Gen V Characters Create A Big Plot Hole On The Boys - And It Makes No Sense
Contains spoilers for "Gen V" Season 1, Episode 8 — "Guardians of Godolkin"
If you thought nepo babies were bad in real life, just wait until you see the collegiate Supes on "Gen V," which has revealed that Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) possesses the same powers as her previously unnamed benefactor, vice presidential candidate Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit). While they aren't blood relatives (no pun intended, honest!), the twist calls attention to how odd it is that so many "Gen V" characters have identical powers to those on "The Boys."
For instance, prospective salutatorian Andre Anderson (Chance Perdomo) and bored RA Maverick (Nicholas Hamilton) both have the same powers as their fathers, Godolkin University trustee Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas) and former member of the Seven Translucent (Alex Hassell), respectively. Although it'd be logical to conclude that these legacy students inherited their abilities, this doesn't quite square with the rules of the "Boys" universe explained thus far.
Compound V has never been this consistent or predictable
Until "Gen V," Ryan Butcher (Cameron Crovetti) was the only Supe to manifest identical powers to those of their parent, a seeming anomaly that can be explained by those powers coming purely from genetics. So assuming the show isn't retconning his status as the sole natural-born Supe, Andre and Maverick must have gotten their powers from Compound V.
Compound V has historically been portrayed as being highly unpredictable, just as likely to grant one with useless "powers" as it is to grant practical crime-fighting capabilities — for every person who manifests a conventional gift like superstrength or superspeed, there's likely at least one person who manifests acidic vomit or a prehensile penis. So the fact that Andre and Maverick get powers that actually lend themselves to superheroics is already pretty lucky, but the odds of them getting the same Seven-worthy powers as their parents are just astronomical.
While some may dismiss this as Compound V affecting father and son in similar ways, that doesn't seem to be a given in this universe. Otherwise, Homelander (Antony Starr) would've manifested the exact same gifts as his sperm donor, Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles). This potential plot hole doesn't exactly break the universe of "The Boys," but it avoids an arguably more compelling narrative in favor of tired superhero tropes — the very thing the franchise is supposed to rebel against.
Repeating powers robs Gen V of a rare storytelling opportunity
"Gen V" engages with themes of privilege and nepotism in a glancing way, never seeming interested in fully striking at these targets. Instead, the show focuses on the challenges of being a young person in a high-pressure collegiate environment — a solid theme that could've been expanded on by giving Andre and Maverick different powers from their parents.
For Andre specifically, his journey throughout the show is defined by his father's unfair expectations and passive upholding of the injustices taking place at Godolkin, the emotional stakes of which would have been magnified if, instead of receiving his father's incredible abilities, he had been granted embarrassing or outright detrimental "powers" that not only intensify the obstacles he faces in winning his father's approval but also physicalize the cruelty of having drugged one's child at or even before birth.
While "The Boys" calls attention to Starlight's (Erin Moriarty) tense relationship with her mom after the latter's use of Compound V is uncovered, the effect of this revelation is largely dulled by the fact that her gifts are truly extraordinary. If Andre were forced to please his neurotic father and navigate a brutal campus social environment with powers akin to puking acid or wielding a "love sausage," it would have given "Gen V" the chance to explore ideas presented on "The Boys" more thoroughly and tell a more novel tale of superpowered legacy.