The Boys: Gen V Premiere Episode Includes Surprising Deaths

Prime Video’s Gen V has raced onto the scene, with fans now able to watch the first three episodes of The Boys spin-off. The series wastes little time in reminding viewers of the franchise it finds itself a part of, killing off two of the show’s “main” characters by the time the episode rolls its credit. Complete spoilers up ahead for the Gen V’s first episode! Proceed with caution if you’ve yet to watch the Prime Video series.

From the beginning of the series, Golden Boy/Luke Riordan (Patrick Schwarzenegger) is portrayed as a potential replacement for Homelander. Quite literally the Golden Boy of Vought International, Riordan is the top-ranked supe at Godolkin University. Also at Godolkin University is Professor Richard Brinkerhoff (Clancy Brown), one of the world’s most prominent experts on superheroes.

Throughout the episode, Riordan has visions of a place he only calls “The Woods,” which appears to be some Vought-adjacent holding facility where supes may be placed under experimentation or something of the nature. These visions cause Golden Boy to breakdown and kill Brinkerhoff, someone portrayed as Riordan’s mentor throughout the entire episode.

After Riordan is killed, Golden Boy gets in a fight with some students at “God U” before flying into the air and powering up to his fullest, something the causes himself to explode and coat those on the ground below with his own blood and guts.

By the time Gen V’s first episode is done, two characters prominently featured throughout—both Golden Boy and Brinkerhoff—find themselves dead.

Gen V is the first live-action spinoff of The Boys, the hit Prime Video series based on the Dynamite Comics series. Set in Godolkin University, originally a parody of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters from Marvel’s X-Men comics, the series is described as “Hunger Games” at a college and the cutthroat world of young supes trying their best to get on one of Vought’s super teams, including The Seven. Former Marvel’s Agent Carter showrunners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters showrun the new series, which is executive produced by The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke and Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg. Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, and Lizze Broadway lead the new cast of Gen V, which will also see some characters from The Boys make an appearance including Jessie T. Usher as A-Train, Colby Minifie as Vought’s Ashley Barrett, and P.J. Byrne as director Adam Bourke.

The first three episodes of The Boys: Gen V are now streaming on Prime Video. The remaining episodes will be released on the streamer every Friday.