‘Gen V’ season 2 review: A powerful season assembles

The resistance of “God U” made Season 2 of Prime Video’s Gen V super in every way. The sophomore season delivers an electrifying punch that connects to the main storyline of The Boys, while also standing on its own as a spinoff. Sound familiar? Our Gen V Season 1 review applauded the same thing. That’s because Gen V knows its secret sauce for an exciting series: bloodthirsty action, a ragtag group of lovable yet messy heroes, and unhinged chaos at the university. Gen V Season 2 is a thrilling, fun ride that continues its strong momentum.

The hidden agenda.

Carrying over from Prime Video’s The Boys, the theme of nationalism and superhero superiority is woven through everything. The underlying tension feels like a powder keg ready to explode, a moment before the fire erupts. Skewed media reports and a growing mob mentality are just a few of the elements that captures this atmosphere.

The world of Gen V Season 2 is noticeably different than the first, where that exuded naivety and school hijinks. Here, that stark shift feels more mature and grounded, giving every plot and character room to explore. And in turn, a connection that mimics realistic concerns in everyday life outside of the show.

Having the students and faculty of God U adopt this mentality so quickly demonstrated how easily a mob mentality can grow. And it gives us a preview of what we’ll experience when The Boys returns for its final season. It is a strong choice for the plot because we, as viewers, are brought into the same uneasy environment as Marie, Emma, and Jordan. As the characters learn and deal with the anti-Starlight sentiment, we experience that same journey along with them.

Plus, as the episodes progress, the theme wraps itself up nicely with a satisfying conclusion. The Big Bad of Gen V Season 2 preaches this same mentality, ultimately showing that even superpowered individuals aren’t safe from their own rhetoric. Godolkin and his unbridled ambition would’ve destroyed everything had he achieved his elitist philosophy. And with one tyrant imploding from his schemes, it’ll be interesting to see if the Gen V resistance can do that to their biggest enemy of all: Homelander.

Facing the past.

One of the strongest aspects of Gen V Season 2 comes from its character growth. Each superhero finds a way to expand their powers, but more importantly, they grow as individuals. While Godolkin preached about pushing themselves to grow, this theme stood its strongest as the heroes found the strength inside themselves. For instance, Emma’s confidence in accepting herself and her self-worth. I loved how once she changed her inner mentality she discovered that she could activate her growing and shrinking power on call. It’s a big step for her – something that seemed irreparably harmed by her stage mother, but Emma had a strong character arc to match.

The same goes for Sam. It was a big step for him to go back home and face his parents for what they did to him and his brother, Luke. Sam has been in a state of emotionless delusion, but he starts to process his feelings and embrace his humanity. The biggest change? His not wanting to see puppets anymore. Granted, I’ll miss the cheeky appearances of Gen V’s “Muppet” creatures, but it had to be done for his growth. Sam couldn’t be stuck in his childlike wonder anymore.

Do you think Sam and Emma will get back together? Gen V Season 2 teased something brewing again between them. However, Emma’s newfound independence is more exhilarating for her story arc. Let Little Cricket have her fun! Besides, her flirtation with Greg had much stronger chemistry; she was vibing with him a lot more in her post-captive life. Maybe they’ll find a way to get back together in Season 3?

Seeking redemption.

Cate’s and Jordan’s plots had interesting shifts for their characters. Much of what Gen V Season 1 set up by the season finale is now obsolete by the end of Season 2, to its benefit. Jordan had been so focused on being at the top of God U’s leaderboard; it was their main ambition to compete and win out. Then, for them to get that title and throw it all away for the right reasons, it shows that Jordan became a better hero for the right reasons. Losing Andre and fighting against Vought’s schemes meant more in the grand scheme than endorsement contracts.

Plus, they made the right call about their relationship with Marie. Let’s face it, the pair were swept up from the post-Elmira trauma, and they found solace with one another. However, neither are at the right time or place to get into a loving relationship, especially with a war brewing. Marie is starting this next phase as an all-powerful superhero; neither she nor Jordan are going to agree on everything.

In Cate’s case, I loved that she sought forgiveness from her friends. While Cate is one of the best characters of Gen V, she fully had her villain stage during the first season. A lot of the damage, and Andre’s death, were caused by her. And once her powers fractured, she faces the reality of her actions with no means to help herself. Gen V Season 2 was her redemption arc to seek healing, both physically and emotionally. She becomes stronger by finding her sense of family, not fame or power.

The bonds of blood.

The all-star arc for Gen V Season 2 goes to Marie (played by Jaz Sinclair). The tale of a blood-wielding misfit finding their power within themselves and embracing their ‘Odessa-level’ status captured the overall themes of Gen V. Marie is no longer the puppet trying to climb the student ranks; she’s bigger than all of them combined. And Cipher’s/Godolkin’s prodding works – she pushes herself to find what was held back all this time. I loved her growth as our main protagonist, and Sinclair’s performance made the delivery shine.

The Odessa storyline structures Season 2 with a fun and light mystery. Comparatively, “The Woods” of Season 1 had more of a shocking factor to it; a ticking clock that loomed over God U’s big secret. Odessa, on the other hand, comes across more as a fact that we need to know for this story, and for future stories in The Boys’ universe. What I mean by this is that “Odessa” needed to happen for the eventual battle between Marie and Homelander in the future. It’s not too explosive, but it gave us a nice “a-ha!” moment for why.

Marie’s reunion with Annabeth was a tad subtle, too, but after everything that happened, it made sense for their level of tension. Like, how would you react if your blood-wielding sister accidentally killed your parents? Or the fact that you experienced a vision of the deaths happening and did nothing?! That’s a can of worms that needed a bit more time to develop; the sisters moved on from it a bit too quickly for the sake of the plot. Hopefully, Marie and Annabeth will face their distance again as both of their powers grow in the coming war.

Overall.

Gen V Season 2 has all the guts, glory, and gore you’ve come to love about the series. Each character faces a deep and complex plot that pushes them to grow in great directions. The fight sequences are action-packed with lots of action, bloody acts, and big battles. And the pacing moves at a brisk pace thanks to its thought-provoking themes that balances action and real-life similarities. While some developments didn’t land as strongly as the previous season, the overall story shines brighter and brighter as each episode goes on.

Gen V Season 2 is available to stream now on Prime Video.

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Images courtesy of Prime Video.