Warning: this article contains SPOILERS for The Boys Season 3 finale.
That family reunion between Homelander, Ryan, and Soldier Boy from The Boys' season 3 finale has fans divided. Season 3 of Prime Video's hit series added another "supe" to its roster in Jensen Ackles' Solider Boy, Vought's patriotic poster boy, before Stan Edgar suggested Black Noir and Payback hand him over to the Russians in 1984. After being unwittingly rescued from captivity by the boys, Billy Butcher and Hughie Campbell decide to help him hunt ex-members of Payback if he helps them kill Homelander with his power to negate Compound-V.
The Boys season 3's penultimate episode, "Here Comes a Candle to Light You to Bed," revealed that Homelander wasn't just Soldier Boy's replacement but his biological son, created in a lab from Soldier Boy's sperm—a twist that had The Boys' fans in shambles. Audiences didn't know what to expect heading into the finale, "The Instant White-Hot Wild." Even if Soldier Boy honored his word, that latest reveal would play right into Homelander's insecurities and desire to be loved. Episode 8's climax takes Butcher, Soldier Boy, and Maeve to Vought Tower, where Homelander's dream reunion doesn't go as well as he'd hoped. Ultimately, Soldier Boy dubs Homelander a familiar "disappointment" and commits to taking out his own blood. Now, The Boys' twisted family dynamic has fans giving all sorts of reactions.
Fans who have already seen The Boys' season 3 finale have shared their reactions on social media. Many of these reactions deal with the less-than-happy family reunion between Homelander, Ryan, and Soldier Boy. Check out some selected Twitter reactions below:
Many of these reactions stem from Ryan's presence in The Boys' season 3 finale. At the beginning of the episode, Homelander uses the address given to him by Victoria Neuman to locate Mallory's safe house and retrieve his estranged son. The possibility of Ryan being harmed is the only reason Butcher turns on Soldier Boy, who keeps his word ala "blood doesn't matter." Furthermore, Ryan is the one who saves his father by using heat vision on Soldier Boy. Thanks to Ackles and Anthony Starr's astute performances and everyone's conflicting motives, some fans clearly would've rather had Ryan just let his terrible grandfather end the reign of his much worse father.
In stark contrast with season 2's finale, season 3's climactic fight ends with Ryan choosing to leave with his biological father over Butcher. The Boys' third season has very much concerned itself with vicious cycles of toxic masculinity—from Butcher's relationship with his father, brother, Hughie, and Ryan to Soldier Boy, Homelander, and, again, Ryan. Soldier Boy's rejection of Homelander mirrors every other paternal/fraternal dynamic in The Boys season 3, except for Homelander's acceptance of Ryan. Season 3 concludes with Homelander introducing Ryan to his fanatic supporters before a protester throws a can at Ryan, which prompts his father to instinctively eviscerate the culprit using heat vision. Homelander's fans cheer for this murder as the episode's final shot lingers on a haunting smile spread across Ryan's face. As evident above, some Twitter users were likely right to root for Soldier Boy to stop a villain (or two?) who can now really do whatever he f--cking wants.
Source: Various (see above)