Do you think Homelander could ever have a redemption arc if he was able to build a real relationship that satisfied his pathological "need for love"
We've seen that in the early stages he is deeply emotionally committed to his relationships with Madelyn, Maeve and Stormfront. They all end with him becoming more unhinged after coming to terms with the fact that none of them actually cared about him personally. Maeve hated him from the start and was basically forced into a PR relationship that Homelander decided was real, Madelyn was trying to keep him pliable and under her control, and Stormfront only saw him as her neonazi wet dream. Even in his platonic relationships, Ryan doesn’t live up to his idea of what a father son relationship should be, Soldier boy told him he was a flop, and every one of his allies follows him out of fear, arguably with the exception of Sage.
Obviously he's an evil character outside of his failed relationships - but how do you think his character would change (if at all) in a situation where he finds stability in a reciprocal relationship with someone who isn't trying to manipulate him and gives him the unconditional love his narcissism craves?
We've seen that in the early stages he is deeply emotionally committed to his relationships with Madelyn, Maeve and Stormfront. They all end with him becoming more unhinged after coming to terms with the fact that none of them actually cared about him personally. Maeve hated him from the start and was basically forced into a PR relationship that Homelander decided was real, Madelyn was trying to keep him pliable and under her control, and Stormfront only saw him as her neonazi wet dream. Even in his platonic relationships, Ryan doesn’t live up to his idea of what a father son relationship should be, Soldier boy told him he was a flop, and every one of his allies follows him out of fear, arguably with the exception of Sage.
Obviously he's an evil character outside of his failed relationships - but how do you think his character would change (if at all) in a situation where he finds stability in a reciprocal relationship with someone who isn't trying to manipulate him and gives him the unconditional love his narcissism craves?