The air is thick with the scent of socio-political commentary in the latest episode of “The Boys”. Ah, the smell of freshly unpacked toxic masculinity with a dash of subtle manipulation.

To be bluntly specific, we’re diving into the deep and complicated father-son dynamics of the Boys’ fourth season – an unwrapped gift box that just keeps on giving. Who’s in our parental spotlight today, you ask? None other than Homelander and his mini-me, Ryan. Sure, their father-son bonding events are a tad unconventional – manipulating commercial directors, condoning semi-ethical violence or even resisting a multimillion-dollar franchise – but hey, isn’t all family time just a little bit dysfunctional?

Ryan, you see, has been attempting a little thing we like to call ‘establishing his identity’. Ah, the joys of teenage angst and rebellion. Of course, his struggle is amplified by being fed with a silver, super-powered spoon at Vought Tower. Where does Super-Boy Jr. draw a line between Who He Wants To Be and Who He’s Expected To Be?

Homelander, the man with a laser vision for fatherhood, throws Ryan a bone by — surprise, surprise — starting to act like a dad, despite his tendencies to turn innocent bystanders into collateral damage. That’s what we call character growth, folks. The notorious villain even drops his thirst for control to allow Ryan to express his thoughts on “Super School”, a super-cheesy adolescent superhero flick that Ryan can’t help but cringe at.

Yet, unbeknownst to the eager beaver Ryan, Homelander placing him on the puppeteer’s seat sends a strong message to the world (or at least to Mr. Bourke, the unfortunate director)—a declaration that they, the superheroes, are deities and homo sapiens are mere playthings in their hands. Not that Ryan would get that memo; the lad’s too busy playing with Daddy’s keys.

Ryan, diplomatically described as naive and sheltered, finds pleasure in his newfound freedom from Vought’s corporate leash, blissfully oblivious to the reality. Homelander on the other hand, pretends to not enjoy the reversal of roles a bit too much.

His myopic vision for a good future culminates in a dark twist, when Homelander overtly propels Ryan to punish Adam Bourke for his mistreatment of his assistant, Bonnie, at a backstage presentation. “A public humiliation for a good cause,” Homelander might think, showcasing his super-talented ability to justify atrocities.

All the while, we’re handed clues that our dear Butcher might have to get his hands dirty yet again, provided Ryan’s love-fueled ignorance develops into a grim future. A darkness, initially buried beneath the laughably naive innocence, might have found its perfect nurturer in Homelander – a realistically absurd parable of ‘with great power, comes great risk of misuse’.

This does set up another narrative tetris piece as Butcher goes spiraling into hallucinations of Becca, desperately hoping for him to stop Homelander’s ticking time bomb. It also paints the bleak picture of a potentially dystopian future, where Butcher faces the grim crisis of killing Ryan, if he couldn’t convince him otherwise.

It’s the punchline the show always eerily referenced; if Homelander’s talks about toxic masculinity followed by actions that fed the toxicity could convince his son to sway his way, Butcher, and by extension the Boys, would be at the receiving end of a physical and emotional wrecking ball.

All these stage-setters aside, here’s hoping the fourth season continues its splendid tightrope walk between the gripping narrative and witty socio-political commentary. Hold on to your hats, folks – erm, apologies if that counts as a cliché.

“The Boys” Season 4 continues the thrilling journey with new episodes every Thursday on Prime Video. And remember, just as Ryan learnt the hard way – heroes are made, not born. A certain radioactive spider, we’re told, had a tiny role to play. Oh, the intricacies of power!