Summary
Spin-off television series' are nothing new. They happen all the time with varying degrees of success and failure. The newest spin-off for comic books fans wasGen V,spinning off fromThe Boyson Prime Video.Gen Vfollowed a group of super-powered young adults attending Godolkin University (God U), a school for “gifted youngsters.” The spin-off specifically followed Marie Moreau, a supe with the ability to control blood, who lived a disadvantageous life but found herself admitted the prestigious Godolkin U.
Gen Vreceived critical acclaim, showing how to properly produce a spin-off TV series.Gen Vmanaged to make just as big of an impact, if not bigger, as thefirst season ofThe Boys. Fans immediately called for a second season before the finale. It tied intoThe Boysin a balanced way, expanded on the world the characters exist in, and introduced some new characters who fans desperately want to see crossover into the flagship series.
RELATED:Gen V: Season 1 Ending, Explained
Gen V filled the gap between The Boys seasons
Gen Vbecame the gold standard of spin-offs in several ways. Not only did it satiate fans' appetite forThe Boys’content, it gave them a look at events unfolding during the period between seasons. Eric Kripke, the Showrunner, talked about the timeline forThe BoysandGen VwithVariety, saying:
So it’s all very modular. It’s like there’s Season 3 ofThe Boys, and then after thatGen Vtakes place, and then after thatThe BoysSeason 4 takes place. And then after that,Gen VSeason 2 takes place. It’s all more like cars on a train than it is a plate of spaghetti.
The majority of shows rarely show events that occur between seasons unless it suits the narrative.Not withThe Boysnow. Now fans get a continuous story with two different titles that will present new stories that loosely tie into one another. Characters can go back and forth between the shows. Kripke and crew have cracked the formula that won’t make it feel gratuitous either, as they proved they know how to use characters sparingly and only when they make sense.
Gen V could be enjoyed on its own merits
Some spin-offs have a difficult time crawling out from the shadow of the production they originated from.The Book of Boba Fettdevoted two entire episodes to Din Djarin, sidelining the titular character. That undercut Boba Fett and made fans feel like the studio didn’t have any confidence in its own production. The studio could have implemented the story for those episodes intoThe Mandalorian.Gen V, on the other hand, stood out on its own without the need for a side quest into a story arch forThe Boys.
Gen Vbrilliantly incorporated established characters fromThe Boyswhen it suited the story. The cameos helped build the world forGen Vrather than for shock value. Victoria Neuman showed up on campus as a politician, continuing her arch fromThe Boys,where she aims to be Robert Singer’s running mate, while alsoexpanding on Marie Moreau’s backstoryand powers. Grace Mallory doesn’t appear until there’s a need for her. The writers tied any inclusion ofThe Boysinto the existingGen Vstory. They didn’t lose focus on what season one was about. They allowed the show to walk on its own.
Gen V still tied into The Boys and set up next season
Almost in a masterful manner,Gen Valso teasedThe Boys' fourth season. The season four trailer didn’t explicitly mention anything fromGen V, but Victoria Neuman showing up lends to the theory that there will be mention of the virus created at Godolkin University. The penultimate episode of the fledgling episode showed Neuman obtaining possession of the virus while a post-credit scene followsButcher investigating The Woods. Butcher is most definitely looking for the virus since Dean Shetty attempted to give it to Grace Mallory.
TheGen Vvirus will likely be more of a B-plot story as the season four trailer hints at a larger conflict brewing between Homelander, Starlight, and their supporters. With Neuman being seen walking on stage hand-in-hand with Robert Singer, there’s no doubt there will be, at the very least, mention of the virus. One character not seen in the trailer was Cate Dunlap, who exhibited herself as one of the most powerful characters in the universe ofThe Boys. She also echoed many ofHomelander’s supe-supremacyphilosophies not long before the leader of the Seven showed up at God U. There’s a good chance she appears inThe Boysseason four in a small capacity. Possibly even as a potential candidate for the team, but the introduction of Firecracker and Sister Sage makes that more unlikely.
Gen V
Gen V, a spinoff of Prime Video’s The Boys, follows the super students of Godolkin University. However, the school is hiding a dark secret, and it’s up to freshman Marie Moreau and her friends to bring the truth to light. Gen V maintains the anarchic spirit of The Boys, and is filled with just as much dark humor and gritty, bloody violence.
