I... do not like Gen V episode 8, but in the same vein, I think that's a good thing.
See many reviewers and essayist fall into the trap of: just because they didn't like something means its bad content, but that isn't always the case, sometimes one just isn't the target audience, and one might say, why do I watch something that I constantly fall out of the target audience of?
Uh well because, I overlap a lot with the target audience, I may not like it a hundred percent, but I do like it, besides, there is another way one might not like something, and that is... that it's not something you are supposed to like, like if you come out from a horror movie not disturbed, you horrored wrong, I mean in a way you like those types of movies because you don't like them.(I know I am generalizing but go with the flow here.)
In the case of GenV episode 8 this kind of falls into both these categories, one doesn't particularly like this episode because of its very overt parallels to real world radicalism and also because... it all kind of went final act superhero fight about it.
Although Marie slays, that scene with her creating the blood daggers is super awesome, and needs all the praise in the world.
But for me, I wanted something more covert, something more layered with political intrigue, like what this show is known for.
I honestly hoped that the whole sequence of the dean dying was a dream, but... no such luck.
the original Boys comics often did this, they fell into the trap of.... uh well that's not a trap, Garth Ennis hates superheroes, do it with me once again.
1.This is superman but he eats babies.(yes Homelander ate babies in the comics)
2. Captain America but he's a f*cking coward who got his entire team killed... also he wet his pants.(man this person reminds me of Jenson Ackles so much).
3.We have Iron man, but he is a pervert.(that better not be foreshadowing.)
4. These are the X-men but professor X is that uncle your mom warns you about.
Goddammit Garth Ennis, I get that you are bitter but seriously dude.
And in this episode the whole thing was essentially X men but the X mansion has a riot, but that's enough of the bad.
Here is the thing, this is absolutely in keeping with the themes of the show, at the end of the day, it is a heightened version of reality, and this unfortunately is exactly how all of this would go down in reality, if this were real that is.
Let's go through it, Cate would absolutely loose it, she is off her meds and can hear everyone's thoughts, she already probably hated her last mother figure for being a manipulative controlling piece of shit who sold her daughter's life for a quick buck and then ran away from the consequences, the last thing she needs is another shitty mother figure.
Sam has his humanity in him, as is represented by his hallucination of Luke, and it makes sense he wouldn't hear him, because obviously his hallucinations are the source of his pain and misidentifying or being unable to differentiate between ones mental illness and their inner conscience is often what leads to a certain minority of those suffering to become the cause of suffering for others causing the cycle of abuse.
And what cate chooses to do to Sam to help him is also poignant because many often choose to become numb and indifferent to their own and others suffering in order to make it easier on themselves and end up becoming the monsters under their beds.
Marie and the others being ostracized for doing the right thing in order to serve a higher agenda is once again real life to a T.
And I will acknowledge the one thing in this episode that I absolutely loved, and that is the revelation that crickets powers are more linked to her emotions rather than her throwing up, so in the end, I guess it really was an eating disorder.
Also Homelander is a grade A dick and I love him.
Is this the kind of story telling I would go for? No. I do not like it, like I said it is very unsubtle and very on the nose and lacks any of the subtle political intrigue that really shines in the show, what got me to stay here.(I was going to say is well known for but then I realized the show is known for super hero but bad.)
Yeah the common public is dumb, wow what a fresh and original idea.
But it is true to the show, it is true to what the show is going for, and even though it is going closer to the bad parts of the original comics that I really dislike, simply going against something for the sake of going against something is just as bad as blindly following something, parts and aspects of the source material will and should make it into the adaptation.
As of now though we have the perfect set up for a potential second season and the ending of the whole the boys universe, in the comics they just reveal they had anti supe missiles, here it seems the better route will be followed and this virus is what will kill many supes by the end.
I will stand by what I said, shows are and should be an escapism from reality, therefore I do not like it when shows are super in your face about a certain real life issue, I do not like when shows just go in a constant downwards spiral even if and especially if it mirrors real life, therefore I did not like Ryan going all evil like at the end of season three even though it made sense, I wanted Ryan to be good, and I definitely did not like Tek Knight's portrayal in this show, can we get a roll of that again please.
Previous clip post begins:
You know for once it is good that an adaptation isn't faithful to the source material, Oh wait NO TEK KNIGHT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Yes... so the one time they decided to go full source material, was on one of the most disrespectful, utterly disgusting storylines in the comics, perfect.
Ends
Another previous post exerpt:
You see Tek knight was the Boys version of Iron Man(at least in the comics.)
You know I could pick a more dignified image of Tek Knight, but I am afraid it doesn't exist.
Ends.
So there is a lot about this show I do not like even so I can acknowledge most of them are a me thing and it is a testament to the strength of the show over all that I still keep coming back to it, god knows what will happen in the boys season 4.
Oh also, all the main characters end up in a detention cell with no doors, wonder how they will get out, no way it has anything to do with Crickets new found powers right?
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