One Plus One Equals Two

As with the other episodes featuring Homelander, the art style here is straight Westernised-anime, and decently done.

It's a straight up backstory episode covering (The) Homelander's reveal, his first mission and his relationship with Madelyn Stillwell and Black Noir.

Nothing complicated or unexpected, just solid reinforcement of the characters and setting. This is where I have to ding it slightly because it doesn't go beyond what we already knew or suspected. It's exactly on point, but I'd hoped for a little more nuance or twist.

Still, it doesn't put a foot wrong, and the voice performances are notably great, with Antony Starr doing a credible younger-version voice. Elisabeth Shue absolutely knocks her performance out of the park - it's hard to believe you're listening to a woman nearing 60 years old. They get solid support from the rest of the cast, who all know what they're doing.

Even the closing score is cleverly done with disjoints in the harmonies reflecting Homelander's increasing instability. That's a literally sound way to wrap up the season.

This show excels best when it focuses on the characters we know from the comics/show.

While other storylines are appreciated, this episode was the best one to end the season on.

It was great to get inside the mind of this character and learn that it doesn't take much to make him snap.

Definitely a fantastic homelander/ black noire episode thats about everything you could hope for, an "origin" story of sorts, this is the best part of the show over the comics, love the backstories of supes.

This final episode of the first season of "The Boys: Diabolical" is confirmed as being the only one that tells a supporting story directly in the world of the main series, this being an insight into one of Homelander's early missions and the origin of his personality disorders.

Announced as Vought's most accomplished hero since Soldier Boy, The Homelander (Anthony Starr) is introduced to an optimistic public. Madelyn Stillwell (Elizabeth Shue) spies an opportunity to tie herself to the new star but warns him to be wary of fellow Hero, Black Noir. Homelander's first mission is a hostage situation at a power station and though advised to wait for Noir's arrival, the hero spies an opportunity to impress.

Initially designed to be watched before season three, this episode does take on some deeper resonance having watched that season and seen what happens between Noir and Homelander, in particularly why Homelander assumes that Noir will always be with him.

The animation style is more akin to something like Amazon stablemate "Invincible" in that I found it serviceable if perhaps lacking in flourish and the vocal performances are generally done by the initial actors, with Anthony Starr, Giancarlo Esposito and Elisabeth Shue returning to voice their roles.

It doesn't perhaps give us anything that we don't already know about the characters, this was unlikely given the fact that not everyone who watches "The Boys" will also watch this, but in a series that was a mixed bag, this was one of the better ones.

The final episode of this spin-off series is classical The Boys material following the canon of The Boys.

Homelander in one of his early solo missions.

Well crafted story, with great voice cast by actors of the original tv show The Boys, good animation and enough psychosis, dilemma, blood & loyalty to be a perfect end of this season to make us wish the third season of The Boys should start soon.

Very entertaining and great watch.

Highly recommended.