Gen V Recap: Enough Death

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I always appreciate episodes of Gen V like “H Is for Human.” While it’s not as fast-paced or action-packed as the first couple of episodes, the show often benefits from slowing down to focus on the characters’ feelings. This is particularly true for Jordan, who has a standout moment in this episode. Things start off rough – Marie reveals she was a virgin before they slept together, and Jordan tells her it’s too soon to say “I love you.” However, their awkward conversation is interrupted when Jordan finds out she’s now ranked number one.

Students at Godolkin University are highly competitive, and being at the top comes with a lot of pressure. This creates an interesting situation for Jordan, who is uncomfortable with being used by Vought, even though they receive benefits. A speech written for them by Stacey is especially upsetting – forcing Jordan to say the word “trans-tastic” feels like an attack, and they clarify that “trans” doesn’t accurately reflect who they are, as they identify as bigender.

This episode cleverly pairs Jordan with Sam, creating a genuinely charming and unexpected friendship. We’ve previously seen Jordan as guarded and suspicious, but here, she seems weary of conflict. After helping Sam through a destructive outburst, Jordan manages to connect with him and offer support. Sam is now deeply troubled by his violent actions, and even more concerning than his hallucinations, he’s contemplating a drastic solution similar to what his brother did.

Jordan skillfully helps Sam shift his perspective, leading to a relaxed conversation over a smoke session where they watch ‘Vought Kids’ and reminisce about Luke and Andre. While frequent conversations about grief could become tiresome, this one feels fresh because of the unexpected connection between the characters, and the actors Asa Germann and London Thor have great chemistry. It’s still unclear where the show is going with Sam’s character and how he’ll atone for his past actions – perhaps through a selfless sacrifice – but it’s good to see him interacting with people outside of Emma and Cate.

Jordan’s most impactful moment comes during their speech at the Thomas Godolkin Day celebration. Initially, they try to appease the crowd with trendy phrases like “assigned awesome at birth” and even “it’s trans-tastic” – Derek Luh’s delivery of the latter is particularly hilarious. However, Jordan ultimately finds courage and reveals the truth about Andre’s powers being the cause of his death, presenting themself as female while doing so. They also take responsibility for attacking Cate and call out the Starlighters, even though it earns them boos. It’s a brave move by Jordan, but it’s unclear if God U is prepared for such a bold stand.

The episode ends with a powerful speech from Jordan, hinting that things could quickly escalate if the situation isn’t handled carefully. At least Jordan finally confessed their love to Marie, which is a win for them both. Marie really needed that good news, as she’s already having a very difficult day.

A first discussion with Emma, Jordan, and Polarity helped us understand what we know and don’t know about Project Odessa. The files suggest Marie is the only one who survived a series of tests on infants, and she might be the ‘weapon’ Starlight mentioned. However, it’s strange that Starlight specifically asked Marie to investigate a project that’s actually about her own past – we’ll have more information on that soon.

Marie cautiously contacts her Aunt Pam, who previously attempted to adopt her sister, Annabeth, without her knowledge. Pam reveals a surprising secret: Marie was conceived at a fertility clinic, and the doctor who delivered her was none other than Cipher. This explains Cipher’s unusual focus on her. He’d recently criticized her actions as “distasteful,” revealing his desire to transform her into someone “magnificent.”

Even after learning the shocking truth about Cipher’s involvement in her birth, Marie surprisingly connects with her aunt while looking through old photographs. Pam briefly speaks kindly of Marie’s parents’ sacrifice, but quickly becomes distant again when Marie discovers Annabeth used to live there. Pam harshly states, “You killed your parents. She doesn’t want to see you.” While incredibly painful, this allows Marie to finally share her own version of events, explaining her parents’ death as a result of their own decisions. Marie realizes she was unfairly blamed for something natural – starting her period – and speaking this truth, instead of falling back into self-blame, is her most important breakthrough in the episode.

The surprise about Marie isn’t the only new development concerning Cipher. It seems he’s actually shielding Marie, Jordan, and Emma by preventing Cate from telling Homelander about their attack on her. He does raise a valid point, though: Cate puts herself in danger by revealing her powers are unstable. Homelander doesn’t tolerate weakness, and Vought would discard her if she lost control. Interestingly, Emma doesn’t seem particularly bothered when Cate confronts her, easily shifting the blame onto Jordan and Marie.

This episode, Emma is focused on a separate investigation: finding the person quickly attaching “Resist” signs around campus. She claims she’s helping a barista who’s being harassed at work by people who believe she supports their extremist views. However, it also appears Emma is hoping to gain more allies for her cause. The culprits turn out to be Harper, a friend of Justine’s who gained notoriety last season for a viral stunt, and her friend Ally. Harper has the ability to temporarily copy other people’s powers – for about a minute – and she’s been using this to move with super speed.

It’s still unclear what Emma’s ultimate plan is for these two, but she delivers a powerful speech about stepping up and making a real impact, reminding everyone of Andre’s belief that anyone can be heroic. While Emma still struggles with self-doubt when using her powers, she generally feels much more confident now.

While ‘H Is for Human’ doesn’t have as much intense violence as a typical episode of *Gen V*, these character-focused episodes are important. They help us connect with the characters as individuals, rather than just seeing them as pawns in a larger conflict. We can expect more thrills and horror in future episodes, but this one prioritized developing the people behind the powers.

Extra Credit

The initial interaction with the kids and Polarity reminded me of the Scooby Gang gathering in the Sunnydale High library from *Buffy*. Polarity would be a fantastic mentor figure, similar to Giles, especially given his blunt, ‘get out!’ attitude. However, I don’t envision him sticking around for the long haul.

• Justine breaks up with Sam, and he could not care less.

After watching shows like *The Boys* and *Gen V*, I’ve become desensitized to shocking content. So, when a man’s head popped out of another man’s rear end to inspect a large hole in a dorm room wall, I was surprisingly unfazed.

Jordan and Sam’s talk suggests a visit with his mother is likely coming up. It’ll be interesting to see how the show portrays her reaction to him compared to Pam’s reaction to Marie, since both mothers view their children with fear and suspicion.

• “You’re a mimic? I thought your power was … tail.”

• “You’re not that scary.” Aww. Although Sam is pretty fucking scary.

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2025-09-17 23:56