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Gen V debuted on September 29, 2023, with its first three episodes on Prime Video, and delivered to the promise of keeping viewers hooked to their seats. The Boys spinoff continued with the enigma of moral issues among superheroes in the real world, only this time with teenagers. The younger superheroes are expected to find it more challenging as they accommodate their powers and learn to push their boundaries.
Based on the book We Gotta Go Now by Darick Robertson and Darth Ennis, the series is developed by Eric Kripke, Craig Rosenberg, and Evan Goldberg. The plot follows the young adult superheroes joining Godolkin University, run by Vought International, as they find out about each other and the institution.
While this is the third entry into the franchise, it parallels The Boys’ fourth season.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers and disturbing images.
Vought News about The Boys, Queen Maeve, and Golden Boy posters and more spoilers from Gen V debut
Gen V released its first three episodes together, inviting binge-watching from fans. While viewers focused on the flow of the storyline, they likely missed out on finer points hidden within the scenes. While a repeat watch may reveal them, a few easter eggs visible in the show.
The main lead, Marie Moreau’s Red River Institute room, showed posters of Golden Boy and Queen Maeve on the wall near her bed. While people believe that Queen Maeve is dead, she is in hiding. On the other hand, Golden Boy, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, is a student of God U and a superhero who is a cross between the Human Torch and the Sentry.
Continuing with posters, the walls of Sam’s cell at the Woods have the posters of the supes group Payback and one of Black Noir.
In one scene, a person sitting in a circle with Marie at the Red River Institute referred to Starlight leaving The Seven, which occurred in the third season of The Boys. This scene made it clear that the show is placed between The Boys third and fourth seasons.
In another scene, the Vought News headline reads, “ New evidence Russia plotted 7 Tower attack. Homelander lawyer: He stood his ground.” This headline refers to the final big fight during the third season of the original series. Another reference to season 3 of the original came when the NNC channel showed Homelander’s poster on screen breaking the news about his trial.
Gen V episode 1 showed Justine talking about auditioning for a limited series at Vought+, which deals with elevated superheroes meditating on grief, told through 0 years of sitcoms. This was a clear allusion to the 2021 limited series Marvel’s WandaVision, where Scarlett Witch’s grief was explored through sitcoms.
In a clear case of Gen V working as a bridge between seasons 3 and 4 of The Boys, Brink asked Luke whether he would want to take up Queen Maeve’s department or Starlight’s at The Seven. As such, both the characters have left, leaving their positions open. While Luke’s killing Brink and committing suicide rendered the question pointless, it shows a crossover between Gen V and the original series.
Some other interesting easter egg reveals include references to Bryan Singer in a discussion of Termite and Justine and a brief shot of Love Sausage at the psychiatric hospital. Moreover, Brink Brinkerhoff’s book showed a quote at the bottom of the book cover from Jess Stein. It could mean Jessica Stein, the first assistant art director in the show’s graphics team.
Will Gen V engage the viewers?
The premise of the spinoff is slightly different from the original. While The Boys deals with some humans in the wider relatable world, the protagonists in Gen V are not humans. The series has brought some unusual superpowers to the fore, too.
The cast gets under the characters' skin, leading to a good performance. Some of the cast members who have made an impression are Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, Lizze Broadway as Emma, Maddie Phillips as Cate, Derek Luh & London Thor as Jordan Li, Clancy Brown as Professor Brink, Shelley Conn as Indira Shetty and many more.
Watch out for Gen V episode 4, to be released on October 6, 2023, on Amazon Prime.
