The Boys Officially Explains Its Missing Gen V Characters (& Continues Avoiding 1 Big Problem)

The Boys Season 5, Episode 3 officially explains Gen V‘s missing characters, and it continues avoiding a big problem — though it’s only a matter of time before the teenage supes show up. The Boys‘ final outing is tasked with wrapping up many character arcs and storylines from the main show, but it will need to connect the ending to its spinoff as well. It’s a lot to accomplish, especially in eight episodes, but the Prime Video series is doing a decent job so far. SPOILERS ahead for The Boys Season 5, Episode 3.

At least, that’s true where the main show’s characters and plotlines are concerned. In the first three episodes alone, The Boys Season 5 gives A-Train the perfect redemption, brings Stan Edgar back into the fold, and sets several characters up to defeat Homelander — all while dealing with the rising tensions that stem from his takeover in Season 4. Marie Moreau and the other supes from Gen V have yet to make an appearance, but The Boys Season 5’s trailer confirms they’ll crop up at some point. And the latest installment explains their absence. It’s one that benefits the series, though it’ll have to walk a careful line when it does finally bring them in.

The Boys Season 5, Episode 3 Sheds Light on Gen V’s Missing Characters

The Boys Season 5’s two-part premiere reveals that Marie is leading a team for Starlight’s resistance, and it tells us they were recently in Pittsburgh. It’s not much for our Gen V characters, but it explains away their absence in the opening without writing them off completely. Marie and her friends don’t show up this week, either, but The Boys Season 5, Episode 3 sheds more light on their whereabouts. When The Boys seek out Stan Edgar, he tells Starlight he wasn’t expecting her. Then he asks, “I take it Marie Moreau is running late?” This doesn’t tell us where, exactly, Marie and her friends are, but it suggests that she’s in regular contact with Starlight and possibly Stan. It also implies that she does intend to meet up with the group eventually.

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We can probably expect more references to Marie and her team until that finally happens, as it’s a good way for The Boys to keep them involved without them actually being present. And although that might be disappointing for those eager to catch up with the teens, it’s smart on The Boys‘ part. By continuing to keep Gen V‘s heroes on the sidelines, the series is ensuring it doesn’t fall into a trap that would hurt its ending and legacy.

The Boys Season 5’s Early Episodes Continue to Avoid 1 Big Problem

While overlap between The Boys and Gen V is inevitable in Season 5, this chapter is tasked with ending the main show’s story first and foremost. As it’s the series’ last hurrah, it should feel like it’s honoring the characters and everything that came before while simultaneously paying off the journey here. Throwing Gen V’s main characters into the first few episodes would risk overshadowing the older characters and storylines, however, which would give the series a disappointing send-off. Fortunately, by excluding Marie and the others from its early episodes, The Boys Season 5 avoids this Gen V problem and takes time to focus on what’s most important instead.

And mentioning them consistently still promises that they’ll show up eventually, and it maintains narrative consistency after Gen V Season 2’s ending. It’s the best way the series could have handled its incoming spinoff characters, though hopefully, it won’t take too long to bring them in. Otherwise, that would create another Gen V issue.

The Prime Video Show Must Avoid Waiting Too Long & Creating Another Gen V Issue

It’s a relief that The Boys doesn’t bring in Gen V’s leads right away, but Season 5 does need to honor the spinoff’s setup eventually. At this point, the series are too tied together to keep them mostly separate. At the very least, Marie Moreau and Project Odessa must factor into the fight against Homelander, even if they’re not deciding factors. The fact that Gen V Season 3 has yet to be renewed makes this even more crucial. It’s possible it will get the green-light eventually, but if Season 2 is truly the end, then The Boys needs to wrap two series up in its coming episodes. That means it can’t waste too much time keeping Gen V‘s characters in the background. But looking at how their entrance has been handled so far, there’s reason to have faith in the writers’ ability to juggle the two shows.

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