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Dude's powers literally correlates with his mental state. Guy bottles up everything until he can't anymore then explodes and destroys everything around him and then he bottles it up again and the cycle repeats.

I think a lot of people are missing something between that interaction between Soldier Boy and Homelander. When Homelander tells Soldier Boy that" I am you", Soldier Boy then replies "I know you're an f***ing disappointment", he's not just telling Homelander that, he's also acknowledging his own failings as a person, perhaps even a "hero". This is something that's worth looking into, maybe even doing the deep dive on.

Soldier Boy can be hilarious at times, but he is so broken. When he calls Homelander a disappointment, it's like he's looking at his own reflection.

I absolutely love this breakdown of Soldier Boy. He was a great addition to Season 3. His actor was amazing. The twist with Homelander was brilliant and I really hope Soldier Boy returns next season. Something I would also point out in Soldier Boy's character is that his father called him a disappointment and when Soldier Boy confronts Homelander he copies what his father said to him by calling Homelander a disappointment. But ironically Homelander breaks that cycle with his own son Ryan. Homelander doesn't think Ryan is a disappointment he shows affection towards him something neither Soldier Boy or Homelander had as children themselves

Looking for love in all the wrong places. The need for a father's approval. Loneliness, fear, despair, anger, hate. Sex, narcotics, alcohol, violent bullying as coping mechanisms.......... All these negative traits will drive a person to do horrible things and creates monsters. This is the core of this show. It's basically psychoanalysis done as an interesting story.

Soldier Boy is, in my opinion, exactly what a real life Wolverine would be like. Perhaps less obnoxious but just as indifferent to the world & traumatized. We're talking about dealing with 3 times the amount of loss & pain the average human being has to endure, the brain washing, amnesia & physical trauma & that heavily invasive body wide surgery of molten metal being fused to his entire skeleton. No wonder in Logan this man wanted to die, which actually was his motivation in the last two films (Logan & The Wolverine) but at least he overcomes it in the Wolverine to be a hero. It just seems like a grueling, unfair existence. even his powers invoke a painful nature as his claws cut through his hands every time they're deployed. If any veteran has a right to snort & drink whatever drugs he wants, it would be Wolvie 😂

Fun Fact: One of the reasons Jensen Ackles was cast as Soldier Boy was because he was the runner up to play Captain America in the MCU. And - obviously - Soldier Boy is a dark pastiche of Captain America.

Basically you can be super masculine but don’t lose your emotions compassion and empathy

Soldier Boy's issues stem from his relationship with his father. Growing up all he wanted was his father's approval but he could never get it. So he signed up for compound V and became the world's greatest superhero and became a war hero thinking finally he will have his father's approval. Instead he father said he wasn't a man because he took a short cut and cheated. His father would then proceed to call him a disappointment.

HL: "Weak? I'm you." SB: "I know. You're a ****ing disappointment." Such a good scene. Solider Boy is actively critiquing not only Homelander but himself as well in that particular scene. He developed as a character quite well over the course of S3 I just wish he had more screen time.

First off, love the show version of Solider Boy, because he's the complete opposite of the comic, who was a absolute coward, plus, he has a actual character here. Secondly, not gonna lie, my first immediate thought of your Soldier Boy cosplay was Nightwing lol

One of my favourite moments of the entire season is Soldier Boy's lip quiver when younger Grace Mallory tells him that his macho act never really works with women. That every woman is either humoring him or afraid of him. He shoots back with something smug about her getting a man, but that lip quiver lets the audience know that he knows she's right.

I usually don't like the word "Toxic Masculinity" because it is sometimes used as a weapon to shut down an argument without having a genuine conversation. I also don't like how people frame all masculine traits as toxic. However, SB is the true case of Toxic Masculinity where it not only harms the people around him but himself as well. I've dealt with such father for my entire life while I was more of a emotional type of person. I was taught not to cry and got physically punished when I showed any hint of weakness ... kind of like Butcher. The constant struggle to "not be a pu**y" kept me stressed and anxious until I realized that I can't change myself nor even need to. My father seemed to suffer from it since everyone around him feared him and never showed their emotional towards him making him lonely. He became much loose as he aged and became more emotional. I find him to be a better father and a better man these days than ever before.

Soldier Boy was my new favorite character and villain from The Boys. I go back and forth on him, when watching the show, I pitied him and was disappointed how he was disposed of in the season finale.I can understand him when it comes to be betrayed and plus Jensen Ackles acting. However while Homelander is worse, Soldier Boy isn't a saint and some of the worst I have seen of people IRL up close I see in Soldier Boy which makes it unnecessarily complicated

I think its one of the biggest "conspiracies" of culture where other people would control the definition of manhood. A narrow definition of manhood that excludes feelings thus excludes listening to your inner voice. This makes one more "useful" to others (like fighting someone else's war.)

Yea this guy is actually toxic masculinity. He should be the definition. I hate it when people use the phrase for any little thing a guy does, but this.... THIS character is actually toxic

Thanks so much for this analysis, Georgia. There's a difference between being strong and being toxic, and men should feel more able to express their emotions in a healthy way without fear of being emasculated by society.

Pretty much what we do with Veterans and we defund the VA which is just making this type of stuff predominant amongst soldiers.

I like how you call it toxic toughness it’s more accurate and feels less of an attack on my character lol

I think an additional point is an unwillingness to change. While Soldier Boy overall is abusive and abrasive, a lot of his thinking comes from his time. He’s used to the old America and he doesn’t accept the new America because it’s simply too different for him to grasp it. Despite him looking in his middle age, he’s over a century old, born in 1919. While it’s considered toxic masculinity now, it was considered the norm for him.

There’s a time and place to be an emotionless soldier. Having it turned on all the time will cause harm to those who you love.

Analyzing Soldier Boy from a logical point of view.

At least he keeps his own words. That is the most likeable character from him.

I'll be honest, I hate the term "toxic masculinity", too often it's an attack on masculinity and men (which society seems to be attacking), always too one sided by those with woke thoughts, regardless of it's definition. Toxic toughness is a much better term imo, it's not so 'woke' (which is toxic itself). I will say though life centuries ago was tougher, so I guess the whole "toughness" thing was a way of survival (if the attitude was even a thing then).

I'm glad you clarified during this video that it's not only a male issue and the issue isn't exactly masculinity it's toxicity itself that morphs people's perceptions of masculinity

Being autistic it was more or less impossable for me to emathize with Soldier Boy, but your video did explain why. So thank you for that. There is one thing I found interesting, however, He was able to back up a lot of his claims of being tough by actually taking on multiple supes. This is something even Homelander couldn't do. This isn't do discredit your analysis, but I think does add a layer of complxity to it becoming a, "But at what cost," scenario. And this would be in the best of cases where someone is able to back up their, so called, toughness. in most cases it just destroys the person in question.

I really enjoy the representation of generational trauma and issues being passed down in the boys, MM, Butcher, Soldier Boy, Homelander and Ryan all have ties to it and its sad but very engaging

Just imagine if Soldier Boy had taken interest in the internet and what people are thinking of him. Nuclear explosions everywhere.

I absolutely love Soldier Boy, and it is 100% because of Jensen Ackles lol

The term 'Toxic Masculinity' has been so heavily associated w/ liberal crybaby-ism that I've completely given up on it. They're man children now, clowns, and I think the show makes 'very' clear that Soldierboy is just as much an actor for masculinity as Homelander is for virtue. He simply likes the aesthetic of being tough without doing anything he thinks gets him there, when in reality he is heavily traumatized by his own abusive father's neglect.

I haven’t cried in nearly 4 years. I remember when I would cry over my mothers death I was told to man up a lot. I didn’t even cry when I lost the sight in my eye. I was sent to therapy and was diagnosed with some kind of anger issues, ptsd and depression. I used to bite my tongue hard when I felt sad because it would take away the need to cry

Could you do a video about Guts from Berserk? He is such a great and complex character. I think that with your background you would be able to dissect his traumas better than most people.

I can actually relate to this breakdown. Some men that I've known were exactly like him. While I was getting through adolescence I developed some of this behaviors too. But once I grew up an adult and I realized what were the root causes I was able to reconcile with my emotions and manage them to get a more satisfying and balanced way of life. First steps first: It always starts by recognizing we got something to heal and having the will to get through that way.

My man soldier boy ain’t toxic, he is a sigma

It's always a joy watching your video And it's really good to watch them multiple times

Soldier Boy is based

No such thing as “toxic masculinity” Real masculinity is beautiful and self sacrificing, bridled strength, fighting for loved ones, care/devotion and making real hard decisions and taking hits and demoralization and keep moving forward This character represents the lack of real masculinity in a masculine body. Unbridled Strength

Appreciate the content! Keep it up.

The ironic thing about soldier boy that he wants to have family too, it's visible that he actually wants to accept Homelander, but he can't, because of this limiting concept of being a manly man.

Billy Butcher ruined everything with that emotional behavior. Soldier Boy was right.

Some of his behaviors/dynamics may be toxic, but at least he is very masculine, which makes him one of my favorite movie characters at all. Especially in current times, where masculinity is declining, unfortunately.

At first when i got the notification for this video i saw "toxic masculinity" I was like oh man here we go a talk about how guys should be more feminine. But once again Doc you exceeded my expectations with a good reaction.

Great breakdown! One little thing to note -- and apologies if it's already been mentioned -- "Bennies" does not refer to benzodiazepines. That class of drug definitely does not wire you to the gills, and the first one, Librium, wasn't even discovered until 1958. "Bennies" is a colloquialism for Benzedrine, a strong amphetamine widely used and abused through the early and mid 20th century. It pops up all the time in old Burroughs and Ginsberg works. It's not made anymore, but it was essentially pharmaceutical meth. I don't think bourbon and meth with his burger speaks any more highly of his mental stability, mind you 😅

I just came to see a take on Soldier Boy... i didnt expect to get faced with my own failure! Good god this hit deep. I saved it. I need to work on myself. Thank you Georgia!!!!!

She tried to dress like Soldier Boy but ended up looking like Nightwing

I think you doing analyses on characters in The Batman Animated Series would be awesome. So many psychologically deep characters that carry all too human issues. It was doing all this before The Boys, and it was considered a kid show to boot.

I actually relate to this very much. That’s probably why he’s one of my favorite characters in the show and I hope he’s in season 4. This show is so good

Loved this Vid and agree on a lot of the things you pointed out. I loved the Soldier Boy character. Because he was both entertaining and represented sum of the things I avoided becoming like. Validating and understanding your emotions is very important! Although, I have to admit there was certain aspects of his character I found worthy of respecting. Like him being willing to keep his side of the deal to help kill Homelander.

You are such a breath of fresh air. your "rant" about what angers you??? gave me life. thank you. I will be rewatching this. you are a bright spot Miss Georgia. thank you.

I really like calling it Toxic Toughness, as that's what it really is.

Black Panther Movie -T’Challa: Heroic Masculinity -Eric Killmonger: Toxic Machismo

It's paradoxical that Homelander (who did some of the worst things, even worse than the ones Soldier Boy did) knows what he wants in terms of his feelings, while Soldier Boy doesn't, he just represses that part with alcohol and drugs.

If you were my therapist and you used the term "toxic masculinity" in one of the sessions I would ask for a different therapist. The term has been misused and weaponized too much. I feel great anger when I hear that term.

These videos are truely entertaining and informative, I love them.

Strange as it sounds, dealing with constant high stress situations is far easier than confronting the PTSD that it comes with. When you deal with convicts trying to shank you or fellow officers is par for the course, when you're on alert 100% for hours at a time it's hard to wind down from the mentality.

Thanks for always breaking down your observation on characters in a way that we can relate and also better ourselves..

The one thing that struck me in the exchange between Homelander and Soldier Boy was the “but I’m you.” “I know. A disappointment.” Maybe I’m giving a benefit of the doubt because I like Jensen Ackles, but to me it seemed like in that moment there was a degree of self awareness by Soldier Boy, that he was disappointed in himself and that his son became like him. It doesn’t change that he is a reprehensible person, but it seemed like a moment of clarity, even if he took the low road from it rather than the high one

Good analysis Georgia. This brings me to why it matters so much to young men / boys to have a good father figure. My father taught me. Father's discipline while seems harsh is great way for boys to learn. I.e. take Odin and Thor...my dad was same way. He always held me accountable for my actions but let me realize and see the wisdom of his fatherly lessons. I had to come to it not with aid, but because I learned. Because real life you don't get second chances usually. As a man you learn self-reliance, but also the value of true male friendship. To ask for help when you need it, but also to strive to accomplish things on your own. You have to be grown man and deal with your poor choices. Being a man is not about being macho or even fighting, but about being responsible man, doing the right thing, being courageous in dealing with issues, facing your fears, being true to yourself and standing up for what you believe in. Treating others with respect. Seeing a person's character before anything else. Help those who are being bullied or being picked on. These are good qualities of masculinity. I think the same applies for women too as there are toxic things women do that impact their daughters.

This is such a powerful episode, thank you.

I really like these videos. They shine a light on the mind and strong powerful knowledge

Soldier boy is the GOAT, I inspire to be manly like him, no bs straight to point, present in the moment, taking out traitors, living the life.

Congrats on 100K!

this is was a really good video, loved it, hit home pretty hard.

Been following you for a while and still loving the content !

Your analysis are great. I love the costumes you put together.

Maybe it's overanalyzing, but I think it's interesting that in the scene between Dean Winch... I mean Soldier Boy ( ;) ) and Homelander, when Homelander says "what do you mean weak? I'm you" and Soldier Boy doesn't say "no, you're not" or "you're weaker" or anything like that. He says "I know" and then adds Homelander is a disappointment. But that "I know" feels like deep down Soldier Boy knows there's something wrong with him, maybe he sees everything that was wrong with him, within Homelander. "I'm you" "I know, you're a disappointment". It has vibes of Spider-Man-Tony Stark "I wanted to be like you" "And I wanted you to be better". But I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much. But the choice of words in that scene was interesting.

i am so glad this was in my recommended, i really needed to watch this

Great content. You come across as very thoughtful with regards to how society can influence personal mental health. I have enjoyed a lot of your breakdowns because of your open minded and relaxed approach to psychoanalysis. I've found myself along similar lines with questioning mental health implications in media; glad to have your content to further learn from! Also, great spirit, I dig the outfits.

Soldier boy is my role model 💪😤😤

I appreciate you making this video. It gave me a bit of insight on why I truly felt for Soldier Boy as a character even though to the naked eye he seems like such a cruel and selfish individual. The environment I grew up normalized toxic masculinity. To not show emotions, to not ask for help, to avoid allowing anyone to know you completely because of that feeling of weakness and vulnerability. It took me years, about 27 years old and I am now 32 years old, for me to actually allow myself to not see things so black and white, and understand that the the things I saw as "weak" were part of being human. And in all honesty, it took a kind hearted woman I was dating to help me see that. If she didn't hate or betray him, I think Crimson Countess would have done the same for Soldier Boy.

“He doesn’t have the coping mechanisms in order to deal with it AND HE DOESN’T WANT TO” 💔❤️‍🔥

Thing is Soldier Boy is from a different time. The 60s-70s is a much different societal mind set then the 2020s. What's toxic now was completely normal back then. We only think it's a problem because we've had 60+ years to rethink how we act. I bet if you threw someone from 2024 into 2084 we'd seem pretty toxic to them for something that's totally normal to us.

Me a toxic white male “You made those words up”

Solider Boy's the perfect example of a realistic hero...XD

It's so interesting watching Jensen Ackles go from Dean Winchester to Soldier Boy. Both characters have so much trauma and were crafted into little soldiers in some ways, but the biggest difference is how they both came out of it and the paths they chose. Dean Winchester sometimes does fall into some toxic traits but he's not afraid to express some emotions. Usually he's very much "I'm fine. I don't know what you're talking about" because of how he was raised, but instead of mocking and teasing people who do show their emotions like Soldier Boy has done in this video, Dean listens and allows that person to tell him how they're feeling. I think what made Dean much softer than Soldier Boy is Dean had to raise his younger brother, Sam, and we see in flashbacks in Supernatural how protective Dean was of Sam's innocence in the beginning and how he still is protective of Sam. I would actually love to see an analyst of the Supernatural characters if that's possible! 😊

You are the first therapist I have ever seen that said it is okay if you are not a ball of emotion all the time. If every therapist just says you are toxic and broken if you do not break down and cry all the time, it makes it rather hard to seek help if you need it. As you said, as long as you are not cutting out a piece of yourself or denying what you truly feel, being stoic is not a negative thing. Oh, and I much prefer the term Toxic Toughness. That term really describes the issue far better as well as removing the sexist stigma, allowing woman to accept and seek help if they notice this issue within themselves.

"Let yourself feel and be vulnerable, you'll have better relationships" Doctor, my biggest pains and regrets are when I showed vulnerability 😂 I'm not toxic, actually I hated bullying since I was a kid even as a joke but showing vulnerability as a straight man never ends well. It will crush you and in the end you know what everyone would say? "It was your own fault!" I need to hide my emotions in order to survive Just saying

It's better to be toxic than to be weak

Loving all your videos Georgia! Deficated fan here!

I really appreciate your content. I'm getting my way through stranger things with my family and I'm eager to see your insights on those characters

Excellent analysis as always! I would love to see your take on the characters from Paper Girls. It's kinda like an all girl Stranger Things with heavy metaphorical themes about reparenting/inner child work

I loved the analysis! I was waiting for it since the Homelander one. Do you take suggestions? Because i would love to see your reaction and analysis on Dutch Vand der Linde from the Red Dead Redemption series, he is....a piece of work

I was not going to watch because of the title but you surprise me, very good

the episode Soldier boy appeared , he instantly became my Favorite Character..

Some of the points you made in this video hit hard. Amazing analysis, as usual, probably the best take on toxic masculinity I've ever seen. Love your videos.

I think people confuse not feeling emotions and not letting your emotions rule over your actions. I actually went through the inverse problem. Throughout school I was told how I should be feeling and in touch with my emotions, but as I grew older, I was better able to keep them in check. I thought something was wrong with me. But this control is a byproduct of maturity, age, and also somewhat being a man. I have an easier time keeping a cool head than some other man and most women when shit hits the fan. Doesn’t mean I don’t feel the emotions. It just means I prefer to be a steady rock for everyone to hold on to instead of adding to the chaos.

Toxic masculine or feminine doesn't exist. Atleast not in the way people think. It stems from pride and an inability to humble ourselves and attend our own needs and mend our own heart. So we cling to what we identify as strong so as to protect our hearts. We hide behind that, which gives us strength. Toxic masculinity and toxic femininity aren't the issues. It's a byproduct of pride and pain. Insecurities and our inability to be vulnerable are what cause toxic behaviors. It's pride, always has been. Masculinity and femininity are not good or bad. It's how we use them that defines our sense of self. So be very careful when claiming a trait is toxic because then the less critical thinkers will then generalize a trait as inherently bad. Pridefulness is what causes us to be toxic and pollute our general mannerisms. I tell people masculinity is like a tool. You can build and protect with it, or you can go ham and destroy stuff. It's all about the person, not the inherent trait. How you use it is what defines you.

This is the first time i\ve taken the topic of toxic masculinity seriously.

unpopular opinion,I have embraced this mechanism ( detaching from emotions while around people ), a few months now I'm doing well, no drama or non needed bs! yet I still hear my self and my inner voice when I'm alone I can consider it all but out to the public and ppl , it is working fine. will give updates in future but for now it's working fine and I know it seems unhealthy but it's really working !

Soldier Boy is The Boys Captain America

I'm a little disappointed here with this. It feels a lot like an attack on 'toxic' tough people (men), but not acknowledging -why- they are this way.. which is usually from trauma and abuse. It's a survival tactic. You got close to acknowledging it but didn't ever get there. Didn't even play through the scene of SB talking to Billy about his father, which was the start and probably shines some light on why SB is the way he is. I'll agree, 'tough guy' personas aren't good for the long run of your life, but when all you've known is abuse or violence, it's a survival instinct.

One facet of this video I found interesting was the notion of cutting out emotions leading to you not recognizing your needs. Possibly and over share but throughout my childhood I was given both overt and subtle messages my feelings or wants were a problem or not a priority. While I did have a period of immense apathy I recognize why I'm like this, and what my needs and wants are. However even the councilor I briefly saw said that while I cognitively have a great grasp of what's wrong and why I think the way I do. Even he was baffled how to get my emotional awareness or even emotions at all to the same level. Don't know if that is common, sign of a larger issue, etc. Just thought I'd share.

I know you’re a therapist and will say why As a teen and now I used to have a hard time expressing sadness because i believe it a sign of weakness to show sadness and half my family member keep bringing back on thinking “put your pride aside and show some feeling “ I just don’t the only feeling I’ll express are anger and happy. Sadness and doubt on the other hand I don’t Still love soldier boy I just wish I had his ability to not care what people think

I love your analysis of characters. Can you do the fire nation royal family therapist breakdown. That would be Azula (so much to talk about there), Zuko, Ozia and Ursa. PS. You could also do Azulon and Sozin if you have time.

It is a good rant. As I had to explain to a friend that toxic masculinity does not say masculinity is toxic. It is the same as toxic waste or toxic chemicals. Good point on the fact that it hurts them as well as the people around them.

One thing that soilder boy knows is that him feeling will slow him down but cos he never takes a second to stop he never takes a second to feel so no he's running in an endless circle of "keep going, you can feel later when the job is done." But in he's mind his job is never done so he'll always be this way

the thing is that he's a soldier... you dont want a soldier that cries while on combat dont you? i think its just he tries to be a soldier 24/7 lol now thats an issue xD

About what you said at the begining regarding benzodiazepines, I'm talking from my own experience, isn't those effect the same as taking anti-depressant? At least that's how I felt or should I say that's how numb I was feeling when I was taking them.

An important aspect of Soldier Boyd cruelty to Homelander when Homelander is seeking that approval too is that he sees too much of himself in Homelander. Homelander says “But I’m you.” And he replies with “I know, a *sic* disappointment.” Acknowledging that Homelander is Soldier Boy. And Soldier Boy can’t handle looking into that mirror, which is the source of disappointment.