Gen V Episode 5 Heartbreakingly Confirms Longtime Fan Theory

The debut episode of Gen V ended in spectacular and utterly shocking fashion when Luke Riordan, aka Golden Boy, portrayed by Patrick Schwarzenegger, who fans had assumed would be a major character prior to the show's release, exploded himself.

Throughout the episode, Luke seems to be suffering from visions of his presumed dead brother Sam, and unable to deal with them, he kills Professor Brinkerhoff, who knew that Sam was actually alive, only to take his own life next.

Since then, many fans have suspected that Luke's girlfriend, Cate, played by Maddie Phillips, was involved in his suicide due to her ability to affect people's minds by touching them.

The finale of episode 4 only supported this claim, as all the main characters suddenly forgot about Sam after rescuing him from a secret lab, and Cate was present at the moment of their "blackout."

For most of the just-released episode 5, it appears that another psychic student at Godolkin University is responsible, but it is eventually confirmed that it was indeed Cate all along.

She worked with Dean Indira Shetty and influenced her then-boyfriend's mind to make Luke repeatedly forget that his brother was alive.

While it hasn't been explicitly stated (at least not yet) that she made Golden Boy kill himself, it certainly seems that erasing his memories multiple times has damaged Luke's psyche, leading to the visions seen in the first episode as the erased memories began to creep back in.

What makes the situation even more tragic is that Cate is clearly devastated by her lies and manipulation of her friends, as she mentions in a private conversation with Dean Shetty, so it is unlikely that she directly caused her lover to take his life.

However, by erasing his memories and seemingly driving him insane, she is responsible, albeit indirectly, for Luke's death, which undoubtedly took a heavy toll on Cate.

Episode 6 of Gen V will premiere on October 20, 2023.