After reflecting on the conclusion of The Boys season four, it became time to shift our focus back to its surprisingly good, and dare we say even better, spin-off series, Gen V.
Season two had a lot to build upon, especially considering the cliffhanger that season one left us with: Homelander ruining the fun and Billy Butcher pursuing the Supe-killing virus. While the series retained some elements that fans have come to love and appreciate more than its predecessor, season two showed signs of senioritis, suggesting that a series known for satirizing the management of other superhero franchises and their overflowing release schedules can’t monkey-see, monkey-do its way into mimicry.
Liked: Tribute to Chance Perdomo
When cast member Chance Pedromo passed away, many fans questioned how Gen V would address the character of Andre Anderson. Instead of recasting the role, the showrunners chose to honor Perdomo by incorporating his character’s off-screen sacrifice into the storyline, making it the driving force behind the ensemble. Although this approach could have been clumsy, it ultimately resulted in a stronger narrative.
Not only did it closely resemble Ryan Coogler’s approach to addressing the passing of Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther 2, but it also highlighted a glaring blind spot in the shared mythology of both The Boys and Gen V: despite the presence of superpowered beings and the rise of fascism, racism persists, and having superpowers does not exempt one from being viewed as disposable by those in power.
It’s a delicate line to walk, but the show succeeded by illustrating that the powers that be at Vought are no different from any other fascist regime. Andre served as a significant catalyst throughout the season, with characters donning his hoodie and reminding others of his light, becoming a poignant high point in an otherwise lackluster season.
Liked: Hamish Linklater’s scene-stealing performance as Cipher
Being the new headmaster at God U, especially amid the looming threat of Homelander, required a commanding presence to rival the menace of that insecure, overpowered man-baby. Casting Hamish Linklater as Cipher in Gen V was a sensational decision. In a meta sense, it made perfect sense to have Linklater in this role, especially considering his recent subdued yet charismatic portrayal of Batman in Batman: Caped Crusader, which cleverly folded into the character’s mythos. And fans of Midnight Mass know that he has the power to convince anyone of anything with his monologues, regardless of their length. He truly has a way with words.
In this season of Gen V, Linklater’s performance as Cipher acted as a stimulus to the show’s quality while cranking the dial to 11 on the scale of villains you definitely don’t want to mess with in The Boys universe. His unnerving portrayal combined elements of Kilgrave from Jessica Jones with a heavy-handed dash of quirky Gen V humor and quips, elevating every scene he was in and stealing moments of the spotlight. It’s unfortunate that the show took some of the momentum away from his character toward the finale. We’ll discuss that later.
Liked: Emma addressing her body dysmorphia
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