Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy had a dramatic episode in this week’s installment of “The Boys.” The seemingly invincible supe heeds the advice of Sister Sage, played by Susan Heyward, and joins Homelander, portrayed by Antony Starr, on a mission to Fort Harmony. Their objective: to prevent Homelander from obtaining immortality through the V-One serum. However, Soldier Boy encounters more than he anticipated when Homelander, fed up with his father’s constant sarcasm and criticism, unleashes a scathing verbal assault on him.

In a bold move, Homelander confronts Soldier Boy, challenging the facade of the tough war hero. He exposes Soldier Boy’s true past, revealing that instead of being a genuine war hero or a scrappy World War II supersoldier, he was actually a privileged, nerdy kid. Jealous of his brother’s heroism, Soldier Boy pleaded with his father to get him into Frederick Vought’s Compound V trials, where his demeanor was more of a frightened child than a warrior.

Adding insult to injury, Soldier Boy later runs into Quinn, portrayed by Kris Hagen, a rage-fueled, plant-themed supe trapped in Fort Harmony. Quinn, who knew Soldier Boy in the past, triggers an angry outburst that confirms what his peers thought of him: a spoiled brat not worthy of his powers. This revelation leaves Soldier Boy reeling.

By the time Frenchie, played by Tomer Capone, manipulates Soldier Boy into using his chest blast to defeat Quinn, Soldier Boy is a shadow of his former self. When Homelander escapes the radiation cell where Soldier Boy had trapped him and confronts his father again, he is taken aback to find Soldier Boy reduced to tears, utterly devoid of his usual fighting spirit.

By the time Frenchie (Tomer Capone) calls Soldier Boy out and lures him into defeating Quinn with his chest blast, the supe is a shell of his usual self. When Homelander eventually breaks free from the radiation cell Soldier Boy locked him in and arrives to confront him, even he is shocked to see Soldier Boy reduced to a sobbing mess who has absolutely no fight left in him.

Interestingly, this development shows that, deep down, the supe father and son are far more similar than fans could ever have guessed. Both are superficially hard men who nevertheless feel secretly inadequate. Homelander has abandonment and confidence issues to go with his delusions of grandeur. Meanwhile, Soldier Boy’s manly man antics hide a lingering insecurity that stems from the knowledge that he’s a fraud and a poser. 

Will this revelation bring father and son closer together? It’s too early to say. For now, it appears that Homelander is tentatively willing to bury the hatchet. If Soldier Boy is willing to do the same, the Boys are likely going to have a pretty bad time — especially since “The Boys” Season 5 is bringing back some of the show’s other big villains, and there are also some surprising “Gen V” cameos to further complicate matters.