In the first glimpse of Prime Video’s new spin-off, Gen V, we embark on an eight-year journey back to the day when A-Train was announced as the first black member of The Seven. For viewers, including the idealist Moriarty Family, this was a significant moment. It signifies progress, real change, and the potential for anyone to become a hero.
Origin of a Blood Manipulator
It reveals the fundamental purpose of this scene: to resurrect Mori Moriarty’s traumatic past, a time when she wasn’t yet 12, and she discovered her menstrual blood on her face one day. Over the years, she’ll learn to harness those powers and become a skilled blood manipulator. But in this first encounter, she’s entirely at the mercy of these superhumans. When her mother checks on her, my jolt, horror, and embarrassment manifest like a jet of blood splattering on the door. It kills her mother, and the second explosion also claims her father.
Gen V Spin-Off
Beyond information, this opening scene hints at what this spin-off may include. Firstly, we’re here because of the Parent Series’ popularity (later revealed with a cheeky credit by Colby Minifie as Vought CEO Ashley Barrett). The central cast of Gen V might consist of entirely new original characters, but the story is deeply rooted in The Boys’ world. While the show focuses on America’s most famous supes and a relatively unknown resistance group determined to expose and take them down, it offers us a more direct view of the ground reality. We get to see what the rest of the country thinks about Supes.
Jazz Sinclair’s Role: Unmasking Supes
My (Jazz Sinclair) character resembles Marie , a young girl who worships Vought International’s heroics, buys into all their messages, and prioritizes representation in a post-racist world. But if you’ve seen The Boys, you’ll know that the public perception of supes is based on a lie.
In this American but elevated version, supes are a tool of capitalism, controlled by the most corrupt corporation, used for saving lives rather than making money, albeit put on a show to the contrary. My character, like others, starts to question this, albeit without full knowledge yet.
Inside Red River to Meet the Supes and Students
Marie is meant to be better than Red River, where most young supes eventually reach Vought’s adult convenience. This place is a hell of freedom, unlike what she was used to in her cloistered environment. It’s essentially an R-rated college dorm: brightly colored bongs in the air, 18-year-olds with superpowers partying with Hero-gasms, and a hidden RA lurking in the corridors.
We gradually meet other students who will round out our central cast. Emma Mayer (Lizze Broadway) is my character’s roommate, an aspiring YouTuber who meticulously compresses her popular but low-budget show, “Fan Size with Little Cricket,” down to half an inch. (She calls it “PewDiePie without the Nazi stuff.”) She also faces off against “Golden Boy” Rearden (Patrick Schwarzenegger), a Pyrokinetic who’s number one in Godolphin and dreams of becoming “bigger than the Home Lander.”
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His girlfriend, Kate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips), controls the minds of girls, and his charming metallic binder, best friend Andre Andersen (Chance Perdomo).
When Marie inquires about her schedule at the School of Crime Fighting, she meets Jordan Lee (Derek Luke and London Thor), who’s gender-fluid and uses all pronouns and forms they feel like. Jordan works as a TA for Frank “Rank Bank” Bronker Huff (Clemons Brown), a famous professor who also heads the Crime Fighting Department. They’re both in the top spot, although Jordan’s “ambiguous” identity may hinder them from reaching higher echelons, according to potential Trustees.
The Harsh Reality for Aspiring Supes
Despite reaching Mercy’s brink, where its Super Hero Self-Help book makes one of its former heroes, the lack of recognition hinders its potential to play a crucial role in the battle against crime. Here’s the reality for the students here: either you attain your chosen state and score one of the city’s five renowned contracts, or you put your talents to use as performing artists, helping Vought make money. Emma, who garners unusual hate due to her small size, serves as a stark example of Vought’s failed promises.
Capitalism and Moral Dilemmas in Gen V
General V is entering the realm of capitalism from various angles, much like its parent show, but what intrigues me most is the potential this new arrangement can have. The emphasis on the “impact” angle, which feels suitable until the show overdoes it, holds promise. And then there’s Velen, especially Brank, who are akin to lower-level managers, bureaucrats working diligently to maintain the inherently unfair system.
After spending the night with the famous squad—Luke , Kate, Andre, and Jordan—my moral compass goes haywire, especially when Luke forms a surprising connection with me, having lost his brother. He emphasizes that “being a hero isn’t what you think.” Certainly, the night takes a wrong turn when Andre attempts a sinister scheme to manipulate a woman and accidentally slits an innocent woman’s throat. Fortunately, my quick thinking saves the day. It’s a pretty satisfying moment when I telekinetically redirect the blood into the woman’s body, reversing the damage done by her injury and yielding a different outcome.
Sudden Twists in ‘God You’ – Gen V Recap
We’re led to assume that this viral moment will ultimately thrust Mercy into the fray of the battle against crime. And Brank’s monologue about the necessity of sacrifice initially seems reasonable but then becomes evident that it’s a lesson in self-service. Brank takes a particular interest in those young hopefuls who were there and can be held accountable (especially after the incident with the escape).
 He’s been accused of throat-slashing and swiftly removed, leaving him to live with the worst moments of his life: when his sister wandered into a blood-soaked bathroom eight years ago and called him a monster.
But in the last few minutes of “God You,” everyone’s fate changes when Luke confronts Brank, the supervisor who’s prepared him for seven years, and chokes him with fire, abruptly ending the life of our central antagonist. Golden Boy also meets his end when Andre makes a rash statement, and Luke decides that dying would be better than living. I commend his composure in mitigating the collateral damage caused by himself-made explosion, but could it have landed somewhere else so that his friends didn’t have to face bloodshed?
Conclusion:
It’s still challenging to fathom what to make of these final developments. Golden Boy’s death left me somewhat indifferent, partly because I’m less invested in other HomeLanders, but killing Brank feels premature. General V is here with many secrets and conspiracies, and I hope the plot only intensifies in the upcoming episodes.
But I hope it occasionally slows down and reminds us what it all means for the characters. After all, it’s still a show about young adults who are just as interested in their personal lives as they are in saving the world. The Sky High, for all its pleasant moments, understood that.
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