Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Boys season 4, episode 5, “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son.”
Summary
The Boysseason 4 shows Ryan becoming more involved at Vought, butepisode 5 also makes me worried about his story, as Homelander seems to be rubbing off on him.The Boysseason 4, episode 5has a lot of moving parts. While the show’s heroes search for a Supe virus to bring down Homelander, The Seven make an appearance at V52 Expo. GivenThe Boys’jabs at Marvel and DC, V52 Expo seems to be a parody of events like Disney’s D23 Expo. And it serves a similar purpose, promotingall of Vought’s upcoming moviesand TV shows.
Naturally, The Seven are present at the event — and Ryan makes an appearance as well, as he’s part of Vought’s PR strategy and media lineup. This alone is concerning, but it gets worse behind the scenes. After seeing Ryan’s behavior inThe Boysseason 4, episode 5, I’m concerned about his story.I thought I knew where the Amazon series was going with Ryan’s character, but now I’m not so sure.
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Ryan Enjoys Tormenting Adam Bourke In The Boys Season 4, Episode 5
Ryan’s Reaction Proves Homelander Is Rubbing Off On Him
Ryan remains sympathetic despite spending more time with Homelander and Vought, butI fear where his character is headed afterThe Boysseason 4, episode 5. While Ryan is backstage at the V52 Expo, he has a run-in with Adam Bourke that shows his darker side. To Ryan’s credit, the director is harassing one of Vought’s female production assistants. This should upset him. But at Homelander’s urging, Ryan confronts Adam about it — and he takes things further than I expected. He makes Adam apologize, and when Adam’s words seem insincere, he takes his chiding to an extreme.
While Ryan is backstage at the V52 Expo, he has a run-in with Adam Bourke that shows his darker side.
Ryan tells Adam to get on his knees and apologize, and then when Homelander suggests it’s not enough, he makes the P.A. slap Adam repeatedly. While Ryan’s outrage is warranted, there’s surely a better way to go about disciplining Vought’s employees. I also find it deeply troubling that Ryan appears to derive pleasure from the interaction. He smiles in a way that suggests he’s amused by the whole thing, and he sips a milkshake and watches as Adam gets beaten. It’s an unsettling moment for a character who never acts this way. Clearly,Homelander is influencing him more than I realized.
Homelander Is Turning Ryan’s Morality Into Something Darker
Ryan may have a darker side inThe Boys,butseason 4 highlights Homelander’s role in fostering this. Until “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son,” Ryan doesn’t act in a way that feels overly worrisome. The show does hint at his potential to become a villain. I was disappointed when he chose Homelander over Butcher, and I definitely noticed his lack of concern over Homelander killing a protester. However, Ryan demonstrates his own morality more often than his father. He feels terrible when he accidentally kills someone, and he tells Homelander he wants to help people right before confronting Adam.
Seeing the behavior Homelander is normalizing, I wouldn’t be surprised ifThe Boysturns Ryan into a villain.
Homelander twists this goal, lacking any real idea of how to help others. He convinces Adam that he’s helping someone by saving the P.A., but he fails to stop his son from taking things too far. This is because Homelander has no concept of how to properly handle such a situation. And without proper guidance,Ryan could wind up following the same path. After being raised by Becca and showing basic morality, I didn’t think this was a concern for Ryan. But seeing the behavior Homelander is normalizing, I wouldn’t be surprised ifThe Boysturns Ryan into a villain.
The Boys May Be Setting Up Evil Ryan For Season 5
Homelander remains the Big Bad ofThe Boys,butthe Amazon series might be setting up evil Ryan as well. It drops enough hints to suggest that Ryan’s arc could take a dark turn, and the CIA is clearly concerned about having two unstoppable Supes running rampant. Ryan has more potential to become a real hero than Homelander. However, if Butcher can’t figure out how to separate them, The Boys may find themselves fighting both Supes. This is tragic, especially given Becca’s dying wish.
The Boysseason 4, episode 5 takes a huge step in the direction of making Ryan a villain — but it isn’t enough to confirm this is his fate. Hopefully, Butcher will make Ryan see reason beforeThe Boysseason 5can turn him into the next Homelander. For Ryan’s sake, I hope Butcher convinces him to leave Vought. Otherwise, I’m not sure the titular team will be able to beat Homelander inThe Boys' final season.
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.
