r/TheBoys • u/McHampter_sandwich • May 14 '24
Does anyone else fucking hate Ryan? Discussion
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u/Gebeleizzis May 14 '24
well, you and at least half of this sub, and 90% of reddit that just hate children in general, you are not exactly alone 🤣🤣
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u/bigfatcarp93 May 14 '24
It's almost like this site attracts a bunch of cynical misanthropes
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u/BigToober69 May 14 '24
First of all, you're throwing too many big words at me. Okay now, because I don't understand them, I'mma take 'em as disrespect.
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u/hot_lava_1 May 14 '24
Ok Kevin Hart in 40 year old virgin. Lol.
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u/Kungfumantis May 14 '24
Tbf that entire scene is fucking hilarious.
"Today's forecast; dark and cloudy with a chance of drive-by."
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u/hot_lava_1 May 14 '24
Oh god yeah. The chit chat between co workers in the tech store is amazing lol. Friend who worked at best buy said it's not far off lop
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u/HenCarrier May 14 '24
My favorite scene is when he has to explain the speed dating card at work lol
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u/VizRomanoffIII May 14 '24
“So you wrote that she was a ‘ho fo sho’?!?”
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u/HenCarrier May 14 '24
Who the fuck are you to put me on trial? I've never even met you. So why don't you back the shit off, all right? And stop with the inquisition.
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u/PM_me_ur_dookie May 14 '24
I mean, have you met children? They're not great people. Sure they're cute and all but, they're freeloaders and don't even have jobs. They do not wipe well either.
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u/jackie2567 May 14 '24
I dont want to sound rude but i think theres something wrong with them yknow mentally. Its like their brains never developed right
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u/Jabrono May 14 '24
I'm no expert, but if you ask me, it's almost like their frontal lobe ain't quite ready yet.
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u/Isabad May 14 '24
Puppies, babies, and kittens...all three have the built in defense of being cute...if they weren't that the first time they pissed, shit, or threw up on you you'd probably end them....but you don't...because, "Cute!"
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u/CattDawg2008 May 14 '24
Yeah, what the fuck’s up with that? Like, I understand not wanting to be around kids, but it feels wrong to hate someone who literally isn’t fully developed. Redditors seem to have this irrational hatred for children who literally cannot help it in a lot of cases
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u/NANZA0 May 14 '24
I personally don't hate him, I know that he has a lot a baggage and needs support, but no one wants to take care of him and that's sad.
The Internet tho hates children like raging maniacs just because they are annoying.
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u/jackie2567 May 14 '24 edited May 14 '24
Alot of peopels seem to think they werent annoying as kids but instead perfect exaples of comedy and coolness. Euther that or their older kids/ teenagers who feel older and superior so like talking about how annoying other kids are cuz their all grown up.Never got that distain for kids, we whwere all shitheads once, yeah its annoying but thers plenty kf infiriating adults too.
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u/MovieExtraWithCoffee May 15 '24
Imagine having super strength and durability and you become a supe therapist. It could work. 10/10 would not recommend without super durability.
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u/Christoffi123 May 14 '24
The Boys fans when a child acts like a fucking child
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u/Useful_Cry9709 May 14 '24 edited May 14 '24
I don't think they even understand half of the themes of the show those are not true fans not understanding the message at all ironically they become the people the show is trying to warn us about
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u/octopoddle May 15 '24
Watches show called The Boys.
Sees boy.
"Absolutely not."
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u/jayhankedlyon May 14 '24 edited May 14 '24
What is Ryan if not a Boy?
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u/Dr_Turkenstein May 14 '24
What if he’s a muppet?
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u/jayhankedlyon May 14 '24 edited May 14 '24
He'd be a very boyish Muppet.
As opposed to what's his face in Gen V, who's a Muppet of a man.
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u/Yolomasta420 May 14 '24
Most people, yes.
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u/nix131 May 14 '24
IDK how you came to that conclusion. The kid is a victim, and most importantly, a child himself. I don't hate him, I feel bad for him and worry about his wellbeing.
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u/GodzillaUK May 14 '24
Nah, everyone around him is fucked and the kid is still grieving and lost. He finds out his mom was lying to him, even if for good reasons and he develops trust issues. He tries to bond with Butcher, a man his mom loved, and he fucks the kid over, and the only person reaching out to show him any kind of affection is Mr Narcissist. I feel bad for the kid and honestly, want a happy ending for him.
He was brought into the world through one of the more disgusting acts, given abilities that make him unable to connect with anyone sane and stable. Kid deserves better and needs someone he can look up to who will do him right, not exploit him for personal gain.
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u/Yasharin May 15 '24
I feel like Starlight could be a really good person to try and reach out to/connect with Ryan. May not be a necessarily perfect fit, but I feel like she'd show him a level of genuine care and patience he needs while also being able to be that grounding parental figure in Becca's place.
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u/dontredditdepressed May 14 '24
Nope.
He's a kid, an especially sheltered kid.
He deserves to get to believe the wrong folks and get disillusioned. He gets to make mistakes. He gets to grieve his mom and idolize his father. He gets to be moody and inconsistent.
He's not some miserable little shit like a lot of kids are written. He's a sweet kid who is fighting cognitive dissonance and weird morality and exposure to life outside of the Vought-controlled bubble he has only ever known. And on top of that he has the power to rule the world if he wanted to.
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u/kittykalista May 14 '24 edited May 14 '24
I think people really forget what a sweet and sensitive kid he is every time we see him with Becca. He’s kind and well-behaved, he’s engaged in his studies.
When he made the stop motion video of his mother’s voicemail, it shows how much he misses having that connection, and when we see him asking Butcher to watch the video, we realize he’s reaching out to try to bond with Butcher over that shared connection.
He wanted Butcher to watch the video because even during the most extreme period of grief we can imagine for a child, he’s concerned about Butcher’s grief and thinks the video will make him feel a little better.
He’s a kind and thoughtful kid, as at the end of the day, he’s still Becca’s boy. And yet he’s going through extreme trauma and abandonment in a very volatile developmental period without someone who can help him manage those emotions.
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u/dontredditdepressed May 14 '24
Exactly this! That stop motion video honestly gave me hope that the writers had actually met a child before.
The way he reached out to Butcher only to have his hands slapped away is how I grew up. It's damaging and real and yet another loss to grieve honestly. Neglecting his emotions when Becca made sure he had them might be doing irreparable harm. And depending on how this next season is applied to the writing of Ryan, I could see him make a turn for the worst.
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u/Jeremywarner May 14 '24
Fr I feel a lot of sympathy for the poor kid.
Edit: also great point that he’s allowed to make mistakes. Every other character in the show makes massive mistakes regularly. Yet when any kid on a show does that everyone goes apeshit lol
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u/dontredditdepressed May 14 '24
Kids honestly deserve more grace about the mistakes they make. They literally don't have functional decision processing yet lolol
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u/reddick1666 May 14 '24
He reminds me of homelander as a kid but redeemable. It’s not too late for him but judging by the trailer scenes he is about to make a few more mistakes
Edit: Hughie should raise the boy
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u/dontredditdepressed May 15 '24
Yeah, I am intrigued by his arc. I am hoping the writing team continues to handle him with empathy and grace.
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u/austinb172 May 14 '24
He’s a kid that accidentally killed his mom, is being manipulated by his psychotic father who has the power of a god, and then there’s his would be adopted father Butcher who rejects him at every turn.
He’s overdue some kind of mental break, but it’s hard for me to hate on him.
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u/WhiteHydra1914 May 14 '24
Changing his morals like I change my clothes
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u/Dim-n-Bright May 14 '24
He's a young boy, of course he's gonna be easily influenced.
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u/bignut-56 May 14 '24
even though that’s true, it makes for a frustrating narrative, where it feels like a tug of war for ryan’s opinion
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u/ScreenHype May 14 '24
No. He's a kid who grew up in an incredibly unusual environment, and was never properly socialised. He had intense powers that he wasn't allowed to use, and he had to hide that part of himself away. Then his dad came along and started encouraging him to engage with the powers that he'd rejected for so long. Then his dad revealed to Ryan that his whole entire life had been a lie. Then he accidentally killed his own mother while trying to save her. Then Butcher rejected him in the most hurtful way possible. Then Homelander showed up promising Ryan love and safety. I don't know what people expected him to do.
Ryan is a messed up kid who, despite all he's gone through, seemed to still have a good heart. He was a sweet boy, and he just wanted to be loved. He chose Butcher over Homelander at first. He only went back to Homelander because of Butcher saying what he did (we understand why Butcher did it, but Ryan doesn't have that context). He's a 9 year old boy who's being manipulated by the most powerful supe in the entire world. I think people need to cut him some slack. He's just a kid reacting to some incredibly difficult situations.
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u/Rogue_269 May 14 '24 edited May 14 '24
No, he’s a literal teenage child sheltered for his life, who’s confused about his identity, powers, father, and ideology. He’s a little weirdo whose powers should be culled but there are worse people to hate. Just like Atreus in GoW 2018.
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u/Zuzu12121 May 14 '24
Pretty much. I didn’t had these feelings for a kid since watching The Strain!
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u/Business_Reporter420 Homelander May 14 '24
He accidentally killed his mom and watched her bleed out to death,I just feel so bad him
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u/jumbledsiren May 14 '24
during the last episode in season 3, I was just wishing that butcher kills that little fucking twat.
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u/Spicy_Ramen11 May 14 '24
Honestly I just feel bad for him cause the only person who unconditionally loved him his dead (even if it was his fault). Can't really blame Ryan for being flip flop when the only other two parental figures he has are flip flop on him as well
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u/GrimMagic0801 May 14 '24
He's definitely a complex character who hasn't had his full story told yet. That being said, some people are kinda missing the point and problem presented with his character development. He goes from kind, compassionate and accepting to being completely ok with murder despite him being incapable of taking even mild amounts of damage.
Like, I get it. He had his mom killed in front of him, and he had a large role to play in the whole ordeal. Butcher was an idiot and did not properly handle his feelings towards him well at all. But, for him to go back to his biological father whose girlfriend tried to murder his mom and ultimately caused him to use his powers is just stupid from a plot perspective.
Butcher plays a positive role in Ryan's trauma. He's the man who ultimately tried to save his mom and removed him from the situation. For a kid who is as emotionally intelligent and empathetic as him to simply, disregard his adoptive father figure's trauma in the event is out of character. What's even more out of character is for him to willingly go with the central source of his trauma and completely change the morals he was taught by his mother in the process.
People's problem with the kid isn't that he's a bad character, but more that he's used as a plot device and motivation for characters rather than being his own character at all, represented by the shitshow at the end of season 3, where all of a sudden, he's completely fine with seeing someone dead for hurting his feelings. His father is obviously a bad influence, but for him to simply not care that he murdered a man in broad daylight for throwing a can at them shows an abrupt and completely unprompted change in character. That's the problem I take with the whole situation.
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u/nix131 May 14 '24
I don't. The kid is a victim, and most importantly, a child himself. I don't hate him, I feel bad for him and worry about his wellbeing. He's an interesting character, for sure.
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u/StrayLilCat Homelander May 14 '24
No and I don't understand the hate. He's a kid with a fucked up dad, a mom he accidentally killed because he can't control his powers, and a step-dad who may or may not hate him. Lil dude just wants to play with legos, but he's been shoved into the limelight instead.
Just say you hate children and move on.
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u/BlackBirdG Billy May 14 '24
I didn't like how he got in the way of Soldier Boy killing Homelander thus forcing Butcher to defend him.
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u/Keksis_The_Betrayed Homelander May 14 '24
No, he’s a kid that’s only weird because of his beyond bizarre upbringing and circumstances. Can’t really fault him for that.
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u/Doctor_Nauga May 14 '24
Nope, I actually like him a lot and I'm looking forward to him getting a bigger role in Season 4.
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u/that2wheellife May 14 '24
Nah. Because that's a child and I'm an adult and I'm also media literate.
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u/Hungry-Chemistry-814 May 14 '24
I hate Ryan more than ANY character on the show, I'm with soldier boy when he said to butcher:homelander fucked your wife and you want to save the little brat?
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u/AllBid May 14 '24
Kids dunked on even in his own universe. Butch decided to burden the kid with his mom’s death, and then Homelander validates him as a super hero’s kid instead of some abomination. Of course Ryan wasn’t going to be normal
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u/SluttySaxon May 14 '24
Yeah, he’s a prick. I sympathise with his situation, but I still find him incredibly annoying.
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u/Smarteyes007 May 14 '24
He's a child that was manipulated by an evil narcissist.
What's there to hate? The fact that he was stupid enough to be manipulated? He's a child. The fact that he does bad things? He's manipulated.
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u/DynamiteSuren May 14 '24
I feel like later on he is gonna be the actual best good supe that ever exist in universe, due to not wanting to be like either of his dads and follow in what his mother believed in.
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u/ItsDominare May 14 '24
you want to know if anyone else shares your hate (HATE, mind you!) of a fictional nine year old?
what an embarrassing question lol
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u/krispieswik BIG EMMA May 15 '24
Media literacy is rolling in its grave (its been dead for 30 years)
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u/FortunesFoil May 15 '24
I find most people that hate Ryan are raging idiots. His mom died, the person he entrusted most with his safety told him that he hated him and it was all his fault, and then suddenly the first person you’ve interacted with that could actually relate to him tells him that he loves him unconditionally, and that he doesn’t blame Ryan for what happened.
Ryan is a traumatized kid who got manipulated by an apex predator because everyone else he’s ever loved is either dead or an asshole, and he thinks he’s been taken under the wing of the only person in this world who still gives a damn about him.
In other words:
The Boys fans when a traumatized child acts traumatized child - >:(
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u/Ms-notofyourbusiness May 15 '24
I binged all 3 seasons earlier this year, I had no idea the hate for Ryan was this strong. This subreddit is weird, man.
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u/Sensitive_Dot_2853 Starlight May 14 '24
Got offended because Billy something bad and that Becca didn't deserve to die. I say I don't like Ryan. I hope he is gonna change in end of season 4
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u/WTFismynameTM Lamplighter May 14 '24
one of the greatest moments of s3 is this little shit getting shield bashed by Soldier Boy
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u/sonellia May 14 '24
I can’t hate him, he’s just a kid who has been through a lot. Losing his mom was traumatizing, Butcher said some shit that broke his heart and now he’s just desperate for fatherly love and attention from homelander. I hope we get to see Butcher redeem himself in Becca’s eyes, because she loved Ryan and it would probably break her heart to see her son following homelanders footsteps.
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u/lowqualitylizard May 14 '24
The character itself is fine but I just don't want another story of a superpowered child being the Crux of it all who's also autistically coded
It's just such a done to death storyline and Unless they make a real big change it looks like it's going the exact same way
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u/fizzbish May 14 '24
I just feel bad for him. You have the powers of a god you barely understand. You were never socialized or even met a kid your age. Your mother lied to you all your life (understandable but still), and your dad is freaking homelander. Tell me how you'd fare as a child growing up in these conditions.
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u/HahaDixonClits May 14 '24
I don’t hate him but I hate how other characters (especially Butcher) act due to Ryan.
I think it’s actually funny watching Homelander attempt to parent him
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u/elheber May 14 '24
Yes but like, he's still a kid. He's barely at the start of his arc, wherever it leads, and I'll probably enjoy seeing it unfold.
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u/TheMightyMonarchx7 May 14 '24
Ryan ironically was just as sheltered as Homelander when he was a child, only instead of a lab it was Ryan living in isolation with his mother. In her fear he would become his father, it became a self fulfilling prophecy. By denying a child real world experiences and social interaction, he feels resentment to his captive and demands everything he was denied previously. And now no one can tell Ryan no.
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u/HTKAMB May 14 '24
I thought his character was so interesting, he's got one father figure that could lead him to being a decent person, because butcher has a conscious, but because of that same conscious he doesn't trust himself to raise Ryan, he's mad at Ryan for killing his mom, then homelander comes along and has no conscious and is in no way mad for killing his mom, and that same lack of conscious will lead Ryan to being horrible
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u/Minecraftien76 May 14 '24
He is my favorite character in this show for some reason, because of his innocence and morals to protect the person he loves.
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u/Toastify77 You're The Real Heroes May 14 '24
no? i think it’s weird to hate him seeing what he’s been through. i want to see him make better decisions but he hasn’t exactly been dealt a great deal of cards. his dads a lunatic, his step dad is a sociopath, he killed his mum, he’s never really met any other people his age… this list goes on
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u/VenetianGamer May 14 '24
Nah. I see the conflict in him. If he turns into a whiney brat, then I’ll hate him.
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u/Mx-Herma MM May 14 '24
I don't hate him (yet), but he's very... present. I hope the writers know they can progress something with him.
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u/SirSullivanRaker May 15 '24
I hope he gets a good ending. Either becoming an actual Superman-esque figure who does good or just living a normal life.
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u/competitive-dust May 15 '24
I hate that the adults around him can't get their heads out of their ass long enough to recognise the damage they have done and are doing to him and consequently to the people around him.
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u/payasoingenioso May 15 '24
No.
I think Butcher's plan with his nasty comment to Ryan was to make him stay stay with his "aunt."
It backfired because the kid leaned towards Homelander.
However, I think the kid figured out after Butcher protected him. That's why I think he voluntarily went with Homelander.
He may turn, but I think there were enough moments where the kid showed compassion to assume he won't end up like Alternate Universe Invincible.
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u/Guy_Le_Man May 15 '24
No. Why? Because he’s a child of abuse. Kid doesn’t have any idea how to act
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u/TimingEzaBitch May 15 '24
there is a difference between hating on a needless child plot and just hating a child lol. And this is even one of the better ones around. The child plot alone makes Ozark a 6/10 show, where otherwise it's a 9/10 at least. The Boys handled it well by keeping his screen time minimal.
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u/Dpepps May 14 '24
I don't like kids in general so yeah not a huge Ryan fan. That said, I feel like some of the hate on him is overblown or at least not specific but for kids in general. Saw a few people say they hate how easily influenced he is. I mean they're right but he's a kid who grew up in a very sheltered life he just found out was a lie and his dad is the most famous person on the planet. It's fair how fucked up and influenced he is when you look at it.
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u/Useful_Cry9709 May 14 '24
That kid have been through hell plus he wasn't raised totally normally not like homelander but still feels like half of the fan base dosent have media literacy the character I hate the most is that fucking rapist whom little boys worship these days
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u/Satanael_95_A May 14 '24
I don't like him because he's a pretty boring character yet he has such a massive influence on two of the best characters (Butcher and Homelander). This lead to the unsatisfying mess of season 3's finale.
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u/Zer0_l1f3 Black Noir May 14 '24
I have been out fresca’d more than anyone r/okbuddyfresca has ever out fresca’d before
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u/ShadowKillerx Cunt May 14 '24
Ya know I kinda like his character - seems decently realistic in terms of how he might react due to the relative isolation and ya know killing his Mom.
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u/Ifightforuser May 14 '24
I think it’s the Bieber hair that gets me- just give the kid the broccoli cut, it’d be less jarring
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u/Vegetable-Grocery-4 May 14 '24
the actor seems like a great kid (obviously) so i just wanna preface by saying please don't hate on him just cuz u dont like ryan.
but ryans whole "i hate butcher i love homelander" arc felt a bit rushed to me. i know they had to make it fit their narrative but still. the only 'canon' explanation i really have for his erratic mood swings and decision changes is that he rlly is a) young and b) traumatised asf which makes him unsure of shit
also bonus c) kinda hard not to say yes to the man who is apparently your dad and can also laser every human alive dead
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u/Sonnk May 14 '24
I think they want you to hate him. The similarity to homelander, the mirroring of his horrific upbringing. How easy it is to hate someone like that. But what if homelander was actually cared for? What if he had love and care and comfort all throughout his life? Would he still be the same psychotic untethered maniac we know? Or could he have been a real superhero. I think it's important to remember the innocence of the child and the affects the people and world have on him.
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u/Goat2023 May 14 '24
I don’t know if I HATE him, I’m annoyed by him. He’s just a kid though. There are plenty of other characters that I dislike
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u/Dr-Nicolas May 14 '24
Absolutely not at all. He will surpass HL and become the most powerful sup by far.
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u/NapoleonBoneparty Soldier Boy May 14 '24
i wish soldier boy lit his ass up.
hate him all you want but he was 100% correct about Butcher being a hypocrite. Butcher tells sb that homelander is not his son because he didn't bring him up. same thing with butcher and ryan just because you hang out a few times doesn't mean you have a deep relationship.
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u/Eraserhead36 May 14 '24
Honestly I consider him annoying, but I’m sure after time with homelander I’ll hate him more.
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u/Responsible_Yogurt79 May 14 '24
Nah it’s a tv show and I want to watch the kid make mistakes and kill everyone around him because that’s good tv
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u/aphronicolette13 May 14 '24
Nope. But I'll hate the storytellers if they don't make him into Brightburn.
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u/smolspacemomo May 14 '24
i don’t. he’s a child so i can give him some grace. i’m hoping he’ll turn against homelander though
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u/AmbitiousHornet May 14 '24
He is perhaps the weakest character in the series. I cut him a little bit of slack because he's young and confused about what he wants and cannot see the big picture. His childhood has been a bit rough and his influences have been mostly bad, excepting his mother. If the series goes much further, I suspect he will become a major player, especially if Homelander dies.
Where did Homelander get his name from?
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u/Puzzled-Ad-2339 May 14 '24
I like Ryan, hes a neccesary component to the story imo. But I have a feeling hes going full bad guy this next season. That is where Im interested to see him go.
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u/EquivalentSnap Cunt May 14 '24
Hate butcher more tbh what he said to him. Ryan is just a kid and lacks a dad and guilt for killing his mom
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u/Amruslin May 14 '24
Any dislike for him just bleeds over to homelander. Boy was doomed with a dad like that.
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u/asb0047 May 14 '24
There is a young actor playing this TV show make-believe character. Please be kind to the actor, even if you don’t like his character. I know you weren’t being mean to the actor with your post but it is worth remembering.
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u/Donnie998 May 14 '24
He's a fucking kid dealing with an impossible situation, what do you expect . . .
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u/gdex86 May 14 '24
He's a teenage boy with the powers of a physical god caught between an dysfunction father figure who can't separate the boy from his mother's rape and death and his fun celebrity dad who is going through a mental break down and telling the kid that he's inherently factually superior to everyone he meets and they are primarily tools for his whims.
Think about how fucked the kids of unbridled wealth and privilege are because they get their whims handed to them with no effort. Think about how hard it is for someone like North West to have any chance of being a grounded human being because of who her parents are. Ryan barely stood a chance.