Gen Vis the first of what could be many spin-offs to Eric Kripke and Seth Rogen’s excellent adaptation ofThe Boys. It expands the world under Vought’s control and offers a new perspective. Every new thing fans learn about Vought’s corporate policy remains surprising. Everyone knows the company is evil, but examining the depths of the terrifying facility under their superhero university reveals yet another new low.
The Boysis built around superhero satire. It mocks Marvel and DC’s cinematic effortswith impressive accuracy whileattacking celebrity culture and the ever-escalating political climate.Gen Vshifts focus from those at the top and the renegades fighting them to the young up-and-comers who long for the spotlight. That shift allows fans to see the process up close and learn what it takes to become a monster like Homelander.
What are the Woods?
The Woods debuted in thefirst episode ofGen V. The area has been a critical element of the series in every subsequent outing. The Woods is a hidden structure designed to contain, torture, and study renegade supes. The facility sits below Godolkin University. It resembles an outdated mental institution, with featureless white solitary cells and doctors who view their subjects as subhuman. It earns its title from the decorative forest wallpaper that adorns chunks of the installation. Dean Indira Shetty rules over the Woods as part of herleadership of God U. Vought considers maintaining secrecy her most critical task. The company, which has already survived scandals that would tank some governments, views the existence of the Woods as fatal information. Fans have only seen elements of The Woods, but Vought’s PR concern is justified.
Gen Vprovides itsfirst hint for the Woods when Sam Riordan escapes containment. Sam looks like a villain, but his terror is hard to ignore. He attacks guards and destroys property as he evades his handlers. Marie and Andre strike, slowing him down enough for the armed security to capture him. He screams that he won’t return to the Woods, but he’s dragged off. Sam lands back in a cell, begging to be set free. Over the following episodes, viewers learn that Sam is Luke’s brother. God U’s #1 student believes his younger sibling died years ago. Sam rots in a cell while Luke is forced to forget he exists. Once the heroes discover the truth about the Woods, they mount a dangerous rescue mission to save Sam. Sam is psychologically broken after years of isolation and torture. There’s no way of knowing how many supes are trapped in the Woods. It’s safe to assume every victim in those cells suffers a similar fate.
What is the Woods’ goal?
Ostensibly, the Woods exist to contain young supes who can’t control themselves. Compound V offers no warning to its users, usually resulting in terrible side effects. Whena kid’s powers kick in, they almost always hurt or kill someone.Gen Vgives fans two excellent examples. Marie Moreau killed her parents, and Cate Dunlap lost her little brother. Those incidents were accidents, but some teenagers react to V worse than others. Sam suffered psychological issues that manifested after exposure to Compound V. He was shipped off to the sinister Sage Grove Center at a young age. Sam became enraged when he discovered his superhuman strength came from a bottle. He was secretly moved to the Woods. He’s been the subject of experiments since then.
Keeping dangerous supes in an underground facility is morally questionable but likely a necessary evil of Vought’s long-term Compound V plan. However, the mostrecent episode ofGen Vrevealed a more sinister scheme behind the Woods. Dean Shetty and head therapist Dr. Edison Cardosa have been developing a contagion that infects anyone with Compound V in their blood. Shetty convinced Cardosa that Vought would use the virus to control supes. In theory, it’s not the worst thing to have around. It’s a safe way to threaten or put down supes that can be otherwise invulnerable. Shetty isn’t planning to use her new lab-grown anti-superhero infection to exterminate all supes. She intends to carry out genocide on everyperson exposed to Compound V. Billy Butcher would likely stay his hand at that suggestion. Her motivations remain unclear, but the Woods has revealed its true purpose.
Vought would have no reason to eliminate supes. Dean Shetty seems to have gone rogue. The Woods has served as a development center for a virus that could kill thousands of people, many of whom have done nothing wrong. This presents a fascinating glance into thegrowth ofThe Boysuniverse. The original show would frame this virus as a moral question for the titular heroes. Billy would want to put it in the nation’s water supply, and Hughie would say it’s too extreme.Gen Vcasts a few young supes as the protagonists, even when they do terrible things. The Woods is yet another crime Vought commits against humanity in general. Fans will have to wait and see how this nightmarish apocalypse scenario plays out in the final few episodes ofGen V.
Gen V
Gen V, a spinoff of Prime Video’s The Boys, follows the super students of Godolkin University. However, the school is hiding a dark secret, and it’s up to freshman Marie Moreau and her friends to bring the truth to light. Gen V maintains the anarchic spirit of The Boys, and is filled with just as much dark humor and gritty, bloody violence.
MORE:Gen V Easter Egg Spoils Homelander’s Fate In The Boys Season 4
