The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke and star Valorie Curry explain Firecracker’s devotion to Homelander following a scene in season 4, episode 6, where she proves just how loyal she is. Near the end of The Boys season 4 episode 6, the leader of the Seven confronts Firecracker (Curry) about her loyalty, believing she might be the leak within his close-knit group of Supes. However, she ends up revealing just how loyal she is to him by taking drugs in order to produce breast milk to satisfy the fetish he’s had since season 1.
Speaking with Variety, Kripke and Curry addressed Firecracker’s devotion to Homelander in The Boys season 4, episode 6, explaining how the scene reveals her unquestionable loyalty. The actor addressed the oddity and intimacy of the scene, while the showrunner broke down how the scene was filmed and what her reasoning behind what she’s doing really is. Check out what Curry and Kripke had to say below:
Valorie Curry: I love how that scene played so much, because we both came to it with this utter vulnerability and full of sincerity — which just makes it so much f*****g weirder. But with Firecracker, despite her just insanity and the things that she spews, she has this uncanny ability to know what people need, whether it’s in a crowd or it’s one on one. And even Homelander, she can see the human inside that shell, and she can see what that human needs, even if it looks like a bizarre fetish on the outside. And she’s willing to give him that also, because she’s not afraid of him — she should be. But she truly believes her vision of who he is, so she feels like she has no reason to be afraid of him, and makes herself so vulnerable to his vulnerability. It’s so intimate.
Eric Kripke: No, of course, [Antony Starr] and Val were like, “Let’s do it!” I think I remember telling Val on Day 1 of seeing her in Toronto, “Just so we’re clear, Firecracker is going to be breastfeeding him.” And I believe her response was something to the effect of like, “Well, of course she is.” When you take that character and how slavishly devoted she is to Homelander, and how she would do anything for him — as she’s made abundantly clear by saying it like seven times in a row to him — that giving him the thing he wants most in the world becomes logical, in a bananas sort of way.
As we were saying in the room, because she’s also jockeying to get in a better position as a way to sell out Sage, they’re now competing for Homelander’s attention. So the conversation in the room came up that Sage is great at what people might need intellectually, but Firecracker is really amazing at what people need emotionally. And we said, “Well, what is the thing Homelander needs most in the world that no one else could give them?” And it’s a hop, skip and a jump to, “Well, he would need a woman who’s actually willing to let him breastfeed.” And I remember distinctly, Ellie Monahan in the room said, “If we’re doing that, that’s the craziest thing we’ve ever done.” And it’s close, man.
That scene, first of all, getting the milk squirted into his face, and Ant’s shock and total delight is such a beautiful moment. But any other sane show would cut away at that point. And by the way, not that sane — but that’s when you cut away, you know what’s gonna happen.
The fact that we cut to the actual breastfeeding scene makes me cover my mouth every time. It’s just so stunning, and wow. Just what it means to the characters — the actors’ balls in pulling that off. I mean, it’s just my chef’s kiss to all of them.
What Firecracker’s Loyalty Means For The Rest Of The Boys Season 4
Firecracker Could Become A Permanent Ally For Homelander
Now that it’s clear how far Firecracker is willing to go to prove her loyalty, it seems she’ll become one of Homelander’s closest allies in the remaining episodes of the season. Other Supes in The Boys season 4 have proven themselves unreliable to his cause, with A-Train still acting as a double agent and Sister Sage susceptible to injury that temporarily removes her intelligence. Even though the conservative ally wasn’t able to beat Starlight, Firecracker providing the leader of the Seven with something he’s always wanted increases her importance to him.
While she doesn’t have the intelligence of Sage, nor the political power of Victoria Neuman, Firecracker is clearly incredibly dedicated to being as loyal to the Seven’s leader as she can. By providing him with breast milk, she connects with him on a deeper level than the other heroes, even if the way she does it is disturbing. This shows just how much she believes in his plans to destroy all his opposition, even at the cost of stability throughout the entire country.
For now, it’s unclear if Firecracker will continue to show up into The Boys season 5. However, with the interesting ways in which her and Homelander’s relationship is starting to develop, it’s possible she’ll be his permanent second-in-command right up to the end of the show. With so much that could happen now that she’s proven herself incredibly loyal to her leader, it seems the pair will be a force to be reckoned with as the show’s final episodes creep in.
