Gen V's Funniest Concept Is One Of The Darkest Things In The Boys Universe
This post contains spoilers for episode 4 of "Gen V."
Godolkin University, or GodU, harbors many unsavory secrets, but the most sinister cover-up so far is The Woods, an underground facility where young Supes are brutally experimented on. Even though "Gen V" has offered crumbs to help us gradually understand this covert project, there's a lot we don't comprehend yet, especially in relation to Sam (Asa Germann), who has now been rescued, thanks to Emma (Lizze Broadway). Based on previous flashbacks and Sam's enraged outburst in the latest episode, it appears his superpower is brutal superstrength, which might have been augmented due to intense experimentation in The Woods.
Things take a darker turn when Sam is alone with Emma at the abandoned game parlor after their bloody escape from the underground facility. Having bonded with Emma, who gently assures Sam she will never abandon him, Sam is afraid of losing her. This triggers a dissociative episode where the voices in his head appear as puppets that amplify his insecurities and deepest fears. At first, these visions present themselves in the form of "Television's Jason Ritter" (played by Jason Ritter himself), who appears as a host of a children's show alongside a puppet version of The Deep (replete with torso gills).
While the image of puppets yapping around and taunting Sam is laced with humor, the implications of these visions are much darker, especially when one considers that Sam experiences them frequently as audiovisual manifestations of his trauma. The puppet situation is somewhat similar to Noir unpacking his trauma related to Soldier Boy with the help of cartoon characters who provide him emotional support in "The Boys." But in Sam's case, the undertones are more sinister, as these visions often push him towards his more destructive tendencies.
A dark, lonely place
While we don't have the whole picture yet, Sam appears to be suffering from mental illness that often meshes with his bursts of superstrength, causing him to feel acute paranoia that manifests as brutal self-defense. It's natural for Sam to act in this way, as The Woods must have broken him, mind and spirit, while also isolating him from any source of emotional warmth or familial support. It's unclear whether the puppets are a result of this trauma or an illness that pre-existed, but these visions prey on Sam's biggest fears and urge him to take the most violent path.
For instance, Television Jason Ritter and Puppet Deep taunt Sam that Emma will be targeted next, that he won't be able to save her, and her death will be his fault. When Sam angrily vows to protect Emma, they ask him to kill Dr. Cardosa (Marco Pigossi), the doctor who leads the experiments on Supes in The Woods. Even though Emma attempts to calm Sam down, he's visibly affected by this dissociative exchange and goes to Cardosa's house to threaten and kill him. While Sam is rightful in his rage towards Cardosa, the reason why he goes after the doctor is fueled entirely by unresolved trauma that manifests in a horrific way, as opposed to a grounded sense of retribution.
Needless to say, these puppet sequences are pretty upsetting to watch, as we can see Sam's sense of self disintegrate the minute he experiences these visions. As puppets from traditional puppet shows carry humorous but positive undertones, the sudden subversion of this trope in "Gen V" to explore a dark, lonely corner of Sam's mind is genuinely effective and unnerving.
"Gen V" is currently streaming on Prime Video.