Gen V kept up The Boys‘ tradition of being very brutal in their execution, but through the twists and turns that came throughout season 1, Gen V managed to stand on its own. From the very get-go, the show offered a multitude of unforeseen developments, not at all unlike the formula established by its predecessor. Every single time it seemed like the story had found its path, a new curveball came into the picture, adding another layer to the narrative.
It was no secret thatGen V’s Godolkin University fit under the same umbrella as Vought because they are a successful company with plenty of skeletons in their closet. The show raised questions about what exactly they were hiding and why. Because the truth proves to have a cost, perceptions of characters completely flip on their head throughout the show. That’s what makes the twists all the more shocking when they come to light, with some potentially serving as setup for The Boys season 4.
10 Indira Shetty Threatens To Expose Tek Knight’s ‘Urges’
Season 1, Episode 4, “The Whole Truth”
![The 10 Most Shocking Twists In Gen V Season 1](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/tek-knight-the-boys.jpg)
Supe detective Tek Knight is hired by Vought to use his observational skills, along with his TV show, to set up a fall guy for Luke Riordan’s tragic death. He originally planned to make Indira Shetty take the fall because of her failure to contain Luke’s brother. However, just when it appears that it’s all over for Indira, she blackmails Tek Knight with footage of him humping anything with a hole in it due to an inoperable brain tumor. This isn’t one of the more pivotal twists as much as it is hilarious, especially for anyone familiar with how The Boys graphic novel portrays Tek Knight as a satire of Bruce Wayne.
9 Billy Butcher Finds Out About ‘The Woods’
Season 1, Episode 8, “Guardians of Godolkin”
![Karl Urban smiling as Billy Butcher in The Boys Season 3](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/karl-urban-smiling-as-billy-butcher-in-the-boys-season-3.jpg)
While it’s not shocking to see that the world’s most accomplished Supe exterminator Billy Butcher would make an appearance in Gen V, the way in which he does it is surprising. Typically, to uncover the big picture, Billy and Co. had to take their time to find out. Seeing Butcher go through the remains of what was “The Woods” was a bit shocking, but it also hints at how everything that happened in Gen V will factor into The Boys.
8 Andre Realizes His Dad Knows About The Woods
Season 1, Episode 3, “#ThinkBrink”
Andre originally idolized his father as an esteemed alumnus at Godolkin, but his entire universe shatters when he finds out that not only does “The Woods” exist, but his own father knows about it. To make things worse, Polarity demands that Andre not speak to anyone about it. Polarity showing his true colors made Andre question the notion of what puts the hero in a superhero from that point onward.
7 Marie Moreau Killed Her Parents When She Was 12
Season 1, Episode 1, “God U”
![Marie using her powers in Gen V](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/marie-using-her-powers-in-gen-v.jpg)
It took Gen V no time at all to drop bombshells on its audience. The show’s very first scene is a flashback to when Marie Moreau had her first period. When she realizes she can control her own blood, it all goes haywire when she accidentally kills her parents while getting used to her new powers. It’s a rather intense scene but also a clever satire on the tragic backstory that most superheroes go through. While most superheroes go through a tragedy like losing a loved one, they’re rarely the one that actually kills them, which falls in line with The Boys’ satire.
6 Luke Riordan/Goldenboy Kills Himself In The First Episode
Season 1, Episode 1, “God U”
![Golden Boy in The Boys Gen V](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/golden-boy-in-the-boys-gen-v.jpg)
Goldenboy looked like he was shaping up to be Gen V‘s most complex character in the show’s first episode. While he ranked as the No. 1 Supe at Godolkin University and was well on his way to joining The Seven, it seemed as though something wasn’t quite right with him. He also appeared to understand the weight that comes with being a big-time superhero. But it turned out his time as one of the show’s protagonists was short-lived, as his mental breakdown led to him killing himself, setting the stage for Gen V to be consistently unpredictable. Especially when it was revealed why Luke killed himself in Gen V.
5 Victoria Neuman Has The Same Powers As Marie Moreau
Season 1, Episode 7, “Sick”
![Victoria Neuman smiling in The Boys](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/the-boys-season-3-claudia-doumit-social.jpg)
One of the biggest twists in The Boys season 2 was that Victoria Neuman was a covert Supe capable of blowing up people’s heads. That was common knowledge going into Gen V when she made her guest appearance. But the fact that she revealed that she started out very similar to how Marie did showed that she was not alone, and better yet, what kind of potential Marie has as a Supe. Gen V confirmed the theory that Marie could potentially be a more powerful Supe than Homelander, which makes her as much of a trump card as she is a terror, much like Neuman.
4 Cate Was Working Against The Guardians of Godolkin
Season 1, Episode 5, “Welcome to the Monster Club”
![Cate looking remorseful in Gen V](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cate-looking-remorseful-in-gen-v.jpg)
Cate had always been seen as someone on the Guardians’ side, as she was helping her friends learn more and more about what Godolkin was trying to cover up. However, that all changed when it was revealed that she used her powers to wipe everyone’s memories so they wouldn’t get too close to the truth in her efforts to protect Godolkin. While she genuinely regretted it, her actions showed how untrustworthy Cate truly was but also how powerful she could be that she could shut off people’s memories like that, making her potentially the most dangerous threat in The Boys.
3 All Of Luke’s ‘Friends’ Contributed To His Downfall
Season 1, Episode 6, “Jumanji”
![Cate using her powers on Golden Boy in Gen V](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cate-using-her-powers-on-golden-boy-in-gen-v.jpg)
While the show initially portrayed Luke’s suicide as a mental breakdown, peaking into Cate’s mind confirmed that such wasn’t the case through Cate’s memories. When everyone is trapped in Cate’s mind, it tackles Andre’s, Jordan’s, and Cate’s dark past in showing how they all inadvertently played a part in Luke’s suicide. Andre’s memory revealed that he had betrayed Luke before the latter’s death when he was sleeping with Cate, something Luke knew about. Jordan’s memory revealed that they prevented Luke from learning the truth to score points with the morally corrupt Professor Brink.
Worst of all was Cate, who revealed that she had been helping Godolkin University cover up “The Woods” by constantly brainwashing Luke as they experimented on him in “The Woods,” causing him to gradually lose his sanity before taking his own life. Luke’s mind being worn down bit by bit made the three people who were supposed to support him the most look awful.
2 Indira Shetty Was Anti-Supe The Whole Time
Season 1, Episode 7, “Sick”
Being the dean of Godolkin University, Indira Shetty immediately came off as the show’s antagonist, but her true goals were open to speculation – until her plans were finally revealed in season 1’s penultimate episode. While Indira hinted at her animosity toward Supes, “Sick” revealed that she planned a Supe genocide via a deadly virus as payback after Homelander let her husband and daughter die on Flight 37. Not only does this reveal restore the original point of The Boys, but it also demonstrates that even though superheroes are capable of evil deeds in this world, human characters like Indira Shetty can be just as evil.
1 ‘The Woods’ Is An Underground Operation Designed To Control Supes
Season 1, Episode 6, “Jumanji”
![Sam sitting in his room in Goldolkin University's The Woods.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/asa-germann-as-sam-in-gen-v.jpg)
“The Woods” had been floated throughout Gen V season 1 as this sketchy place that no one knows about. While the operation became clear as day once Luke’s brother Sam came into the picture, it still wasn’t clear what the intent behind it was. Once Dr. Cardosa tells Indira Shetty about the virus he’s been developing that can exclusively kill Supes, it paints a sickening picture of what it’s truly for – controlling them. While Vought uses Supes to make money, they know that they can’t be trusted with their powers. This makes The Boys‘ Compound V story so much worse. The children are not only prisoners but are essentially used as lab rats.
The Boys
- Release Date:
- 2019-07-26
- Cast:
- Elisabeth Shue, Jensen Ackles, Goran Visnjic, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Dominique McElligott, Laz Alonso, Nathan Mitchell, Aya Cash, Colby Minifie, Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, claudia doumit, Tomer Capon
- Genres:
- Action, Drama, Crime
- Seasons:
- 3
- Story By:
- Garth Ennis
- Writers:
- Eric Kripke
- Streaming Service:
- Amazon Prime Video
- Franchise(s):
- The Boys
- Directors:
- Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Eric Kripke
- Showrunner:
- Eric Kripke