The Boys’ first live-action spin-off, Gen V, is a welcome addition to Garth Ennis and Seth Rogen’s co-production. The cast is full of fresh faces, except for the incomparable Clancy Brown (Justice League). The usual gore, drugs, and dick jokes are still a staple of the franchise, and no punches are pulled just because the cast is younger. Though we might miss characters like Homelander and performers like Chace Crawford, there is a familiar but fresh essence to Gen V. Nelson Cragg (Them) directs two episodes and does a great job bridging the two shows. Leading the show in front of the camera are The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina alums Jaz Sinclair and Chance Perdomo, and they do a great job grounding the series.
Like many other kids, Marie Moreau (Sinclair) gets powers with no warning. As a result, she is sent to an orphanage for everyone’s safety. While honing her powers she eventually gets strong enough to be accepted into the prestigious Godolkin University for superheroes. Upon her arrival, she is hesitant to engage in the school’s top ten politics but quickly realizes she has to play the game if she is going to make it to where she wants to be. When she finally decides to hang out with the cool kids, she has a great time, lets loose, and even ends up with a top ten ranking. But the consequences of that night out haunt her eternally.
Gen V season 1 is more than competent and balanced. It’s also more grounded than the outrageous plot lines of its predecessor. Sinclair and Perdomo quickly become the focus of the A-plot and are great leads. Simply put, Gen V is Riverdale meets The Boys and it works. Their version of Homelander is Golden Boy (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and the show cleverly makes a point to not make him the focus of the show. In doing so they allow not only Sinclair and Perdomo to shine, but also leave room for their co-stars to bring in new perspectives.
Lizzie Broadway plays a hero who gets small when she purges and big when she eats. Many characters have powers with downsides that almost counterbalance the power itself. Sinclair’s Marie can control blood, but from a public relations view this is not exactly appealing. One of the standouts is the character played by both London Thor (You) and Derek Lu (Runaways). They have multiple powers that kick ass, but not according to their father. This is where Gen V really finds its footing. None of the characters are in full control of themselves. While this is a pretty basic metaphor for coming of age, it really works.
The characters in Gen V have a great dynamic and bounce off each other in a way television audiences should love. The plot is straightforward in a way that fits the subject. The main drawback of the show is that the superpowers themselves are not very interesting. Multiple students just have super strength or invulnerability. There are a couple of psychic additions to the cast, but it ultimately begs the question: Does anyone in The Boys universe have a power we haven’t seen before? Perhaps it’s a moot point because the premise is a play on the superheroes of old, but two shows in, the question is valid.
All in all, Gen V is very entertaining and will work for fans of The Boys and newcomers to the universe. Though some of the comic book aspects won’t wow you, the story is engaging enough to keep you ready and waiting for more. The cast clicks, and their performances are firing on all cylinders. Season 2 seems inevitable if audiences fall in love with even one of them. Either way, The Boys universe just got a lot more interesting.
The first three episodes of Gen V are streaming on Prime Video September 29. The remaining episodes will air weekly every Friday.
