‘Gen V’ Review: Empowered Youth
metroweekly.comThe Boys is one of Prime Video’s greatest series on its platform.So it makes sense that the Amazon corporate overlords would mine the original comic from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson for some way to extend the brand.Gen V (★★★★☆), a show about America’s most prestigious superhero college, makes it clear through blood, insanity, and pitch-black humor that this is definitely a spin-off of The Boys.Following a dangerous awakening of her power to control blood, Marie (Jaz Sinclair) gets the opportunity to leave her orphanage for kids with powers for Goldolkin University, a major step forward in her goal to become the first black woman on The Seven.When she arrives, Marie meets her roommate, Emma (Lizze Broadway), who is also a famous YouTuber, Little Cricket, where she showcases her ability to shrink.Together, the two meet the school’s top ten students, including the superpowered Golden Boy (Patrick Schwarzenegger), his mind-controlling girlfriend Cate (Maddie Phillips), bi-gender Jordan (London Thor and Derek Luh), and Andre (Chance Perdomo), the magnetic son of a famous alumni.While Marie’s initial hopes seem fruitful, Gen V constantly reminds you that this is the world of The Boys, almost too much so.
Every happy moment is bookended by an insane and usually violent moment of trauma with some zinger or depraved joke. This intense come-and-go manages to truly replicate the feeling The Boys brings — along with the enjoyability.Gen V zooms by even with hour-long episodes.
Its pacing is electric, and its plotting is just smart enough to keep you guessing. The highlight of the series has been its characters, who, despite being set up to be stereotypes, become likable people you genuinely root for.
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