Is This Homelander's Only Redeeming Moment On The Boys?

While we've seen Homelander brutally kill people in a completely unforgiving way, the series gives him an ounce of sympathy when it reveals his backstory: Homelander grew up without parents in a cold, sterile lab where the doctors raising him were afraid of him. They kept their distance and he became a psychopath. This is something he does not want for Ryan.

However, up until this point in the story, Homelander's insistence that Ryan showcase his superpowers has put pressure on the boy. Like one might push a kid down a hill on a bicycle, Homelander hilariously, but horribly, pushes Ryan off a roof to fall smack on his face. Ryan doesn't exactly trust him.

But when Ryan learns just how much Becca is hiding from him — the whole world — he submits to being kidnapped by his dad. However, the young boy has spent his entire eight years secluded in a house with no one but his mom. So when Homelander and Stormfront (Aya Cash) bring him to the Seven themed restaurant Planet Vought, he gets understandably freaked out by the fans surrounding the table. Cue Homelander's heroic moment: As Ryan begins panicking, Homelander notices his discomfort and flies him away immediately.

Of course, this "tender" scene is undermined by the Supes' original motive to distract Ryan from the fact that they won't let him call his mom. And when he's freaking out, the kid is asking for his mom, but Homelander shuttles him to a remote cabin, instead. There, they have a moment of bonding before things turn sour.