'The Boys' Failed Black Noir With That Shocking Twist
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The Boys season 3 finale spoilers follow.
Black Noir has been nothing short of an enigma throughout much of The Boys thus far. A silent but deadly killer if you will – until recently.
Those desperately holding on to hope that there was an intriguing backstory coming our way were finally rewarded in episode seven.
The flashbacks in the episode peeled back the onion-like layers of the mysterious Supe revealing a pained and twisted past intertwined with Soldier Boy's own. A past that included abuse and degradation at the hands of the Payback leader.
This truth went a long way into explaining why Black Noir (Nathan Mitchell) is the way he is as well as his unnatural codependent relationship with Homelander (Antony Starr).
As Mitchell explained to Digital Spy: "[Noir] has some demons and some fears he thought he had escaped that it turns out he hasn't. So he has to wrestle with those and make some tough decisions."
Those demons take the shape of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles). The events that have passed between them scar so deeply that we wouldn't be surprised if they were nightmare-inducing.
The fear that Soldier Boy would one day return to seek revenge on those who had been responsible for his capture (including Noir) were warranted, as we now know. Noir knows he is on Soldier Boy's kill list and he has been shaking in his black boots since he discovered he was back.
Fans have been waiting a long time to scratch beneath the plated surface of Noir's suit and this is exactly the juice they were hoping to find.
No doubt many foamed at the mouth with excitement when, flanked by his Looney Tunes crew, Noir mustered up the courage to "f**k up Soldier Boy". Knock-off Tweety-bird's words, not ours.
Homelander forgives Noir for abandoning and envelops him in a bromance embrace that suggests he too is down with the 'kill Soldier Boy' plan.
Aww. Their friendship would actually be sweet if it wasn't built off the bones of dark deeds and slaughter. Alas all good things – even their sick and twisted bond – must come to an end.
During a black-heart to black-heart conversation, Homelander talks a little too warmly about how well he knows Noir, right down to the scarred face hiding behind the mask, stating: "I know you. I see you."
He can read Noir like a book he tells him. He is able to discern when Noir is happy, sad or being dishonest, which is unfortunate for Noir because Homelander threw a massive curveball his way and to blink would have been a mistake.
When asked if he knew all along that Soldier Boy was Homelander's father, Noir couldn't lie. Instead his heavy nod of assent was met with a deep sense of regret as Homelander gutted him... in the very true sense of the word.
Homelander literally buried a fist deep into Noir's abdomen and squelched around before ripping out something internal, leaving his entrails to spill out in front of him.
That's it. The end. Two series of Noir-edging fizzles and flops to the finish line where it lays their limply. Blood, guts and all.
Imagine the clean, white-hot disappointment spilling out of fans everywhere. Noir, dead, just when his character development was about to get going. We can't help but feel that his death was somewhat premature.
The preceding seasons filled with his silent brooding feel all for nought considering this abrupt death was the pay-off.
The Boys committed a cardinal sin of television. They condensed his meaty, intriguing arc into a few episodes, patted themselves on the back for a job well done before tossing him out with yesterday's murders.
Noir had the potential to be one of The Boys most interesting, well rounded characters. Not least because of how deeply ingrained he was in Vought's murky history, but also because of his link to father and son.
It feels he barely became an established character before they rushed him to death.
Consequently the impact of his demise had was one of dissatisfaction and the reasoning behind the creator's decision to axe him off at this junction doesn't seem clear.
There was definitely scope for more. No doubt many would have been curious to find out who Black Noir could have been out from under Homelander's shadow and the fear of Soldier's Boy's return. Also we wouldn't mind another trip down animation lane.
Sadly we were robbed of that chance to find out. So long Noir, we'll try to remember you in seasons to come.
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