Strong start gives way to rushed conclusion as restrained season two closes out its corner of The Boys universe
Conceived to be the bridge in between The Boys’ third and fourth season, Gen V’s first season two years ago was a great addition to the expanding universe of Prime Video’s best live action satirical superhero series. However, in its second season, similarly created to lead into The Boys’ fifth and final season, Gen V starts strong but fails to give a proper end to its tiny corner of “The Boysverse”.
After agreeing to align themselves with the pro-Homelander narrative involving the chaos at Godolkin University in the last season, Emma Meyer (Lizze Broadway) and Jordan Li (London Thor and Derek Luh) are released from their detention at Elmira Centre.
Returning to the university as students, they not only have to grapple with Andre Anderson’s (Chance Perdomo) death but also mysterious new dean Cipher’s (Hamish Linklater) interest in them and Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair).
Having escaped Elmira earlier, Marie is located by Starlight (Erin Moriarty), who tasks the blood-controlling young superhero with returning to Godolkin University for a mission: investigate what the university’s deceased founder Thomas Godolkin’s “Odessa Project” is.
Meanwhile, Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan’s (Asa Germann) belief in superpowered supremacy begins to waver. As they grapple with their guilt and come to terms with their mental health problems, both attempt to mend their relationships with Marie, Emma and Jordan, as all five descend into the Odessa Project rabbit hole.
Grounded return to Godolkin University
Gen V’s second season is certainly a lot but it is also a little. It is a restrained season, dialling back on the major conflict involving Homelander, focusing on the small dramatic beats and even somewhat pulls back on the adult humour that moved beyond the point of being overbearing in The Boys’ fourth season.
Taking into account Perdomo’s tragic real-life death and how the season had to be rewritten not only around selling his character’s off-screen demise with decency but also turning it into a core part of each character’s development, showrunner Michele Fazekas and the writers room pull off juggling not only those but also all the different plotlines impeccably.
Though there are certainly moments where the narrative seems like it comes under the strain of having too much story, the pacing is never really affected as when one mystery is solved, another is introduced or a small piece of the puzzle involving the Odessa Project and Cipher is revealed.
Despite its more deliberate pacing, character and story development, the end of the season feels less whole and more underbaked. The big reveal involving the Odessa Project, Cipher and Marie occurs within the season’s penultimate episode and is quickly wrapped up in the finale.
As much as fans will welcome the bloody and violent revolution in The Boys’ fifth season, this season of Gen V certainly caps off like a protest that ends prematurely.
