This Overlooked Scene From The Boys S1 Proves Butcher Was Never A Hero
Billy has been hiding his dark side all along.
The Boys TV series significantly toned down the bizarre and outrageous nature of most of its characters compared to their comic book originals. Many fans see this as a good thing and believe that the show is arguably even better than the source material, which relied mostly on disturbing content for the sake of shocking the reader.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes introduced in the series is in the character of Billy Butcher. Fans argue that his TV version, portrayed by Karl Urban, is much more likable and not as uncompromising as his comic book counterpart.
The majority of viewers tend to believe that his transformation into a villainous figure began in the third season of The Boys, when he chose not to inform Hughie of the dangers of V24 (a temporary version of Compound V), along with a few other questionable deeds.
However, an often-overlooked scene from the first season proves that Butcher was never a hero and was willing to do whatever it took to destroy Homelander and other Supes.
In the Season 1 finale, he holds Madelyn Stillwell and her infant son hostage to lure Homelander into a trap.
As he believes the Supe has killed his wife, Butcher detonates the explosives, only to be rescued by Homelander. Also, considering that we see Teddy Stillwell (Madelyn's son) in Season 3, it is implied that he saved the boy as well.
So apparently Butcher had no problem blowing up an innocent baby as collateral to get his revenge. Of course, you could say that Teddy is also a Supe, so Billy didn't really care if he died. However, neither viewers nor Butcher himself knew that until the aforementioned scene in Season 3, so that theory falls apart immediately.
Taking all of this into consideration, it becomes clear that even if Butcher's character is a little less ruthless than in the original, he is far from a good guy.
While his desire for revenge may be relatable, his 'downfall' in Season 3 is not a surprising plot twist but rather a logical development of his already flawed character, and perhaps the upcoming Season 4 will explore his dark side even further.