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In the third episode of the fifth season of The Boys, a pivotal confrontation unfolds for Homelander’s son, Ryan, played by Cameron Crovetti, marking a crucial moment in his troubled journey.
Karl Urban’s character, Butcher, has long viewed Homelander, portrayed by Antony Starr, as a dire threat to humanity. Throughout their ongoing conflict, Ryan remains a central figure. In the preceding season, Butcher attempted to enlist Ryan in the mission to defeat Homelander, but this led to catastrophic consequences. Feeling cornered, Ryan ended up taking Grace’s life before vanishing once more.
When Ryan reappears in Season 5, Episode 3, he finds himself torn between two powerful influences: Homelander and Butcher. Aligning with Homelander offers him the allure of god-like power. However, Butcher presents a stark alternative, emphasizing to Ryan, as they share a beer, that a world devoid of Supes is a safer one.
Butcher manages to sway Ryan towards aiding in Homelander’s downfall, but it comes at a steep cost—Ryan’s own life. This immense burden highlights how relentless Butcher’s pursuit has become, willing to risk everything for the perceived greater good.
The mission faces new challenges as The Boys discover Soldier Boy’s unexpected survival at the episode’s onset. Created with the early Compound V, known as V1, which hasn’t been available since the 1950s, Soldier Boy’s endurance poses a significant twist. Although Homelander, Soldier Boy’s offspring, lacks V1, he is determined to obtain it to secure his immortality, escalating the stakes further.
After Butcher and Ryan’s meaningful moment together, Ryan reaches out to Homelander, resulting in a brutal showdown. But did Homelander kill his son? Keep reading to see what you might have missed from The Boys Season 5, Ep 3 ending.
The Boys Season 5, Ep 3 Ending Explained: What happened to Ryan in The Boys?
The Boys Season 5, Ep. 3 ends with Ryan calling Homelander to meet one more time. Homelander, ever the narcissist, is convinced Ryan called him to ask for forgiveness. Homelander’s delusions of grandeur have hit a fever pitch as he promises (or rather, threatens) he’s going to live forever, since he sent his goons to hunt down Stan Edgar in the hopes of finding the V1 that will make him immune to the virus and allow him to live forever.
“I put too much pressure on you to fill my boots and I realize now that was impossible,” he tells Ryan. “I am going to live forever now, I’ll realize my own legacy and you, you’re off the hook.”
Ryan then shocks Homelander by asking him if he was conceived by rape. Homelander denies it, but Ryan accuses him of lying, using a line that Homelander likes to deploy often: “Your heart is racing.”
Ryan begins attacking Homelander, but it’s clear that he’s no match for the Supe. Just as he begins to draw blood, Homelander slams Ryan down and starts to relentlessly punch him. “My sweet, sweet boy,” Homelander says as he gets one last look at Ryan’s face before he pummels him almost to death.
The Boys does not let the viewer escape the brutality of the scene, either. The show offers a closeup at Ryan’s tragically battered face as he stares at his father raising his fist to land what sounds like a fatal blow.
Later, Homelander is in his apartment at Vought with blood on his hands. Homelander, who is obsessed with legacy, and being a father and being loved by his own father, just killed his own son. Or did he?
Just as Stan Edgar arrives in Homelander’s apartment, possibly to offer him a path to immortality, Butcher arrives to find Ryan beaten and bruised. After a painfully long moment, Ryan is seen struggling to breathe, but he’s very much still alive.
This could mean Butcher still has one last ace up his sleeve.
New episodes of The Boys air Wednesdays on Prime Video.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.