The Boys season 3 continued the series’ established ability to shock audiences with both its unflinching depictions of brutal violence and its twists, but it revealed its ending turn a bit too early. A vital part of the pleasure associated with this cynical look at the superhero phenomenon has always been the revelation of some key piece of information, a big twist that changes everything viewers thought they knew about the series. In fact, it’s the anticipation of just what revelation will emerge that remains crucial to the appeal of The Boys.
The Boys is the kind of series that likes to keep something back, often waiting until the finale to unleash a shocking moment, increasing the stakes of the action and the next season. Such twists often involve a brutal death that shakes up existing power relations within the series, like Homelander’s lasering of Madelyn Stillwell in The Boys season 1. Each twist also increases the stakes, leading the viewer to wonder just how much further the series and its characters-both Supes and Boys alike-can take their ever-escalating conflict. That said, season 3 gave away its twist far too early.
The Boys S3 Trailer Gave Away Homelander’s Final Twist
The trailer for The Boys season 3 contains two key pieces of information that reveal the final twist of the season. In showing Homelander grinning in front of an adoring crowd with the line, “I showed people the real me… I mean they f**king love me,” the trailer makes it clear that the villainous Supes’ true nature would eventually become public knowledge. Rather than causing his fans to turn against him, however, the trailer reveals The Boys season 3’s dark ending for Homelander, i.e. that his brutal murder of a protester merely increases his popularity.
Obviously, there were numerous clues in The Boys seasons 2 and 3 that this moment has been coming. The actions of the various Supes, particularly Homelander, have become increasingly unhinged and publicly visible, leading to a bit of a crisis for Vought. It is, after all, the company responsible for them, and the public associates with some measure of accountability. In revealing so much of this particular plot point, the trailer robs the revelation of its true emotional impact, to the detriment of both the finale and The Boys season 3 as a whole, since neither has the element of surprise of their predecessors.
How Homelander’s True Nature Sets Up The Boys Season 4
The ending of The Boys season 3 finally sees Homelander revealed as the homicidal monster he has been from the very beginning. As a result, the public now realizes that he is capable of destroying anyone who stands in his path, not just “bad guys.” Season 4 will no doubt explore the fallout from Homelander’s killing of a civilian because even though the gathered crowds celebrate this violent act, it’s already been established that many others aren’t so willing to go along with whatever depraved and murderous acts Supes like Homelander may commit.
In some ways, the revelation of the truth about Homelander’s true nature will seemingly make Billy Butcher’s efforts to bring him down easier to accomplish. Season 3 sets up the heightened stakes of their ongoing conflict, particularly since Billy has his own attachment to Homelander’s son, Ryan. Given that neither one of these men knows how to admit defeat, it’s highly likely that The Boys season 4 will show them competing for Ryan’s allegiance, with each trying to sway the public to their way of thinking. The stakes couldn’t be higher for each of them, and their actions will reflect this dynamic.
