What did happen at the end of The Boys season 3?…You can probably guess from the headline to this article that this contains spoilers, so if you don’t want to know how the third season of the extremely violent, satirical superhero show ends, best head on out.
Still here? Right, on with the show. The finale of ‘The Boys’ Season 3 was dramatic, bloody and violent. Exactly as you’d expect from Billy Butcher’s Boys and The Seven group of superheroes.
In Season 3, Billy Butcher and Homelander are still mortal enemies, but the appearance of Soldier Boy, the original Supe (Super Hero), means Homelander has a powerful rival and Butcher thinks he might have an ally to kill his nemesis. However, the revelation that Soldier Boy is Homelander’s father complicates things yet further.
The final episode of Season 3, titled “The Instant White-Hot Wild”, sees Homelander processing the information about Soldier Boy, while evil mega-corporation Vought is facing controversy after Starlight, the compassionate Supe, exposed Homelander’s murderous behaviour to the public. Starlight has also revealed that Maeve is imprisoned by Vought, however when she’s moved off the premises by Ashley and Deep, she manages to escape.
Distraught, in his own psychopathic way, about the news regarding his father, Homelander turns to his son, Ryan, whom Butcher had previously entrusted in Mallory’s care. Homelander’s sentimental pleas about family are enough for the boy, who believes Homelander’s entreaties.
Meanwhile, the Boys are plotting to complete their mission of getting rid of Homelander and Black Noir, with all their usual interpersonal conflicts and issues getting in the way as usual. Butcher, showing he does still have a heart, knocks Hughie out and leaves him behind to protect him,
The Seven are also facing a number of situations of their own: A-Train faces the fall out from killing Blue Hawk in a moment of anger, Ashley and Deep are in trouble for losing Maeve and Black Noir… poor old Black Noir finishes in a bloody pool on the floor of the Tower, entrails hanging out when Homelander quite literally rips his guts out for knowing the truth about Soldier Boy and not telling him.
For the epic final battle, Butcher, Soldier Boy and Maeve head to Vought to kill Homelander, who is defended by his son Ryan. Soldier Boy attacks Ryan, leading to Butcher, Annie and the late-arriving Boys to also fight Soldier Boy. Maeve manages to tackle Soldier Boy out of the building before he released a huge blast which would have killed everyone, while Homelander escapes with his kid, who chooses Homelander over Butcher.
At the end of the action everyone is injured, maimed or hurt in some way. Soldier Boy is put into stasis, Butcher has apparently just a year to live due to his use of V24, and the public believes Maeve is dead. She is in fact alive but has lost her powers.
What to expect in ‘The Boys: Season Four’
In the set up for Season Four, Homelander had previously sent Deep off to assassinate a US Senator, clearing the way for Victoria Neuman to run for vice president. Butcher announces that she will be the Boys’ next target. And at a rally for Neuman, Homelander brutally murders a Starlight supporter with a laser blast, much to the crowd and his son Ryan’s delight.
Victoria Neuman in the White House will play a big part in Season Four as we see just how she plans to use her political power. The Boys, now officially joined by Annie, will have to bring her down, but that would be treason.
Expect to see the relationship between Homelander and Ryan play a big part too, as the raging psychopath molds his child into a weapon he can use. Ryan, previously wary of his powers, will now face Homelander’s encouragement to harness them for his own purposes. As Butcher faces the possibility of Ryan turning villainous, the question of how he’ll handle this new threat looms large.
