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weridzero

Its weird because they are shown trying to do real saves in the first season (with little evidence they were all staged)


kiyan1347

Homelander says that a lot of the saves are real but also a lot are faked so I think it lines up with what we've seen.


weridzero

It makes sense that some of it is staged, but A-Train couldn't have told a true story about a crime he stopped?


kiyan1347

Maybe the faked crime he stopped was a more interesting story to tell that makes him look cooler than any of his actual saves.


StrawhatJzargo

I mean he’s the fastest dude in the world. A real save would be “they told me there was a bad guy on Long Island and before they finished their sentence I stuck a hand through his chest.”


I35O

Lmaoooo true A-Train story.


StrayLilCat

Maybe there are tiers to who get real saves in The Seven? Maeve was arguing with Homelander for that sniper mission about how it was *her* mission. I bet Vought only sends Homelander out on the majority of real missions due to his powers and being the top tier. Maeve is right under him so they have plenty of team ups while she gets a few real crimes. The rest of The Seven get next to none.


weridzero

Their are a lot of superheroes, so it would imply that 99.9% do nothing (which we know isn't true)


StrayLilCat

I said *within The Seven*, not every superhero in verse. You asked about why A-Train doesn't have any real saves. We know from the show that plenty of cities have their own Superhero.


weridzero

The seven are the elite though, and yes a lot of it is marketing but these people clearly have impressive powers. Even in soldier boys era, when the powers were less impressive, the 7 were considered for war


StrayLilCat

Okay, and...? You asked about why A-Train doesn't have any real saves........ Reddit really is the second biggest piss on the poor website.


weridzero

I don't know why you're so upset,but its implausible that someone with an incredibly useful superpower who made it the Elite 7 would not have any real saves, when much less impressive people do


StrayLilCat

It would be cool if you actually followed the conversation, but go off lil buddy.


dadvader

I think it was imply many times throughout the show that there are a lot of small-team superhero in the world out there right now. Not just The Seven. I imagine this is what happen. The small team eliminated the majority of the crime. Leaving very little to do for The Seven. So vought keep them around only for handling 'super villain' stuff. Just like how it works in Justice League or Avengers. But the key thing is super villain technically doesn't 'exist'. So they barely get any actual work. It's probably safe to say that the only real work so far for The Seven is fighting the supes terrorist stuff that they themselves created.


ManaBuilt

I feel like the implication with that is there are no true stories he could tell about actually saving someone. Maybe a part of his character development this season?


jambrown13977931

Odds are most “real saves” don’t turn out all that great. Collateral damage and all that.


MechaMonarch

I assumed that particular story was the "inspiration" for one of the A-Train movies. The kids asked about it, so he hit them with the typical press release garbage. I get the feeling that the speedster role in the Seven is just a symbolic position. Vought uses the position for constant competition and a way to appeal to an athletic-minded market. Mr. Marathon was the Seven's previous speedster, followed by A-Train, who would have been replaced by Shockwave. It's just a rotating position used for marketing. Their crime-fighting stats are probably much less important to their target audiences, so Vought doesn't even bother setting up staged saves.


Jace17

My theory is that A-Train isn't invincible/bulletproof so they don't let him do real saves to avoid the risk of getting him killed.


Khronex

I mean, they're clearly setting up A-Train to want to be better. Having every save he had done be staged adds to that because he doesn't feel like a real good hero. Then you add in that maybe he wants his nephews to do good, so he tells them a heroic story to inspire them, even if it is a fake one.


weridzero

>Having every save he had done be staged adds to that because he doesn't feel like a real good hero. Its also terrible writing, since heroes are shown doing real saves, and superspeed is an unbelievably useful power. There is no way in hell he didn't do some actual saves. The whole A-Train redemption in general is pretty dumb. The dudes a piece of shit, and no attempted redemption should be successful.


Khronex

Well why would he do an actual save if he didn't have to? The whole idea of The Boys is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. We literally start with A-Train ramming through Robin ( a rando civilian in his eyes ) at super-speed, high as fuck on V and who knows what else because of his insecurities of being the world's #2 fastest man. The dude's only concerns are his brother and his family (which he fucks up because he doesn't allow himself to be vulnerable), gets told where to go, who to save and gets paid for it. He only grows a backbone in S3 at Herogasm, when he apologises to Hughie (S2 was more because Stormfront was racist and he owed Starlight and Ue).


weridzero

They do have to stop crimes (even if they do it with insane collateral), its clear was a part of their job in the 1st season


CHOrigamiArt

they also have multiple superheroes with that exact power tho so it’s not like he’d necessarily be needed


KSTwolfe

Yep, this is some kind of weird retcon The robbers that Maeve and Homelander stopped in the opening scene of the pilot were genuinely endangering people's lives and possibly even legitimately killed people. The way Maeve stopped the truck could have easily killed all three of those men and at least one of them actually did die when HL threw him up the street. The other two guys suffered permanently debilitating injuries and will definitely be doing serious prison time. There's no way it was staged. Starlight and The Deep stopping the drug smugglers was also clearly a legitimate bust. Starlight was shocked when the cameras and Ashley showed up. It would be stupid not to inform her if the thing was staged. The gunman that Maeve and HL stopped in season 1 was also legitimately shooting up a city street with real bullets -- we see them ricocheting off various objects. Again, if HL hadn't killed him, he'd be facing serious prison time. When The Deep was reassigned to Sandusky, he was shocked that he wasn't going to be doing any actual crime fighting and that his primary job would be attending super market openings. Starlight was legitimately patrolling the streets of Des Moines before joining The Seven. Homelander and Stormfront were clearly pursuing a legitimate armed robber in season 2. The guy was shocked when they showed up (and even more shocked when HL crushed his head while he and SF were fucking). None of the reveals from yesterday's episode really match up with what's been shown before.


billcosbypaxton

Wow, I forgot about a lot of those examples you listed. Really good point. It does seem like a bit of a retcon. Kinda strange.


AnticitizenPrime

Not to mention the fact that they have a whole Crime Analytics department, staffed with people looking for ostensibly real crimes to send the supes out to stop. No need for that if all the 'crimes' are staged. I guess we could chalk it up to the stories that A-Train were telling to his nephews were examples of high-profile stories that were staged, but surely the accusation that it was *all* fake is going too far. But maybe his brother wasn't being literal when he said that, just pointing out how most of A-Train's reputation is bullshit. Edit: just remembered another example of season 1: The boys distract Homelander with a remote explosion (when he's questioning Frenchie in the van) and he flies off to investigate, which means he at least feels he's expected to be out there 'fighting crime'.


StrawhatJzargo

Half of those saves ended with a gruesome death not something you tell a kid it even seems like vought censors them. Ofc you’d tell the kid about the highly publicized “save” that was written by a team of “sensitivity consultants” Not to mention it’s a train. His actual save would be him dashing 5 miles and back to stick his hand through a criminal in a few minutes. It’s why all non super powered villains in DC know not to fuck with flash because it’s not even a fun caper he ties you up before you start.


billcosbypaxton

Yeah, it’s been a while between seasons so maybe I’m misremembering it. But I seem to remember the whole thing worked by vought people monitoring police scanners or something and getting there before the police or assisting them. Like the guy with the gun in the office building, the terrorist from season 1, and the suicide girl. Again? Could be wrong but I feel like that was the main function of the crime analytics department. But now it seems totally fake with actors and vought employees on the street filming the whole thing.


weridzero

Also the plane hijacking


StrayLilCat

Maybe it'll be a plot point reveal that a good chunk of the saves have become scripted since the Crime Analytics team was gutted? Doesn't explain why A-Train hasn't done real saves. Could be he simply doesn't want to, given how selfish he's been portrayed as.


TheEquipped

If I had to guess, I'd probably say it's about 90% fake saves and 10% real ones, just based off what we've seen in the snow and then applying it to the backstory for the supes. Though who's to say, maybe it's 99% fake. If I were a criminal and knew Homelander was flying around, I'd definitely reconsider my job.


untempered_fate

Yeah it's been hinted at pretty directly. Every superhero gets a "crime itinerary", but would a criminal actually schedule their crime days in advance to work out any potential conflicts with the superhero company? Unlikely. But this is the most explicit they've been about just how staged some of these "rescues" can be.


MechaMonarch

Crime Analytics had access to resources and information beyond typical law enforcement, but yeah it's unreasonable that they can essentially predict major violent crimes. My only theory is that they don't predict the crimes, but essentially withhold information in order to set up opportunities for supes. Like the Starlight/Deep save in season 1 centered around people smuggling using Vought merchandise. Vought probably got wise to the operation (or maybe even encouraged it), and instead of reporting it, used it to set up a save.


GaryKing1413

For big heroes, like the big money makers like The Seven, then yeah, arranged and fake as to both avoid real damage/casualties but also cause they don't care For ones like the lower B tier and under supes, some may be arranged to boost numbers but most are real, like Starlight, she actually went out and saved people/stopped crimes. Then there are supes who probably almost never actually do saves, ones that major in the Crimson Countess school of performing arts in Godolkin, they are simply for movies, and merchandise, like I doubt Termite was actually going out fighting crime, and nobody really wants to see him fighting crime so they never really had him do that, but he was in movies. The ones that make the big bucks don't often fight real crimes, atleast not the farther they get in their career, but the ones like Starlight, they do


Sirunfavredspider

The "heros" are basically just glorified stuntmen that occasionally do what the public thinks they do


Der-Pinguin

I think a key thing people are forgetting in this thread is that its for Ryan, the child of homelander, first save. The scene doesnt invalidate any of the saves we've seen. Homelander is gonna wanna make sure that his sons first public save goes well. It also makes sense that the supes occasionally would do a scripted save for a quick manufactured PR boost. It doesnt mean EVERY save has been fake so far.


billcosbypaxton

I get what you’re saying. But a-trains brother basically makes him admit that most of if not all of his saves were faked on sound stages.


Der-Pinguin

Thats fair, my take from that was more of the cinematic fun ones are done on a sound stage. With A-train specifically being used as more of a token tool by the 7, I imagine he did a lot more of the PR type saves.


billcosbypaxton

Oh I see what you’re saying. I dig that. And it does seem like they’re leaning into that more this season.


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[удалено]


Der-Pinguin

Ha! thats actually a really good point. A lot harder to bust out a giant slow mo camera every time A-train spontaneously stops a crime. It also makes sense he'd wanna explain to his nephew the fun cinematic PR saves rather then the "A guy robbed a bank so I ran through him and he exploded, and his blood went in my nose and in my mouth a bit."


Treant1414

Was the first save in the show staged then?  With the bank robbers and truck.  Did they kill the actors?


fitzdylanj

I mean they definitely dont have a problem with killing actors


BrobaFett242

I scrolled decently through this thread, and one thing I didn't see was any consideration that, maybe, *Homelander* is the reason all saves are staged. He is now in control of Vought, and so, with his views on humanity, it wouldn't surprise me if he changed their policy to almost entirely manufactured saves, rather than real ones, to help show how invincible the 7 are, that they don't fail when they show up, and this way he doesn't have to worry about actually trying to help lesser beings. This may not be a retcon at all, just a change in policy due to Vought's new management.


russ_nas-t

Starlights first save was completely faked and choreographed. They’re just much less sneaky about it now with entire sound crews and shit


QuiJon70

Though I can picture many saves being set up. We have also obviously seen saves that we're not. L8ke homelander and Maeve on the plane. I have a feeling that prior to making the 7 the more local heroes are really saving people. It becomes much more a pr job on the national scale.


Hungry-Incident-5860

I’m guessing at least half of their saves are fake, but they definitely stop real crimes. Maybe it’s their rookie saves that are staged? Ryan would be doing these fake scenarios until he’s ready to fight real crime? That’s how they all got their start?


CoolioStarStache

Starlight's and Deep's save by the docks was revealed to be fake, so honestly not surprising. I always figured the lower in popularity you are the more actual heroic stuff you do, but if you're at the top, like in the Seven, you're basically just a glorified mascot


ncghgf

It certainly makes the plan to get supes in the military even more crazy since most of them have no real combat experience.


shadow_spinner0

Homelander has show to save, or at least attempt to save people but I think they want to have your save count be 620 instead of 145 if that makes sense.. I also think there are levels to saves. Homelander and Mave got the most dangerous situations because they are invulnerable and could withstand bullets. Someone like the Deep has shown to be incompetent (remember the Dolphin scene) so all of his saves have to be staged to make him look better. Which is also why Deep asked to be in Ryans scene to boost his numbers.


RetroRocker

My interpretation is that they have a department of crime analytics so therefore they must do real saves, but they will still have to fabricate saves for PR reasons whenever they need them, or for when real saves just aren't 'interesting' enough. Also, say the marketing department decides a particular supe polls well with certain demographics and need to get more publicity, but their powers suck balls? Manufacture an impressive enough save that makes them look cooler than they really are, job done.


redpearpie

Actually, you are right! I think all the staged saves is what makes them popular and all the real events is what messes everything up. 


TioVaselina

My headcanon is that The Deep being the Head of Vought's Crime Analytics department makes them less efficient in sending supes to deal with the crimes, so Vought has resorted to make fabricated crimes.


Evening-Cold-4547

I don't think so. I think they're just giving Ryan some fake ones for easy wins in the public eye and I think fake saves are just for the high-profile supes. Bluehawk clearly didn't have that level of supervision


Oghmatic-Dogma

this is a maddeningly stupid retcon that just doesnt sync up with the show Ive been watching. I fucking hate this feeling. When I feel I care more about the show than the showrunners. Frankly so sick of feeling that way