By Amir Galban
Staff Writer
“Gen V” is a spinoff of “The Boys,” an Emmy-nominated TV show that takes place in the same universe and continues the intense and violent tone of the original series. The events of “Gen V” occur between “The Boys” season three and season four, setting up new plot details for the next season of “The Boys.”
For those not familiar with “The Boys,” the premise looks at what our world would be like with superheroes, where they are treated like media celebrities, run by a major billion-dollar corporation known as Vought, connected with politics; they are the faces on every billboard and product that’s out. They are treated as gods and goddesses when they are run by a ruthless corporation, and many have foibles or are downright evil in ways that the directors bring to light from the very beginning. The central theme is that superheroes are super fun to look at, but behind the scenes, they are just as messy as regular people.
You do not need to have watched “The Boys” to appreciate “Gen V,” but it does help provide some background and context if you have watched “The Boys.” As we learn in the trailers, “Gen V” is a university for the superheroes, or “supes.” The story focuses on the upcoming generation of supes that are aligning themselves with joining The Seven, the highest echelon of superheroes that were some of the main characters in “The Boys.”
As in “The Boys,” we learn that the reason some people developed superpowers was because of a serum their parents gave them, with the hope their children would become famous (and money-earning) superheroes. The main character is Marie Moreau played by Jaz Sinclair. Her origins are unique based on the trauma and outcome when first using her powers, allowing her to weaponize the blood within her to use to her advantage. In the first scene of “Gen V,” we see a pre-teen Marie run to the bathroom as she has her first period. When her parents burst through the bathroom door to find out if she was okay, in her panic, she used her blood as a lethal weapon, unintentionally killing both of them. Ironically when her younger sister saw the killings, she was left alone. She looked at Marie as a monster. Marie is then placed in a home for delinquent or psychotic supes.
Everything changes for Marie when she gets a scholarship for the Vought-run Godolkin University. This is her first step in becoming the first black woman to join The Seven and to show to her sister—and herself—that she is a hero, not a monster. The university consists of a leaderboard where the top 100 are idolized and looked at as the best. Being number one in the rankings by the end of the year guarantees you a spot in The Seven with the original supes. Maire gets to campus and meets Luke (Patrick Schwarzenegger), a human torch-like supe that can fly. He is number one on the leaderboard and shown as the star in episode one.
She also meets roommate Emma (Lizze Broadway) who can turn super-duper small but must purge herself repeatedly in order to do so. Not the most impressive power but it proves useful. Lukes’s friends who we meet are a shapeshifting Jordan (Derek Luh), who was born with both genders and can change at any time, a metal-bending Andre (Chance Perdomo) who is close with Luke and a mind-bending Cate (Maddie Phillips) who is Luke’s girlfriend. They all play a vital role throughout this season.
The core group is involved in a mystery involving Luke’s little brother, Sam (Asa Germann), who Vought captured and hid in what’s known as “the woods,” a prison-like facility underground on campus that drugs and suppresses some supes.
“Gen V,” just like “The Boys,” does a great job showcasing the power of the media. As shown from the rankings at the university, being in the top ten and having a large following on social media is just as important as the power itself. Just like in real life, it’s all about the profits and who and what sells the most, with some superpowers like Jordan’s gender-bending or Marie’s weaponizing her blood being acknowledged as not being marketable to average people. “Gen V” ponders what it means to be alongside algorithms and knowledge on how to grow a following or lose some with every post.
It is important to note that these characters are naïve regarding how Vought is run and how they market their heroes of The Seven. The showrunner, Eric Kripke, revealed to Deadline in 2022, “There are certain things that are happening at that school that are both in reaction to season 3 of ‘The Boys.’”
He continued, “There are some new storylines that are happening in that season of the spinoff that we have to pick up and take into season 4 of the show.” The connection between “The Boys” and “Gen V” is strong and the similarities are obvious, from the media presence to the corrupt work of the corporations, to the ideology for the supes, and how celebrity can warp one’s character.
The ideas and irrelevant takes surrounding the plot are extraordinary and leave much room for exploring the violent and outlandish nature of what a world with supes would feel like. “Gen V” has college students going down a rabbit hole to see firsthand how dangerous Vought and the university really are, while in the process harnessing their powers and connections.
“The Boys” showed us adults with powers and their reckless decisions. In “Gen V,” we get to see the new age of kids growing into adults with powers we’ve never seen before. Episode one of “Gen V” premiered on Sept. 29, 2023, with the first episode named “GOD U” (the term most use for Godolkin University) to represent the power held in the current setting and the people within it. So far, there are six episodes and a total of eight overall, with a planned second season. If you are a newcomer to the series, strap on your seatbelts and hide the kids because this is a path you will never forget. Expect to be blown away and shocked, as every episode in both shows will leave you astonished.
