Against all odds, The Boys has become a deranged version of the very franchise entertainment it set out to mock. The hit Prime Video series that set out to satirize the oversaturated superhero market in the most hyper-violent, gory-on-main, and cynical way possible has since ballooned into three seasons, an animated anthology show, and now its first live-action spin-off. You might be worried that Gen V, the latest installment, is a bridge too far for the Marvel-fatigued fans who made The Boys into a bona fide phenomenon. But surprisingly, this Degrassi-fied yet still unhinged show only enhances the format with some canny, Gen Z-focused social consciousness and a greater attention to characterization.
In the new show, freshman Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) arrives at Godolkin University or “God U” — think Disney’s Sky High if it were a college, but grounded in reality — with the ambition to become a superhero and, eventually, the first Black woman in the prestigious Avengers-style team known as “The Seven.” With powers borne out of her tragic past, she hopes to start anew. By her side is roommate Emma (Lizze Broadway), a vlogger with a very literal shrinking ability.
Immediately, Marie learns that superhero training is about more than saving people, discovering that networking and extracurricular activities matter more for her success than classes. If a new hero doesn't arrive on the scene with a large social media following, they can’t even be admitted into the crime-fighting course she wants to take. Every student is competing to be at the top of the university's hero list, including fire-powered Luke / Golden Boy (Patrick Schwarzenegger), his mind empath girlfriend Cate (Maddie Phillips), metal-bender Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo), and the principal Rich Brink’s (Clancy Brown) gender-shifting assistant Jordan Li (played by both Derek Luh and London Thor). After a night out gone awry catapults Marie into a PR frenzy beyond her control, she begins to uncover a sinister on-campus secret.
It’s no secret that the Boys-verse is meant to be an acute mirror of our own unjust reality. It has long avoided becoming stale by finding new ways to explore topics ranging from right-wing extremism to sexual harassment, all rendered in its own superhero lexicon. Meant to appeal to the TikTok crowd, Gen V consciously leverages its own set of hot-button college-age issues — racial discrimination, faux solidarity, favoritism, and nepotism, among them — while simultaneously ensuring that the students still feel fully realized and human. But while this entry may be more character-focused than the mainline series, Gen V still maintains the same gleefully outrageous and raunchy tone, packing gory fatalities and even literal dick-splosions (yes, you heard me) into the episodes that were screened for critics.
The gender-shifting Jordan Li, established as Marie’s rival, is a highlight of the decidedly Gen Z spin on the format. A bisexual genderqueer Asian character who uses they/them pronouns, Jordan has a different set of abilities depending on which form they embody. Girl Jordan shoots energy blasts out of their hand and has lightning-fast reflexes, while boy Jordan is pretty much Bruce Willis in Unbreakable, all strength and plodding footsteps. Their can-do workaholic attitude and trust issues often put them at odds with Marie, with that rivalry only expanding after Marie finds herself thrust in the spotlight. There’s always a risk when casting two actors (London Thor, who uses she/her pronouns and Derek Luh, who uses he/him pronouns) as a single person, especially when that person is a gender-swapping superhero-to-be. But together, Thor and Luh are excellent at rendering Jordan Li as a complete character, finding the proper wavelengths to accentuate different character traits and emotions whenever they trade off.
Overall, if you’ve been enjoying young adult-focused streaming comedies but wish they were more violently over-the-top, Gen V is here for you, offering a welcomed extension to The Boys’ unhinged delights. Boldly exploring relevant social themes for a Gen-Z audience with thoughtfulness, on-brand excess, with an inclusive edge, this college superhero series gets a high grade for its first semester.
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