Gen V (2023)

TV show · 2023 · Action & Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy · English

Curator score: 6.2/10 (148.2K ratings)

A university like you've never seen it before.

Overview

At America's only college for superheroes, gifted students put their moral boundaries to the test, competing for the university's top ranking, and a chance to join The Seven, Vought International's elite superhero team. When the school's dark secrets come to light, they must decide what kind of heroes they want to become.

Ratings

Production

Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios, Kripke Enterprises, Point Grey Pictures, Original Film, Fazekas & Butters

Cast

Jaz Sinclair, Lizze Broadway, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, Sean Patrick Thomas, Hamish Linklater

Where to watch

Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads

Curator Review

Verdict

A sharp, nasty, and very bingeable superhero satire that works best as a companion piece to The Boys, but still stands on its own as a campus thriller with real emotional stakes. Season 1 is the essential run; it’s the most cohesive, funniest, and most shocking stretch, while later material is best approached as continuation rather than a fresh entry point.

Best for

  • Viewers who like dark superhero satire
  • Fans of The Boys universe
  • People who enjoy college-set ensemble dramas with mystery elements
  • Audiences comfortable with graphic violence and crude humor
  • Binge-watchers looking for fast pacing and cliffhangers

Skip if

  • You want hopeful or clean-cut superhero stories
  • You dislike extreme gore, sexual content, or nihilistic humor
  • You prefer subtle worldbuilding over loud, chaotic satire
  • You haven’t seen The Boys and want a gentler introduction to this universe

Overview

Gen V takes the most corrosive parts of The Boys and filters them through a college setting, which is a smart fit: ambition, identity, peer pressure, and institutional rot all come preloaded. The result is a show that moves quickly, lands frequent shocks, and still finds room for genuine character vulnerability beneath the carnage and satire.

Worth noting

Its biggest strength is how effectively it balances mystery, social commentary, and superhero spectacle. The campus politics and ranking system give the series a clean engine, while the Vought machinery keeps the stakes tied to the larger franchise. It’s not as emotionally rich as the best prestige dramas, but it is consistently entertaining and often sharper than it needs to be.

Bottom line

Season 1 is the standout and the main reason to watch; it feels complete enough to satisfy, even with franchise connections. Later material is more dependent on the wider universe, so the show plays best as a high-energy side story rather than a long-running centerpiece. If you like your genre TV mean, fast, and messy, this is an easy recommendation.

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Topics

dark comedy, superhero, satire, ensemble drama, mystery, violent, bingeable, coming-of-age, campus setting, prestige genre

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