Gen V (The Boys spin-off)

[Mobius]

This just came out on Amazon Prime. It's set in some superhero college

I quite like The Boys, and this spinoff is surprisingly quite enjoyable too. Thought it'd be some YA version of The Boys but it's just as "adult" and hits all the same beats

If you like the boys you'll enjoy it anyway

[dissolute ocelot]

Cool, not got around to watching it yet, but the concept seems like it could be great (teenage supes doing horrible things) or terrible (teenage supes not doing horrible things), so here's hoping.

[Shaky]

It's not bad but the formula (soapy character stuff and the occasional "Fucking HELL!" effect) is wearing a bit thin. None of the characters are anywhere near as immediately charming/interesting/despicable as the main Boys lot were.

[dissolute ocelot]

It's not bad but the formula (soapy character stuff and the occasional "Fucking HELL!" effect) is wearing a bit thin. None of the characters are anywhere near as immediately charming/interesting/despicable as the main Boys lot were.

I quite liked the pilot; some of it was very on-the-nose in terms of metaphors for being a young woman, and the plot was fairly predictable, but plenty room for development. Regarding unsympathetic characters, I quite liked the woman who shrank herself and battled her gerbil on YouTube, but there are a lot of deeply troubled people, and a few who're just unlikable. Also interesting to be focused on a hero (Marie) with a superpower that is more icky than glamorous or cool, scope for both comedy and angst there, although so far mostly the latter. The blood/dismemberment effects seemed exactly the same as in The Boys, but I thought they were used quite well, and the stuff about "The Woods" was interesting. I'll see how it develops.

[dissolute ocelot]

Am I the only one watching this now? After 4 episodes I'm enjoying it. It has the same advantage as The Boys, of moving at a rapid pace rather than e.g. spending a whole series puzzling over what is the mysterious thing in the basement. Emma/Cricket is definitely the best character; although there are other promising ones (trans allegory, creepy persuasive girl), and Dean Shetty is a great villain; plus one-offs (?) like the creepy TV detective clearly modelled on pedo-hunter Chris Hansen, or the creepy psychic. And some inventive violence. There is a tendency for characters to randomly have sex, which might be a plus or a minus; less for sexposition than seemingly network contractual requirement. And Marie the ostensible central character is more potentially interesting than particularly charismatic. But yeah, generally I think it's not a total disgrace to its parent.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

Watched first episode, thought it was alright, agree that none of these characters seem as charismatic or interesting than the main series ones but I'll probably watch the rest of it

[Gulftastic]

I'm watching it! Episode 4 was hilarious.

I hope nothing bad happens to Emma.

[Joe Oakes]

I'm also quite enjoying this.

However, I made the schoolboy error of reading the trigger warning at the start of the first episode, which gave away the ending as I was waiting for it to happen. I don't have a problem with trigger warnings in general, but I wish they'd give a spoiler warning for the trigger warning when it relates to key plot points.

[dissolute ocelot]

So that's Season One over, after 8 episodes. Overall it's been fun if not classic TV. A second season is apparently commissioned, and there's plenty of scope for season 2, lots of characters developing their powers.

Spoiler alert

And lots of blood and exploding heads. The violent mayhem in the finale was gratuitous but fun.

But with all the people from Boys cropping up (Billy Butcher and Homelander), it does raise the question of what will be the relationship between the two series. I guess it's OK to have Homelander and other Vought figures in there because in the world of Boys/Gen V he's a megastar and Vought is central to everything, but having Billy sniffing around is more awkward. Hopefully they will let Gen V be its own thing.

[close]

[Gulftastic]

Apparently season 4 of The Boys picks up where this season of Gen V ends.

[Mobius]

I prefer this to The Boys, because it doesn't have Frenchy.

Thought the last ep was pretty cool

[SteveDave]

I enjoyed all of this (despite what my wife thought) but I especially enjoyed fake Timothee Chalamet in the first episode



He did not appear in any subsequent episodes

[Mobius]

Well, this sucks

https://www.thewrap.com/chance-perdomo-dead/

RIP