I am a HUGE fan of Amazon Prime's "The Boys". It is one of my favorite shows of all time. I love how they explore superheroes in a more realistic way. Of course a corporation would find a way to make money off of superheroes. Of course many "heroes" would only be heroic when the cameras were rolling. And of course, since absolute power corrupts absolutely, the most power would be the worst offender.
So when Gen V started a few years ago, I figured it would be a nice filler while I was waiting for the main course, The Boys, to get to the table. After a few episodes of season one of "Gen V", it seemed I was right. It was just going to be a silly one off aimed at the teenybopper crowd. Then about half way through season one, I realized it was not just a filler that I could take or leave. it was an essential accompaniment to the main course. Kind of how like a great glass of red wine makes steak taste better. It doesn't change the steak, it just amplifies it. That is what it turned out Gen V was doing. The fact that there were some cameos and direct crossovers with the main show really helped me enjoy Gen V. By the end of season one, I could not imagine watching the Boys without having seen these extra pieces of the big picture.
On top of that, season one of Gen V had some awesome characters and some of my favorite effects and battles I have ever seen. Without providing too many spoilers, one of the college age superheroes has sever mental health issues. He often sees reality as a muppet show. As a result, some of his bloodiest battles are him, in muppet form, tearing apart other muppets with red streamers flying everyone instead of the typical the Boys gore. Although super R-rated, it is one of the funniest things I have seen in a while.
Season two picked up right where season one left off (although there were far too few muppet battles for my liking). By the end of season two, it becomes crystal clear that the events of Gen V are going to be essential for The Boys Universe. These aren't just throwaway characters. They are going to play a major role in what happens with Homelander, the Seven and Star Lighter... I mean Annie... and her pals.
Even though Gen V is clearly an important part of the bigger story, they still manage to mix in some Old School type college humor. There are frats, hazing, and drunken parties. Some of the students' powers are hilarious even if they seem pretty useless at first. To give you a taste, look out for a student named Black Hole whose power consists of being able to hide anything in his ass. Think Hermione's magic bag... but in butt form. Imagine how much beer he can drink through it. Never mind. You won't have to imagine.
The final episode sets up the next chapter quite well. I can't wait to see what happens next in The Boys' Universe!