Your enjoyment of season two of Gen V, the college-set spin-off of Prime Video’s super successful superhero drama The Boys, will be proportional to just how much you’re still invested in this world. After four seasons of The Boys, with the fifth and final season on the way, I’ve reached the supersaturation point with this world, these stories, and the inability of the universe to really make any major strides forward in its storytelling – because, as I suspect the team behind the original series has realized, there’s only so far you can push the story and the characters before they begin to reach their breaking point and the series can’t sustain past that. If you’re still on-board the A-Train and fully locked and loaded, Gen V will be a nice side dish to The Boys’ main course. If you’re like me, however, well, it’s going to feel like a lot of the same plot points being hit over and over. It’s not that this isn’t a good, well-made series, but it’s never trying to become more than what it is: a spin-off.
When we last left God-U, most of our young supes were imprisoned after trying to stop Cate and Sam from unleashing a violent attack on the non-supe individuals on campus. With Marie, Jordan, Emma, and Andre all out of the running, God-U turned to Cate and Sam as their symbolic heroes. Tragically, between the end of season one and the start of filming on season two, Chance Perdomo (Andre) died in a motorcycle accident. As a result, his character also passes away off screen, in a decision that was necessary but also one that clearly threw a wrench in the story that was meant to be told. Andre’s presence is dearly missed in the series as he was such a crucial part of the show, a co-lead with Marie (Jaz Sinclair), and not having him around means the show is missing another strong anchor in its storytelling. It also means that Andre’s father, Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas) has to step further into the story, attempting to avenge his son’s death while also playing out pieces of what would likely have been Andre’s arc in terms of the degenerating disease from his powers that is slowly killing him.
As for the basic framework of season two, well, it follows closely in the wake of season four of The Boys. Homelander’s control over the country has only grown, with a clear divide between those who support him (and his misogynistic, homophobic, and lightly racist ideology) now publicly clashing with those who support Starlight. Those clashes often turn violent – with people getting murdered for their support of Starlight and a more equal and diverse worldview – and Homelander’s worldview is now the way of the world at God-U. Anyone who dares step out of line publicly is attacked and there’s absolutely no room for anything else. Considering the current state of the nation, it can be hard to watch things we see playing out in reality also playing out on screen (occasionally for laughs – which is one of major issues with both series, as the over-the-top violence is meant to be so over the top at times that it’s funny, but it’s also coming in response to some pretty fucked up beliefs that aren’t exactly fictional these days). Yet another reason one might want to take a step back from Gen V at this stage and maybe revisit it down the road.
But the show’s strengths remain the same as they were in season one. Lizze Broadway (Emma) is an absolute star in the making, and now that she’s been elevated into a co-leading position alongside Sinclair, she absolutely steps into the position and makes the most of it. A deft comedian and really great when it comes to drama, Broadway is a strong balancing force in a series that desperately needs one. It can swing wildly in tone from scene to scene, and Broadway is able to effortlessly flow with where the story takes her. Also stepping up in a big way is the duo of London Thor and Derek Luh, who share the role of Jordan. While the writing doesn’t quite know what it wants to do with the character at times, Thor and Luh are much more comfortable in the part this time around and Jordan feels more complete as a character. And, of course, Sinclair is great as our central figure, Marie.
I just wish the writing and the story were able to live up to the performances. Part of that is how linked the series must be to The Boys without stepping too far ahead of where that series will be going (after all, you don’t want to confuse folks who only watch the mothership). We get some guest appearances from major characters on The Boys, although the series does its best to let the characters stand on their own for the most part. But, with a story that can’t really run the way it wants to – hampered by the confines of its other series – Gen V just doesn’t feel complete in the way that it could if it were a standalone series. And that’s going to be its issue until The Boys is gone. If you’re a fan, you’re going to stay a fan. If you aren’t, season two isn’t going to turn you into one. But there are some strong performances within a messy story.
The second season of Gen V premieres on Prime Video on September 17. All eight episodes were provided for review.
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