Gen V Episode 5 Has Just Hinted at The Boys Grand Finale (It May Be Ugly)
The spin-off series seems to take direct inspiration from Billy Butcher's plan to kill all the supes on the planet from the original comics.
Episode 5 of Gen V is finally out, and along with some shocking revelations, it also introduced a massive twist that could ultimately affect the finale of the entire The Boys TV franchise.
Following Sam Riordan's escape from the Woods with Emma's help, we see Dean Indira Shetty having a conversation with Dr. Cardosa, who narrowly avoided being torn to shreds by Sam in the previous episode.
The scientist is understandably shaken by the event and wants to leave the research project, only to be denied by Shetty, but also mentions that he is incredibly close to “perfecting the virus, a viable way to control [supes] for good.”
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While it is clearly stated that the main purpose of said virus is to keep stubborn superhumans in check, there is reason to believe that it can be modified into something deadly (unless it already is, and "controlling" means basically holding them at gunpoint).
Most importantly, this new plot device bears a striking resemblance to Billy Butcher's final plan to permanently solve the superhuman problem from the original The Boys comics.
After dealing with Homelander and experiencing a complete emotional breakdown because it didn't ease the pain of losing his wife, Butcher decides to simply kill all superhumans on Earth by releasing a modified strain of Compound V into the atmosphere.
It was designed to target those who already had Compound V in their system and then detonate at a certain frequency, causing millions of people to die horrible deaths regardless of whether they were innocent or not.
This led him to kill the rest of The Boys and eventually die in a confrontation with Hughie, who tried to stop the massacre.
Given that the TV version of the Butcher is already in a dire state after the reckless use of the temporary Compound V in the third season of The Boys, he can easily become even more radical in his desire to destroy supes when he realizes that his time is running out.
Getting his hands on a virus that only affects superhumans could be a godsend for him, freeing him from having to ally with unstable supes like Soldier Boy or desperately searching for another solution.
With all that in mind, if the virus storyline is not fully resolved by the end of Gen V, the chances of it returning in future seasons of The Boys are extremely high.
Gen V episode 6 will premiere on October 20, 2023.