The Best Madelyn Stillwell Quotes

Madelyn: Gods are pure and perfect. And above the law. And the need to stay that way.

Madelyn: Baltimore is a beautiful town. But you've got a problem. Your homicide rates are up, what, 62%? The police are not closing cases. You're on the verge of needing a federal lifeline.
Mayor: Cut to the chase, Madelyn. Who are you proposing?
Madelyn: Nubian Prince. Fits your population's demo, but not too militant. Caucasians love him, too, with a... 59% approval rate. I am willing to give you a three-year exclusive contract with full PR support, and I'm gonna give you nine and a half points of the merchandising.
Mayor: I thought he was in Detroit.
Madelyn: Well, we're thinking about making a move.
Mayor: How much?
Madelyn: $300 million a year.
[sharing a laugh]
Madelyn: I know, I know, it's a tough swallow. But we both know that your city needs a hero.
Mayor: $200 million for Nubian Prince. I can sell that.
Madelyn: Mm. I'm sorry, Steve, I can't do it. We've got Atlanta waiting in the wings.
Mayor: I think maybe you can.
Madelyn: And why is that?
Mayor: I happen to know about Compound V.
Madelyn: What is Compound V?
Mayor: It's the type of rumor that could really tarnish those heroes of yours. Nobody wants that. People need heroes. Now, I can make sure that that stays a rumor, because I'm a friend. But friendship does cut both ways.
Madelyn: I'm sorry, Steve, I don't know what you're talking about. $300 million is the price, or we go to Atlanta.

Homelander: You promised me no more lies. You fucking promised me. You and Vogelbaum should have got your stories straight. They were so close! So fucking close, but there was a few little details that were different. So I went back to Vogelbaum, and I managed to squeeze the truth out of him. The real truth.
[Stillwell starts to cry]
Homelander: Yes, that's it.
Madelyn: I'm so sorry. I never should have lied to you. I know now that you don't need to be protected. I'm so sorry. Will you please take Teddy back upstairs?
Homelander: Did you ever really care about me?
Madelyn: You mean everything to me.
Homelander: No. No, no. I mean everything to your job. You care more about that fucking baby than you do about me.
Madelyn: No. I love you. I love you, I love you. I swear I love you.
Homelander: But?
[Stillwell hesitates]
Homelander: Tell me the truth, or I walk out right now.
Madelyn: [quietly] I'm scared. I'm scared of you.
Homelander: What?
Madelyn: I said I'm scared.
Homelander: Of?
Madelyn: Of you. I'm scared of you.
Homelander: [tenderly] Thank you. Thank you for finally being honest.
[Homelander kills Stillwell]

Annie: Every single word that I say up here, I'm reading from a script. I didn't write any of these words. I don't even know if I believe in them. I mean, I believe in God, I love God so much, but... honestly, it's... it's just how goddamn...
[crowd gasps]
Annie: ...certain everyone is around here. I mean, tickets start at, what, 170 bucks, so that these people can tell you how to get into heaven? How do they know? How does anybody know? When the bible was written, life expectancy was 30 years old. I mean, I'm not so sure you're supposed to take it literally. It also says that it's a sin to eat shrimp. What, if... if you're gay or if you're... Gandhi you're going to hell? I mean... And if you have sex before marriage, that's... that's not immoral. That's human. What's immoral is the guy who shoved his dick in my face.
[crowd gasps again]
The: [watching from the Seven's meeting room] Shit.
Madelyn: [watching from her office] Shit.
Annie: [Looks over at her mom and then back to the crowd] Here's the truth. Anyone who tells you they know the answers is lying. And I know, I know, I'm supposed to be this hero-idol-symbol-whatever, but... I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I'm just as scared and confused as the rest of you. I'm done pretending, and I'm done taking any more shit.
[beat]
Annie: Thank you.

Starlight: [after Starlight is presented with a revealing new costume] Look I appreciate the effort, I really do. But I prefer my old outfit.
Madelyn: We're not.
Starlight: Excuse me?
Madelyn: Starlight, like I said before, this is a partnership. And in a partnership we give and we take.
Starlight: It's my body. I have the right to choose how much of it I show.
Madelyn: That is true, you do. You just won't be doing it in The Seven, unless it is wrapped in that.

Madelyn: Do you know what's interesting? The Deep told me, and only me, that there were scorch marks on the mayor's engine almost like two small high intensity beams roughly the with of human eyes.
Homelander: Say what you mean to say.
Madelyn: Your brand is hope, baseball, America, sunshine. You don't do vengeance.
Homelander: Madelyn, I heard him. Through the walls, he was blackmailing you.
Madelyn: I'm the last person you need to save.
Homelander: But I did it for you.
Madelyn: I know. but did the timing occur to you? I have half the senate's comity coming tonight.

Starlight: You fired Ashley?
Madelyn: It was actually a mutual decision. She wanted to explore different career paths and, um, we wished her well.
[beat]
Madelyn: So, I would like you to take this in the constructive spirit that it is intended.
Starlight: [frowns] Okay.
Madelyn: You are a selfish, arrogant child.
Starlight: Wow.
Madelyn: Back in Iowa, I bet you watched a lot of Queen Maeve's movies, right?
Starlight: I did.
Madelyn: She was a rebel. Didn't take anyone's shit, didn't play by the rules. That's what you wanted to be. That's what American heroes are. But it's a myth. I should know, because I wrote it. The truth is, dozens of people in this company spent hundreds of hours to create the thing that is you.
Starlight: I never asked for that.
Madelyn: Then why don't you burn the sparkly outfit and become a cop? You want to be a superhero. You want to be famous. But nobody's famous alone. So why don't you cut the petulant diva shit, show a little fucking gratitude, and let us do our job?
[pause]
Starlight: No.
Madelyn: I'm sorry?
Starlight: I mean, I don't mean to be ungrateful. But no red carpets, no reality TV, and no Noxzema commercials. And I want my old outfit back. I'm gonna save people.
Madelyn: Then I think we may need to reconsider your position in The Seven.
Starlight: And I think that firing an employee after she reported sexual assault on live TV might tank your stock price.
Madelyn: [taken aback] Well, I hope we can count on your discretion.
Starlight: I'm sorry, I don't do discretion anymore. If anyone asks me who did it, I'm going to answer honestly.
Madelyn: Well, it's great that you want to tell the truth. I just don't know to whom you're referring.
Starlight: Oh, I think you know. I think you've known for a long time.
[pause]
Madelyn: [unsettled] Thank you so much for coming, Starlight. I have a lot to think about.