Gen V episode 5 review — The Kids Are Not Alright — Secrets, shifting loyalties and the most intense hour yet

Gen V keeps proving it’s more than a spin-off riding the shock value of The Boys. The fifth episode of the second season, titled “The Kids Are Not Alright,” pushes the show into its most confident and daring territory yet. Watching it while revisiting season 4 of The Boys makes every beat sharper, revealing how carefully these two series are weaving a shared mythology about power, control and survival.

This is not just a solid chapter. It's the moment when Gen V claims its own weight in the franchise. The episode trades cheap gore for true tension, builds its horror from psychological pressure and lets its characters feel the cost of manipulation in ways that stay long after the credits.

A masterclass in control and unease

When Sister Sage shows up, the tone of the episode shifts in an instant. Her arrival is not just another plot move; it's a demonstration of control that pulls the story into even darker and stranger territory. The power dynamic turns electric, revealing how Gen V thrives on manipulation and intimacy as weapons. It's a scene that says everything about how dangerous Sage has become and how deeply she's shaping the main story’s biggest plays.

Cipher, meanwhile, continues to be the show’s most fascinating puzzle. He's no longer just a smooth manipulator haunting Godolkin University; he's an enigma hinting at something far more complicated. This episode leans into that mystery and makes it feel earned rather than cheap.

The Thomas Godolkin theory feels closer than ever

The fifth episode of the second season of Gen V feeds the growing belief that Cipher is somehow tied to Thomas Godolkin himself. The way the show frames his vulnerability, the almost reverent way Sister Sage interacts with him and the constant suggestion that his power comes with real pain all push the idea further.

Nothing is confirmed, but the show knows exactly how to tease this possibility. Instead of dumping exposition, it builds an atmosphere of dread and curiosity that keeps viewers asking who Cipher really is and why his influence over Godolkin feels absolute.

Gen V grows bolder with every hour

What makes this episode of the second season of Gen V stand out is not just the secrets it hints at but the confidence behind them. The series has stopped playing it safe and now feels willing to challenge us with slow burning psychological tension, political scheming and characters whose morality keeps twisting.

Watching while revisiting The Boys season 4 only heightens this impact. You can feel the narrative threads pulling tighter, with Gen V no longer afraid to rival its parent show in scope and ambition. It's thrilling to see a spin-off stop behaving like one.

A franchise unafraid to raise the stakes

By the end of this episode, it's clear that Gen V is not content to be a side story. It digs into the deepest fears of the franchise: what power does to the body and mind, and how far the system will go to control it. Sister Sage feels unstoppable, Cipher grows more unnerving with every clue, and Marie’s journey is turning into something far bigger than a student trying to survive Godolkin.

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Maybe the biggest puppet master in the franchise is not done yet and that's exactly what makes the wait for the next episodes so thrilling.

Rating with a touch of flair: 5 out of 5 puppet masters pulling strings from the shadows.

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