*Spoilers for episode 5 of Gen V below*
Gen V is a spin-off of the popular show The Boys, which is based on the Garth Ennis comic book of the same name. Gen V follows Marie Moreau, a young woman with superpowers, as she tries to navigate life at Godolkin University, a school that specializes in teaching young people with powers how to fight crime and promote themselves. Episode 5 explores the following themes: trust and betrayal.
The episode begins with Andre (Chance Perdomo) and Cate (Maddie Phillips) waking up next to each other at a house party, both with no memory of the previous night. As they explore the house they walk in on Marie (Jaz Sinclair) and Jordan (London Thor/Derek Luh) in bed. Jordan and Marie both realize that they also have no memory of the previous night. Marie then finds Emma (Lizze Broadway) passed out in a hot tub, still hungover from the previous night. Sam (Asa Germann) approaches Marie and Emma at the house and realizes they don’t recognize him which prompts him to leave the house party and continue hiding from Vought. Marie discusses her memory loss with Andre, Cate, and Jordan and the four of them come to the conclusion that another student named Rufus (Alexander Calvert) might have wiped their memories.
Back at Godolkin, Jordan and Marie talk about their hook-up and Jordan suggests that they both forget it happened and move on, which leaves Marie feeling conflicted. The tone quickly switches when the pair see Rufus and run after him. Rufus is able to evade them but is met by Andre who threatens to kill him if he doesn’t give an explanation for the memory loss. The fight doesn’t last long as Andre loses consciousness and “wakes up” at a fast food restaurant. Marie returns to her dorm and has a heart to heart with Emma where she confesses that she has feelings for Jordan. Sam, meanwhile, yearns to see Emma again and then hallucinates as he fights off Vought forces. Emma decides to go look for Sam. Meanwhile, Marie notices that she has a blood clot and as she removes the blood clot she finds a tracking device, which freaks her out and inspires her to look for Andre though instead she finds Cate. Marie explains to Cate how she found the tracking device and how she suspects that Dean Indira (Shelley Conn) is behind the memory wiping. In a shocking twist, Cate wipes Marie’s memory, revealing herself as the culprit, not Rufus.
Marie finds Jordan who is shocked to find that Marie’s memory has been wiped. She goes after Rufus, since she doesn’t yet know that Cate is the real culprit. Cate meets with Indira and expresses regret over her actions but Indira insists that Cate is doing the right thing. Emma finds Sam and he reveals that Cate used her power to have his brother forget him. Jordan and Marie go to confront Rufus but stop themselves from hurting him after Emma confirms that Cate is the one behind the conspiracy. Before Rufus has a chance to be let off the hook, Andre breaks in and attacks him. Jordan and Marie explain to Andre that Cate is the real culprit but Andre refuses to believe them, until Cate confesses and returns Andre’s memories to him.
Like the previous episodes of Gen V, “Welcome to the Monster Club” has it’s share of strengths and weaknesses. The episode effectively creates interesting twists and has some pretty notable action sequences but it also suffers from a general lack of urgency and confusing emotions showcased by the characters. The romance between Marie and Jordan, while endearing, also feels somewhat confusing, since it isn’t clear why the pair are attracted to one another, since they’ve spent most of the series competing or generally at odds. The episode’s pacing in general feels confusing as some scenes feature the character chasing after Rufus but then suddenly they are focused on something else, as if their priorities have suddenly changed, like when Marie confesses her feelings for Jordan to Emma. On the other hand, the reveal of Cate being the brainwasher is a brilliant and unexpected twist that definitely saves the episode from being mediocre. Another great moment is the puppet fight scene featuring Sam, which is without question one of the most unique action sequences put on television.
Maddie Phillips stands out in the episode as she’s able to effectively portray the guilt and sadness that Cate feels for betraying her friends. Despite her reprehensible actions, the viewer might still feel fairly sympathetic for her and might have a stronger desire to find out why she chose to make the decision she did rather than see her be punished for them.
Rating: 6/10