didn’t make her look any better IMO.

Edited June 13, 2022 by DeeDee79

[tessathereaper]

12 hours ago, DeeDee79 said:

After rewatching I feel that for all of Butcher’s irrational behavior and rage he wasn’t wrong when he lashed out at Mallory. He was right when he pointed out that if she had advised that there may be a weapon that could kill Homelander he might not have gone down the path that he has, Becca would still be alive and Ryan would not be living in fear of his psycho father. Her response that he’s hateful and just like his father was deflection and didn’t make her look any better IMO.

He basically turns around and does the same to Ryan.  So the cycle continues. I mean it's obviously beyond what Mallory just said, because it's due to his father and how he was raised but it's interesting how she insulted him about his father then Butcher turned around and did something similar to Ryan.

On 6/12/2022 at 10:28 AM, Morrigan2575 said:

Very true 

The comments or the facial ticks? I saw those ticks and was like uh oh he's going to blow but, that could be my expectations or belief how this season will play out. 

I agree, he was raging, but I also think it's because he's insecure.  Most toxic masculinity is underscored by insecurity. Men who are actually secure generally aren't toxic.  Insecurity isn't an excuse for those actions, just a reason behind them.

[Bruinsfan]

13 hours ago, DeeDee79 said:

After rewatching I feel that for all of Butcher’s irrational behavior and rage he wasn’t wrong when he lashed out at Mallory. He was right when he pointed out that if she had advised that there may be a weapon that could kill Homelander he might not have gone down the path that he has, Becca would still be alive and Ryan would not be living in fear of his psycho father. Her response that he’s hateful and just like his father was deflection and didn’t make her look any better IMO.

But what could she have told him? "Thirty years ago the most powerful supe of the day was apparently kidnapped from a field of battle in Nicaragua? I didn't see how, or by whom, or where they took him? The government made up a cover story to give him a heroic death, but I don't know if he's dead or alive." There's very little useful information there.

[DeeDee79]

3 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

But what could she have told him? "Thirty years ago the most powerful supe of the day was apparently kidnapped from a field of battle in Nicaragua? I didn't see how, or by whom, or where they took him? The government made up a cover story to give him a heroic death, but I don't know if he's dead or alive." There's very little useful information there.

How about "30 years ago the Russians killed Soldier Boy and took his body. By the way he's just as strong as Homelander so there's a chance that there's a weapon out there that can kill him too". The information may be little but it's still better than nothing.

[Quickbeam]

As someone who has no feelings about Ackles one way or another, I’m curious to see the character unfold. I’m still mesmerized by Homelander, the show just snaps during his scenes. RIP Timothy. 

[blackwing]

On 6/7/2022 at 1:47 AM, millennium said:

Jensen Ackles is just doing a slightly more boisterous Dean Winchester.   I didn't realize his range is so limited.

On 6/7/2022 at 2:54 PM, kariyaki said:

Ok people, that’s enough of the Supernatural discussion. That belongs in another forum, please.

18 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

As someone who has no feelings about Ackles one way or another, I’m curious to see the character unfold. I’m still mesmerized by Homelander, the show just snaps during his scenes. RIP Timothy. 

I've never watched a single minute of "Supernatural" and I don't know this actor from Adam at all.  Never ever seen him before.  It seems from the discussion here that he has lots of fans, but so far I'm not seeing anything special about him to the point where every single look or mouth movement is being analyzed.  He's just another character to me.  The mythos of the show is that he is the original superhero, so I'd like to see what happens when he and Homelander meet up.  As far as acting, so far I agree that Antony Starr is even more amazing this season than in the previous two.  

I don't know what it is about fictional boy band songs, but I found "Rock My Kiss" and the other one to be particularly catchy.  I thought the songs of 4*TOWN ("why are they 4 town if there are five of them") from "Turning Red" to be very catchy too.

It seems that Supersonic is supposed to be Hispanic.  Is he?  He was talking about all the racism he faces and he cringed when Homelander was speaking Spanish to him... but the actor looks really white to me.  I didn't think it was a good look for the team... they were trying to fill two spots, one candidate was a black woman, one was a Muslim woman, and the other was a guy who is purportedly Hispanic but looks white.  Then they took the Deep back, so to me it looked like they picked two white guys instead of two minority women.  Ok.

[gonzosgirrl]

16 minutes ago, blackwing said:

It seems from the discussion here that he has lots of fans, but so far I'm not seeing anything special about him to the point where every single look or mouth movement is being analyzed.  He's just another character to me. 

He hasn't had any actual 'real' scenes yet, so I'm sure it will make more sense to you when he does. Jensen does have a well-earned fanbase so it's only natural that those (of us) who do know him well see more/more potential than others.

16 minutes ago, blackwing said:

As far as acting, so far I agree that Antony Starr is even more amazing this season than in the previous two.  

He absolutely is. His ability to be dead behind the eyes while smiling like he's your best friend is chilling. I hope there are some acting nods in the next awards season.

Edited June 15, 2022 by gonzosgirrl
typo

[MAK]

Antony Starr is killing it this season.  You can actually see the slow buildup (descent?) through the first two seasons to now.

[Ohiopirate02]

37 minutes ago, blackwing said:

It seems that Supersonic is supposed to be Hispanic.  Is he?  He was talking about all the racism he faces and he cringed when Homelander was speaking Spanish to him... but the actor looks really white to me.  I didn't think it was a good look for the team... they were trying to fill two spots, one candidate was a black woman, one was a Muslim woman, and the other was a guy who is purportedly Hispanic but looks white.  Then they took the Deep back, so to me it looked like they picked two white guys instead of two minority women.  Ok.

Supersonic is the "right" kind of Hispanic, one that can pass at first glance but also be able to roll his r's when necessary.  Vought is looking to fill the open spots with "safe" minorities (the ones that white Americans will still root for).  The show is satirizing American media culture, and how network/studio executives say they want diversity, but always have some reason to cast someone who passes the paper bag test.  The whole show was rigged to appear diverse even if the outcome was always going to reinforce the status quo.  The Muslim woman, Silver Kincaid, was never going to win the competition because she's too diverse and, well, unfuckable.  Vought like so many networks and studios is not going to promote a woman who the suits are not sexually attracted to.