Since its first season premiere in 2019, Prime Video’s The Boys adaptation has taken the world by storm, proving that a mature and subversive deconstruction of the superhero genre is something that the world is finally ready to embrace. After three seasons, The Boys has received its own spinoff series in the form of Gen V. After having watched the first three episodes, it’s my pleasure to confirm that Gen V isn’t some low-budget or watered-down spinoff; Gen V is very much more of what we’d expect from The Boys while also capable of standing out as its own great series.

Adult Sky High

Jaz Sinclair (Marie Moreau)

Gen V is set at the fictional Godolkin University and features a cast of younger characters, which is in contrast compared to the bigger scale and older cast of The Boys, but it’s more than just what it seems to be. While The Boys focused more on the actual supes and the realistic ‘business’ surrounding them, Gen V focuses on what it’s like being young superheroes in training, sort of like a more mature Sky High (remember that 2005 Disney movie?). Despite the university setting with young students, Gen V doesn’t fall victim to the same tropes or stereotypes of the genre. There are no typical bullying jocks, popular hot girls, or miserable geeks in Gen V. By that, I also mean that there are no unlikeable characters because almost all of the major characters feel like real people with issues and problems, instead of annoying caricatures or stereotypes.

Gen V definitely doesn’t suffer from the smaller scale, as the cast performs well with their characters, who have depth. The powers of the young Supes in training are also unique enough that they don’t feel like a retread of anything or anyone from The Boys. For instance, the main protagonist Marie Moreau (played by Jaz Sinclair) is a bloodbender, sort of like the manga/anime character Igarashi Ganta from Deadman Wonderland. Meanwhile, Lizze Broadway’s Emma Meyer can make herself tiny. While that power isn’t impressive on paper, it’s what Gen V does with her character (and a testament to actress Lizze Broadway) that she’s one of the standout characters and highlights in the series so far. The other supporting characters are great and Gen V only focuses on a small cast of characters, so the series has ample time for all of them.

The Boys already featured elements of social media commentary, but that becomes one of the main focuses in Gen V, seeing as social media use is more prominent in the lives of youth. In Gen V, everyone manipulates everyone in any way just to get more Internet clout, fame and followers, so much so that it causes harm to the victims. That leads and relates to other elements featured in Gen V, including the characters suffering from mental health problems due to trauma, managing pressure and expectations, and more. A lot of those same elements were also featured in The Boys, but this time we’re seeing it all from a different perspective; that of teens and young adults.

If you loved The Boys, Gen V offers much of the same signature shocking and even disgustingly violent moments. Just like I previously mentioned above, Gen V is not watered down or diminished in any way. There’s still plenty of the gore, intrigue and drama of what you’d expect from The Boys. In addition, Gen V is supposed to take place concurrently with the upcoming The Boys Season 4, so Gen V has many small teases and easter eggs setting up that fourth season of The Boys. What’s great is that none of it feels forced, as Gen V opens up and expands the universe of The Boys, feeling like an extension that’s not just an unnecessary spinoff.

Chance Perdomo (Andre Anderson), Jaz Sinclair (Marie Moreau), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Golden Boy), Maddie Phillips (Cate Dunlap), Derek Luh (Jordan Li)

That being said, viewers can arguably enjoy Gen V even without having watched any previous season of The Boys. Despite there being easter eggs and the occasional reference, the main narrative focuses on an ongoing mystery or conspiracy, as well as the personal emotional issues faced by the characters in their lives. Of course, The Boys fans will be able to appreciate everything more, but Gen V is a great series on its own and just like The Boys, the pacing feels just nice in keeping viewers invested (there will be 8 episodes in Gen V Season 1, just like every season of The Boys).

Superheroes In Training

Chance Perdomo (Andre Anderson)

It’s rare that spinoff or tie-in shows can be as good as the main series, but that’s exactly what Gen V is. It’s just as good as The Boys. I’m looking forward to seeing how the first season of Gen V wraps up its first season and seeing if it will be able to stick the landing in the end. If you love The Boys, Gen V is more of what you love and it’s a worthwhile addition to the Prime Video library.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100

We received early screeners of Gen V courtesy of Prime Video Malaysia. The first three episodes of Gen V is slated to premiere exclusively on Prime Video Malaysia on 29 September 2023.