It’s no secret that superhero projects are everywhere. But those with an Amazon Prime subscription have been treated to more adult projects that offer a grim look at comic book heroes and villains. Namely the animated series Invincibile, and the R-rated live-action show The Boys. We’re currently in the time between seasons for the both shows, although the latter got a spinoff titled Gen V. I know we’re all waiting for The Boys Season 4 to come out, but honestly if you aren’t watching Gen V right now you’re missing out.
Gen V recently debuted its first three episodes on Amazon, and is set directly after the wild events of The Boys’ Season 3 finale. The show follows students at Vought’s Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, which trains potential heroes and powered celebs. And the spinoff is actually the perfect way to hold you over until The Boys comes back. What’s more, we even see some familiar faces along the way.
During The Boys it was revealed that superpowers don’t come organically, but that parents instead volunteer their kids from a young age to be injected with V and hopefully become famous in the process. Gen V is full of wild moments, following those kids in school, some of which have traumatic upbringing as a result of their powers.
The Boys is known for its extreme violence and dark comedy, and both of those are definitely in Gen V (see the reviews here), starting from the premiere episode. We see protagonist Marie (Jaz Sinclair) as she gets her bloody powers and accidentally murders her parents in a brutal fashion. Emma (Lizzie Broadway) also uses her shrinking powers to pleasure a guy who has a fetish for seeing the size difference between her and hs penis. Both of these are sequences that can only exist in The Boys universe, and I instantly jumped back into the franchise as a result. Plus there are ton of references to other characters throughout the first episodes.
Gen V is also fun because the characters’ powers are far more unique than The Boys– where most of our characters come with super strength and near invulnerability. Marie manipulates blood, Andre has magnetism powers like Magneto, and Jordan has both a male and female personality living within them with different powers. So once full out brawls start happening later in the season, it should make for some really interesting sequences.
I’m really hoping that Gen V and The Boys end up being more connected, and have major crossovers. The inclusion of Vought CEO (and scene stealer) Ashley Barrett helps to tie the shows together. And while we see iconography from The Seven throughout the spinoff, it would be thrilling to see them actually interact with the students at Godolkin.
Gen V airs new episodes Fridays on Amazon Prime Video. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
