REVIEW: Gen V – Season 1, Episode 5, “Welcome to the Monster Club”

"I mean, you're trending…" "For flashing my giant white @$$ to the world."

Television Reviews

*SPOILERS*

In “Welcome to the Monster Club,” Jordan and Marie, as well as Cate and Andre, wake up in an unfamiliar place. Andre decides it must be Dusty’s house and accidentally witnesses an intimate act. Emma and Marie don’t remember Sam, and nobody else can remember anything from the past few days. They soon conclude that Rufus, Marie’s would-be rapist, mind-wiped them. This leads to a series of visits to Rufus by the principal characters. The doctor who hurt Sam reveals his work on a virus that can control the supes. Dean Shetty disappoints him by refusing access to Marie because she has a mysterious benefactor. Cate confides in her friends that Rufus raped her, too. Marie and Jordan like each other and are glad they hooked up, but they fear awkwardness and dodge the topic. Sam is attacked by Godolkin guards and goes on a rampage. Marie finds a tracker in her neck, and when she goes to Cate about it, Cate wipes Marie’s mind. Marie, Jordan, and Andre confront Rufus one more time, and this time, they learn the harsh truth about their friend Cate.

“Welcome to the Monster Club” is fairly short at only 40 minutes, but it accomplishes a lot and is very engaging throughout. The cold open is wild; who is the woman with Dusty, and what is her disgusting super power supposed to be? I don’t like it. Dusty’s perpetual youthful appearance is much worse in context. They make a point of saying he’s actually around 28, but still, ew. Gen V is very much like The Boys tonally with the gore, sex, language, and gross-out humor. There’s also a direct callback in this episode. Remember Mesmerizer, the show Mesmer (Haley Joel Osment) starred in as a teen? Andre and Cate watch it ironically, fondly remembering how Luke used to mock the lead character. Sam has another puppet episode in “Welcome to the Monster Club,” this time perceiving himself and the armed guards he combats as Muppet-like interpretations. I think this is done for three purposes: comedy, to minimize the cost of animating the carnage, and to display Sam’s fragile, tormented mental state. It’s very effective and adds to this episode’s fast-paced, nutty tone. 

“Welcome to the Monster Club” also furthers the intrigue and plot of the season. Here, Dean Shetty and the doctor whose name escapes me refer to Marie’s amazing, unique powers after they’ve previously been referred to as lame and not crime-fighting material. This makes enough sense to me; she can’t turn invisible or throw cars, and I can understand how such an irregular, non-marketable power can be hard to work with. But the capability to manipulate blood has frightening applications and possibilities if you stop to think about it or if you’ve seen Avatar: The Last Airbender. Shetty also refers to Marie’s patron, whoever this may be. I would have guessed it was the Dean herself, were it not for her wording in this scene. Since Brink is dead, I don’t know who it could be. It would really be a shocker if it was somehow her own sister who supposedly hates her, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. The Jordan/Marie antics were a real tease this week. I don’t like “will they/won’t they” stuff or romantic drama of any type, really. I actually think they do make an interesting pairing, but I wish the show would just do it. You’re really going to hook them up, then turn around and play both of them as being coy about it? Also, since they don’t remember sleeping together or what led up to it, did Cate essentially rape them? Causing these two or anyone to have sex by mind control is beyond disturbing. And all this comes from a character who bragged about being “all about consent” in episode 1, then going on to mind control her enemies along the way. 

Back to Jordan and Marie, it appears I was basically right about Jordan; they assume the opposite gender of whoever they’re with to make the other person comfortable. “Welcome to the Monster Club” succeeds at frustrating the audience as these two fail to talk about this openly or any aspect of their tryst. I just don’t enjoy this sort of thing, and in an eight-episode season that’s already halfway over, it feels like a substantial waste of time. Intentional or not, it’s not good frustration. This is an exciting power and dilemma to give a character, and I’m eager to see what Jordan does. I just hope we’re done with the games come next week. I think the title “Welcome to the Monster Club” refers to Cate specifically. Rufus is referred to as a monster, which is fair, and Sam is implied to be one for what he’s done. But he did it to his own tormentors, so I don’t really blame him. Shetty and the not-so-good doctor are the real monsters, and Cate is horrible for assisting and enabling them. She repeatedly claims that she does everything to protect her friends. Dean Shetty specifically preys on this mindset, manipulating Cate into thinking it’s the best thing for them. But your intentions don’t matter much when you’re warping people’s memories and minds, including forcing your boyfriend to forget about his own brother. What the actual hell? Ending the episode with the song “I Put a Spell On You” is funny, seasonally appropriate, and really seals the deal on Cate. What a creep! Rufus violated her body and mind just like he tried to do to Marie, but she essentially does the same thing without the sexual aspect.

“Welcome to the Monster Club” is my favorite episode of Gen V so far. The season started out okay, but it’s only improved from there. The characters are engaging, and the story is really freaking dark. I feel like a broken record, but I can’t wait to see how this gets wrapped up. If the final few episodes are this good, Gen V is a worthy follow-up to The Boys.