At any time when a villain joins the great guys, the query at all times follows: “Does X deserve redemption?” A-Prepare’s sins are heavy, so I perceive why some viewers would favor if he’d been punished, or (as some had assumed on the time) died when his coronary heart gave out after he killed Blue Hawk. Even Usher himself has expressed some doubts over whether or not A-Prepare is redeemable, particularly citing Popclaw’s homicide. (The truth that season 4 hasn’t touched on this is a disappointing oversight.)
However the query of “deserving” at all times feels reductive. Redemption is just not about balancing the ethical scales. Attempting to undo what’s finished is a idiot’s errand. No, redemption is a strategy of realizing that you’re a dangerous particular person and want to vary, then committing to residing otherwise on a regular basis. Whereas making amends is a crucial step of restoration, a part of residing out redemption is accepting that some folks you damage will not forgive you. Your focus must be on what you are able to do otherwise sooner or later, not on reliving the previous the place you erred. “Angel,” a present all about redemption, ended with its character charging right into a hopeless battle, reflecting how one’s redemption isn’t full.
A-Prepare has chosen to be higher; litigating his previous actions does not change what he is doing now. “The Boys” taking its time along with his determination, following his lows and plenty of f-ups, was generally irritating, however it makes the method extra plausible. There was no dramatic second that spurred A-Prepare to be a greater particular person — he simply hung out residing with the results of his actions and determined he could not bear being their trigger anymore. In actual life, that is typically how self-improvement occurs.