What began as one of the most bizarre friendships in ‘The Boys’ has officially derailed. The Deep and Black Noir, who were clumsily united by a strange podcast gimmick, have now turned into open hostility.
And, frankly, the more you look at what has been cooking under the surface, the less surprising it becomes.
The Deep And Black Noir Were Doomed From The Start In ‘The Boys’
On the surface, the relationship between them was comedic. The Deep was inclined to his normal attention-seeking behaviour, and Black Noir silently complied with it, forming a strange yet strangely entertaining duo. That balance did not last long. The climax peaked when Deep got the credit for capturing Stan Edgar and, in effect, robbed Noir of his moment.
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It was no mere trifle; it revealed the true nature of their relationship, how weak it was. And then all went uphill. Passive-aggressive insults evolved into open resentment, and by episode 5, it has gone beyond a certain point that is not easily reversible.
Actor Chace Crawford presents their relationship as more of a sibling rivalry than friendship. “And he just gets so irritated by Black Noir! There’s this brotherly bond now that they’re working together all the time on the podcast, and he just probably can’t stand him breathing. They are trying to get each other back a little bit, until I think it all comes to a boil,” Chace explained.
The Real Problem Is The Deep Chasing Approval
But it is not simply a matter of two egos coming into conflict. Homelander is the larger force of the conflict. He is towering over all of it and defines how both Deep and Noir view themselves, and each other. Deep, especially, is desperate. He is hanging on to his position in the Seven and always attempting to prove that he is one of them.
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And as Homelander’s validation is lacking, that insecurity must be projected outward. Here it falls right on Noir. It’s not pretty. It’s not rational. But it is all too human. In the meantime, Noir is an innocent bystander in the identity crisis Deep is going through. Even minor wins become contests, and any team spirit is gone.
What is even more unfortunate is that even Homelander himself is beginning to crack, particularly in his own perverse family relations. That instability spills over, and everyone is scrambling to retain whatever status they can. When things blow, it is not so much of a shocking twist; it is a long-overdue collapse.
There are still some episodes to go, and things can get even messier. Reconciliation does not appear to be a possibility, but in ‘The Boys’, a possibility does not imply impossibility. There is one certain thing: this competition is not calming down any time soon.
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