This article contains spoilers
from the end of the first season of ‘Gen V’ and episode 4×05 of ‘The Boys’.
‘Gen V,’ the college spin-off of ‘The Boys,’ premiered in fall 2023, expanding the universe of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comics with a youthful approach, but the same bad temper and provocation.
The action of the spin-off officially takes place between the events of the third and fourth seasons of the parent series. The end of the first season of ‘Gen V’ connected with ‘The Boys’ through a post-credits scene where we saw Billy Carnicero (Karl Urban) exploring the Forest facilities to search the virus created to wipe out all those who acquired superpowers thanks to Compound V.
This scene links directly to the fifth episode of ‘The Boys’, titled ‘Beware the Gobbledygook, My Son’, where we see Billy’s gang searching for the virus, which Butcher calls “the answer to our prayers.” Vice President Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) got hold of the only samples of the virus in ‘Gen V’ and in ‘The Boys’ she reveals that she is conducting experiments with them. It is then that Billy and his crew turn to former Vought CEO, who happens to be Victoria’s adoptive father, Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito), to help them in their mission..
This is the most important connection between ‘Gen V’ and ‘The Boys’, but in addition, there are other crossovers in season 4 that connect directly to the spin-off. We had previously seen the Supes of Godolkin University in the news, but in episode five there is a double cameo with the appearance of two of the spin-off’s protagonists: Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan (Asa Germann).
Cate has the power to manipulate anyone with just a touch, while Sam has super strength and was one of the subjects of the Forest experiments. The two briefly return in ‘The Boys’ during the Vought panel at Comic-Con, where the series pokes fun at Marvel by announcing its endless upcoming film and television projects. Cate and Sam participate in the panel to present their project, ‘The Guardians of Godolkin: Flipped’, a clear parody of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy. But the most important thing comes at the end of the chapter, when They both meet with The Seven and offer to join Patriot “when the time comes”.
The question now is “Is it true that you didn’t need to see ‘Gen V’ to understand the fourth season of ‘The Boys’?” In October 2023, Eric Kripke said the following: “When they were developing the virus plot they had to be in constant communication with me to understand ‘is this something that is going to be loose in the world and that is going to help us or is it going to help us?’ to fuck?’ It couldn’t get too complicated either. You should be able to watch ‘Gen V’ and not watch ‘The Boys’. Or watch ‘The Boys’ and not watch ‘Gen V’. But the two series speak to each other and it is always important to be consistent.”
So yes, Kripke was right, but only half right. You can follow the thread of the fourth season of ‘The Boys’ without watching ‘Gen V’, but the connection between the two is strong and if we have seen it, it will be easier and the reciprocal narrative game will be better appreciated. Otherwise, it is easy for some important details to escape us. In any case, ‘Gen V’ is a great series that continues the wild and delirious spirit of his mother (sometimes it even surpasses it), so it’s worth seeing beyond the need to complete and connect all the dots.
Cate’s arm
A detail that has not gone unnoticed by viewers is that Cate appears with both of her arms intact, after Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) ripped one off with her powers. in the shocking finale of the first season of ‘Gen V’. In ‘The Boys’ they don’t explain why he got his arm back, which gives rise to several theories.
Regenerative powers? A bionic arm? Vought experiments? It remains to be seen when and where they resolve the mystery, but it is very possible that they will, either in ‘The Boys’ or in the second season of ‘Gen V’, which is already on the way.
‘The Boys’ is available on Prime Video and there are three episodes left until the end of the fourth season. The series is officially renewed, but the fifth will be the last.
