'The Boys' Season 4: A-train is finally becoming a hero, but Hughie won't forget his most gruesome crime
Contains spoilers for 'The Boys' Season 4
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The 'The Boys' Season 4 has its highs and lows. It has great moments and pushes the series in new directions, but also falls back on the shock tactics seen in the comics, which can get old.
One standout storyline is A-Train's (Jessie T. Usher) redemption arc in 'The Boys' Season 4, breaking away from controversial choices.
If you watch the first season again, you'll notice a big change: Homelander wasn't always the main character. The team of anti-heroes got more attention back then. But now, Homelander is the main focus. This means other characters sometimes get less time on screen, but the show tries to bring them back too.
'The Boys' Season 4 features A-Train's redemption arc
A-Train starts as one of the first antagonists in 'The Boys'. Fans experience this through the perspective of Hughie, who idolizes superheroes more than most.
When A-Train accidentally kills Hughie's girlfriend, Robin, the show's dark tone becomes clear. Billy Butcher then shows Hughie the ugly truth about The Seven and Vought.
A-Train might not be the worst in terms of beliefs or the number of people he's hurt, but he's the one who shatters Hughie's illusions. Hughie and the audience are left in shock, with A-Train as the catalyst.
Three seasons later, A-Train gets a chance at redemption. It all started in Season 2 when he leaked information about Stormfront's Nazi past for his own benefit, hoping to stay in The Seven.
In the following season, A-Train confronts Blue Hawk, a Supe who acts as recklessly as A-Train did at the beginning of the series. Blue Hawk injures A-Train's brother, leading A-Train to kill him. This act alienates him further as Supes don't typically kill each other.
In Season 4, A-Train joins hands with Sister Sage to frame anti-Homelander protesters for murders. Now, he's spying on The Seven for MM. While he helps them, every move he makes edges him closer to being caught and killed.
Why does A-Train choose to turn good in 'The Boys'?
In 'The Boys' Season 4, A-Train is burdened with guilt. He regrets his actions with The Seven and feels he has let down the Black community. Desperate to make amends and prove to his family that he can be a hero, he struggles with fear and self-doubt.
It's hard when your boss, an evil Superman-like figure with super-hearing, is always listening. Despite his fears, A-Train decides to help the good guys. He also gives them footage of riots to clear Starlight's supporters from the blame for numerous murders.
When Hughie asks A-Train to steal some Compound V to try and heal his comatose father, A-Train reluctantly agrees. This act is his attempt to atone for accidentally killing Hughie's girlfriend, Robin, in Season 1.
Has Hughie finally forgiven A-Train for Robin's death in 'The Boys' Season 1?
In Season 1 of 'The Boys', A-Train accidentally kills Hughie's girlfriend, Robin, which leads Hughie to meet Butcher and join The Boys.
Throughout Seasons 1 to 3, Hughie and A-Train clash several times, holding onto resentment. However, they finally make peace in 'Wisdom of the Ages', five years after the series begins.
When Hughie's father falls seriously ill, Hughie turns to A-Train as a last resort for help. He asks the Supe to steal Compound V from Vought Tower, and surprisingly, A-Train reluctantly agrees.
Hughie insists that A-Train owes him this favor reminding him of Robin. A-Train, wanting to clear his debt to Hughie, agrees, believing it will make things right between them forever. They finally end their long-standing feud with a handshake and call it even in 'The Boys' Season 4, Episode 4.
7 episodes of 'The Boys' Season 4 is currently streaming on Prime Video