Audience viewership According to
Whip Media's
TV Time, following its 3-episode premiere,
Gen V became the fifth most streamed television series across all platforms in the United States during the week of October 1, 2023. During the week of October 8, the series rose to fourth place. It then rose to second place during the week of October 15 and remained in the position for the weeks of October 22 and 29, as well as November 5. Meanwhile,
Nielsen Media Research reported that
Gen V ranked at number 8 on its Top 10 Streaming Originals chart with 374 million minutes viewed. According to ReelGood, which tracks real-time data from 5 million users in the United States across subscription and advertisement-based
video on demand services for streaming programs and movies, the series topped the all streaming content chart during the week of October 12. Meanwhile,
JustWatch reported that the series became the most streamed TV show in the United States during the weeks of October 1 and 8.
Critical response Season 1 For the first season, the
review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes reported a 97%
approval rating based on 114 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Just about as gruesomely subversive as its origin series,
Gen V builds on
The Boys in occasionally chaotic but overall inspired fashion." Alec Bojalad of
Den of Geek gave it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Ultimately,
Gen V doesn't appear to be striving for greatness but for something just as elusive. Successfully franchising a concept as antagonistic to franchises as
The Boys is no small feat. By embracing the youthful energy of its cast and some solid TV storytelling fundamentals, [the series] is able to somehow make it all work." Lauren Milici of
GamesRadar+ rated it with 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote on her verdict: "Despite its flaws and bumps,
Gen V is a good time. It's a hot mess, but it's a damn good time". She then praised Germann's performance, calling it "the standout of the season". Lorraine Ali of the
Los Angeles Times also praised the characters and Broadway's performance and stated that the series "expands upon the hit superhero satire with a new cast and storyline that stands on its own as a sharp, snarky commentary on the billion-dollar business of hero worship." Reviewing the first six episodes,
The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg called the series "uneven but entertaining", lauding the performances of Broadway, Sinclair, Phillips, Schwarzenegger, Germann and Thomas, but criticizing the pacing and some of its writing, saying that "[the series] lacks patience. It's so eager to charge forward that it can't be bothered giving most of its main characters personalities, much less building believable relationships among them. It tries filling in gaps as it goes along, but episodes get shorter and shorter, and when it comes to the choice between characters and plot, [it] chooses plot every time. [...] [But] whenever it's able to pause and breathe, the writing is clever, the effects are polished and the cast is good." Michael Boyle of
/Film rated the series a score of 8 out of 10, criticized the "bluntness of its writing", but praised its characters and performances, especially Broadway's. For the penultimate episode,
TVLine gave Sinclair and Phillips an honorable mention for the "Performer of the Week" for the week of October 28, 2023, stating that the two "delivered strength and heartbreak on behalf of their characters" and calling them "a dynamic duo". In his review for the season finale,
IGN's Matt Donato, giving the episode a score of 8 out of 10, opined that "[the series] cleverly shows what happens when supes who've been branded as outcasts find a sense of camaraderie and community in redirecting that hatred. [...] [It] firmly establishes [the] supe-killing virus as an apocalyptic threat for
The Boys next season, but also ensures [that it] works as a standalone collegiate mystery with supercharged conflicts", and that the episode "closes [the season] by answering enough lingering questions to make its storytelling journey feel complete."
Vulture's Ben Rosenstock, rating the finale with 4 out of 5 stars, concluded his review by saying, "[
Gen V] remains an imperfect show, at times a little emotionally simplistic and contrived. But while I often wanted it to take its time and develop the characters more, I had a really good time watching this solid debut season. It's a welcome complement to
The Boys, helping fill in more details of the world. Meanwhile, in a mixed review,
The A.V. Club's Manuel Betancourt criticized the "
deus-ex-machina machinations" but commended the characters and performances of Germann and Broadway, naming them "two of the strongest cast members in the show's ensemble".
Gen V was named among the best TV shows of 2023 by several publications.
Season 2 The second season has a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 94 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus states,"Tastefully navigating the tragic loss of
Chance Perdomo while getting a big boost from
Hamish Linklater's villainous turn,
Gen Vs sophomore season gets high marks as a spinoff that feels essential." On Metacritic, the second season received a score of 74 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable".
Awards and nominations ==Notes==