Gen V: Season 2

Streaming on: Prime Video
Episodes viewed: 8 of 8

A shadow looms over the return of The Boys spin-off Gen V, and we don't just mean Homelander's rise to power during the latest season of the superhero satire series’ main show. On the same day that the Gen V cast were set to reunite to begin work on season two, actor Chance Perdomo, who played the metal-manipulating Andre, lost his life in a tragic motorbike accident. Other shows might have recast the role, or hastily written him out – but Gen V honours Perdomo throughout these eight new episodes, rejigging the story to incredibly moving effect. This maturity is felt throughout the season, prioritising character development in ways that The Boys would sometimes do well to remember.

The two shows remain intertwined, with The Boys cast cameos incorporated much more organically this time around, cementing the connection without overshadowing the leads at the heart of the Gen V story. While the first episode opens with some of the franchise's usual grossout fare, Gen V quickly deepens, with a newfound confidence in telling its own tale — one that's not beholden to the flagship series. By still employing shock value in key moments but not being overly reliant on it, Gen V comes close to edging ahead of its predecessor to become the stronger of the two.

Gen V looks to set the new standard for superhero TV in 2025.

Of the cast, Jaz Sinclair as blood-controlling protagonist Marie is especially commanding in this new season, pulling off even the more clunky scenes — like one where she and Jordan (London Thor/Derek Luh) poke fun at the ‘Chosen One’ trope, which she’s been teased as being. To be fair, Gen V has more than earned the right to unpick superhero stereotypes, given it's not often that a queer, Black, female character gets to take the lead in a narrative still dominated by "baby-faced white dudes".

The rest of the ensemble has also stepped up to match the tighter, pacier writing. Special shout-out to new addition Hamish Linklater, who brings a unique menace to the typical evil headmaster-type role that ends up becoming emblematic of the season as a whole. What could have easily been a generic follow-up that borrows liberally from other teen sci-fi fare is instead looking to set the new standard for superhero TV in 2025.