Gen V returns for its second season with higher stakes, sharper villains, and a more ambitious narrative that bridges closer with its parent series, The Boys. The season picks up after the fallout from Season 1: Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), Emma, Jordan, Cate, Sam, and others are thrust back into Godolkin University under new leadership. Dean Cipher (Hamish Linklater) takes control, pushing the Supes to become soldiers rather than students, setting up a conflict that feels both ideological and deeply personal.
One of the strongest gains in this season is its emotional depth. The show does a thoughtful job honoring the memory of actor Chance Perdomo (Andre), whose off-screen passing had to be incorporated into the storyline. His absence is felt, but the show uses that loss to deepen character arcs around grief, identity, and responsibility, particularly for Marie, Polarity, and others who were close to Andre.
Hamish Linklater’s Cipher emerges as a standout new antagonist. He brings menace, dark humor and a philosophical edge to the show’s themes of power, control, and propaganda. While some of the Supes are still coming into their own, Cipher gives them a focal point of genuine threat and pushes the narrative into more morally murky territory. The show also strengthens its ensemble performances, actors like Jaz Sinclair and Lizze Broadway give weight to the conflicts, both external and internal, that their characters endure.
However, the season isn’t without its flaws. The pacing can be uneven, early episodes move slowly, largely focused on setting up the new power dynamics and introducing Cipher’s regime, but at times this feels bogged down by exposition or subplots that don’t land as strongly. Some supporting characters feel under-utilized, and while the show leans hard on satire, pop culture jabs, and over the top “supe drama,” occasionally those elements feel more gratuitous than insightful. The heavy tonal swings—from comedic irreverence to brutal violence to political commentary, can sometimes jar rather than cohere.
Overall, Gen V Season 2 proves itself more than just a spin-off: it’s becoming essential in The Boys universe. With its blend of superhero spectacle, moral ambiguity, grief, and satire, it carves out its own identity. It may not match the near-perfect highs of its debut season, but it deepens its themes, delivers strong villainy, and builds toward what looks like an intense narrative moving forward. For fans of the universe, it’s a compelling ride; for newcomers, it’s dark, messy, and provocative, well worth your time.
Notable Gen V Lines / Quotes
“You would do anything for everyone to like you. You’re not a hero.”
“You’re fed-up. I’m fed-up. The one thing that is really apparent now is that we are all f***ed-up.”
“This school thought they could torture you. Why? Because they said you were all crazy? Inferior? But you’re not inferior. You are superior to them. And it’s time we showed it.”
“You’re not here to study. The school is here to study you.”
“You all act like you’re made of steel. But you’re not. No one is.”
“I just wanted to be a hero. Someone my sister could be proud of, but I don’t give a s*** anymore. I just want to be a good person.” — Marie Moreau