REVIEW: Gen V Season 1, Episode 4, “The Whole Truth”

Television Reviews

***SPOILERS***

“The Whole Truth” deals with the cataclysmic, bloody aftermath of Gen V’s three-part premiere. Marie learns about Andre and Emma’s plan, fearing for her roommate’s safety. For her part, Emma hides with Sam at a place resembling a Chuck E. Cheese. Andre takes first place on God U’s rankings board, with Marie at second and Jordan fifth. Dean Shetty probes Marie about Emma, secretly suspecting her involvement with Sam’s escape. Tek Knight, a Godolkin University alumnus and TV host, comes to the campus to find out what really happened to Golden Boy. He spars with the Dean, as well as the students, trying to take someone down for Golden Boy’s death to get views. Sam and Emma get closer as she tries to save him from himself. Meanwhile, Marie finally admits the truth about Jordan saving her from Luke. The two pair up as Dean Shetty plays Tek’s own game against him, forcing him to wrap up his special and leave without a scalp. 

I’m struck by the focus on romance in “The Whole Truth.” Luke’s girlfriend Cate and best friend Andre hooked up immediately after his death. Unlike Tek Knight, I don’t necessarily see a problem with that since they evidently didn’t do anything before then. This relationship may not be very strong or long-lasting, as it was founded on shared grief, but I don’t see the harm since nobody was cheating. This is brought up as an issue in “The Whole Truth” by the show’s douchebag host, but it happened throughout the trio of premiere episodes. However, the romantic interest between Sam and Emma that was hinted at in “#ThinkBrink” is made explicit here. These two are definitely going to be a thing, and Marie and Jordan officially hook up here after one false start. 

I failed to talk about this in the premiere review, but Jordan is bigender, and in addition to being super strong and durable, they can switch between genders at will. I find this pretty interesting as it poses unique problems for them to deal with. It also makes the pairing with Marie interesting, as I’m left with questions about that. I find this, and Andre’s fling with his friend’s girl more interesting than if he and Marie had hooked up like some in the show want. I genuinely didn’t see this coming, even as Jordan tries to rescue Marie from a psychic student who takes advantage of her. This scene is super messed up, by the way. The guy is naked, and I’ll allow you to guess how Marie used her blood-bending powers against him if you haven’t seen the episode. Anyway, what does this encounter and the later sex mean for Marie and Jordan? Is Marie bisexual or even gay? Probably the former since she engaged with Jordan in both forms. Does Jordan prefer to be with someone of the opposite gender, regardless of their current form? In an earlier episode, they had sex with a guy in female form, but here, they come onto Marie as a man. They probably just thought she would be more open to it that way. I’m probably overthinking it anyway; this is my first thought when you introduce a character like this and give them a girlfriend. 

Sam is a deeply tragic character. The doctors and scientists in The Woods have scarred his mind and body. He hallucinates Jason Ritter warning him, for some reason, which I find hilarious. I know Ritter has been in a lot, and Sam even refers to him as “TV’s Jason Ritter,” but he’ll always be Dipper Pines to me. Despite the humor, this scene is also messed up. The Deep Muppet, complete with gills, is super creepy, and I don’t like looking at it. The creativity and craftsmanship are there, and it pays off, as I think this is meant to be unpleasant. After all, Sam is basically having a psychotic break; I doubt enjoyment was the goal here. He also confides in Emma that everyone always leaves him because he always messes up in one way or another. It’s all just very sad. For her part, Emma finds herself disgusting for her weird powers and the necessity to vomit. She’s an attractive young supe, and Sam is taken with her right away. But she’s also a young woman with self-loathing and body issues. In a show full of social critiques and sarcasm, this rings true in a depressing way. 

Tek Knight is beyond infuriating. He’s rude, egotistical, and antagonistic towards those he interviews. Between this and Marie’s earlier interview, I think Gen V has a vendetta against interviewers. This falls in with The Boys’ skewering of the media at large, be it superhero team-up movies or smear campaigns. Tek threatens to kill Cate if she removes the glove that protects herself and others from her telepathy. He also outs Andre for sleeping with her, evidently smelling her on his mouth. Ew. This guy is disgusting on every level. I know Dean Shetty is a villain, too, but her disposal of this insect is perfect. 

I have a couple of final thoughts about Marie. It was really dumb for her to play dumb about Emma, at least in the way she did. If Marie really wants Shetty to believe she’s in the dark, she should have said she hasn’t seen her and asked if she knew anything. Turn the tables on her. I get that Marie is naïve, but it begs credulity at this point. She needs to be smarter in these situations. I also don’t think the classroom was the time or place to tell the truth about Jordan’s involvement in the Golden Boy incident. 

“The Whole Truth” is insanely entertaining from start to finish. Gen V is off to a great start so far, and I look forward to seeing where they take these characters.