Oh, this could have so<\/em> easily gone wrong.<\/p>\n Spin-offs are tricky at the best of times \u2013 even more so when you\u2019re not carrying across any central characters. Throw in the success of The Boys<\/a> with its authentically off-the-wall brutality and Gen V<\/a> \u2013 which is a college-based show set in the same world \u2013 could have easily felt like a watered down knock-off.<\/p>\n Thankfully, fans will soon find there is nothing watered down about this series, which is just as gory, obscene and outrageous as its sister series.<\/p>\n More importantly than that \u2013 it\u2019s actually good.<\/p> Gen V stars Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau, a young Supe with a tragic backstory, who we follow as she starts her first semester at Godolkin University, an educational institution specifically catering to super-powered youngsters.<\/p>\n There she intends to train in crimefighting and eventually become the first black woman in The Seven, although this isn\u2019t the case for all of the school\u2019s intake. Godolkin also teaches classes around acting, media work and other potentially lucrative fields, all under the watchful eye of Dean Shettey (Shelley Conn).<\/p>\n After arriving on campus, Marie soon meets a host of Supes who become our core focus, including Lizze Broadway\u2019s Emma, Patrick Schwarzenegger\u2019s Luke, Maddie Phillips\u2019s Cate and Chance Perdomo\u2019s Andre.<\/p>\n Thankfully, it\u2019s in its character work that Gen V truly excels. You won\u2019t be missing Hughie or Butcher for long, as you\u2019ll soon find yourself getting attached to this winning group of leads.<\/p>\n Part of this is, as with The Boys, due to the innovative power sets on display, whether it\u2019s Marie\u2019s blood manipulation or Emma\u2019s shrinking ability.<\/p>\n As with The Boys, it also uses these to effectively examine social issues, such as with Derek Luh and London Thor\u2019s Jordan Li, a Supe whose central power is the ability to switch between male and female forms, each of which has a different additional power set of their own.<\/p>\n This may not be a particularly subtle way to explore gender fluidity, nor are some of the other ways the series examines modern, real-world society, but they were never subtle in the original show. It\u2019s both shows\u2019 ability to turn obvious and frank metaphors into a strength, and not make them feel lecturing or crass, which is perhaps their greatest superpower.<\/p>\n However, the primary success of the character work here is down to some well-written arcs and a superb, highly likeable cast. From Sinclair down, every cast member manages to make their characters feel relatable and affectingly vulnerable.<\/p>\n This is similar to the narrative \u2013 you can have all the sex, gore and depravity you want (and trust us, there is plenty<\/em>), but the key making us care about what\u2019s actually going on.<\/p>\n Thankfully, the show does just that by neatly setting up the setting and character dynamics in the first episode, only to upend this going forward as a central driving mystery emerges.<\/p>\n The mystery is neatly constructed and suitably gripping, and each characters\u2019 involvement feels natural. The only issue is that by shifting the focus of the narrative to a larger conspiracy, and by becoming more character-based, it does mean we somewhat miss out on exploring that central superhero college premise.<\/p>\n It makes sense given the eight episode run, and you certainly won\u2019t feel as though we\u2019re wasting time or the show is moving at a sluggish pace. Still, it would have been nice to see more of the day-to-day on campus and the way in which the Supe ranking system actually works (including some teased but rarely seen Battle Royale-type situations).<\/p>\n Then, of course, we come to what you\u2019ve all been waiting for \u2013 those links to the wider world of The Boys.<\/p>\n Yes, they are there, and yes, they are frequent. Gen V feels every way in piece with the original show, with highly publicised cameos from the likes of A-Train and Ashley Barrett used to give a sense of cohesion. They are, for the most part, neatly interwoven, and in no way do they take away the limelight from our young leads in their own show.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the one cameo that doesn\u2019t really work is the much-vaunted appearance of Jensen Ackles\u2019s Soldier Boy, which feels tacked on and, honestly, a little groan-worthy. It doesn\u2019t help that it comes during a weaker outing for the series, which features a clunky premise seen far too many times before.<\/p>\n![\"London](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/09\/BYSOS1UT101220531PALBRO00375RC43000-982716e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Gen")
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\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>![\"Claudia](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/09\/BYSOS1UT107220811PALBRO00058RC3000-e8dfc3c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Gen")
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