’ve Always Wanted To Like This Character on ‘The Boys’

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the three-episode premiere of “The Boys.”

The big picture

• A-Train's character arc from villain to would-be hero is an amazing and satisfying journey
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• His internal conflict and moral growth make him a complex and more likable character than he was initially portrayed to be.
• A-Train's redemption story in Season 4 hints at a possible future where he becomes a true hero against corrupt superheroes.

Ever since I became a fan just in time for Season 2, I've always had some resistance to convincing other people to watch the boys of those who dismiss it as nihilistic. This might be true of the original comic series, where the characters are dismissed with disdain, but I'd argue that one character disproves that idea more than any other so far. Ironically, it's what started it all in a horrible, bloody way. Very few fictional characters have left a worse first impression than A-Train (Jesse T. Usher), the reckless killing of the person he loves drives Hughie (Jack Quaid) to uncover the rotten underbelly of corporate superheroes.

The fastest member of The Sevenit immediately seems unpleasantbut now he's giving Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott) competition as the only part of the team that might still have heart. With the fourth season currently airing and the final story approaching, I've recently found myself thinking about the impossible and honestly rooting for the speedster to become a hero not just in name, but now in action .

I started out hating A-Train (like most of us)

Few opening scenes have ever been as memorable to me as when Hughie lost his girlfriend in the blink of an eye to A-Train's antics in the series premiere of the boys. The first time I saw it, the moment was so shocking that I had to rewind and watch it twice. People often say that you never get another chance to make a first impression and A-Train certainly made a mark with his first appearance, both literally and figuratively. After that opening scene, I never could have predicted that he would become such a remotely likable character.

For now, however, he remained a resounding villain to me, one who was indifferent to the harm he inflicted on others. In case the opening scene didn't make it clear enough, the pilot also doubleseven showing A-Train laughing at Robin's death (Jess Salguerio) later in the episode, and his behavior hardly improves from there. Even his genuine relationship with his girlfriend Popclaw (Brittany Allen) ends with his murder, despite how much they had loved each other, and his threat against Hugh Campbell Sr.Simon Pegg) makes him a true enemy of The Boys for the first time. When he's neither callous nor destructive, A-Train can be excruciatingly uncomfortable to watch, especially with the darkly comic scene where he's completely unable to deal with a boy in the hospital dying of cancer.

Although he is far from the most despicable villain the boysI felt little sympathy for A-Train in the first season, with one small exception: seeing him almost succumb to a heart attack, the clear culmination of abusing Compound V for so long, made me feel sorry for him and I remember feeling relieved that Starlight (Erin Moriarty) saved his life, but my empathy still only went so far. Maybe not as overtly malicious as Homelander (Anthony Starr) or pathetic like The Deep (Chase Crawford), but I still saw A-Train as a villain in season two. Even his Stormfront exhibit (Oh Cash) in the end, possibly the only major good thing it does, of cousean example of their own interest and I felt little joy in seeing him rejoin The Seven, as if nothing super important had happened in between.

As 'The Boys' progressed, I could see A-Train becoming more likable

As Homelander begins to deteriorate emotionally and Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) makes his debut, I gave little thought to what might happen to A-Train in Season 3. Honestly, I had largely thought he might end up like The Deep, who chose his side and is now totally subservient to Vought. With the possible exception of Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) getting their time in the spotlight, however, few characters got as much development as A-Train and his trajectory really surprised me. Watch as the sprinter confronts his own complicity in racial issues and the mutilation of his brotherit was quite a shocking turn for someone who originally never cared about his family or community. Unlike Black Noir, whose arc was cut short when he was killed before he had a chance to face Soldier Boy again, A-Train still has a chance to face his own past and that of its people. Before he could help his people, he knew he had to face his own mistakes and wasn't sure if he was up to the task of self-reflection.

While it's clear we're meant to root for A-Train and his desire for justice, the show also rightfully calls out his hypocrisy. Of all people, watching Ashley (Colby Minifie) criticizes his actions as short-sighted because someone who has been involved in many deaths feels totally justified. However, when A-Train finally kills Blue Hawk (Nick Wechsler) dragging him down the sidewalk and flaying him alive proves one of the most satisfying moments in an episode full of them, and possibly the biggest fist pump since the girl team beat the living lights of Stormfront . When the tension seemed to kill him, I really wasn't sure if I had died and I found myself, for the first time, hoping I was wrong.

If A-Train's story had ended here, it would have been a nice redemption arc for him, but I still would have been sad to see him go. When it turned out that I had survived, I was thrilled to know that I still had a chance to do more good in the world. In the remaining episodes of Season 3, A-Train is recovering and has nothing else to do, with him and Deep remaining absent from the final battle. Despite this, he is clearly horrified by Homelander killing Black Noir and his final point in this season now leaves A-Train in a prime position to start a new life and become a true hero. I've already loved seeing Maeve get her happy ending and regain her youthful faith in superheroes, so I asked her “Why not A-Train?” he did not become so far-fetched. However, given Homelander's erosion over the past season, that path could prove dangerous, and not even the fastest man alive could escape its specter.

In “The Boys” Season 4, I'm finally rooting for A-Train's redemption

Going into season four, I had high hopes that we were witnessing the beginning of what could be called a redemption story for A-Train and the first three episodes did not disappoint. During the first two episodes, what struck me was how quiet he was during his scenes. clearly, She is going through a very tough time and has been considering her many options. When the group kills Todd and his close friends, A-Train is perhaps the most disturbed by the level of violence and barely participates, only stopping them from escaping, showing that he is not like the other horrible people on the team. Once it meets the Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso) about becoming an informant and being framed by his brother, we finally see his damaged soul. By risking her life to save Hughie, her story has come full circle.

At the time of writing, only the first three episodes have dropped, so we don't know how A-Train's story will ultimately end. Will he fully join The Boys as a member, instead of being a mole for the group? Could he survive to season five, either undercover or out in the open? How will it undermine Homelander's rise? We know from the teaser trailer that he'll find out how much his leader has started to age, so could that play a role in his decision to defect? All we can say for sure is that A-Train finally gets his chance to be the real herohis image portrays him as a being. We hope you take advantage of this golden opportunity.

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