GEN V Review – Not Another Teen Superhero Show

Let’s take a look at Amazon Studios new show Gen V a spinoff of hit show The Boys. Like its parent show it is filmed in Toronto.

A spinoff is a tricky thing, the TV schedules are littered with the ones that did not make it, while the best ones are so well known that a lot of the viewers might not even it is a spinoff. Gen V has the runaway success of The Boys to build on but it seems aimed at a slightly different market. That fact leaves me a little worried about the fate of that sort of show when streamers cancel genre shows at super speed. Anyway I’m not a streaming exec so let’s get to some of the things I really liked.

Mature Content

Gen V just feels more mature from the start. The Boys had to establish its brand early which meant a lot over the top gore and blood. Gen V gets to cut back on that a bit and focus on a rather involved story. Being set at a university and the choice to have Marie as the unofficial lead is a good one. One issue with The Boys at this point is that you are rooting for the lesser of two evil hoping that your favourite won’t be snuffed out as a casualty in the Butcher/Homelander war. These kids could still go either way despite the efforts of their families and the faculty.

God U

This is not the first story I’ve seen about superheroes learning their trade at university, anyone interested should check out Super Powereds by Drew Hayes. That series is less cynical than this but there are still a lot of similarities. The ranking system is absolutely the product of its creator Vought, it feels like the start of indoctrination that ultimately leads to Homelander and the Seven.

It doesn’t take long for us to note that Godolkin University itself is a front for something more nefarious. We’ve seen hints of what happens to supers who are dangerous or can’t be controlled, indeed there were references to the institution where Marie was held in the show.

Marie

I like the character of Marie a lot, she has a plan and the drive to go after it. That flashback where we see the emergence of her powers was something else. Jaz Sinclair is a great choice as lead and it is fun to see her and Chance Perdomo working together again after Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Lizzie

Lizzie reminds me a bit of Starlight just with her rude awakening happening a bit earlier in her journey. The opening episodes gives us a little insight into her childhood and how messed up it was but she’s still standing and that’s impressive. Her openness taken against Marie’s closed off approach is interesting

Jordan

Jordan is a fascinating character so honestly I just want to see more of them at this point.

Should You Watch

Gen V takes the world of The Boys in a fun new direction. There’s enough of the gross out stuff to keep existing fans happy. We’re also treated more of the satirical stab at modern life. I really like the mystery plot though I do wonder if it will be resolved by season’s end.

This show has more than enough substance to stand on its own without cameos. I do have questions about the long term plan though. I wonder if once The Boys ends if Amazon will get behind Gen V the same way after that?

Check out Gen V’s official Amazon Page for extra content.