Gen V

As a big fan of The Boys I've been looking forward to Gen V ever since I first heard about it. Then after seeing the trailers my excitement grew even more. After finishing the first season I can absolutely say that without a doubt Gen V has not only met my expectations but has exceeded them in every way. It's as fast paced and entertaining as the The Boys series. Even though you'd probably enjoy this more if you've seen the The Boys, you don't have to have seen them to like this. The action scenes are as good as anything I've seen on tv, as exciting and as ridiculous as they are in The Boys. This spin-off actually connects to the original in major ways. You need to watch this so you can follow the story better in the newest season of The Boys. I can't stop watching this and really hope they plan on doing several seasons of this because I'm hooked.

A spin off set in the most incredibly thought through universe of recent times. Sounds too good to be true but they pulled it off in spectacular fashion. Looking at the Boys' universe from the lens of teenage superheroes as they realize what being a superhero means in the real world is refreshing.

The cast is good, although not at the level of The Boys but good enough. Jaz Sinclair (as Marie) in the lead is good, supported by Lizzie Broadway (as Emma), Chance Perdomo (as Polarity), London Thor (as Jordan Li) and others are also good.

The plot surprisingly ties in very well to the story of the main series and the cameos of the main show are extremely rewarding.

Good and entertaining to watch. Not a must though for the Boys universe.

Plot

From the world of "The Boys" comes "Gen V," which explores the first generation of superheroes to know that their super powers are from Compound V. These heroes put their physical and moral boundaries to the test competing for the school's top ranking.

Cast

Mostly unknown to me, but several were memorable due to fantastic performances including Jaz Sinclair, Lizze Broadway and London Thor. A few of the Boys cast momentarily jump over and veteran Sean Patrick Thomas was a welcome sight.

Verdict

I like The Boys, I think it's one of the better shows of the last few years partially due to the no holding back, hyper violence and it just being something different and that's really needed right now. I was skeptical about a spinoff as they tend to be mere shadows of what came before but Gen V actually managed to get and keep my attention throughout.

Is it laden with teen angst? Well yeah, but that was never in question and was always going to be a major factor here. But the teen drama crossed with the Boys adult material, it works fantastically.

Interestingly co-written by Seth Rogan and with a mostly unknown cast I have to say everyone did a great job, most of the cast are brilliant here and that's what more shows need! I want to see a character, not have that ruined by my seeing a familiar face all the time. Sinclair, Broadway and Thor were all great and thorough scene stealers.

The plot is uninspired but competently handled so you can get past that and it parallels The Boys perfectly and makes for a nice companion piece which if handled correctly could intertwine incredibly.

I love The Boys, I like Gen V, I'm very excited where this all could lead.

Rants

In a world that hates the young, inclusivity is the devil and diversity is "Woke" I'm surprised that Gen V has been met as well as it has. The Boys got hit with all those accusations and I'd argue Gen V is even more so, I'm resisting the urge for a change to jump to the 1/10 reviews as I know what I'll see. Closed mindedness, the W word on a loop, an ocean of misogyny and casual racism. What time to be alive, rampant tribalism at it's most primal.

The Good

Some great cast members Solid connections to The Boys Engaging stuff Some action packed and very funny moments

The Bad

A couple of weak links among the cast Plot could have been stronger.

This review was made after watching Season 1.

Good news, the show will have a second season 2. Sad news, sadly, one of the main actors passed away at 27. He was my favourite character in the series, I wish his family well, and I'm sure he made it to Heaven.

Ok let's review the show now. Is there gore? Yes. Is there nudity? Yes. Are there cool superpowers? Yes. That checks it for most of The Boys fans, but this series has more. Many current topics are tackled like eating disorders, self harm, parents acceptance and social media. The cg is good, the sets are good, and the acting is great. You really should give it a try.

It is not easy to find a Spin off of a successful series that knows how to live up to it. Much less that it surpasses it in some aspects. This is precisely what happens with Gen V.

Spiritually it's like watching The Boys but it also feels different considering the setting in which it takes place.

An explosive first chapter and a plot that develops very well.

With fair and necessary cameos, with the gore and risqué scenes that the franchise has already accustomed us to.

What has been achieved with that universe is not simple and I am grateful that it is already known when and how the mother series will end.

I really liked the characters of Marie and Jordan, as well as Andre (it is a shame that the actor died) although we still don't know how his story will be carried out.

As season 4 of The Boys progresses, we will see how the events of Gen V will connect and perhaps the key to defeating Homelander.

A must for fans and followers.