Do You Need To Watch The Boys Before Gen V?
The world of "The Boys" just keeps on growing. Its first spin-off, the animated anthology series "Diabolical," has already shown that its success is far from a fluke. Now, the college-based adventure comedy "Gen V" is adding even more depth and nuance to the world that Vought International has created.
Set at Godolkin University, "Gen V" follows superhero students who are either competing for a position in the Seven or chasing their dreams of stardom. If you're considering the new series as your first foray into the shared universe of Supes, you may be curious as to whether you can watch the spin-off without having watched the original series.
The bottom line? While it's possible that a new fan could still follow its central mystery and many new characters, you may question certain aspects of "Gen V," so if you want to get the most out of it, you'll likely want to hold off until you've caught up on "The Boys."
We recommend watching The Boys before Gen V
Not only does "Gen V" reveal key plot twists from "The Boys," but it also doesn't do much in the way of explaining major concepts like the Seven, Vought International, or the many Supes, such as Homelander (Antony Starr), Queen Maeve (Dominique McElligott), and A-Train (Jessie T. Usher), who have emerged over the course of its predecessor's three seasons.
Fortunately, each season of "The Boys" has only eight episodes, making for a very manageable total of 24. Furthermore, the adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series is widely beloved by both critics and audiences alike, meaning that most viewers will find something to love about the popular series.
As for "Diabolical," while it does help build out the world a bit more, fans can safely skip it if they're not into animated programs. Though the shorts are a lot of fun, they're mostly supplemental material rather than required watching. Either way, for viewers who are looking to finally get into the shared universe of the Amazon Prime series, "The Boys" is probably the best way to get started.