The following contains spoilers for The Boys season 4 episode 8, “Assassination Run,” now streaming on Prime Video
Summary
The Boyshas set up one notable character to become an even more dangerous villain than Homelander. Season 4 ofThe Boysdid a good job of setting up a climactic season 5, with several characters realizing their full villainous potential. While Homelander and his Supe conspiracy remain the most pressing concern for the world at large, other notable threats have been gaining influence and power. Sister Sage’s schemes makes her a particuarly dangerous player withinThe Boysseason 4 ending, while returning powerhouses like Cindy could reduce any resistance to bloody smears on the wall.
Even nominal heroes like Butcher have found themselves embracing a dark path forward, with Kessler’s influence setting up Butcher as one of the show’s antagonists going intoThe Boysseason 5. However, there’s another character whose moral arc in season 4 ends in a grisly cliffhanger. If they follow the trajectory of their worst actions, then they could becomeThe Boys' ultimate final threat. However, there’s still a chance their humanity could win out in the end and set them up to play a much more heroic (and potentially decisive) role in the upcoming final season of the series.
The Boys Making You Dislike Billy Butcher Is A Big Season 5 Clue
A new revelation about Butcher in The Boys makes him more unlikable, which could be a big hint towards the show’s direction in the upcoming season 5.
The Boys Sets Ryan Up As A Major Villain For Season 5
Ryan’s Latest Kill Could Push Him To Become A Villain Like His Father
The Boys' season 4 teases that Ryan’s storywill embrace his dark sideto become a villain in season 5, giving the show another monstrous Supe to contend with. Much of Butcher’s story in season 4 is rooted in questions of whether or not Ryan has any hope of being a heroic person instead of the heir apparent for Homelander. Despite his father’s attempts to push him towards brutality and control, Ryan’s soft side has remained prevalent. However, a confrontation with Butcher and Mallory in “Assassination Run” takes a lethal turn when Ryan lashes out in anger at Mallory, killing her.
Fleeing the scene, Ryan’s apparent decision to embrace his powers over his humanity pushes Butcher to embrace Kessler and move forward on a monstrous path. Ryan becoming more like Homelander has been an ever-present danger inThe Boyssince the character was introduced, especially because his power-set makes him arguably one of the only people on Earth who could contend with Homelander.If he joins his father, then Homelander’s Supe army gains a secret weapon. Even if Ryan becomes a wildcard, he could do a lot of damage to the world and those around him.
Ryan Already Proved He Can Be Stronger Than Homelander
Although Homelander has been long established as the most powerful person inThe Boys, there have been several clues hinting thatRyan could eventually become more powerful than him. Just as Homelander became more powerful than his father, Ryan seems to be on a similar trajectory. Whereas Homelander’s lasers were enough to attract Stormfront in season 2, Ryan’s were able to severely wound her. Ryan’s casual strength is so great, he can easily fling people through the air without even realizing it. Ryan effectively operates on a power level that can’t be matched by the other characters inThe Boys.
Homelander’s influence hinted how Ryan could embrace an attitude where he uses his powers as an overt threatto control others. Even if Ryan tried to use this for good causes, it could leave him with a greater superiority complex that justifies further horrible actions. Homelander’s influence and the way it could make Ryan’s abilities even more horrifying were why Mallory wanted to turn Ryan into a weapon to fight Homelander, and why her refusal to listen to Ryan and Butcher’s criticisms set up her own demise.
I Love How The Boys Season 4 Has Told Direct Opposite Stories With 2 Seven Supes
With the Seven once again unravelling in The Boys, I’ve loved the way season 4 has told contrasting stories between two of the group’s biggest supes.
Why It’s Not Too Late For Ryan In The Boys Season 5
Redemption Is A Core Theme OfThe Boys, And That Could Extend To Ryan
However,Ryan’s potential redemption would fit well into the themesthat have been baked into the core ofThe Boys. Season 4 reinforced the idea that people need to let go of their anger and come together instead of lashing out. If Ryan follows that path instead of the vengeful one taken by Butcher or the brutal one embraced by Homelander, then he could become the show’s only true superhero. Ryan could take the lessons from Butcher and Becca to heart and refuse to become the monster that people fear he could transform into.
If he did so,Ryan could undercut Homelander’s arguments of inherent Supe superiorityby proving the value in the humanity Becca raised him with. Even at his worst moments, Ryan is driven by genuine emotion and retains the positive influence Becca had on him. He knows what’s right and wrong, and tries to act on it. Ryan could become a wildcard in season 5 ofThe Boys, realizing his full potential and even be the one to stop Homelander — or he could align with his father and embrace villainy to become the show’s single most dangerous figure.
The Boys
Cast
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
