Gen V Episode 7 Review: Sick

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Gen V Episode 7 is the episode with all the answers. After weeks of speculating, we finally learn why Dean Shetty hates superheroes so much, and her plans for the virus. The episode also reveals the identity of Marie’s Mystery benefactor. But as awesome as all these answers are, what makes them even better is how they perfectly tie into the main The Boys Series.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Even after seeing her traumatic history, the group still has issues trusting Cate (especially because she can read their minds). But that doesn’t stop them from making plans. While Andre and Cate plan to ambush Shetty at her house, Jordan and Marie search the dean’s office for evidence about The Woods program. But they find more than they expect.

I would have never guessed Shetty’s family was on board the infamous plane Homelander and Maeve crashed in The Boys Season 1. But this harrowing incident drives her belief that all super-powered humans are destructive and must be put down. With nothing left to lose, Shetty represents the extremists of humanity and will do anything to eradicate superheroes.

Shetty forces Dr. Cardosa to make the super virus as contagious as possible and then tries to work with Grace Malory to dispense it worldwide. But Grace rebukes her and explains that genocide is not the answer to the superhero problem. Malory also recognizes that Shetty’s method is very similar to Butcher’s, and predicts that going down this route will consume her.

In other news, Emma tries to hide Sam away in her dorm room, but this idea fails when Sam meets a group of students skiing in The hallways of Godolkin uni. Because of all his years incarcerated in The Woods, Sam has never made friends or had time to be a normal teen. And so in this moment the poor guy lets loose and forgets about the armed military unit hunting him. But this innocent moment soon turns dark when Rufus and his superhuman radical friends invite Sam to Victoria Neuman’s town hall.

Victoria Neuman (who is the head popper) comes to Goldokin Uni hoping to win over the young superhumans. But when the town hall goes sideways, she is evacuated to a safe room where she meets Marie. It’s during this meeting that we learn that Victoria Neuman is Marie’s silent benefactor. But the true bombshell of the episode comes when Neuman shows Marie her true abilities, Blood Manipulation.

After we learned Victoria was the head popper in The Boys season two, we all assumed her powers were like the other head popper, Cindy. But Gen V episode 7 shows the clever misdirection by the series and teases how strong Marie (who has the same powers as Neuman) could be in the future.

Oblivious to Victoria’s true nature, Marie tells her about the superhero virus, hoping that she will stop Shetty and Dr. Cardosa. However, this leads to Neuman acquiring the virus and ending Dr. Cardosa with her signature move.

But the biggest fallout of Gen V episode 7 has to be Cate vs. Shetty.

When Shetty returns home, she finds Cate angry and waiting. At first, I thought Cate fell for the Dean’s manipulation. But this plan backfires and Cate puts Shetty under her complete control.

Cate compels Shetty to tell the group the truth and we learn about how Godolkin Uni’s true purpose is to study Superhumans. She also reveals how she was going to manipulate Cate into killing the remaining test subjects in the woods to hide the evidence of the virus. But in a twist I didn’t expect, Cate goes fully to the Darkside and orders Shetty to kill herself.

What’s even more messed up about the scene is how Cate stops Marie from helping Shetty from dying. This command forces Marie to watch & relive the trauma of her parents dying all over again.

While Shetty is the extremist on the human side, Cate (and Sam who agrees with her) represents the extremists on the Superheroes’ side. And now they know humans can kill them, the Supes will want retribution.

But Gen V episode 7 isn’t all doom and gloom, as Andre has the most touching scene of the episode.

All season, Andre and his dad have been at odds, with Andre seeing his father as a sellout and a fraud. But when his old man suffers a seizure, Andre abandons everything to be at his side. It was a nice way to bring their story arc full circle.

Verdict