Ryan's Smile Means More For The Boys Season 4 Than You Think

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Boys season 3's finale

Ryan's creepy smile spells big trouble for Homelander's dream reunion ends in Soldier Boy brutally rejecting him as a "disappointment," it's not all bad news for Vought's newly-appointed leader. After Victoria Neuman provided the location of Mallory's safe house, Homelander flew Ryan, his estranged son, to Vought Tower, and in the wake of a massive battle against Soldier Boy, the youngster finally chooses his biological father over Billy Butcher.

The Boys season 3 concludes with Homelander introducing Ryan to his weirdly loyal ers. Now able to fly (albeit shakily), Ryan descends to stand beside his father, receiving a hearty welcome from the assembled crowd. The presentation goes awry when a protester clocks Ryan on the head with a hurled missile, prompting Homelander to instinctively burn the culprit using heat vision. Even Homelander is surprised when his fans cheer this grisly murder, but The Boys season 3's real closing stinger is the eerie smile spreading across young Ryan's face...

Ryan's reaction proves Homelander's evil is ing from father to son. Becca Butcher raised a conscientious and caring child, and even when The Boys season 3 starts, Ryan is suffering Homelander nightmares. But since Butcher cruelly blamed Ryan for Becca's death, Homelander has swooped in and provided the father figure his son desperately needed, showing genuine affection and kindness. In The Boys season 3's dying moments, Ryan's smile proves he's starting to enjoy the sensation of power that comes from being Homelander's son. Ever since the security blanket of his mother was ripped away, Ryan has lived in constant fear - of his dad, the authorities, Butcher, and even his own powers. Being with Homelander extinguishes that fear. Ryan needn't be scared because anyone who so much as scratches him has Homelander to answer to. And whereas Butcher (maybe even "Aunt Grace" too) treated his powers like something to avoid, Homelander teaches his son to embrace them... because it's okay to be superior.

Will Ryan Butcher Be A Villain In The Boys Season 4?

Ryan's smile demonstrates a growing empathy void, and proves Homelander's son is slowly succumbing to the temptation of wielding great power without a shred of responsibility. Does this mean he'll become a major antagonist in The Boys season 4?

Because Billy Butcher only has 12-18 months to live, The Boys season 4 can't drop another big time skip. Ryan surely can't reappear in The Boys as an adolescent Homelander Jr. because there's simply not enough time for such a drastic transformation to happen. Having said that, Ryan will inevitably return in The Boys season 4 more desensitized to violence - and more comfortable committing those acts himself. By the time his story resumes, Ryan Butcher might've reached a point where he's melting snowflakes who throw objects from the crowd himself, rather than waiting for his dad.

Ryan's growing evil side means a major headache for Billy Butcher's Boys. From Stormfront's injuries, we already know Ryan's potential far exceeds Homelander's, and if that ominous smirk is left to grow into a sinister grin, 50-year-old Hughie will have a huge supe problem on his hands as he wheels MM and Frenchie into battle. Even in his current state, Ryan possesses immense power he can't yet control. Staying with Mallory wasn't just about protecting Ryan, but protecting the world from Ryan.

Ryan's moral decay poses a philosophical dilemma for Billy Butcher ahead of The Boys season 4. Does he declare his own surrogate son a lost cause - another rogue supe who needs putting down? Or does he have faith that Becca's values are still rattling around inside Ryan's heart, and that his falling to the dark side isn't a foregone conclusion? The fate of the world may depend on Butcher's decision.