Gen V Ep 1-3 are the opening chapters of an American superhero television series, developed by Craig Rosenberg, Evan Goldberg, and Eric Kripke, serving as a spin-off of The Boys by Kripke, and based on The Boys comic book story arc “We Gotta Go Now” by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The series is set concurrently with the fourth season of The Boys. (Wikipedia)
S P O I L E R S
Premise
Young adult superheroes, or “supes”, are tested in battle royal challenges at the Godolkin University School of Crimefighting run by Vought International. Gen V Ep 1-3 introduce us to new characters viz. Marie Moreau, Little Cricket, Andre Anderson, Golden Boy, Jordan Li and Cate Dunlap. These characters have to grapple with the usual young adult issues but super-charged with powers and a dark conspiracy.
Good
The best thing about Gen V is that it is recognisably set in the universe of The Boys. From the ultra-violet opening sequence, it is clear that this is no CW young adult series! Sure, the characters are good looking but the scenarios are dark and disturbing throughout. The deconstructive black comedic elements are leaned on heavily here without compromise, which is something to be applauded! Once more, the TV adaptation outdoes the source material in the sex, blood and gore department. Ostensibly, the main character (Marie) is a self-harmer and manipulates blood in deadly ways – nothing pretty about that at all!
Bad
Nothing that really sticks in the craw. If anything, perhaps the performances from the young cast could be stronger and more nuanced. At times, their inexperience does get in the way of a convincing performance but the writing is so strong that that is a minor complaint at worst!
Conclusion
Gen V Ep 1-3 is already a winner. Don’t miss this!
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