Review - Gen V (2023)

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Earlier today, I gave my review of the first three seasons of The Boys, the Amazon series based on the Garth Ennis comic book. Now, I'm taking a look at the recently released spin-off Gen V, once again developed by Eric Kripke, and executive produced by Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Neal H. Moritz. Gen V stars Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway, London Thor, Derek Luh, Maddie Phillips, Asa Germann, and Shelley Conn, with appearances by the likes of Clancy Brown, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Antony Starr, Jensen Ackles, Derek Wilson, and so many more. 

      Much like with The Boys, Gen V centers itself in a world of Supes, with our main protagonist being Marie Moreau, a Super with the power of blood bending, similar to Victoria Neuman from The Boys, but she accidentally kills her parents when her powers kick in. Years after that, Marie, who has been in a facility called the Red River Institute, is preparing to attend college at Godolkin University, a Vought Industries run school for Supes to train either in crime fighting or the entertainment industry. 

      Now, among Marie's new schoolmates includes the likes of Emma, who is a superstar in her own right with the power to shrink or grow, Andre, who can manipulate metal, Cate, who can influence the minds of others, and Jordan, who can shapeshift between their male and female forms at will. And, I will say that both London Thor and Derek Luh are fantastic as both forms of Jordan. On top of that, Jordan also has superhuman strength in both forms, while their male form has superhuman invulnerability, and their female form can project energy blasts. There are other Super students, such as Luke/Golden Boy, and they are more background characters or recurring supporting players. 

       Unfortunately, Luke discovers the horrible truth about Godolkin University, which leads him to kill a teacher, Professor Brinkerhoff, and eventually himself. This creates a power vacuum in the student rankings, with Andre taking the top spot from Luke, and Marie landing in the top ten. Now, Marie and Jordan initially start off as rivals, but eventually become a couple in the series, which is pretty cool. Also, we learn of Luke's brother Sam, who becomes romantically involved with Emma. 

       As the series progresses, Marie, Andre, Emma, and Jordan learn several secrets about Godolkin University. First, there's an underground facility called the Woods, where Godolkin students with extremely dangerous powers are taken. Second, the Woods is experimenting with a virus that can kill Supes outright. Third, both Brinkerhoff and Dean Indira Shetty are directly responsible for this virus. Also, Shetty has been using Cate to manipulate her schoolmates with her powers. 

        Gen V deals with many themes, all surrounding acceptance. Whether it's the acceptance of others, acceptance of the self, or another's acceptance of you. For example, because of their unique powers, Jordan is seen as unmarketable by Vought, and therefore is someone who will never be accepted, which is seen most specifically with an encounter with their father in the third episode. You see, Jordan's father would rather have them be in male form all the time, and feels that Jordan goes back and forth between male and female forms out of spite, which isn't the case. However, Jordan does eventually find acceptance among their peers, and eventually within themselves. 

        The performances of the main cast was fantastic. I already mentioned the dual performance of London Thor and Derek Luh as Jordan, but I also gotta give major props to both Jaz Sinclair as Marie and Lizze Broadway as Emma. And, seeing Derek Wilson as Tek Knight was pretty awesome, as well as appearances by Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy, Antony Starr as Homelander, Jessie T. Usher as A-Train, and Clancy Brown as Brinkerhoff. 

          I really like the idea of a college for Supes, and the underlying mystery of the more sinister nature of the college was absolutely fascinating, and really kept me going from week to week. Honestly, I am thoroughly enjoying the universe of The Boys, and Gen V definitely is a fantastic expansion of that world. I'm giving Gen V a rating of 5/5. Definitely one of the better new series of 2023. 

       Okay, guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time.