Foreshadowing Butcher's Villainous Turn in Season 4 Finale The Boys
Billy Butcher underwent a startling metamorphosis in season 4 finale, veering toward a sinister road, and the episode deftly hinted at this villainous turn right from the first scenes. With Homelander and Sister Sage acquiring more political authority and Butcher yielding to his more merciless impulses, The Boys season 4, episode 8 greatly raised the stakes for the major characters. After realizing Joe Kessler's sinister influence, Ryan's actions in the season finale drove Butcher to accept Kessler's plan for Supe genocide, even though at first he tried to balance his hate of Supes with his humanity.
Butcher's Change: Parallel to Homelander
This development indicates that Homelander will not be the only enemy The Boys season 5 will feature; the heroes of the show will now have to deal with Butcher as well. Homelander and Butcher are increasingly reflecting each other even though they stand on different sides of the approaching conflict. Drawing a direct link between the two characters, a subdued but potent moment in The Boys season 4 finale foreshadows this change.
Foreshadowing Scene
Both Butcher and Homelander find themselves in similar circumstances within the first ten minutes of The Boys season 4 finale; the show deftly moves from one to the other to underline this parallel. In episode 8 Butcher opens with him on his deathbed, Kessler pushing for Supe genocide nonstop. Grace shows up, Butcher lights a cigarette and orders a pint. He indulges in his vices one last time, so embracing his approaching death. As Homelander studies his graying hair, disgusted by the aging process, this scene captures his own contemplation of death. Though he has more time left on the show, homelander is equally consumed with death as Butcher is. The Boys suggests their developing similarities by showing them confronting same challenges.
While Butcher avoids death at the end of The Boys season 4, the last scenes of the show mirror Homelander's villainy and confirm his plunge into darkness.
Is Butcher really as bad as Homelander?
Though more approachable than Homelander throughout The Boys, the last episode of season 4 shows Butcher has grown to be just as ethically dubious as the Supe. Though against different groups, both characters have the same goal in mind entering The Boys' fifth and last season: genocide. By interning traitors and non- Supes, Homelander seeks to eradicate them and guarantees the U.S. stays a safe refuge for superheroes. Butcher intends to use a virus on Homelander, however, that might set off a worldwide pandemic among Supes.
Butcher and Homelander will clearly act as villains in the next The Boys episodes. This makes their last confrontation more sad since Butcher turns into the exact thing he hates to get retribution. Butcher seemed destined to die as the villain unless visions of Becca or The Boys can reason with him. He will accompany the other Supes in The Boys season 5, apparently happy with this result as long as his strategy works.
