Diksha Sundriyal
‘The Boys’ never ceases to surprise its audience. When you think you’ve seen the most shocking thing you could ever see, it throws something entirely different at you. Season 3 has had its fair share of weird and some utterly disgusting moments. But there are also times when the show surprises you in a way that makes you wonder how to feel about it. Something similar happens when we watch Butcher and Maeve together.
Their collaboration is revealed in the first episode of the season when it is discovered that Maeve is supplying information as well as V-24 to Butcher. They only meet when they have to and we don’t see any informal conversation between them. However, when the Boys’ mission in Russia is botched and it turns out that they might not be able to kill Homelander after all, they share a few drinks and have a chat. One thing leads to another and they end up sleeping with each other. This makes us wonder, is this the beginning of a romance for Butcher and Maeve? Here’s what we know. SPOILERS AHEAD
Will Maeve and Butcher End Up Together?
Most likely, no. Queen Maeve and Billy Butcher come from two different worlds, with the latter harboring an intense hatred for superheroes. Butcher believes in building alliances when the situation calls for it. To Starlight and MM’s surprise, he teams up with Soldier Boy, even when he knows how much MM hates him. But, because it might be the only way to kill Homelander, Butcher doesn’t mind this collaboration, albeit temporarily. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Butcher teams up with Homelander if it means that he eventually gets to kill the Supe.
Butcher and Maeve’s collaboration falls under the same category. He needs an inside man, and she can not only get him all the important things but she can also fly under the radar. Also, when it comes to fighting superheroes, it doesn’t hurt to have a good one on your side. While Butcher doesn’t hesitate to share a drink or two with Maeve, he also doesn’t hold back in his hatred. He makes it clear that his contempt is not limited to Homelander. He believes that superheroes shouldn’t exist, and they’ve all got to go. Every last one of them.
While, at present, it doesn’t mean much to Maeve, this statement of Butcher’s predicts his actions in the future. In the comics, after Homalander is dead, Butcher decides to kill all the other superheroes. His fanaticism surprises the rest of the Boys, who then try to stop him. Considering that the show hasn’t changed Butcher’s perspective on Supes, it is pretty clear that Maeve and Butcher are nothing more than a one-night stand.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, for Maeve, she won’t have to worry about Butcher’s plans in the future. There is a very good possibility that she will die before the dust settles on the final showdown between Butcher and Homelander. And even if she survives the ordeal, she’d prefer to spend her time with someone she loves, and someone who actually loves her back. It would make sense for her to go back to Elena and try and mend that relationship. So, the relationship with Butcher is just a marriage of convenience for her too.
Maeve wouldn’t have bothered to care what the Boys were doing if it wasn’t for her hatred towards Homelander. He has been manipulating her life, and basically ruining it, since the beginning. She had to be in a fake relationship with her, and then, his jealousy led to Elena breaking up with her. For a long time, Maeve sat on the sidelines and let Homelander do whatever he wanted. But now, Maeve has made it her mission, even if it’s her last, to kill Homelander once and for all. She knows she can’t do it alone, and she knows what the Boys do. So, it only makes sense for her to work with them and solve a common problem.
If you’re still rooting for Butcher and Maeve, there is a possibility, even if minuscule, that they might drive off into the sunset at the end of the day. We know that Butcher hates Supes and he could probably be with Maeve if she wasn’t one. We know that Soldier Boy can rid a Supe of their powers (though whether it is a temporary thing or permanent is yet to be seen). Should it happen that Maeve gets rid of her powers, Butcher might become more open to the idea of settling down with her. Whether or not Maeve agrees to put up with him is an entirely different discussion.
Read More: Does Queen Maeve Die in The Boys? Theories
