Gen V season 1
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television season
| season_number = 1
| bgcolour = #D8E722
| image = Gen V season 1.jpg
| caption = Promotional poster
| showrunner = {{Plainlist|
- Michele Fazekas
- Tara Butters
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Jaz Sinclair
- Chance Perdomo
- Lizze Broadway
- Maddie Phillips
- London Thor
- Derek Luh
- Asa Germann
- Shelley Conn
}}
| network = Amazon Prime Video
| num_episodes = 8
| first_aired = {{Start date|2023|9|29}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2023|11|3}}
}}
The first season of the American satirical superhero television series Gen V, the third series in The Boys franchise, based on The Boys comic book story arc We Gotta Go Now by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on September 29, 2023.
The season stars Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, and Shelley Conn. The story follows several students with superhero abilities who attend a superhero university to become part of The Seven. However, they must decide what superheroes they would become when the university's secrets are revealed.
In October 2023, less than a month after its premiere, it was renewed for a second season.{{Cite web |last=Campione |first=Katie |date=October 19, 2023 |title='Gen V' Renewed For Season 2 At Amazon |url=https://deadline.com/2023/10/gen-v-renewed-season-2-amazon-the-boys-1235578285/ |access-date=October 19, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=October 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019172339/https://deadline.com/2023/10/gen-v-renewed-season-2-amazon-the-boys-1235578285/ |url-status=live }}
Episodes
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = God U.
| DirectedBy = Nelson Cragg
| WrittenBy = Craig Rosenberg and Evan Goldberg & Eric Kripke
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|9|29}}
| ShortSummary = Marie Moreau's hemokinesis manifests when she has her first period, during which she accidentally kills her parents, straining her relationship with her younger sister Annabeth. Eight years later, Marie is accepted into Godolkin University, an education facility for training future superheroes ("supes"). On her first day, Marie befriends her roommate Emma Meyer and becomes acquainted with the number one student, Luke Riordan, as well as upperclassmen Andre Anderson, Jordan Li, and Cate Dunlap. While attending a party, Marie saves a woman from bleeding out after Andre accidentally injures her with his magnetism manipulation. Despite gaining popularity on social media, Marie is expelled by Professor Richard "Brink" Brinkerhoff to protect the upperclassmen's reputations. She later returns to Brink's office to confront him, but finds he had been killed by Luke, who had previously been having visions of a young boy trapped in the woods. Luke goes on a rampage while trying to kill Marie, but is stopped by Jordan and Andre. As he calms down, Luke whispers to Andre before he uses his pyrokinesis to commit suicide.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = First Day
| DirectedBy = Nelson Cragg
| WrittenBy = Zak Schwartz and Brant Englestein
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|9|29}}
| ShortSummary = Vought International covers up Luke and Brink's deaths while Marie is given sole credit for stopping Luke and becomes the first freshman to enter Godolkin University's top 10 rankings. As she becomes acquainted with the university dean Indira Shetty, who offers her counsel, Emma befriends classmate Justine Garcia, who learns the secret behind Emma's size-shifting powers and publicly discloses the information on the internet. An angered Emma confronts Justine. Meanwhile, Andre and Cate launch an investigation into Luke's death and find a secret recording that reveals his younger brother Sam is being held in a hidden facility called "the Woods", which is secretly run by Shetty. Andre breaks off to find information in Brink's office. After Marie learns Vought contacted Annabeth, who does not want anything to do with her, she withholds Jordan's involvement in Luke's suicide amidst a televised interview. Andre succeeds in locating the Woods but is nearly caught by campus security before Cate intervenes. She then has a seizure in Andre's arms due to overusing her power.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = #ThinkBrink
| DirectedBy = Phil Sgriccia
| WrittenBy = Erica Rosbe
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|9|29}}
| ShortSummary = Three years prior, Luke and Cate visit Sam, who is enraged to learn that their powers came from Compound V and killed a security guard, before Luke and Cate calm him down. In the present, Andre and Cate discuss their discovery, during which she convinces him not to risk his own life and they have sex. Meanwhile, Marie returns to her dorm room to find a fatigued Emma. She attempts to counsel the latter, but they have an argument. The next day, Shetty invites Marie to a fundraiser gala being held in Brink's honor. Emma's mother attempts to talk her into doing a reality show, but she refuses. Emma later meets with Marie to reconcile. Andre convinces Emma to infiltrate the Woods for him. She successfully finds and speaks with Sam, but the security guards put the facility on alert and incapacitate him while Emma uses her powers to hide after killing a guard.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = The Whole Truth
| DirectedBy = Steve Boyum
| WrittenBy = Jessica Chou
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|10|6}}
| ShortSummary = Sam recovers, slaughters the guards, and escapes with Emma. While hiding out in an abandoned drive-thru, Sam suffers from delusions and announces his intent to kill Dr. Edison Cardosa, a psychologist who previously worked with him. Emma returns to Godolkin University to warn the others. Meanwhile, Marie tries to ask psychic student Rufus to help find Emma, only to black out and wake up in his bedroom as he attempts to rape her. When Jordan intervenes, Marie detonates Rufus' penis. Concurrently, celebrity supe Robert Vernon / Tek Knight comes to Godolkin University to record an episode of his Vought+ series The Whole Truth and secretly frame an innocent student for Luke's suicide on Vought's behalf. While using his observation powers to aggressively interrogate students, he forces Marie to reveal Jordan's involvement in Luke's suicide. Upon learning Sam escaped the Woods on her watch, Tek Knight intends to frame Shetty, but she threatens to expose his unnatural sexual urges. Marie, Emma, Andre, Jordan, and Cate eventually subdue Sam, but Marie blacks out once more and awakens to find herself in bed with Jordan.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Welcome to the Monster Club
| DirectedBy = Clare Kilner
| WrittenBy = Lex Edness
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|10|13}}
| ShortSummary = Marie and her friends awaken to find themselves at a party with no memory of how they got there. While evading capture, Sam finds Emma and Marie, but they do not recognize him. Cardosa meets with Shetty to discuss his creation of a virus meant to control powers and his desire to use it on Marie, but she refuses to involve her. Cate claims Rufus is responsible for their amnesia and leads Jordan, Andre, and Marie in confronting him, but lose track of him while Andre faints. Emma realizes she and Marie already know Sam, but were forced to forget him. While seeking him out, Marie removes a tracking device from her neck and tells Cate her suspicion that Shetty and Rufus are responsible for their amnesia. Cate apologizes and forces Marie to change the subject. Realizing Marie forgot a recent conversation they had, Jordan goes to re-confront Rufus. Emma finds Sam, who reveals Cate is the culprit after learning she used her tactile mind control power to make Luke forget Sam's existence. Emma calls Marie to tell her and Jordan the truth. Andre almost kills Rufus when a tearful Cate arrives to reveal her deception and restore his memories.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Jumanji
| DirectedBy = Rachel Goldberg
| WrittenBy = Lauren Greer
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|10|20}}
| ShortSummary = After restoring everyone's memories, Cate experiences a seizure and unknowingly traps Marie, Jordan, and Andre within her mind. Cate's imaginary friend, "Soldier Boyfriend", warns them to escape before she enters a vegetative state. While exploring Cate's memories, Luke exposes Andre for making Cate cheat on him while he was alive. As the group flee, they enter one of Jordan's memories, wherein they saved Brink from an enraged Luke and earned a job as his teaching assistant. Upon seeing a memory of the Riordans being experimented on in the Woods and Cate forcing Luke to forget what happened, the group enter Marie's memory of her parents' deaths, during which Annabeth accused her of willfully killing them. Eventually, they confront Cate and convince her to take responsibility for her actions, causing them to awaken. Sam arrives to confront Cate, but Emma talks him down. Cate reveals Shetty used Sam to augment Luke's powers and is experimenting on other children. Meanwhile, Cardosa tests his virus on an electrokinetic girl named Betsy, which causes her to grow sick and weakens her powers before killing her. Initially shocked, Shetty orders him to make the virus contagious.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| EpisodeNumber2 = 7
| Title = Sick
| DirectedBy = Shana Stein
| WrittenBy = Chelsea Grate
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|10|27}}
| ShortSummary = Marie and Jordan break into Shetty's office to gather evidence and present it to Victoria Neuman, a politician who came to Godolkin University for a town hall meeting, during which they learn Shetty's family was killed in a plane crash caused by Homelander.{{efn|name=Female|As depicted in The Boys episode "The Female of the Species".}} A drunken Cardosa enters Shetty's office and rambles about his virus, unaware that Marie and Jordan hid underneath Shetty's desk. Shetty asks Colonel Grace Mallory for help in spreading the virus globally to kill all supes, but Mallory refuses and secretly orders someone to observe Shetty. After Andre's father Polarity suffers a seizure, Andre accompanies him to the hospital. Amidst the meeting, student protestors incite a riot and create the "Supes Lives Matter" movement. While evacuating, Neuman meets Marie and discovers they share similar powers and upbringings. Marie tries to convince Neuman to expose the Woods, but Neuman convinces her to pursue a position of power with political or cultural influence instead. Cate has Shetty commit suicide after forcing her to reveal the truth behind the Woods and its creator, Thomas Godolkin, and her motivation for creating the virus. Cardosa meets with Neuman to give her a virus sample before she kills him to prevent his knowledge from spreading.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|Gen V season 1
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| EpisodeNumber2 = 8
| Title = Guardians of Godolkin
| DirectedBy = Sanaa Hamri
| WrittenBy = Brant Englestein
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|11|3}}
| ShortSummary = While Vought CEO Ashley Barrett meets with Godolkin University's trustees on how to spin Luke's suicide, Cate and Sam return to the Woods to free the remaining captives before leading them in killing non-Supes across campus. As Marie, Jordan, and Emma attempt to contain the chaos, Marie demonstrates increased mastery of her powers. Sam suffers hallucinations of Luke, who tells him to stop and reveals how he died, but Sam ignores him and allows Cate to destroy his ability to feel emotions. Andre learns that Polarity's seizure was the result of brain damage caused by his powers before receiving the Polarity mantle to help fight the rampaging supes. Cate tries to brainwash Jordan, but Marie detonates Cate's left arm. Homelander arrives and accuses Marie of "attacking [her] own kind" before using his heat vision on her. Sometime later, an unhinged Homelander watches the news which blames Marie, Jordan, Emma, and Andre for Sam and Cate's attack while the pair are hailed as the "Guardians of Godolkin". Meanwhile, Marie awakens in a sealed hospital room somewhere with Jordan, Emma, and Andre. In the mid-credits scene, Billy Butcher investigates the Woods' ruins.
| LineColor = D8E722
}}
}}
Cast and characters
{{further|List of The Boys characters}}
{{columns-start|num=4}}
=Main=
- Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau
- Jaeda LeBlanc portrays a young Marie.
- Chance Perdomo as Andre Anderson
- Lizze Broadway as Emma Meyer / Little Cricket
- Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap
- Violet Marino portrays a young Cate.
- London Thor and Derek Luh as Jordan Li
- Asa Germann as Samuel "Sam" Riordan
- Cameron Nicoll portrays a young Sam.
- Shelley Conn as Indira Shetty
{{column}}
=Recurring=
- Patrick Schwarzenegger as Luke Riordan / Golden Boy
- Curtis Legault and Nicholas Hamilton as Maverick
- Maia Jae Bastidas as Justine Garcia
- Daniel Beirne as Social Media Jeff
- Sean Patrick Thomas as Polarity
- Alexander Calvert as Rufus
- Marco Pigossi as Dr. Edison Cardosa
- Robert Bazzocchi as Liam
- Jessica Clement as Harper
- Matthew Edison as Cameron Coleman{{efn|name=Female}}
{{column}}
=Guest=
- Ty Barnett as Malcolm Moreau
- Miatta Ade Lebile as Jackie Moreau
- Alex Castillo as Vanessa
- Clancy Brown as Richard "Rich Brink" Brinkerhoff
- Warren Scherer as The Incredible Steve
- P.J. Byrne as Adam Bourke
- Jackie Tohn as Courtenay Fortney
- Laura Kai Chen as Kayla Li
- Peter Kim as Paul Li
- Derek Wilson as Robert Vernon / Tek Knight
- Jason Ritter as himself
- Andy Walken as Dusty
- Laila Robins as Grace Mallory
- Sabrina Saudin as Also Ashley
{{column}}
=Special guests=
- Elisabeth Shue as Madelyn Stillwell
- Jessie T. Usher as Reggie Franklin / A-Train
- Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett
- Chace Crawford as Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep
- Jensen Ackles as "Soldier Boyfriend"
- Claudia Doumit as Victoria "Vic" Neuman
- Antony Starr as John Gillman / Homelander
- Karl Urban as William "Billy" Butcher
{{columns-end}}
Production
=Development=
On September 20, 2020, a spin-off of The Boys was announced, with Craig Rosenberg writing and executive producing the series with Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Michaela Starr, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Sarah Carbiener, Erica Rosbe, Aisha Porter-Christie, Judalina Neira, and Zak Schwartz. On September 27, 2021, Amazon gave the order for the series, and Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters were set as showrunners and executive producers of the series. On October 2, 2020, Kripke stated the Hunger Games-inspired series would focus on the G-Men team mentioned in the first season of The Boys, originally created as a parody of Marvel Comics' X-Men for the fourth volume of Ennis' and Robertson's comic book story arc We Gotta Go Now, from which the series is "loosely inspired".
=Casting=
On March 11, 2021, Lizze Broadway and Jaz Sinclair were cast in the series. On March 19, Shane Paul McGhie, Aimee Carrero, and Maddie Phillips were cast in the series. On April 15, 2021, Reina Hardesty was cast in the series. On March 10, 2022, Carrero and McGhie exited the series. A few days later, Chance Perdomo joined the main cast in a recasting, replacing McGhie. On April 25, 2022, Hardesty left the series. On May 9, 2022, London Thor was cast to replace Hardesty. Derek Luh, Asa Germann, and Shelley Conn also joined the cast as series regulars. Two days later, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Marco Pigossi were cast in recurring capacities. In November 2022, Clancy Brown joined the cast as Richard "Rich Brink" Brinkerhoff. In December 2022, Jessie T. Usher, Colby Minifie, and P. J. Byrne were confirmed to be reprising their roles from The Boys, in guest appearances, as Reggie Franklin / A-Train, Ashley Barrett, and Adam Bourke, respectively, while in September 2023, Derek Wilson was confirmed to have been cast as Robert Vernon / Tek Knight.
=Filming=
Filming began at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus in May 2022 and the Claireville Conservation Area, Brampton in July, intended for an October wrap, under the working title of The Boys Presents: Varsity. Other filming locations include Sobeys Stadium, and the Stardust Drive-In Movie Theater.{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Comic Book |date=2023-10-09 |title=Where Was Gen V Filmed? Gen V Filming Locations |url=https://comicbookclublive.com/2023/10/09/where-was-gen-v-filmed-filming-locations-godolkin-university/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Comic Book Club |language=en-US |archive-date=October 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010210648/https://comicbookclublive.com/2023/10/09/where-was-gen-v-filmed-filming-locations-godolkin-university/ |url-status=live }} In July 2022, it was announced that the series would officially be titled Gen V. In September 2022, members of the cast announced on social media that production had wrapped.
=Music=
In October 2023, it was revealed that Matt Bowen and Christopher Lennertz had composed the score for the series.
Release
Gen V premiered on Amazon Prime Video on September 29, 2023, with its first three episodes, with the rest of the episodes debuting on a weekly basis.
Reception
= Audience viewership =
According to Whip Media's TV Time, following its 3-episode premiere, Gen V became the fifth most streamed television series across all platforms in the United States during the week of October 1, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=October 3, 2023 |title='Meg 2: The Trench,' 'Ahsoka' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/meg-2-the-trench-ahsoka-top-weekly-whip-us-streaming-charts/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=October 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005014010/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/meg-2-the-trench-ahsoka-top-weekly-whip-us-streaming-charts/ |url-status=live }} During the week of October 8, the series rose to fourth place.{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=October 12, 2023 |title='Haunted Mansion,' 'Ahsoka' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/haunted-mansion-ahsoka-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=October 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023181056/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/haunted-mansion-ahsoka-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |url-status=live }} It then rose to second place during the week of October 15 and remained in the position for the weeks of October 22 and 29, as well as November 5.{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=October 18, 2023 |title='Totally Killer,' 'Loki' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/totally-killer-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=October 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021010951/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/totally-killer-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=October 24, 2023 |title='Old Dads,' 'Loki' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/old-dads-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026103456/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/old-dads-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=October 31, 2023 |title='No Hard Feelings,' 'Loki' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/no-hard-feelings-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102093338/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/no-hard-feelings-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=November 7, 2023 |title='Five Nights at Freddy's,' 'Loki' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/five-nights-at-freddys-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=November 8, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108012840/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/five-nights-at-freddys-loki-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |url-status=live }} Meanwhile, Nielsen Media Research reported that Gen V ranked at number 8 on its Top 10 Streaming Originals chart with 374 million minutes viewed.{{Cite web |last=Campione |first=Katie |date=October 26, 2023 |title='Gen V' Breaks Onto Nielsen Streaming Originals Chart After 3-Episode Debut; 'Grey's Anatomy' Narrows In On 'Suits' |url=https://deadline.com/2023/10/nielsen-streaming-charts-gen-v-premiere-ratings-greys-anatomy-suits-1235584625/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104073945/https://deadline.com/2023/10/nielsen-streaming-charts-gen-v-premiere-ratings-greys-anatomy-suits-1235584625/ |url-status=live }}
According to ReelGood, which tracks real-time data from 5 million users in the United States across subscription and advertisement-based video on demand services for streaming programs and movies, the series topped the all streaming content chart during the week of October 12.{{Cite web |last=Gruenwedel |first=Erik |date=October 13, 2023 |title=Reelgood: Prime Video's 'Gen V' Tops Weekly Streaming Through Oct. 12 |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/reelgood-prime-videos-gen-v-tops-weekly-streaming-through-oct-12/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=November 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102095636/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/reelgood-prime-videos-gen-v-tops-weekly-streaming-through-oct-12/ |url-status=live }} Meanwhile, JustWatch reported that the series became the most streamed TV show in the United States during the weeks of October 1 and 8.{{Cite web |last=Gruenwedel |first=Erik |date=October 2, 2023 |title=JustWatch: Prime Video's 'Gen V,' Hulu's 'No One Will Save You' Top Weekly Streaming Through Oct. 1 |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/justwatch-prime-videos-gen-v-hulus-no-one-will-save-you-top-weekly-streaming-through-oct-1/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=October 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011114826/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/justwatch-prime-videos-gen-v-hulus-no-one-will-save-you-top-weekly-streaming-through-oct-1/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Gruenwedel |first=Erik |date=October 9, 2023 |title=JustWatch: 'Barbie,' 'Gen V' Again Top Weekly Digital Video Content Acquired, Streamed Through Oct. 8 |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/justwatch-barbie-gen-v-again-top-weekly-digital-video-content-acquired-streamed/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Media Play News |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104073947/https://www.mediaplaynews.com/justwatch-barbie-gen-v-again-top-weekly-digital-video-content-acquired-streamed/ |url-status=live }}
= Critical response =
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 97% approval rating with an average rating of 7.65/10, based on 110 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Just about as gruesomely subversive as its origin series, Gen V builds on The Boys in occasionally chaotic but overall inspired fashion." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Writing for the first three episodes, Matt Donato of IGN gave the series a score of 9 out of 10, praising the writing, humor, characters, and performances of its cast (particularly Broadway), and wrote, "Gen V does a tremendous job expanding on themes from The Boys that beg for deeper analysis, like the disgusting reality of Compound V injections. [...] [It] feels uniquely mapped as a spin-off that doesn't rely on cameos from [its predecessor] to assure relevance or importance."{{Cite web |last=Donato |first=Matt |date=September 27, 2023 |title=Gen V Episodes 1-3 Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/gen-v-episodes-1-3-review-the-boys-amazon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104033116/https://www.ign.com/articles/gen-v-episodes-1-3-review-the-boys-amazon |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=IGN}} Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek gave it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Ultimately, Gen V doesn't appear to be striving for greatness but for something just as elusive. Successfully franchising a concept as antagonistic to franchises as The Boys is no small feat. By embracing the youthful energy of its cast and some solid TV storytelling fundamentals, [the series] is able to somehow make it all work."{{Cite web |last=Bojalad |first=Alec |date=September 29, 2023 |title=Gen V Review: The Boys Can Be a Superhero Franchise After All |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/gen-v-review-the-boys-can-be-a-superhero-franchise-after-all/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Den of Geek |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104050251/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/gen-v-review-the-boys-can-be-a-superhero-franchise-after-all/ |url-status=live }} Lauren Milici of GamesRadar+ rated it with 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote on her verdict: "Despite its flaws and bumps, Gen V is a good time. It's a hot mess, but it's a damn good time". She then praised Germann's performance, calling it "the standout of the season".{{Cite web |last=Milici |first=Lauren |date=September 27, 2023 |title=Gen V season 1 review: 'A hot mess but a damn good time' |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/gen-v-review-the-boys-spinoff-prime-video/ |access-date=November 6, 2023 |website=GamesRadar+ |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106053030/https://www.gamesradar.com/gen-v-review-the-boys-spinoff-prime-video/ |url-status=live }}
Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times also praised the characters and Broadway's performance and stated that the series "expands upon the hit superhero satire with a new cast and storyline that stands on its own as a sharp, snarky commentary on the billion-dollar business of hero worship."{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Lorraine |date=September 29, 2023 |title=Review: 'Gen V,' the irreverent spinoff of 'The Boys,' flies on its own |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-09-29/gen-v-review-the-boys |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104035406/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-09-29/gen-v-review-the-boys |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times}} Reviewing the first six episodes, The Hollywood Reporter
In his review for the season finale, IGN
Gen V was named among the best TV shows of 2023 by several publications.Multiples sources:
- {{Cite web |date=December 4, 2023 |title=The Best TV Shows of 2023 |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/g45990182/best-tv-shows-of-2023/ |access-date=December 6, 2023 |website=Elle |archive-date=December 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206130220/https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/g45990182/best-tv-shows-of-2023/ |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |date=December 4, 2023 |title=Nerdist's Best TV Shows of 2023 |url=https://nerdist.com/article/nerdist-best-tv-shows-of-2023-ahsoka-the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-star-trek-strange-new-worlds-and-more/ |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=Nerdist News |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208042537/https://nerdist.com/article/nerdist-best-tv-shows-of-2023-ahsoka-the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-star-trek-strange-new-worlds-and-more/ |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last= |date=December 6, 2023 |title=The 20 best TV shows of 2023 |url=https://www.nme.com/features/tv-features/best-tv-year-2023-netflix-amazon-disney-2-3551169 |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=NME |archive-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207205248/https://www.nme.com/features/tv-features/best-tv-year-2023-netflix-amazon-disney-2-3551169 |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |date=November 29, 2023 |title=The 25 Best TV Shows of 2023 |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/list/best-tv-shows-2023 |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=Paste |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208042537/https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/list/best-tv-shows-2023 |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |date=December 6, 2023 |title=The 50 best TV shows of 2023 |url=https://www.polygon.com/what-to-watch/23599935/best-tv-shows-2023-new |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=Polygon |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112131006/https://www.polygon.com/what-to-watch/23599935/best-tv-shows-2023-new |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |date=2023-12-06 |title=The best TV and streaming shows of 2023 |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/the-best-tv-and-streaming-shows-of-2023-so-far |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Time Out Worldwide |language=en-GB |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208202910/https://www.timeout.com/film/the-best-tv-and-streaming-shows-of-2023-so-far |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last1=Chaney |first1=Jen |last2=Hadadi |first2=Roxana |last3=VanArendonk |first3=Kathryn |date=2023-12-04 |title=The Best TV Shows of 2023 |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-tv-shows-series-2023.html |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Vulture |language=en |archive-date=December 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20231206041209/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-tv-shows-series-2023.html |url-status=live }}
- {{Cite web |last1=Tinubu |first1=Aramide |last2=Herman |first2=Alison |date=2023-12-08 |title=The Best TV Shows of 2023 |url=https://variety.com/lists/best-tv-shows-2023/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209022215/https://variety.com/lists/best-tv-shows-2023/ |url-status=live }}
=Awards and nominations=
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{Cite web |last=Maas |first=Jennifer |date=September 20, 2020 |title='The Boys' Spinoff at Superhero College in Development at Amazon |url=https://www.thewrap.com/the-boys-spinoff-series-superhero-college-amazon/ |access-date=January 19, 2022 |website=The Wrap |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202200735/https://www.thewrap.com/the-boys-spinoff-series-superhero-college-amazon/ |url-status=live }}
{{Cite web|last=Maas|first=Jennifer|date=October 2, 2020|title=The Boys Supe College Spinoff Is 'Loosely Inspired' by X-Men Parody From Comics, Eric Kripke Says|url=https://www.thewrap.com/the-boys-spinoff-superhero-college-series-gmen-comics-xmen-parody-eric-kripke|access-date=October 2, 2020|website=TheWrap|archive-date=October 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004212136/https://www.thewrap.com/the-boys-spinoff-superhero-college-series-gmen-comics-xmen-parody-eric-kripke/|url-status=live}}
{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=March 11, 2021|title=Jaz Sinclair to Star in 'The Boys' Spinoff at Amazon|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/the-boys-spinoff-jaz-sinclair-cast-marie-1234712395|access-date=January 19, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=January 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119021545/https://deadline.com/2021/03/the-boys-spinoff-jaz-sinclair-cast-marie-1234712395/|url-status=live}}
{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=March 19, 2021|title='The Boys' Spinoff Casts Shane Paul McGhie, Aimee Carrero, & Maddie Phillips As Leads For Amazon|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/the-boys-spinoff-shane-paul-mcghie-aimee-carrero-maddie-phillips-cast-superheroes-amazon-1234718402|access-date=January 19, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=January 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119021543/https://deadline.com/2021/03/the-boys-spinoff-shane-paul-mcghie-aimee-carrero-maddie-phillips-cast-superheroes-amazon-1234718402/|url-status=live}}
{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=April 15, 2021|title='The Boys' Adds Reina Hardesty as Lead at Amazon|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/the-boys-spinoff-reina-hardesty-lead-amazon-superhero-1234735119|access-date=January 19, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=January 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119021547/https://deadline.com/2021/04/the-boys-spinoff-reina-hardesty-lead-amazon-superhero-1234735119/|url-status=live}}
{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=September 27, 2021|title='The Boys' Spinoff Series Developed by Amazon with Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters as Showrunners|url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/the-boys-spinoff-series-greenlighted-amazon-michele-fazekas-tara-butters-showrunners-1234845449|access-date=January 19, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118235054/https://deadline.com/2021/09/the-boys-spinoff-series-greenlighted-amazon-michele-fazekas-tara-butters-showrunners-1234845449/|url-status=live}}
{{Cite web |last=Zogbi |first=Emily |date=June 12, 2022 |title=EXCLUSIVE: The Boys' College Spinoff Set Photos Reveal One of the Show's Fresh-Faced Supes |url=https://www.cbr.com/exclusive-the-boys-college-spinoff-set-photos-reveal-fresh-faced-supes |access-date=June 12, 2022 |website=Comic Book Resources |archive-date=June 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628071956/https://www.cbr.com/exclusive-the-boys-college-spinoff-set-photos-reveal-fresh-faced-supes/ |url-status=live }}
{{Cite magazine|date=September 7, 2023|title=The Boys comic character Tek Knight arrives in Gen V spinoff|url=https://ew.com/tv/the-boys-gen-v-tek-knight-derek-wilson/|last=Romano|first=Nick|access-date=September 10, 2023|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-date=September 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909123531/https://ew.com/tv/the-boys-gen-v-tek-knight-derek-wilson/|url-status=live}}
{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/gen-v-christopher-lennertz-matt-bowen-soundtrack/ |title=Gen V Drops An Explosive Track By Christopher Lennertz & Matt Bowen [Exclusive] |website=Screen Rant |first=Owen |last=Danoff |date=October 5, 2023 |access-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030204053/https://screenrant.com/gen-v-christopher-lennertz-matt-bowen-soundtrack/ |url-status=live}}
}}