Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Set in the same chaotic universe as “The Boys,” where superheroes abound, the elite among them serve as branded corporate ambassadors for a nefarious money-making syndicate known as Vought, “Gen V” focuses on a younger generation of supes studying at the Godolkin University, an institute exclusively for students with superpowers. Like “The Boys”, this series is made for an adult audience, with lots of violence, gore and the first episode jumping out of a Stephen King horror novel. So, be prepared for blood, lots of blood.
Created by Evan Goldberg, Eric Kripke, and Craig Rosenberg, season one of “Gen V” is divided into eight episodes, with Jaz Sinclair playing protagonist Marie Moreau, an orphan with troubling secrets, who gets a full scholarship to Godolkin University. The scholarship could be her ticket to becoming a top superhero with Vought, but her future is threatened when she gets entangled with a few other students to investigate an underground facility called “The Woods”, where young superheroes are being illegally experimented upon. This is the kind of show you’d enjoy best if you’ve already seen “The Boys”, because there are lots of references, easter eggs and cameos of already established characters throughout the runtime.
Click here for links to episode-by-episode reviews of “Gen V” Season One
The one place where “Gen V” trumps “The Boys” as a series is the fact that it explores a lot more universal relatable themes than its predecessor, including college friendships, blooming romances, mental health issues and sexual diversity. Oh and also the Gen Z struggles of trying to become a social media star online. In some ways, ‘Gen V’ resembles a twisted version of ‘X-Men Evolution,’ the animated show that focused on teenage mutants learning to control their powers while also facing adversaries. ‘Gen V’ essentially follows a similar premise but with college students equipped with wacky powers and primary enemy might be their own professors. The characters thus often grapple with profound moral dilemmas, torn between embracing false narratives that serve their personal interests and standing up for the greater good of those around them.
The other primary characters are all Marie’s peers – there’s the number one student on campus, the gorgeous ‘Golden Boy’, portrayed perfectly by Patrick Schwarzenegger, a character who seems like he could take on Homelander (Vought’s top superhero). Maddie Phillips is dynamic as Cate Dunlap, a supe who can manipulate people by touching them. There’s the gender-fluid supe called Jordan Li, portrayed alternatively by London Thor and Derek Li. Jordan possesses superhuman strength, agility, durability, and the ability to switch between two distinct male and female personalities. Chance Perdomo plays Golden Boy’s best-friend Andre Anderson, a young idealist who is the son of a famous retired superhero and feels burdened by the weight of having to follow his father’s footsteps. The most fun young supe is Marie’s roomate Emma Meyer, who can shrink to the size of an ant and is played endearingly by Lizze Broadway. However, despite a kind heart and a sunny personality on the surface, Emma suffers from body dysmorphia and crippling insecurities, but she is a loyal, reliable friend. Asa Germann plays Sam Riordan, one of the kids who is experimented upon at “The Woods”, and his character is the most mentally disturbed of the lot.
It takes some time to warm up to the new protagonists, especially Jaz Sinclair’s Marie Moreau, so as the plot progresses, all the characters begin to grow on you. The special effect in the series is gritty, despite being quite exaggerated at times, but it only adds an entertaining eccentricity to the violent show. If there’s one thing that ‘Gen V’ falls short on, it’s in presenting viewers with an intimidating evil villain. After Homelander’s bloodthirsty Superman act, it’s was a tough task to create an antagonist of the same larger-than-life caliber. However, the antagonist in season one doesn’t even come close to being as nefarious as some of the secondary villains in ‘The Boys’.
Each of the eight episodes have some fantastic twists and turns, including a few disturbingly shocking scenes and a few mind-bending sub-plots too. So, like I warned A scene from Gen Vin my episode-by-episode review for the series – avoid eating while watching the show. Episode eight ends with a big “WTF” twist, which is delightfully dark and hilarious. The kinds that make you want to demand a season two.
Rating: 8 on 10. Stream the series on Prime Video.
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