Directly out of a page from “The Boys” textbook comes “Gen V,” set at supe school. The new series centers around an ensemble class of up and coming superheroes attending Godolkin University (aka God U). While you can certainly see the familiar DNA of the brilliantly crafted universe of “The Boys” in “Gen V,” the new show it isn’t quite ready to graduate… yet.
Trying to straddle the well woven world of corporate greed established in the main series, along with the angst of young adulthood, sometimes it feels like “Gen V” bites off a little more than it can chew. It didn’t quite hit the ground running in as fully formed a way as its progenitor.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have merits of its own, Jaz Sinclair, who stars as Marie Moreau, a newcomer to God U, gives a performance balanced with innocence and rage. The rest of the cast give it the old college try, including Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway, Shelley Conn, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Marco Pigossi.
Prepare to be as grossed out, if not more so, than “The Boys” though we found the usually sharp and savvy employment of particularly gory moments less refined in “Gen V.” Perhaps it was intentional and attempting to be more juvenile to match the younger setting, but we did find ourselves missing the more pointed usage.
All that being said, “Gen V” season one is still an entertaining and messed up watch. While it might currently sit in the shadow of its more advanced older sibling, it’s still an excellent start. There’s plenty of room for growth and with such a solid foundation (with some standout moments) we’re excited to go on the journey. We suggest those completely unfamiliar with the franchise begin with “The Boys” as it does a much better job of establishing the nature of the world the stories take place in.
“Gen V” is streaming now on Prime Video, with weekly episodes dropping until Friday, November 3rd.
