When The Boys Season 4 premiered in June of 2024, it was clear it was at the end of its lifespan. The satire went from shocking to groan-inducing, the plotlines got more on-the-nose, and the gore was no longer as satisfyingly gnarly as it once was. But despite all the tired aspects of the season, there was one bright spot: the upcoming return of Gen V, the college-set spinoff that took all the best parts of The Boys and skewed them younger with some classic young-adult teen drama issues.
But in Gen V Season 2, it seems like The Boys’ bad habits have carried over to it. While there are still glimmers of the show it once was, and it remains very watchable, it elicits more eyerolls than gasps. To paraphrase William Shakespeare, the sins of the original show are to be laid upon the spinoff.
