Gen V Season 1 Episode 4 Review: The Whole Truth
Gen V is only halfway through its first season and our Scooby gang of supes are already reaching their breaking point. Turns out that going up against Vought is easier said than done.
Adding insult to injury, Gen V Season 1 Episode 4, “The Whole Truth,” written by Jessica Chou and directed by Steve Boyum, introduces Tek Knight (Derek Wilson). Tek Knight is a super detective who also conveniently hosts an unsolved mystery show on Vought+ and is determined to find the “truth” about Golden Boy or at least a good storyline for his show.
While not quite reaching F-word (filler) status, the Tek Knight plot doesn’t really add much to the story. Sure the whole/hole pun is unbeatable and another great entry in The Boys-verse quest to be the most perverted franchise, but ultimately the characters didn’t need an outside force to turn up the heat.
As shown by the way she handles Tek Knight and her cat-and-mouse game with Marie, Shetty is all the villain Gen V needs. Halfway into the season and we still don’t know her true motivations.
Keeping her job is one motivation, but this is a comic book adaptation and it would be surprising if she didn’t have more of a villain origin story than “beleaguered academic deals with a frustrating administrative job.” It would be nice if we could get the backstory earlier instead of waiting for a big end-of-season reveal.
It’s admirable that Marie is determined to find the still missing Emma by any means, but did we need a subplot where she’s knocked out by a sleazy telepathic hero and almost raped? Her revenge using her blood powers to explode his penis is certainly creative, but given The Boys‘ history with sexual assault storylines, it’s questionable Gen V goes there too.
Sadly it is realistic for college campuses and this franchise likes to point out real-world issues. Fortunately, Jordan intervenes and saves her, leading to them and Marie growing closer. Much closer!
The biggest surprise of the episode might not be that pairing or the twist ending but the fact that Sam hallucinates “Television’s Jason Ritter” alongside a puppet of the Deep while hiding out with Emma. This is NOT what I had on my bingo card when it was announced he would be appearing in this season.
Sam is too young for Joan of Arcadia, my personal favorite Ritter performance, so I wonder what he knows him from. Either way, having hallucinations of an actor who convinces you to kill the doctor experimenting on you is not a good thing.
His hiding out and flirting with Emma in an abandoned movie theater is pretty cute up until when he hallucinates. As easy as it is to romanticize their connection, we’re starkly reminded that Sam is dealing with schizophrenia.
He and Emma have been ground down by the superhero-industrial complex and both deserve real medical help for their issues. They can’t be the ones to save each other even if they would like to be.
That’s made very clear when Sam does go after Dr. Cardosa and it takes all of the Godolkin gang (I need them to come up with a team name ASAP) to stop him. Emma grows extra large pulling a trick from Ant-Man to stop Sam and it seemingly works.
Before you can celebrate though the episode blacks out and we “wake up” alongside Marie who is in bed with Jordan. Something or someone seems to have caused the characters to lose time and potentially their memories after rescuing Sam.
If you wondered how Gen V could stretch this out after they’ve already found Sam, you have your answer. The question is what Shetty will do now that she knows they know.
Additional Thoughts:
- Was anyone else relieved it didn’t show a giant Emma completely naked? Gen V isn’t afraid of nudity or prosthetic dicks, but I’m glad it draws the line somewhere.
- There’s something nice about a college-set show where the students actually go to class. Hasn’t everyone had a guest lecturer like Tek Knight, by which I mean a very annoying one?
- I love Jordan and Marie’s enemies-to-lovers plot but was curious about Jordan’s decision to turn back into their male body when kissing her. Is it because that’s what they want or what they think Marie wants?
- If hero management is a major is it in the crime-fighting school or the acting school? What other majors are there? I want more Godolkin lore.
What did you think of this episode of Gen V? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Gen V streams Fridays on Prime Video.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.