One of the hardest scenes to watch during season one is Homelander's decision to let the plane crash rather than attempt to save anyone on board. After making it to the plane on time and seemingly defeating the hijackers, Homelander assures everyone that things are going to be alright as he basks in their cheers. However, a hijacker in the cockpit shoots the remaining pilot, putting a hole through the windshield and causing Homelander to effectively fry him along with the flight's equipment.
While Queen Maeve wants to still save everyone, Homelander wants to save their reputation. He gives Maeve an ultimatum in her last-ditch effort to save a mother and child, and Maeve ultimately chooses to escape with him. As if all of this wasn't horrific enough, when the plane's wreckage is recovered, Homelander uses it as a ploy to get superheroes into the military by saying that he and Maeve arrived after the plane crashed and it could've been saved had they been let into the military chain of command.