To say Gen V is on the upswing sounds overdramatic. Although I had problems with last week’s ending, “The Whole Truth” is leagues away from lousy television. Episode 4’s cliffhanger finish as Sam (Asa Germann), The Woods’ evil doctor, and Godolkin’s student guardians collide didn’t hit me right – but that hiccup is already forgotten. "Welcome to the Monster Club” immediately addresses the leap in time that abruptly ends “The Whole Truth” and then some, revealing the supe behind yet another cover-up under God U’s orders.
To this point, Marie (Jaz Sinclair) and her cohorts have felt chaotically in control. They’ve uncovered the weirdness behind Golden Boy’s death and inched closer to exposing The Woods, so the pendulum had to swing back sometime. “Welcome to the Monster Club” is that point, as Marie, Jordan (London Thor and Derek Luh), Andre (Chance Perdomo), Cate (Maddie Phillips), and supersized Emma (Lizze Broadway) wake up at an off-campus party house with no recollection of the last few days. It feels like a Twilight Zone chapter where the events of the previous few episodes are erased on a whim, if only to illustrate the level of corruption at Godolkin. Marie’s crew can bend blood, influence minds, and manipulate metal, but they still need to face adversity that seems undefeatable to make Gen V compelling enough, and that’s what “Welcome to the Monster Club” asserts.
Sam is the only one who knows what occurred at Dr. Cardosa’s (Marco Pigossi) house, but Emma and Marie can’t trust the stranger who spews unproven ramblings about being friends. It’s a bittersweet reunion for Sam and mindwiped Emma, but adversity builds their relationship even further because Emma – while suffering amnesia – wants to believe Sam for reasons she cannot remember. Germann and Broadway nurture a wounded chemistry that works as they sweetly gaze at one another even without essential memories, and keeps the dramatic intrigue thick as we beg to find out why the show’s protagonists go from a Marvel movie to a superpowered Animal House remake at random.
We also behold another flavor of derangement that swerves even harder into Sam’s psychosis. We’ve seen The Boys lay gore on thick, and Gen V is no different, but an entire fight sequence in “Welcome to the Monster Club” features puppets being ripped to shreds by Sam, also in puppet form. It’s a better version of The Happytime Murders with Puppet Sam tearing Vought mercenaries in half as crimson glitter and plushy insides are tossed around like a Build-A-Bear massacre. It’s oodles of fun, but also so telling about how the showrunners approach Gen V from a place of originality: They can keep playing the same disgustingly graphic games as The Boys, or they can keep flabbergasting audiences. Gen V continually chooses the latter, which has reaped massive rewards thus far.
What we said about Episode 4
“'The Whole Truth' is another guns-blazing installment of the wildest show on streaming, but the climax leaves a rare dent in the universe’s armor. It’s impossible for every episode to bean immaculate banger, but Gen V might push too far for its own good this time. There’s still so much to love in 'The Whole Truth,' from Tek Knight’s bastardized Law & Order schtick to the nurturing of young love between characters looking for a sliver of hope under Godolkin’s corrupt oversight. You can’t fault Gen V for being its rebellious self, though there’s something unfulfilling about how 'The Whole Truth' chooses storytelling tomfoolery over a clean dismount." – Matt Donato
Read the rest of our Gen V Episode 4 Review – “The Whole Truth”
“Welcome to the Monster Club” showcases how the storytelling on Gen V can and should differ from The Boys. Everyone’s wiped memories point towards problematic psychic Rufus (Alexander Calvert) as the culprit, but an even nastier reality is at play. Marie’s awkward schoolyard feelings toward Jordan fall to the wayside once the gang figures out who’s behind their nonconsensual mental trespassing, which plays into the complexity of young adults still finding their paths. There’s no Homelander or Stormfront equivalent decidedly on the wrong side of heroism. Characters in Gen V endure their consequences 20 times over because they’re making decisions under impressionable and immature circumstances. This week’s episode exploits all of that, leaving emotional scars as opposed to Butcher beating his problems to a pulp or Homelander lasering his issues into goo.
We also learn vital dirt about The Woods – and it’s about time Gen V shed some more light on the experimental underground facility run by Dean Shetty (Shelley Conn) and Dr. Cardosa. We’ve known Shetty’s behind no-good dealings the whole time, but Cardosa’s admission about his research raises the stakes. “Welcome to the Monster Club” is a slower episode that plays blackout whodunit and exists to drop bombshells, relying on payoffs that thankfully deliver. This isn’t a dick-exploding riot like prior episodes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a downgrade.
Continue reading...
To this point, Marie (Jaz Sinclair) and her cohorts have felt chaotically in control. They’ve uncovered the weirdness behind Golden Boy’s death and inched closer to exposing The Woods, so the pendulum had to swing back sometime. “Welcome to the Monster Club” is that point, as Marie, Jordan (London Thor and Derek Luh), Andre (Chance Perdomo), Cate (Maddie Phillips), and supersized Emma (Lizze Broadway) wake up at an off-campus party house with no recollection of the last few days. It feels like a Twilight Zone chapter where the events of the previous few episodes are erased on a whim, if only to illustrate the level of corruption at Godolkin. Marie’s crew can bend blood, influence minds, and manipulate metal, but they still need to face adversity that seems undefeatable to make Gen V compelling enough, and that’s what “Welcome to the Monster Club” asserts.
Sam is the only one who knows what occurred at Dr. Cardosa’s (Marco Pigossi) house, but Emma and Marie can’t trust the stranger who spews unproven ramblings about being friends. It’s a bittersweet reunion for Sam and mindwiped Emma, but adversity builds their relationship even further because Emma – while suffering amnesia – wants to believe Sam for reasons she cannot remember. Germann and Broadway nurture a wounded chemistry that works as they sweetly gaze at one another even without essential memories, and keeps the dramatic intrigue thick as we beg to find out why the show’s protagonists go from a Marvel movie to a superpowered Animal House remake at random.
We also behold another flavor of derangement that swerves even harder into Sam’s psychosis. We’ve seen The Boys lay gore on thick, and Gen V is no different, but an entire fight sequence in “Welcome to the Monster Club” features puppets being ripped to shreds by Sam, also in puppet form. It’s a better version of The Happytime Murders with Puppet Sam tearing Vought mercenaries in half as crimson glitter and plushy insides are tossed around like a Build-A-Bear massacre. It’s oodles of fun, but also so telling about how the showrunners approach Gen V from a place of originality: They can keep playing the same disgustingly graphic games as The Boys, or they can keep flabbergasting audiences. Gen V continually chooses the latter, which has reaped massive rewards thus far.
What we said about Episode 4
“'The Whole Truth' is another guns-blazing installment of the wildest show on streaming, but the climax leaves a rare dent in the universe’s armor. It’s impossible for every episode to bean immaculate banger, but Gen V might push too far for its own good this time. There’s still so much to love in 'The Whole Truth,' from Tek Knight’s bastardized Law & Order schtick to the nurturing of young love between characters looking for a sliver of hope under Godolkin’s corrupt oversight. You can’t fault Gen V for being its rebellious self, though there’s something unfulfilling about how 'The Whole Truth' chooses storytelling tomfoolery over a clean dismount." – Matt Donato
Read the rest of our Gen V Episode 4 Review – “The Whole Truth”
“Welcome to the Monster Club” showcases how the storytelling on Gen V can and should differ from The Boys. Everyone’s wiped memories point towards problematic psychic Rufus (Alexander Calvert) as the culprit, but an even nastier reality is at play. Marie’s awkward schoolyard feelings toward Jordan fall to the wayside once the gang figures out who’s behind their nonconsensual mental trespassing, which plays into the complexity of young adults still finding their paths. There’s no Homelander or Stormfront equivalent decidedly on the wrong side of heroism. Characters in Gen V endure their consequences 20 times over because they’re making decisions under impressionable and immature circumstances. This week’s episode exploits all of that, leaving emotional scars as opposed to Butcher beating his problems to a pulp or Homelander lasering his issues into goo.
We also learn vital dirt about The Woods – and it’s about time Gen V shed some more light on the experimental underground facility run by Dean Shetty (Shelley Conn) and Dr. Cardosa. We’ve known Shetty’s behind no-good dealings the whole time, but Cardosa’s admission about his research raises the stakes. “Welcome to the Monster Club” is a slower episode that plays blackout whodunit and exists to drop bombshells, relying on payoffs that thankfully deliver. This isn’t a dick-exploding riot like prior episodes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a downgrade.
Continue reading...