for all intents and purposes Gen V is "Season 4" of The Boys, the storyline is integral to the following plot.
i'm halfway through Gen V, it's gross but not engrossing, if that makes sense. I was hoping for some good YA drama but the relationships have all developed so inorganically, with the supe stuff kicked into full gear at the end of the first episode. Instead of a show about a school for superpowered young people set in the Boys universe, it's the other way around.
The YA drama/relationship plot points definitely felt tacked on. The stuff between Emma and Sam felt especially cliche for me. I would've preferred them focusing on more silly slice of life stuff showcasing student life on campus.
I think I like the final episode up until the very end. As a whole the show isn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it's an enjoyable spinoff. I especially love anytime a show puts its characters inside each other's heads for an episode. Also, as an Asian trans woman, I appreciate the bigender Asian character with pronoun fuckery