Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Boys season 4, episodes 1-3.

Summary

Becca dies well ahead ofThe Boysseason 4, butShantel VanSanten’s character returns to haunt Butcher in the newest episodes— and this may raise questions about what she’s doing there. It’s no secret that Becca is one of Butcher’s biggest motivations throughoutThe Boys,as his entire vendetta against Homelander stems back to his wife. Unfortunately, Butcher loses her all over again at theend ofThe Boysseason 2— and she makes him promise to look out for her and Homelander’s son, Ryan, as she dies.

Butcher attempts to do this throughoutThe Boysseason 3, but one misstep sends Ryan right into Homelander’s arms. This is part of the reasonMM is the leader of The Boys team in season 4, and it’s also why Butcher is getting so desperate to eliminate The Seven’s leader before he dies.Butcher wants to make things right with RyanwhenThe Boysseason 4 opens, and that partially explains why he’s seeing Becca.

Custom image of Black Noir in the show and comics and Homelander in The Boys

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Butcher Sees Becca In The Boys Season 4 Because She’s His Conscience

She’s Still Pushing Him To Be A Better Person After Her Death

Bucher is full of guilt and regret at the beginning ofThe Boysseason 4, and his visions of Becca are a reminder of that.Becca serves as Butcher’s conscience in the new episodes, pushing him to do the right thing and be a better person before he perishes. The old Butcher might have gone to extremes to secure Ryan and take out Homelander, but The Boys' leader has grown over the first three seasons. His failures with Ryan are front of mind as he approaches his death, and his mind is conjuring Becca to remind him of his promise to her.

His failures with Ryan are front of mind as he approaches his death, and his mind is conjuring Becca to remind him of his promise to her.

Becca Butcher (Shantel VanSanten) looks up in The Boys

Becca guides Butcher’s behavior during their marriage and after her disappearance, so it’s no surprise she’s still influencing it on the heels of her season 2 death.She’s always been Butcher’s moral compass, and it appears she’ll maintain this role in his life until the very end. It’s a smart way to keep VanSanten’s character around post-mortem. Of course, there’s also another explanation for why Butcher is seeing and hearing his conscience in season 4.

Butcher’s Illness Is Behind His Visions Of Becca In The Boys Season 4

His Brain Tumor Is Making Him See & Hear What Isn’t There

Although Becca is Butcher’s motivation and conscience throughoutThe Boys,there’s an obvious reason he’s actually seeing and hearing her in the fourth season: his brain tumor. Theending ofThe Boysseason 3reveals that Butcher is dying because of his overuse of Temp V. The drug gives him a brain tumor, which shortens his lifespan significantly. The tumor makes sense of his hallucinations, as this health issue can cause people to see and hear things that aren’t really there (viaBusiness Insider). Given Butcher’s guilt, Becca is the obvious person for him to fabricate inThe Boysseason 4.

The Boys

Cast

The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.

The Boys Season 4 Poster Showing Homelander with Victoria Neuman Surrounded by Confetti