Though quite a few fans did figure out the twist beforehand, this week's episode of The Boys concluded with a big reveal relating to Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character, Joe Kessler.
Spoilers follow.
At the end of "Dirty Business," we learn that Billy Butcher did not save his old mate's life when they both served at the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan, and the late Kessler has been a figment of his imagination all along.
There's been some speculation that Kessler actually exists as a manifestation of Butcher's V-induced tumor, who takes over when the host unleashes his powers, not unlike Marvel's Venom. Showrunner Eric Kripke addressed this theory during an interview with EW.
"I don't think he's like Venom. I don't think he's a dude with his own point of view and wants to go eat chickens or whatever, but I think he represents all that's dark and malignant inside of Butcher."
"Both Butcher and Homelander [played by Antony Starr], in very different ways, are wrestling with whether they're human or whether they're monsters," Kripke continues. "Kessler represents the monster side and Becca represents the human side of Butcher. Those two sides are at war with themselves, but they're all Butcher."
Will the dark side win out? Butcher has done some pretty awful stuff when required over the course of four seasons, but as MM points out, he is usually a "motherf*cker with a heart." With only two episodes to go, we'll just have to wait and see if he can keep Kessler in check.
"The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power," reads the official season 4 synopsis. "Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late."
Returning cast members include Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti, along with new recruits Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
The first three episodes of The Boys season 4 will be available to stream from June 13th, with new instalments dropping weekly through to the season finale on July 18.