'Gen V' Season 2 Review: Amazon's Promising Superhero Spinoff Is Taking The Wrong Lessons From 'The Boys'

"When The Boys Season 4 premiered in June of 2024, it was clear it was at the end of its lifespan. The satire went from shocking to groan-inducing, the plotlines got more on-the-nose, and the gore was no longer as satisfyingly gnarly as it once was. But despite all the tired aspects of the season, there was one bright spot:the upcoming return of , the college-set spinoff that took all the best parts of The Boys and skewed them younger with some classic young-adult teen drama issues."

"Gen V Season 2 picks up soon after the events of The Boys Season 4: Victoria Neuman is dead, superhero supremacy is at an all-time high, and Annie January, aka Starlight, is a wanted criminal. She's not the only one. Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) has escaped Elmira prison and is now trying to lay low, while her friends Jordan (London Thor/Derek Luh) and Emma (Lizze Broadway) get out in a much more straightforward way: they're brought back to Godolkin University's campus by Cate (Maddie Phillips), newly exonerated and lauded as "Guardians of Godolkin.""

"Hamish Linklater's Cipher is God U's mysterious new Dean. Amazon Prime Video But just because their names are cleared, it doesn't mean that everything is back to normal. There's a new Dean in charge: Cipher (Hamish Linklater), and he's all about Superhero Supremacy, down to hiring an all-Supe faculty. He's also possibly at the center of a new massive conspiracy Marie gets a tip about."

Gen V Season 2 continues the college-set spinoff storyline after The Boys Season 4, with Victoria Neuman dead, superhero supremacy rising, and Starlight a wanted criminal. Marie Moreau escapes Elmira prison and tries to lay low while Jordan and Emma return to Godolkin University escorted by Cate, newly exonerated and celebrated. A new Dean, Cipher, champions Superhero Supremacy, staffing an all-Supe faculty and appearing tied to a major conspiracy. The season carries over the original show's heavier-handed satire, on-the-nose plotting, and diminished shock value, yet it still provides watchable character moments and some momentum.

Read at Inverse