Highlights
- Gen V is a spin-off TV series from The Boys on Prime Video and has received critical acclaim for its ability to properly produce a spin-off.
- The show filled the gap between The Boys seasons and provided fans with a continuous story that loosely tied into the flagship series.
- Gen V incorporated established characters from The Boys in a way that helped build the world for Gen V and set up future seasons of both shows.
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 was Gen V, spinning off from The Boys on Prime Video. Gen V followed 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 V received critical acclaim, showing how to properly produce a spin-off TV series. Gen V managed to make just as big of an impact, if not bigger, as the first season of The Boys. Fans immediately called for a second season before the finale. It tied into The Boys in 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 V became the gold standard of spin-offs in several ways. Not only did it satiate fans’ appetite for The Boys’ content, it gave them a look at events unfolding during the period between seasons. Eric Kripke, the Showrunner, talked about the timeline for The Boys and Gen V with Variety, saying:
So it’s all very modular. It’s like there’s Season 3 of The Boys, and then after that Gen V takes place, and then after that The Boys Season 4 takes place. And then after that, Gen V Season 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 with The Boys now. 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 Fett devoted 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 into The Mandalorian. Gen V, on the other hand, stood out on its own without the need for a side quest into a story arch for The Boys.
Gen V brilliantly incorporated established characters from The Boys when it suited the story. The cameos helped build the world for Gen V rather than for shock value. Victoria Neuman showed up on campus as a politician, continuing her arch from The Boys, where she aims to be Robert Singer’s running mate, while also expanding on Marie Moreau’s backstory and powers. Grace Mallory doesn’t appear until there’s a need for her. The writers tied any inclusion of The Boys into the existing Gen V story. 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 V also teased The Boys‘ fourth season. The season four trailer didn’t explicitly mention anything from Gen 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 follows Butcher investigating The Woods. Butcher is most definitely looking for the virus since Dean Shetty attempted to give it to Grace Mallory.
The Gen V virus 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 of The Boys. She also echoed many of Homelander’s supe-supremacy philosophies not long before the leader of the Seven showed up at God U. There’s a good chance she appears in The Boys season 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.
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