TV REVIEWS

SnapRead Fridays: Gen V Season 2 Finale!

The Second Season of this frolicking, bloodthirsty, and depraved coming-of-age Superhero Drama comes to a Roaring Conclusion as the Big Bad of Gen V stands against both humankind and Vought’s golden boy for Supe Supremacy.

Amazon Studios, Marvel Studios, and all other third parties own all rights.

Episode Title: Trojan

Seasons: 2 Episode: 08

Release Date: October 22, 2025

Director: Steve Boyum

Writer(s): Justine Ferrara & Michele Fazekas

Distributor: Amazon Studios

Network/Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Genre: Superhero, Comedy, Drama

Runtime: 47 mins

Rating Certificate: 15

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So, before I continue, welcome to your first edition of SnapRead Fridays, where you consume reviews in smaller, digestible bites so you can go on for the rest of your day feeling a bit smarter.

The next SnapRead Fridays you will read is Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man before the year’s end, but I will also be reviewing Wonder Man from Marvel Studios, which will drop on Disney+. As I always say, subscribe to Medium for premium reads, follow if you like my content, give my posts a like (👏), and share it with your kinfolk to get that algorithm cooking!! Now, let’s get on with the review.

First Impressions & Overall Feel

The Gen V finale delivered exactly what I expected — chaos, heartbreak, and a few laughs to keep the whole thing from feeling too heavy. Coming in off last week’s cliffhanger, I was on edge for the so-called V Squad (and yes, I’m sticking with that name). The cold open with **Thomas Godolkin (Ethan Slater) surviving his own prototype Compound V** disaster was both gross and fascinating, setting the stage for an episode where nobody was safe, least of all our main crew.

Dean Cipher/**Doug Brightbill (Hamish Linklater) getting wrecked after reviving Godolkin only amped up the tension. With Godolkin’s decades of experience and dirty tricks, I kept asking myself how these kids should beat this guy? The threat felt bigger than ever. I’ll admit, the finale didn’t quite reach the emotional highs of episode 4 (Marie vs. Jordan* is still peak Gen V* for me), but the tension was real, and the stakes felt huge. After episode 7’s escalation, knowing who would make it out alive was hard.

One thing the show truly nailed was honouring Chance Perdomo’s legacy, who played Andre Anderson in the first season. That hospital scene between **Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas) and Doug (Linklater) **was honest and grounded, a rare moment of grace in a show built on chaos. It didn’t feel forced and gave Andre’s arc a fitting sense of closure.

The big payoff comes from the unlikely students who took down Godolkin — finally flipping the script and delivering on the episode’s “Trojan” title. It wasn’t a clean win, and the system’s still rigged, but for once, the V Squad changed the game on their own terms.

And let’s talk about the humour. Sam and Emma’s (Asa Germann and Lizzie Broadway) attempt to stop Godolkin’s classes went spectacularly off the rails, ending with Rufus (Alexander Calvert) and Black Hole (Wyatt Dorion) drugging them into a ridiculous, humiliating hazing scene. It’s those wild, unexpected moments — the marker pen faces, the sheer absurdity — that keep the show from sinking into full-on darkness.

In the end, the finale didn’t reinvent the wheel, but it gave the season a send-off with just enough heart, chaos, and irreverence. If this is the last we see of the V Squad, at least they went out swinging.

Strengths

Gen V’s “Trojan” is one of those finales that lives up to the hype — messy, emotional, and, above all, entertaining. The episode’s real strengths? The direction and acting, hands down. While Cipher’s background and link to Godolkin felt a little rushed, the themes of elitism, survival of the fittest, and redemption landed hard. The show doesn’t shy away from visceral action and over-the-top violence, a trademark of its style. Multiple episodes, especially this one, dig into what it means to level up, redeem yourself, and challenge the system.

Linklater’s performance as Cipher is a standout — think the layered villain energy of Matt Letscher’s Reverse-Flash from The Flash, mixed with Tom Cavanagh’s Harrison Wells. He sells both Doug’s vulnerability and Cipher’s menace, channelling Godolkin almost as a supernatural conduit. Jaz Sinclair’s portrayal of Marie Moreau truly stands out, showcasing real leadership in the V Squad and perfectly embodying Slater’s mannerisms while possessed. At the same time, Sean Patrick Thomas’s Polarity gets a satisfying arc, carrying the grief of Andre’s death and helping the team heal and seek justice.

Where the episode really succeeds is in wrapping up the big arcs. Godolkin’s storyline comes to a definitive end, and there’s genuine closure for Andre, which doubles as a heartfelt send-off to Chance Perdomo. The writers also smartly lay the groundwork for The Boys’ final season, introducing Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and a surprise Supe cameo that fans will devour.

From the start, the stakes are sky-high. The Godolkin Six are in deep, uncovering the founder’s secrets and barreling through plot twists left and right. Even if every thread doesn’t tie up perfectly, “Trojan” delivers the blend of heart, humour, violence, and spectacle that’s made Gen V such a wild ride.

Weaknesses

The episode stumbles with Cipher’s reveal — predictable and lacking punch. While pacing holds steady and storytelling feels committed, confident plot choices could’ve landed harder. Resolving the “Hell Week” mystery undercuts this finale’s impact, softening what should have been a sharper close.

This episode is the lightest of the season on twists and reveals, though its themes of redemption, ascension, and chilling “Supe Supremacy” imagery — echoing far-right nationalism and eugenics — keep it afloat.

Themes & Takeaways

• I believe this episode primarily focused on a character study of what makes us feel human from a Supe’s perspective, especially highlighted by another grand cameo from **Sister Sage (Susan Heyward**). She is cold, analytical, stoic, and a perverse troll willing to cause significant change just because she can, but she also exhibits a different side that is warmer and more vulnerable with Thomas Godolkin, who, so far, is the only other character besides herself who is her intellectual equal.
• “Trojan” isn’t just a title — it’s a nod to the way Black Hole manages to slip into Thomas Godolkin’s seminar and break **Jordan Li, [Sam Riordan](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Sam_Riordan), [Emma Meyer](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Emma_Meyer), [Greg](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Greg), [Ally](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Ally), and [Harper](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Harper)** free from his grip to finally take him down.
• The finale is the ultimate rebellion against the system that established the educational campus at Godolkin University, initially created for Supes by the megacorporation **Vought. Like the constituencies that support their power, it depicts characters who are not only cooperating against the martial law imposed by Vought and the revered [Homelander](https://the-boys.fandom.com/wiki/Homelander)**, which caused significant strife, pain, death, and destruction, even to those he claimed were his teammates.

Final Verdict

This is essential viewing — your pulse-pounding prep for the explosive final season of The Boys and upcoming spin-offs. The fate of the Godolkin Six hangs by a thread. Who lives, who dies, and who’ll stand against Homelander, Vought, and the crushing might of the U.S. government? Buckle up: the endgame has begun.

Thomas Godolkin’s shadow looms large over The Boys universe, promising deeper twists in Vought Rising and The Boys: Mexico. This episode immortalises Chance Podomo, honours Andre Anderson, and marks the Guardians’ first real strike at Vought. The reckoning is only beginning.

Rating: 7.5/10

Looking Ahead

• Gen V’s future hinges on the fallout of the war against Vought — **Butcher*, Starlight’s resistance, and Homelander are all wild cards. As for spin-offs, Vought Rising explores the origins of Vought’s dominance, while The Boys: Mexico* remains a mystery.
• In Season 3, expect a new Godolkin Six to emerge, forced to confront the aftermath of the Vought civil war. The Boys: Mexico could open a new front — Supes versus revolution in Mexico.
• Most threads tie up, but tensions simmer: Maria and Jordan’s dynamic, the Sam-Emma-Greg triangle, and whispers that Godolkin’s story isn’t finished. Polarity may fend off Vought for now, but what cards does Stan Edgar still hold?
• This finale stands out for its brutal homage to fallen characters, the main cast’s chaotic reckoning, and Godolkin’s tragic downfall — a modern King Solomon’s tale.

SnapRead Quick Summary

• Best Moment: The standout scene has to be Black Hole sneaking the V Squad into Godolkin’s seminar. It was messy, unfiltered fun, with a quirky and wildly entertaining action sequence that felt like a crank-tastic slugfest.
• Weakest Element: The “reveal” didn’t quite land, but that’s on past writers and directors, not the current team. Thankfully, the aftermath was handled more satisfactorily.
• Recommendation: This is a must-watch to understand the status quo leading into the final season of The Boys and the fate of The Godolkin Six.
• Ideal for: Fans of The Boys and Gen V, along with anyone invested in superhero narratives, coming-of-age tales, and young adult drama.
• Skip if: You’re squeamish or not into raw, unapologetic content, along with drama that leans into erotica and excessive violence.