If there’s one thing that’s true in The Boys, it is that nothing good comes from being in alliance with Homelander. He will use anyone to fit his twisted agenda and ask them to do things that are absolutely sickening and immoral. And, as we’ve seen throughout this series, once he’s done with someone or feels like they are a threat, he will kill them right away. Well, unless you’re Soldier Boy. There was no one who sold her soul more for Homelander than Firecracker, and she paid for those choices with her life in episode five. Showrunner Eric Kripke says that ending was fitting for Firecracker in The Boys, and we’d have to agree with him.
“She represents these people that, no matter if you’re going to work for Homelander or various Presidents of the United States, you need to compromise every value and character and belief you’ve had,” Kripke told Nerdist. “They’re not happy until you completely humiliate yourself and give them everything you ever have. And then they throw you out. And they usually throw you out right after you’ve completely denigrated yourself… We had this great story of her completely sacrificing her morals… You prostrate yourself before these guys and they immediately kick you out in the cold.”
That certainly reflects things we’ve seen in our political and overall social climate many times before. There will be someone so incredibly devoted to a leader or public figure who is clearly corrupt, and they eventually have to pay in some manner. Sure, it’s not having a supe ram your head into a statue, but it is often through financial loss or a complete crumbling of their reputation and livelihood. Firecracker was so deeply into the mess that by the time she really realized Homelander was insane, it felt too late to pull away. It’s a true cautionary tale about idolizing someone, indeed.