Ever sinceThe Boysfirst began, it felt like Homelander (Antony Starr) was unstoppable, particularly after the most recent season finale. However, his son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) has often proven to be the foil to his unbridled narcissism and unchecked powers. Having always been presented as a key source of hope in a world where superheroes are corrupt,Ryan has long wavered in his loyalties, which remain more uncertain than ever at the end of Season 4,one of the most shocking episodesin the whole series.
Although attempts by Grace Mallory (Laila Roberts) have backfired by pushing too hard, Ryan has already drifted from Homelander even more than Butcher (Karl Urban) and serves to refute the idea that those with superpowers are naturally immoral. From his maiming of Stormfront (Aya Cash) to his brief attack on his father, it seemsRyan already has the power within him to take down Homelander, and it feels inevitable that they will come into some kind of conflict. Whilethe comics used Black Noir(Nathan Mitchell) to fulfill this role as a clone of Homelander, the removal of this event from the series means someone else will have to complete the deadly task, andno one is better suited than Ryan, at least once he feels ready.
The Boys is a drama series that explores the darker aspects of superhero culture, portraying a world where superheroes abuse their powers rather than use them for good. Centered around a vigilante group aiming to control these corrupt heroes, the series delves into themes of power, corruption, and accountability. The show features a complex narrative with multifaceted characters, offering an unfiltered look at the consequences of unchecked power.
In ‘The Boys,’ Ryan Is a Rare Beacon of Hope
The introduction of Ryan inThe Boyswas perhaps the biggest change to the original story for the show, one which made it feel completely unpredictable. Revealed only in the last scene of the finale of the first season, the existence of Ryan gives Butcher something that he can fight for beyond mere revenge, with Becca (Shantel VanSanten) constantly encouraging him to be his better self. At the end of the second season,the true scale of power Ryan possesses becomes clearwhen he maims Stormfront while protecting his mother, only to lose her as a result of collateral damage. The fact that he chooses to stay with Butcher, who also relents from killing Ryan when he fears becoming like Homelander, is not onlya welcome departure from the comics, but also the perfect display of what he represents for others.
Instead of being taken by Stan Edgar as planned, Butcher places Ryan into the custody of Grace Mallory for his own protection, which lasts for most of the third season. Only in the finale does the presence of Ryan take on so much importance, when Homelander takes Vought Tower and uses him as a form of leverage, knowing thathis power will be challengedfor the first time ever. When Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) prepares to kill them both,Butcher is unable to abandon Ryanand turns on him, even at the cost of losing a prime chance to kill Homelander. This might be one of his finest moral moments, but it also paradoxically causes Ryan to go back to his father, clearly appalled by the attacks upon him.
Although the finale of the third season hints that Ryan will side with his father even in the event of murder, his own morality quickly comes into conflict with the corporate world of Vought and the narcissism of his father. Thanks to how his mother raised him, Ryan has a firm sense of empathy and lacksthe need for validationthat his father possesses. Watching him slowly begin to bond with Butcher in his dying stategives hope that his defection might be imminentand his rejection of the fake theatrics imposed by his father makes it feel inevitable. The one thing Butcher and Mallory overlook, one which later proves catastrophic for them, would be the simple aspect of time.
At the End of ‘The Boys’ Season 4, Ryan Is Left in an Uncertain Position
For much of the season, the biggest source of conflict for Butcher is whether to recruit Ryan or sacrifice him, represented by the ghosts he sees in his hallucinations. As the rise ofVictoria Neuman(Claudia Doumit) inches closer and the virus remains in play, his faith in Ryan isthe only thing stopping him from succumbing to nihilism and despair, but he remains spiritually divided over the plan to recruit Ryan as a living weapon, withBecca serving to remind Butcherof his promise. When Butcher expresses fear against pushing Ryan too forcefully into such a role, Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) remarks that the speed of political events means they simply lack the time Butcher feels is necessary for recruiting him. In the end, both points are ultimately proven right and from the last source anyone might expect.
Inthe finale of the fourth season, there are onlya few wholesome momentsin what proves to be a shockingly bleak outcome, and it appears like Ryan will be that source of hope when he meets with Butcher, now on his deathbed. Grace Mallory, though, feels desperate about the incoming loss of influence for herself and the Boys, and reveals to Ryan every horrific thing Homelander has done, complete with the threat of force to make him comply. Her panic remains entirely justified, butit comes at the worst possible timeand proves disastrous for her and Butcher. Just as he had predicted, Ryan panics and kills her by accident before fleeing the facility in terror.
This is the last we see of Ryan in the fourth season, and it remains unclear where he ends up, but the impact has already been severe. Losing Becca was one thing for Butcher, but Ryan is an order of magnitude more painful. When Ryan appears to desert,any hope our heroes have left us is gone,setting the stage for Butcher to commit his atrocities. Additionally, the loss of Ryan deprives The Boys of their only weapon against Homelander at a time when theyhave never been more divided, especially after their capture.
Why Didn’t Neuman Pop Butcher’s Head in ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Finale?
The show finds a foolproof way of ensuring the VP-elect couldn’t use her powers.
The Endgame for Ryan Feels Almost Inevitable
For the moment, the loss of Ryan feels like a loss for Butcher himself and his former teammates, but events seem to guarantee he will return to the fold and play a decisive role in the climax of the entire story. In broad strokes, the show seems to be following the conclusion of the comics, where Homelander is killed at the very end of the story. As Butcher noted before,Ryan already seems to be naturally leaning against his father, who he remains unlikely to go back to evenafter fleeing Butcher. Having him witness the horror of the new regime from the ground, whether in Red River as a presumed orphan or one of the internment camps, would allow him to become a hero and stand against his father on his own terms.
Having Ryan be the one to kill his own father would not just be the natural end to his own story, butfeels necessary as the last hope against the new regimeHomelander has created. While Soldier Boy can threaten him, series creatorEric Kripkehas already hinted that they will beunlikely allies against Butcherin revenge for turning on him in the third season. Even though Starlight (Erin Moriarty) seems likely to return more powerful than ever and A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) has since been an ally to The Boys, the rest of The Seven ensures they will probably have their hands full. From his attack on Stormfront to shoving Homelander down in defense of his mother, Ryan has already shown the potential to take his father down, so all he needs now is the proper will.
Finally, having Ryan kill his own father would be the perfect kind of tragedy the show has long been known for. Just as Hughie (Jack Quaid) seemsdestined to put Butcher out of his miseryin a clear parallel to the comics, having Ryan kill Homelander would come with a major cost. Nevertheless,this one act would still make him a true hero, one who brought down a global threat when others had failed to do so. For four seasons now,The Boyshas made Starlight or Hughie its moral core, but the greatest hero in the show might actually end up being the smallest.
The BoysSeason 4 is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
