- Season 4 — The Boys

Meanwhile, Homelander has won. He has his son Ryan, he has the acquittal, and he has the open adoration of a massive, radicalized fanbase. But victory is a hollow, terrifying cage. Without an enemy to crush, his paranoia festers. He’s not a god anymore; he’s a celebrity with the powers of a god, trapped in a green room of his own making, lashing out at anyone who doesn't flatter him exactly right. One leaked review, one viral meme, one child’s accidental sneeze could be the spark that makes him glass an entire city.

"Never meet your heroes. They'll only disappoint you. But their villains? They'll destroy you." The Boys - Season 4

The team is shattered. Kimiko and Frenchie, scarred from Nina's torture, have retreated into a quiet, terrified domesticity, afraid to love or fight. Mother’s Milk is trying to lead, but the weight of Butcher’s betrayal and the loss of his family has left him paralyzed. And Hughie… Hughie is now the one keeping secrets, working as Butcher’s reluctant mole, watching his father’s mind dissolve to Alzheimer’s while trying to save a world that seems to want to burn. Meanwhile, Homelander has won

The first three episodes are a masterclass in dread. There’s no exploding whale, no octopus sex (okay, maybe one brief, tragic octopus cameo). Instead, we get a scene where Homelander attends a "victim impact" hearing for the Starlighter he killed. He doesn't rage. He doesn't laser anyone. He simply looks at the grieving mother, tilts his head, and whispers, "I'm sorry you feel that way." The silence in that courtroom is more terrifying than any gore. Without an enemy to crush, his paranoia festers

And then there’s (Valorie Curry), a right-wing livestreamer and supe whose power isn't her mild pyrokinesis, but her ability to weaponize misinformation in real time. She’s the QAnon shaman with a Vought contract, turning every tragedy into a conspiracy and every conspiracy into a call to arms.