In an Instagram reel posted by @theboystv, Ashley Barrett, portrayed by Colbie Minifie (I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Homebody), announced Vought International’s support for Homelander and coined the hashtag #HomeFree. Ashley Barrett is the current CEO of Vought International within The Boys universe. Barrett noted that “Vought and its shareholders stand fully behind Homelander.”
Vought, being a generally antagonist corporation within the series, is a company that both monetizes and markets the superheroes of The Boys. Vought represents The Seven, which is their premiere superhero team. The Boys, which the show is named after, are a group of vigilantes whose goal is to take down Vought International and all of their fake, malicious superheros.
Now, what is all of this hullabaloo truly about? Why does Homelander need Vought’s support? What did he do?
Homelander, who is played by Antony Starr (Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, Cobweb), was attending a rally with his biological son, Ryan (Cameron Corvetti, Big Little Lies, Witch Hunt). During the rally, an anti-Homelander protestor was present. He disrespected Homelander and Ryan, which led Homelander to murder the protestor in cold blood in front of the entire rally. This incident should have instilled fear and shock in all the witnesses, but instead everyone erupted into cheers and praise for Homelander.
In the commercial, Barrett commends Homelander for being the greatest superhero and most loving father. She states that “in the coming months Homelander will stand on trial for saving his son from a vicious Starlight-loving thug. An act of heroism, now somehow being branded as a murder.”
Vought expresses that this incident will in no way negatively impact Homelander as the captain of The Seven and that they believe the American Legal System will make things right, as they always do.
For those that are new here, The Boys is set in the late 2000s where superheroes are as rampant as cockroaches. The superheroes here though, are nothing like the picture perfect superheroes we all know and love. These superheroes are corrupt, solipsistic, and often put the fate of humanity in grave danger.
So, an incident like what Homelander committed is entirely feasible, but what happens next really irked viewers. The episode’s closing image is a visual on Ryan. His face has a horrifying smirk, exemplifying Ryan’s new found level of madness which is inevitable to soon ensue.