In the middle of the fourth season of The Boysthe plot thickens for the show’s unconventional heroes. One of the characters who stands out the most for his evolution is Frenchie, played by Tom Capone.
Spoiler alert. The character’s personal journey covers topics of sexuality and interpersonal relationships highly debated by fans. In the previous installment, the relationship with Kimiko Miyashiro developed from romanticism to a more brotherly connection.
This year, it is Kimiko who encourages Frenchie to explore a sexual relationship with his crush, Colin. The evolution of their storyline is a reflection of the complexity and depth that the series is not afraid to explore.
Capone said the inspiration behind Frenchie includes influences such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Mick Jagger. “All of these people have a sexuality that is not white or black, but something in between. “They are so beautiful for being what they are,” she said.
She also recounted how a small costume decision in season two helped forge Frenchie’s visual and personal identity on set: “I had this idea out of nowhere: I took a pair of scissors and just cut it off until it was above my belly button. I ended up on set and I remember Eric Kripke asking me, ‘Tommy, do you know what a crop top is? ’ I said, ‘Frenchie loves it. ’ And he said, ‘Okay, okay. ’ Maybe that manifested the whole arc with Colin.”
The inclusion of this homoerotic relationship also offers a new perspective on Frenchie and his development throughout the series. In Capone’s words: “At the end of the day, it’s deeper than that.” [la sexualidad]. “It’s the writers and the story that try to give you another angle to see this character, where he comes from, what his demons are made of.”
On the other hand, Capone spoke about Frenchie’s decision to turn himself in for the crimes he committed before joining Billy Butcher’s (Karl Urban) team, after years of dealing with guilt and the demons of his past.
The decision of the drug and arms trafficking expert took the public by surprise, who discussed on social networks about the motivations behind his actions.
Frenchie’s delivery to prison is a pivotal moment for the series, given that The Boys – consisting of Butcher, Hughie (Jack Quaid), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) and Annie (Erin Moriarty) – still need him on their mission to investigate the super virus and confront Homelander (Antony Starr).
However, he seems to find it essential to redeem himself for his past murders, including his responsibility in the death of the family of his new love interest, Colin.
About this decision, actor Tomer Capone explained to Variety that surrendering reflects the search for balance and morality in a chaotic world for the character.
“In a way, you’re trying to show what a moral compass is. This show has so many flawed characters. The good guys are bad and the bad guys are good. In the end, Frenchie making the decision to go and give himself up is a matter of someone who wants to clean his rooms in his soul, who wants redemption, who wants to start over, who wants to be genuine and balanced,” she reflected.
“But more than that, I also asked myself: ‘Why does he have the need to do it? Why did he do it when it was in the past? But the past always haunts us. We all have this moment in life where we wish we could have gone back and re-done some things and been better. The question is, what are you going to do with it today? And that was an idea that ran through my head while I was working on the scene,” he concluded.
