TV land lately has been filled with shows that are accidentally (or purposely) mirroring real-world politics. Prime Video’s hit series “The Boys” has lived in that space shamelessly for most of its four-season run now, and its college spinoff series “Gen V” falls right in line, too, especially in Season 2.
The show, which wrapped its second season on Oct. 22, follows a group of super-powered students at Godolkin University as they sniff out a sinister conspiracy about a supe-killing virus at their college.
The spinoff runs parallel with the timeline of “The Boys,” with Season 2 picking up just after the inherently fascist, Trump-like figure Homelander (Antony Starr) seized control of America and declared martial law at the end of the flagship show’s fourth season, with every superhero across the nation reporting to him. That goes for the supes at God U, too, where MAGA influencers and the conservative Vought have the upper hand on campus, making it even harder for Marie (Jaz Sinclair), Jordan (London Thor/Derek Luh) and Emma (Lizze Broadway) to expose what they know has been happening at their university.
The parallels between “The Boys” universe and the Trump 2.0 era are too spot-on to ignore, even more so now that “Gen V” has carried the torch. As many times as creator Eric Kripke has said his superhero satires aren’t trying to predict the future, they’re always on point with what’s happening in our current reality — like a leader abusing his power to carry out his own agenda (in the case of “Gen V,” that very well looks like Cipher (Hamish Linklater).
All episodes of “Gen V” are streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
