Spinoffs are tough nuts to crack — they’re either rudderless or they nudge their origin stories forward in fun and interesting ways.
I’d say “Gen V” is a little bit of both.
The eight-episode series, spun off from “The Boys” and premiering Sept. 29 on Prime Video, unfolds in that same anarchic loony-toons superhero universe. “The Boys” premiered in 2019 and has yet to waiver in delivering high satire, surrealism and ultra-violence wrapped in a spot-on commentary on American mores and politics in the 21st century (particularly on our preoccupation with social media).
It’s a tough act to follow and “Gen V” is a hit-or-miss affair early on. It continues in the tradition of “The Boys” sometimes for better and to the point where it’s derivative of its predecessor. And, saddled with trying to retain that oomph — while adding something new to the canon — it frequently falls into a sophomoric rut (sexual situations run rampant) but, when all is said a done, manages to extricate itself before it collapses into the abyss of noisy mediocrity.
The setting here is Godolkin University, aka “God U,” where superheroes bred by Compound V matriculate to learn the fine art of harnessing their powers; there are classes in “Hero Ethics” and “Understanding Branding,” for instance, and there’s an adjacent acting school for those who might end up in one of Vought International’s “Supes”-driven television series (maybe streaming on Vaught+) or big-screen movies.
The goal is to graduate, hopefully without killing anyone, and to be drafted into Vaught Tower and The Seven in order to safeguard America. “Being a superhero is not what you think,” says one character. Beware.
Our protagonist here is Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), who arrives at God U. as an 18-year-old “blood bender” with the ability to use her own blood as a weapon — which she discovered, to her horror, six years earlier when she accidentally killed her parents in front of her horrified little sister, who thinks she’s a murderous monster. Marie suffers from a bit of imposter syndrome upon arriving at God U. — who wouldn’t?” — and unceasing guilt regarding her parents’ deaths.
Marie’s classmates are, as expected, a colorful (and dangerous bunch). There’s star pupil Lance (Patrick Schwarzenegger) — aka Golden Boy — whose spontaneous combustion puts him at the top of the God U. superhero class with a golden ticket to The Seven (he awkwardly fights crime in the nude, since his clothes burn off). Marie’s roommate, Little Cricket (Lizze Broadway), can shrink herself down (only after purging), while Jordan Lin is a gender-bender (played by Derek Luh and London Thor). Golden Boy’s girlfriend, Cate (Maddie Phillips), is a mind empath wherein she says and you obey — sometimes to comical effect) — and Andre (Chance Perdomo) is a metal bender and the son of a renowned Supe, Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas).
The classmates are an extremely competitive bunch not averse to backstabbing and subterfuge to catch the attention of avuncular Professor Brinkerhoff (Clancy Brown), a Supes expert who grooms his charges for their post-graduate work. You just know he’s not a good guy — “Gen V’s” version of Stan Edgar, played by Giancarlo Esposito in “The Boys” — and it’s borne out by “The Woods” that exists underneath the God U. campus and hold its share of nefarious secrets.
The ball gets rolling when Marie has her moment in the social media sun and the characters in her orbit start to take shape with their interpersonal relationships and back stories. The writing here is, at times, sharp-edged and witty; God U.’s hapless social media director, Jeff, tells Marie that he’s on crutches after tripping on the carpet at PaleyFest. Meta references abound; “Dancing With the Stars,” “Chicago Fire” and Zach Braff get shout-outs, and the bored acting coach, once a powerful Hollywood director, is there because “He showed his d–k to Minka Kelly.” Like that.
Viewers who haven’t seen “The Boys” (and its head-popping, limbs exploding violence) or who don’t have at least a passing familiarity with the mothership will find the in-jokes and references (to Homelander, Starlight and Queen Maeve, among others) bewildering.
The series does, however, eventually settle down and those who stick with it will feel that they’re part of this wink-wink (and weird!) world.