*Spoilers for episode 6 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 6 explores the following themes: truth and reflection.
The episode opens with Cate (Maddie Phillips) returning the memories she took from Marie (Jaz Sinclair), Jordan (London Thor/Derek Luh), and Emma (Lizze Broadway). Emma goes on the search for Sam (Asa Germann) while Jordan and Marie confront Cate. Later on, Marie, Jordan, and Andre (Chance Perdomo) panic when they find Cate convulsing on the ground. Marie is able to stabilize Cate using her powers, though Cate remains unconscious. Andre, Jordan, Marie, and a former student named Dusty (Andy Walken) realize they are trapped in Cate’s head and witness her past, starting with a memory where her mother abandoned her after Cate accidentally caused her younger brother to go missing due to her powers. The group also run into an imaginary version of Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles), a notable character from season 3 of “The Boys”, who introduces himself as Cate’s imaginary friend.
Andre, Marie, Jordan, and Dusty continue wandering through Cate’s mind and witness another core memory, where Cate and Dean Indira first meet and Indira becomes a maternal figure for Cate. Cate’s mind then jumps to the future and Andre, Marie, Jordan, and Dusty witness the moment where Cate first met Sam. The situation becomes dangerous when Sam starts interacting with Andre and turns to violence after revealing that Andre was secretly hooking up with Cate when she was in a relationship with Sam. Dusty is caught in the crossfire but Andre, Marie, and Jordan are able to escape. They witness another memory, though this time it comes from Jordan’s mind, and it’s a memory that shows Jordan putting Luke to sleep after he threatens to hurt Prof. Brinkerhoff (Clancy Brown). The memory version of Jordan then confronts the real Jordan about hurting Luke just to increase their own standing. At the same time, Sam and Emma reunite and ending up hooking up together. Sam then confesses that he feels that Emma is too normal for him. Emma rejects his insecurity and assures him that she cares about him for who he is. Sam suggests that they run away together but Emma proposes instead that they get help from Marie and the others.
Andre, Marie, and Jordan walk in on another one of Cate’s memories, this time where she puts Sam back to sleep after he wakes up during an experiment overseen by Brinkerhoff, Indira, and Cordosa. The group also sees that Cate feels heavily conflicted about her actions. The next memory that the group sees are from Marie’s past, specifically the moments right after she killed her parents. Marie sees her sister Annabeth (Maria Nash) and tries to apologize for her actions but ends up coming to the conclusion that her actions weren’t her fault. She reminds Cate that she is also not at fault for her trauma and this brings the group in contact with Cate. Cate initially refuses to wake up but Andre confronts her for her manipulation and manages to convince her to wake up. Cate snaps out of her trance and is able to awaken herself and the rest of the group. Sam and Emma arrive at the house and Sam immediately tries to attack Cate though he’s able to calm down thanks to Emma. Cate agrees to help the group go against Indira, though it’s clear that the others are still very hesitant to forgive her.
Back at “the woods”, Dean Indira (Shelley Conn) and Dr. Cordosa (Marco Pigossi) examine a captured woman with powers who Cordosa has exposed to a virus that only effects “supes.” Cordosa wants to share his findings with Vought but Dean Indira insists that he increase the effects of the virus. The storyline concludes with Cordosa revealing that the increased dose of the virus accidentally killed the supe woman. In response, Indira asks Cordosa to make the virus contagious.
Episode 6 is arguably the most important episode of the season thus far from a character development standpoint, as the main plot is centered around most of the main characters confronting their inner demons. The episode’s goal is to have Marie, Andre, Jordan, and Cate confront their own flaws but the actual execution is imperfect, as their development feels rushed and their decision once they wake up are somewhat confusing. The decisions made by Marie, Andre, and Jordan to suddenly ally themselves with Cate again is particularly confusing, given that she betrayed them and essentially kept Jordan and Andre in the dark about Indira’s true motivations for years. The highlight of the episode probably comes from Sam and Emma’s storyline, as their relationship feels fairly grounded and endearing.
Of all the performances, Jaz Sinclair’s stands out the most in the episode. The actor has one scene in particular, where Marie confronts her past and apologizes to her sister, where Sinclair conveys the indescribable sadness and regret of her character in a way that is incredibly believable and truly heartbreaking.
Rating: 6/10