I haven't been the biggest fan of modern superhero flicks, but when The Boys first released, I found myself rather enjoying its first season. I watched through it episode after episode, but somewhat forgot about it when that season ended. It wasn't too long ago that I decided to pick it up again, with many more seasons to then catch up on. I still enjoyed it, but I felt it lost some of its charm, and much of this is due to the utter insanity of media and the then persistence to connect everything to present political matters. Really, the way the American entertainment industry became addicted with making references to the Trump era was utterly insane. And The Boys, despite trying to offer something new to the already stale superhero genre, became victim to this also. In some ways, it still managed to redeem itself by offering a more unique perspective on the genre, showcasing characters that are often praised by the public, though in reality are insufferable, egotistical, and completely psychotic. This unique spin on things made it seem a bit more refreshing, adding a layer of darkness to the story which wasn't really present elsewhere. A bit more adult, more gory, more prepared to go the extra mile to portray these characters are completely disconnected from the general public that worship them.
With the show between seasons, The Boys as a franchise naturally wants to preserve its attention in the media, particularly as superhero franchise titles perform worse and worse, seeing less interest and less quality in their productions. Spin-off titles from franchises are becoming more the norm in recent times, at first it was the chaos of the multiverse theory, but now it seems a more laid-back approach in what the stories are a bit more grounded, less trying to connect everything in some big cinematic manner. Game of Thrones is currently doing this. The Boys as a franchise, to no surprise, wants to cash in on that also. With The Boys becoming quite an aged show, with its initial audience watching the years go by, hairs greying, wrinkles forming, 401k's being added to, what better way than to create a show completely dedicated to the terminally-online, peak consumerist generation V. Sorry, Zoomers, you've already been replaced.
I put off from watching Gen V for the longest time, sort of knowing what to expect from it and not really thinking it'll be my kind of thing. Something aimed at Gen V would be what the Twitter addicts would call "woke". Full of current era politics, gender stuff, and the usual catering to certain demographics. But part of me just doesn't really care anymore, as I get older, I feel I just laugh this stuff off. Not really caring and finding humour in it all. So, here I am, watching Gen V. And surprisingly, I don't really hate it so far.
This post may feature some spoilers, but as it is a first impressions post, they won't be major spoilers. Just snippets of the main plot.
Gen V
Set around the time of the fourth season of The Boys, Gen V follows the lives of teenagers part of the 'Godolkin University School of Crimefighting'. This school is for the youth that are showcasing various superhero abilities and are displaying potential as celebrities later on in life, as well as careers as superheroes. The school aimed at refining their powers and teaching them the ways of alleged crime fighting; though if you've seen The Boys, you'll know that things aren't necessary what they seem. And there's a series of manipulating unfolding where the youth are being conditioned and given propaganda in attempt to control them and turn them into weapons. This isn't too different from the main story of The Boys, where we see the main elites being part of a force that is heavily controlled by the government, with individuals pulling on the emotions and insecurities of supes to keep them under control. Of course, when things go south, they go south fast.
While this show blatantly exists to cater to the younger generation, I have to admit that a highschool setting actually makes sense for this sort of narrative. Where the drama, hormones, and the political aspects of the superhero world connect quite well. The characters are introduced as unstable, characters that have powers that they haven't yet been able to control. It allows for a lot of interesting ideas regarding character development where they are slowly forming into the type of supe they want to be, with similar approaches to manipulating their insecurities and emotions. Character development in the highschool setting working in a way that considers them as already weak, already dangerous as a result. And this is evident in one of the main characters that is introduced as a young woman that accidentally managed to kill her parents, with her powers being unstable and something she couldn't really handle.
For her it's trauma, and a lesson that could impact her into the future as she struggles to deal with violence and the past, an interesting setup to a character that has to confront who she really is, while serving as a counter to the other characters that may be seeking the fame, essentially having it given to them due to their appearances and fame. This is where the celebrity status of the show returns; where these young supes are basically looked at by their abilities, but also their social media status. A good supe, after all, isn't just one capable of stopping crime, but looking really good doing it and selling merchandise in the process. With their presence in media being something that generates Vought Industries boat-loads of cash in the process. I quite like setups like this, clear differences in characters that can be explored while also providing a deeper look into the world building aspects.
With Seth Rogen as an executive producer, and is the case for The Boys, it comes as no surprise that some of the humour is, well, a bit disgusting. There are moments in which the whole idea of the events is just something you would never have seen on television before. Weird sex scenes that point out the insanity of superhero life. It can get a bit graphic sometimes, and this is something I feel I don't really appreciate. I think I prefer the dark approach to the world more than the disgusting humour, the comedy certainly isn't what I liked about The Boys, and it really does sometimes feel that it's going out of its way to just be vile and shocking. Definitely not my kind of thing.
In regards to how Gen V portrays itself, it certainly contains some Gen V elements. Mostly evident in the music. But I fortunately it abstains from throwing out endless lingo and references, and still focuses on the narrative and broader world of The Boys. In some ways I prefer this, as it doesn't feel like a modern version of Skins. Even in the cinematography, it certainly feels quite tame. Nothing too fancy, and nothing too far away from what we already know from the main show. But hey, it's alright so far, I'll stick with it for now and see where it goes. Though I'm not overly impressed, it's just decent.
