Fix: Dark superheroes, glorious gore, suped up college, Buffy-style metaphors
Platform: Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime Summary:
From the world of The Boys comes Gen V, a thrilling new series set at America’s only college for superheroes. These gifted students put their moral boundaries to the test, competing for the university’s top ranking, and a chance to join The Seven, Vought International’s elite superhero team. When the school’s dark secrets come to light, they must decide what kind of heroes they want to become.
FYA Summary:
Full disclosure, I am a HUGE fan of The Boys, so when I heard about this spin-off set at a university, I was STOKED Y’ALL. This series has all of the things I love about The Boys (extremely dark humor, bonkers gore, clever writing, and compelling characters) but it’s, like, the Felicity version. What!
If you haven’t seen The Boys, fear not, you can still enjoy this show without feeling like you’re missing anything (the writers do a great job of providing context), though obviously you won’t get a kick out of the cameos. And the cameos are GREAT.
Anyway! Here’s the gist: Marie Moreau has been living in a children’s home ever since she got her period and discovered her powers in the most tragic fashion. Getting into Godolkin University, where all of the best superheroes come from, has not only been a dream but also her only escape out of the system, so when she receives her letter of acceptance, she’s determined not to slip up on her way to being a member of the The Seven (think: The Avengers). The competition at Godolkin is fierce, but Marie is ready; what she’s not prepared for, however, is a conspiracy within the university tied to Vought (the corporation that basically owns superheroes), a secret underground lab, and an unhinged plan to [spoiler redacted].
In other words, shit gets BANANAS.
Familiar Faces:
Chance Perodomo as Andre Anderson, Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, Derek Luh as Jordan Li
As Marie, Jaz Sinclair is definitely the kind of superhero you can root for (which is rare in The Boys universe TBH). She’s compassionate and earnest and wants to do the right thing, but she’s also haunted by family trauma. You may recognize Jaz from The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Also from Sabrina, hey, it’s Ambrose!! Andre Anderson, who was divine as Sabrina’s cousin, ditches his British accent but keeps the winning charm as Chance, a supe with the ability to control metal. Just like everyone else, Chance has his own share of family baggage, as he tries to live up to the expectations of his father (who was a member of The Seven and is now on the university board).
I haven’t seen Derek Luh in anything before, but he plays (part-time) one of the most interesting characters on the show: Jordan Li, a non-binary person who can shape shift between a male body (Derek) and a female body (played by London Thor, what a name!). Jordan faces the prejudice and transphobia you would (unfortunately) expect, and the show explores their journey with thoughtfulness and empathy.
Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer, Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap
You’ve probably realized you’re seeing a pattern here, a la Buffy, in which the series uses the supernatural as a metaphor to explore very human struggles, particularly those encountered by young people. The most striking example of this is seen with the character of Emma, who can become tiny (i.e. Ant-man) by physically throwing up—in other words, her superpower is inextricably tied to an eating disorder. Emma is, no surprise, extremely effed up by this, and Lizze Broadway plays her with deeply layered emotion and a straight shooting attitude. She is my FAVORITE.
And then there’s Cate, played with fierce complexity by Maddie Phillips (a Supernatural alum, care of co-creator Eric Kripke). Cate is perhaps the most complicated character on the show, and Maddie carefully walks the line to make her likable in spite of a sort of Regina George vibe.
Other cast members worth highlighting: Patrick Schwarzenegger as Golden Boy (why yes, he is the campus golden boy), Shelley Conn as Indira Shetty (the head of the school; you may recognize her from Bridgerton), and Alexander Calvert (Jack from Supernatural) as Rufus, a psychic that puts the “P” in perv.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Dorm Party
There is soooo much to react to in this series, from surprise twists to truly spectacular gore, so you’re gonna want at least one person that you can yell / shriek / freak out along with. Just make sure that person is… okay with blood. Lots and lots of blood.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Don’t Order a Keg
You may want a cocktail or two to take the edge off some of the show’s darker moments, but don’t go overboard! There are just too many killer (hey-o) moments you’ll want to remember.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Super!
Hat’s off to Eric Kripke (and co-creator Evan Goldberg) for giving us another fantastic, imaginative genre series that’s not afraid to get wild. From the heartbreaking portraits of grief and depression to the hilarious and weird riffs on the college experience, Gen V packs a dynamite punch, and I can’t wait for Season 2!
Love Gen V! Maybe even more than the main show, since I still like most of the characters lol. Plus also SHIPPING: the enemistry couple is my fave, with the sweet one close behind. (Trying to identify them without spoilers was tricky.)
I agree, the characters on GEN V are way more likable than on THE BOYS. Plus (no duh) I’m a sucker for young adult / burgeoning adult stories. And yes the shipping!! I know exactly who you mean–the sweet couple (old arcade?) is my fave.
YESSS, they are precious and we must PROTECC. Although it’s THE BOYS universe lol so I should know better than get too attached to anyone. And yet!!!!