Most fans had twigged that Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character in Season 4 of The Boys was inspired by Fight Club. Even so, Episode 6’s reveal handled things so well that the show can get away with the oldest trick in the book.
Season 4 of The Boys introduced CIA operative Joe Kessler (Dean Morgan), a gritty law enforcer who worked with Butcher (Karl Urban) years before the show’s events. From the start, it’s clear that Butcher and Kessler once had a thriving friendship, as they are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. In short, Kessler is a lot like Butcher, as violence and betrayal are just a means to an end for both of them.
It would be easy to imagine Butcher is working with Kessler behind everyone’s backs. In his crusade against Homelander (Antony Starr), Butcher has stabbed the people closest to him in the back numerous times. Still, as episodes go by, a pattern starts to emerge. Kessler never speaks to anyone but Butcher, and no other character seems to acknowledge his presence. Furthermore, Kessler shows up for the first time after Butcher starts to have visions of Becca (Shantel VanSanten).
Butcher’s mental health is in shambles due to a tumor caused by his abuse of Temporary V in Season 3. Plus, the cancer has only worsened after the sinister leader of the Boys injected real Compound V into his veins in the hopes of healing his illness. In that context, the imaginary version of Becca represents Butcher’s consciousness and desire to become a better person so he can save Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) and properly honor the memory of his dead wife. So, it makes sense for Kessler to be the devil on Butcher’s shoulder.
Episode 6 confirmed what everyone suspected, and Kessler was confirmed as the person Butcher imagines to help him do nasty things in his pursuit of revenge. Nevertheless, while the reveal might not be surprising, it’s still perfectly done to serve Season 4’s ambitious narrative.
Billy Butcher keeps struggling with his villainous nature in The Boys
While Kessler being a projection might not be an unexpected twist for the audience, it sure is for Butcher. The whole reveal scene works because we observe how Butcher realizes that the ugly things inside him only get stronger as he grows more desperate. The tumor placed a death sentence he can’t escape, so Butcher knows the clock is ticking, and he must act fast to kill Homelander. Still, since he wants to believe he can be a good man, Butcher has used the image of a dead friend to take the blame for his despicable actions.
Kessler is the manifestation of Butcher’s dark desires. It represents Butcher’s inability to forgive and forget. Finally, it echoes his taste for death and destruction. This side of Butcher makes him a villain potentially as dangerous as Homelander, which is why he tries hard to pretend the evil came from someone else. The Kessler persona is so strong that it can even take control of Butcher’s body and make him forget things like it did when it murdered Ezekiel (Shaun Benson).
Now that the masks have fallen, Butcher can no longer deny the war raging inside his head. Sooner or later, he will have to choose which version of himself he wants to embrace: Becca’s or Kessler’s. If he chooses the latter, the Boys will fight two villains in Season 5 instead of only one.