The Boys Season 4 Has A Homelander Power Plot Hole That’s Impossible To Ignore

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Boys season 4, episode 6, “Dirty Business.”

The Boys season 4, episode 6, “Dirty Business,” doesn’t seem to want to decide on how effective one of Homelander’s superpowers actually is, as the installment shows various characters approaching Anthony Starr’s character with disparate levels of caution. Returning to play another huge role in the cast of The Boys season 4, Homelander’s superhuman abilities are just as fearsome as ever. While no one dares cross the Superman parody directly, the show has revealed a shockingly easy way he can be subverted – but it may not make sense.

Some abilities, like Starlight’s powers in The Boys, are a little vague, and it’s therefore difficult to work out what she’s truly capable of. On the other hand, powers like Homelander’s have permeated the superhero genre for decades. As a result, it’s usually easy to sit back and enjoy his scenes, knowing full well how and when he could cut down those who oppose him. However, “Dirty Business” muddies the waters by highlighting the inconsistencies regarding one of Homelander’s more subtle abilities.

The Boys Season 4, Episode 6 Is Very Inconsistent With How Good Homelander’s Hearing Is

A-Train’s Toronto visit seems very unnecessary after events later in the same episode.

Terrified of being discovered as Vought International’s leak, A-Train speeds to Toronto and calls Mother’s Milk. He gives his reasoning for leaving the country to MM by saying it’s, “So [they] could talk.” The implication here is that the speedster traveled so far from New York because he feared Homelander’s V-augmented hearing would be able to pick up on the conversation if he were any closer. This could be an overreaction on A-Train’s behalf, especially considering MM himself is still in New York on the other end of the call. However, it does show a healthy respect for Homelander’s hearing.

Confusingly, in the very same episode, MM infiltrates Tek Knight’s mansion with Annie and Kimiko, all while Homelander is there schmoozing the politicians. They are not quiet as they move about the house, no matter how hard they try to be. They have physical altercations with both Firecracker and Sister Sage, with MM even firing a gun at the latter. Regardless, Homelander shows no implication of hearing anything his enemies do, nor is he even aware they’re nearby. So, “Dirty Business” introduces a huge inconsistency regarding how well Homelander can actually hear.

Why Homelander’s Super Hearing May Not Always Work In The Boys

Homelander may need to actively try to listen for smaller or distant sounds

One possibility for Homelander’s hearing not picking up on the presence of MM and the others at Tek Knight’s house is that his ultra-sensitive ears aren’t always actively on the hunt for stray noises. If Homelander’s hearing was always dialed up to its full capacity, then he’d likely be overwhelmed with everyday background noise. So, it could be that listening for more subtle sounds that are undetectable to humans is an active choice – much like letting loose lasers from his eyes or taking to the skies.

Related

Homelander’s Past In The Boys Explained: Was He Always Evil?

The Boys season 4 reveals more of Homelander’s origins, highlighting the show’s thematic exploration of morality and if the Supe was always evil.

There’s no denying that Homelander’s hearing is thoroughly impressive, as The Boys has made a point in the past of Starr’s character tracking people’s heartbeats and other noises that can’t be heard by the ears of others. So, while A-Train may not have had to go all the way to Toronto to safely talk to MM in “Dirty Business,” he was probably right to travel such a sizable difference, just to be safe. This is especially true while Homelander is on the hunt for the leak in The Boys‘ villainous organization.

The Boys

The Boys is a superhero/dark comedy satire series created by Eric Kripke based on the comic series of the same name. Set in a “what-if” world that reveres superheroes as celebrities and gods who experience minimal repercussions for their actions. However, one group of vigilantes headed by a vengeance-obsessed man named Billy Butcher will fight back against these super-charged “heroes” to expose them for what they are.

Cast

Elisabeth Shue , Jensen Ackles , Goran Visnjic , Jessie T. Usher , Chace Crawford , Dominique McElligott , Laz Alonso , Nathan Mitchell , Aya Cash , Colby Minifie , Karl Urban , Erin Moriarty , Karen Fukuhara , Jack Quaid , Antony Starr , claudia doumit , Tomer Capon

Release Date

July 26, 2019

Seasons

4

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