It’s the moment everything changed. If you’ve watched Amazon’s The Boys, you know exactly which one I’m talking about. We're heading back to Season 1, Episode 4, "The Female of the Species." Before this, we knew Homelander was a narcissistic jerk and a bit of a loose cannon, but the Boys airplane scene cemented him as the most terrifying villain on television. It wasn't just a superhero failing to save people. It was a cold, calculated choice to let hundreds of innocent passengers—including children—die to protect a PR narrative.
I still remember the first time I saw it. The tension builds so naturally. You expect the "hero" to pull off a miracle because that's what we've been conditioned to see for eighty years of comic book media. Instead, we got a masterclass in nihilism.
What Actually Happened on Flight 37?
The logistics of the Boys airplane scene are surprisingly grounded in a twisted kind of physics. Homelander and Queen Maeve are sent to intercept a hijacked trans-Atlantic flight. It’s supposed to be a "layup" for Vought’s marketing team. Homelander, in his typical reckless fashion, uses his heat vision to take out the terrorists. One problem: he slices through the plane’s control panel.
The cockpit is fried. The plane is a flying brick.
This is where the scene shifts from an action set-piece to a psychological horror movie. Queen Maeve, who still has a shred of humanity left at this point, begs Homelander to carry the plane to safety. He scoffs. He points out that there’s no "lift" or "grounding" to support the airframe. "What, I'm gonna fly outside and push? There’s nothing to stand on! I’d just go right through the hull!"
He’s technically right about the physics, which makes his malice even more chilling. He could have flown the passengers down one by one, or at least tried something. Instead, he realizes that if he saves some of them, they’ll tell the world he screwed up and broke the plane. To Homelander, a "flawless" reputation is worth more than three hundred lives.
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The Physics of Why Homelander Didn't Save Them
People argue about this on Reddit constantly. Could he have saved them? In the comics, written by Garth Ennis, the scene is even messier. The "Seven" try to save a plane on 9/11 and fail spectacularly because they have no training. In the show, the failure is purely moral.
If Homelander had tried to catch the plane, the concentrated pressure of his hands against the fuselage would likely have punched a hole right through the aluminum skin. Think about it. He’s a point-source of immense force. Without a structural frame to distribute that weight, the plane would just fold around him like a soda can.
But he’s also fast. He’s incredibly fast. He could have ferried people out. He just didn't want to. He looked those people in the eye, told them to "stay back" while they were screaming for their lives, and then floated in the air as the plane plummeted into the ocean. It’s the ultimate deconstruction of the "Superman" mythos.
Why the Boys Airplane Scene is the Show’s Most Important Moment
This scene serves as the "Point of No Return" for the audience's perception of Vought. Before this, you might have thought the heroes were just "messy" or "corrupt." After Flight 37, you realize they are monsters.
The aftermath is arguably worse than the crash itself. Homelander stands on the beach among the wreckage and gives a televised speech. He blames the tragedy on the fact that "superheroes aren't in the military." He uses the deaths he caused to lobby for more political power. It’s a cynical, brilliant piece of writing that mirrors real-world tragedy exploitation.
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- The Power Dynamic: It shows Maeve’s total submission to Homelander’s will.
- The PR Machine: Vought turns a massive failure into a legislative win.
- The Horror: It uses the audience's fear of air travel to create a visceral, unforgettable sequence.
The Contrast with Other Superhero Media
Think about the 1978 Superman or even Man of Steel. In those movies, the hero strains against the impossible to save the plane. In the Boys airplane scene, the hero doesn't even break a sweat. He just gets bored and leaves. It’s a jarring subversion of the "Save the Cat" trope.
The writing here is sharp. It doesn't rely on "movie logic" where everything works out in the end. It relies on the logic of a sociopath. If you can’t win perfectly, don’t play. That is Homelander’s entire philosophy in a nutshell.
How They Filmed It (Behind the Scenes)
The actors, Antony Starr and Dominique McElligott, have spoken about how taxing this scene was to film. It wasn't just the green screen; it was the emotional weight. Starr’s performance is particularly haunting because he isn't playing a "villain" in that moment—he’s playing a bored god who is annoyed that his suit might get dirty.
The production team used a real plane interior on a gimbal to get the shaking right, but the silence after the screaming dies down is what really sticks with you. When Homelander threatens to "laser" the passengers if they don't get back, the shift in the room is palpable.
The Lasting Legacy of Flight 37
Years after the first season aired, fans still point to this sequence as the "Gold Standard" for the show. It set the tone for everything that followed. Every time Homelander does something "nice" later in the series, we have the memory of the Boys airplane scene to remind us who he really is. There is no redemption for him because we’ve seen him choose to let children die.
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If you’re analyzing the show for a film class or just arguing with friends, keep in mind that this wasn't just a random act of evil. It was the moment the show's creators, Eric Kripke and his team, drew a line in the sand. They told us: "This isn't a superhero show. It's a show about power and the people who are crushed by it."
Understanding the Aftermath: A Checklist for Fans
If you're revisiting the series, keep an eye out for these subtle callbacks to the crash:
- Maeve’s Drinking: Her guilt over Flight 37 is the primary driver of her alcoholism and eventual betrayal of Homelander.
- The Black Box: Vought’s frantic search for the wreckage shows how close they came to being exposed.
- The Political Fallout: Notice how often Homelander references "national security" in later seasons; it all started with his lie about the hijacking.
The scene remains a chilling reminder that in a world of "Supes," the most dangerous thing isn't the villains—it's the heroes who don't care.
Practical Steps for Deeper Analysis
To truly get the most out of this narrative arc, you should compare the TV version to the original comic book source material (Volume 4: "We Gotta Go Now"). The comic version is much more chaotic and serves a different purpose, focusing on the incompetence of the heroes rather than their malice.
Secondly, watch Queen Maeve’s facial expressions throughout the sequence. It’s the exact moment her spirit breaks, and understanding her "death of hope" is key to her character's journey in the final seasons. Finally, look at the cinematography. The way the camera stays at eye level with the passengers makes you feel like you're on the plane with them, trapped with a man who could save you, but simply won't.