‘Gen V’ Season 2 premiere review: New year brings new villains, loves and lies

As a reviewer, one sometimes likes to be surprised and sometimes is happy knowing what is coming. Gen V falls in the latter category, where you are primed to be shocked out of your skull by extreme violence (including eye trauma, sigh), graphic sex, salty language, cutting social satire and edgy humour, and are suitably pleased when it delivers on all counts.

Gen V, which follows meta-humans studying at Godolkin University, a twisted version of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, is more of a bridge rather than a spin-off of The Boys. Following the horrific events of The Boys Season 4 — with Homelander in charge of America and by extension, Godolkin University — Season 2 finds ever-widening fault lines between humans and superheroes.

Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer in a still from ‘Gen V’

Firecracker’s (Valorie Curry) relentless, shouty propaganda and mercenary, Dogknott’s (Zach McGowan) trigger-happy actions do not help calm the multitudes. There is music in the café every night and revolution in the air (to paraphrase the poet) as a frazzled barista finds out to her detriment.

Emma (Lizze Broadway), who can shrink or grow enormous, and the gender-switching Jordan Li (London Thor and Derek Luh), after months of traumatic incarceration at Elmira Center for daring to look into the horrors of The Woods, are offered a deal. If they follow the party line — blaming the late Indira Shetty, the former dean, for the carnage at The Woods — they can return to Godolkin, which the popular and powerful telepath, Cate (Maddie Phillips), insists is the safest place for them.

Apart from dealing with socials and sundry public appearances, courtesy of the Head of Student Life, Stacey Ferrara (Stacey McGunnigle), who has a scary sting popping out of her lower back, Emma and Jordan also have to deal with Marie (Jaz Sinclair), who abandoned them at Elmira, and Andre’s death. New storylines were introduced following the decision not to recast Chance Perdomo, who played Andre and died in a motorcycle crash in March 2024.

Marie, who can manipulate blood and is on the run, is also convinced to return to Godolkin. Starlight (Erin Moriarty) wants Marie to uncover the truth about Odessa, a secret project run by the university founder Thomas Godolkin (Ethan Slater), involving many babies who died and one who survived.

Not much is known about the new dean, Cipher (Hamish Linklater), who is true to his name. He is committed to turning supes into soldiers for the coming war with humans. As part of his training, he sets super-strong killing machines on the students who have to get to a button to signal the end of class.

Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau and London Thor as Jordan Li in a still from ‘Gen V’

Sam (Asa Germann) is confused about the events at The Woods and looks to Cate for guidance, who is unable or unwilling to help him. After searching for meaning at the bottom of a whiskey bottle for the longest time, Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas), Andre’s father, joins Godolkin as faculty to uncover the truth of his son’s death.

The first three episodes set the stage for the bigger explosions, revelations and laughs to come. The writing is sharp as ever, with the ditzy Modesty Monarch solemnly declaring, “I firmly believe that feminism has ruined America,” or Marie, who, when told she might be the one to save the world, retorts, “Chosen ones are baby-faced white dudes, not someone who looks like me.”

Based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book story arc, “We Gotta Go Now,” Gen V poignantly recreates the miracles and mayhem of being young and restless, of looking back in anger and ahead with tremulous hope, with a few exploding heads for company.

Gen V Season 2 currently streams on Amazon Prime Video with weekly episodes drops until October 22

Published – September 18, 2025 03:39 pm IST