To See or Not to See: Gen V

Set in the diabolical universe of The Boys, Gen V follows the next generation of up-and-coming supes as they climb the ranks at Godolkin University (God U for short) with the hopes of one day joining the elusive Seven. Fans of its predecessors won’t be disappointed by the live-action spin-off. For newcomers, it’s the perfect introduction to the satire, gore, violence, and debauchery that have become synonymous with the franchise.

When the new semester gets underway, we meet Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), a recently admitted freshman who is trying to escape her tragic past and rewrite her history. Able to weaponize blood, Marie is determined to become the first Black woman in the Seven, which she hopes is the gateway to reconnecting with her estranged sister.

But the flawed system doesn’t just evaluate students on their crimefighting performance. It looks at their marketability, seniority, and social presence, which favors classmates like Luke Riordan (Patrick Schwarzenegger). Literally known as Golden Boy, Luke’s fiery talents and boyish good looks make him the poster child of the institution. Whereas supes like gender-shifting, bi hero Jordan Li (London Thor and Derek Luh), each with their own abilities, have to work twice as hard to maintain their status among the Top 10.

Rounding out the rag-tag group of supes are Emma Meyer (Lizze Broadway), who can manipulate her size, empath and mind-controller Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips), and metal-bending charmer Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo).

Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Prime Video

As the students compete for the number one ranking, they quickly realize that things aren’t as they appear at God U and something more sinister is at play. But did we expect anything different from a school operated by Vought International? They’ll have to put their differences aside and come together to uncover the secrets that lie beneath.

Developed by Evan Goldberg, Eric Kripke, and Craig Rosenberg with Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas as showrunners, Gen V has all the inappropriate humor, raunchy sex scenes, heart-pumping action, and exploding limbs that you’ve come to expect from The Boys…and more.

At its core, Gen V is an engaging coming-of-age story with complex and fully fleshed-out characters. Each is battling their own internal demons and the growing pains associated with adulthood that audiences will immediately identify with. The series tackles timely and sensitive subject matter with care, and it’s brought to life by an ensemble cast that proves they’re more than up for the challenge. Asa Germann, whose character is revealed in later episodes, is a particular standout.

With four episodes out now on Prime Video, Gen V makes the grade and is easily one of the best new shows of 2023. Quite frankly, it has no right being as good as it is.

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 4

Photo Credit: Amazon Studios