Then comes the main event: Homelander vs. Butcher and Kimiko, plus a surprise appearance from Ryan, who tells his father to “get f**ked” earlier in the episode. “I am nothing like you,” Ryan says when Homelander first tracks him down. “You’re already the most powerful person on Earth, and you’re a lonely, miserable piece of s**t. … Scaring people into calling you God doesn’t make you God, and deep down, you know that.” (It’s a very satisfying moment.)
OK, back to the action: Homelander, Ryan, and Butcher turn the Oval Office into a battlefield, with Kimiko standing by until she’s ready to go boom. She initially freezes up, unable to channel the rage required to reach full strength, but an angelic vision of Frenchie assures her that she already has all the power she needs. “Rage is not what makes you strong,” he tells her, unlocking her full potential and resulting in a blinding blast.
After regaining their balance, Butcher and Homelander face off in the final leg of their battle, this time without the aid of superpowers. Watching Homelander discover and process his sudden mortality is delightful, as is the well-deserved beating he endures at Butcher’s fist. In his lowest, most pathetic moment, Homelander begs for mercy on national television, offering to do… well, just about anything to earn Butcher’s favor. Alas, that favor is non-negotiable, and Butcher puts their long-running feud to an end by impaling Homelander through the head with a crowbar, spilling his brains out on the desk.
The Boys celebrate their big win with drinks and cigars, each mapping out their next steps. Butcher offers Ryan a fresh start somewhere with Terror, but Ryan declines. Sure, Homelander was a terrible person, but Butcher is no Mother Teresa either. In an impressive display of maturity, Ryan chooses himself, officially severing ties with Butcher for his own wellbeing.
