New Book on ‘The Boys’!  ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ Releases Today!

New Book on ‘The Boys’!  ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ Releases Today!

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The long wait is finally over – the new book, ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes: Inside the Complex Characters and Twisted Psychology of The Boys’ releases today, December 5! Happy Pub Day!!

We delayed the release in solidarity with the writers’ and actors’ strikes, but now the book is ready for reading just in time for us to all lose our collective you know what over the teaser trailer for The Boys Season 4, which was released last week. And tease us it did…

Showdown between Annie and Homelander?

Robert Singer and Victoria Neuman leading in the polls?

Rob Benedict joining the fun – and feeling really “torn” about it?

Karl Urban and Jeffrey Dean Morgan the duo we never knew we absolutely needed onscreen?

Also, I have missed you JDM!

Oh, and was that Black Noir???

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

If you haven’t watched the trailer yet, what are you waiting for?

The Boys S4 Teaser Trailer

And now there’s a book that delves deep into all the amazing characters and provocative story lines that make The Boys universe so incredible – just in time for more! (And for the holidays, if you or someone you love is a fan of The Boys)

Supes Ain’t Always Heroes is the perfect way to catch up on everything that’s happened so far and gain a deeper understanding of all the complicated characters. There are chapters that take deep dives into all your favorites, from Homelander to Soldier Boy, Butcher to Black Noir, Starlight to Stormfront, Hughie to A Train and many more. What makes your favorite character tick? Let psychologists and sociologists help you explore everything you love about them – or everything you love to hate. If you love the show’s biting social commentary, media experts and journalists take an insightful look at the issues the show tackles – from racism to sexism, toxic masculinity to social media, and how it all fits into Hollywood and corporate America.

The book doesn’t forget the brilliance of the show’s actors or the comics creators. Sometimes it’s the cast who bring these complex characters to life that have some of the most fascinating insights into who they are. There are exclusive in-depth interviews with Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy), Aya Cash (Stormfront),  Nate Mitchell (Black Noir), Jim Beaver (Robert Singer) as well as co-creator Darick Robertson, and additional comments from many of the other cast on this show we’ve all come to love.

I love what Jensen Ackles has to say about Soldier Boy and the decisions he made in portraying him. That’s a Soldier Boy smirk if I ever saw one! And we’re all counting on him being back, right???

Eric Kripke has said that ultimately he sees ‘The Boys’ as hopeful – and we do too. We put this book together because the show sparked so much thought and discussion with the way it reflects things we might wish we didn’t see in the real world around us. We believe in changing the world just like ‘The Boys’ ultimately does, so every copy of Supes Ain’t Always Heroes purchased benefits the Venice Family Clinic and their life saving work in this real world.

We hope you love Supes as much as we all do – Here are some of our awesome contributors celebrating today’s release!

courtesy Tina Charles
courtesy Kaela Joseph
courtesy Hansi Oppenheimer
courtesy Tanya Cook

If you love ‘The Boys’, don’t be afraid to go deeper (Deeper?). Just be careful not to sneeze!

All the info and links to order here:

https://smartpopbooks.com/book/supes-aint-always-heroes/

(Special appearance by Soldier Boy supporter Mr. Jared Padalecki, who I think was impressed by that impressive bicep…)

Happy reading!

– Lynn and Matt

 

 

 

Hawaii Supernatural Style – Honolulu Con 2023!

Hawaii Supernatural Style – Honolulu Con 2023!

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The first time there was a Supernatural convention in Hawaii I decided to be financially responsible and did not go. I’m on the East coast, it’s a long and expensive flight, I’ve been there a few times and while I loved it, I couldn’t use having never been there as a reason to go. So I stayed home, while some of my good friends went.

It was a long weekend of FOMO overload, with my friends – and several of the Supernatural actors too, to my great dismay – texting me to tell me what I was missing. I vowed that if there was ever a con in Hawaii again, I’d start saving my pennies and find a way to make it work. So I was full of anticipation for this convention and to finally return to Hawaii after many years. I was last there on my honeymoon, that should tell you something!

It was also the first convention I’ve gone to in a long time that I wasn’t a vendor, which meant I got to have an actual vacation and spend time with my friends! I love being at cons with the books and meeting people who’ve read Family Don’t End With Blood and There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done and Fangasm who tell me the books have been important to them and an inspiration. I love being a vendor with all the other amazing people in the con “vendor squad”. But I miss the days of being able to just hang out with fellow fans and talk about the shows we love and the cast we appreciate and ooh and ahh over everyone’s photo ops. Some of my favorite things about this con were hanging out in the outdoor space next to the elevators where people congregated in between panels or at the restaurant that was right on the beach and enjoying some delicious food and drink with some of my favorite people. Grateful!

That also meant I didn’t actually catch many panels, so this con report will be briefer than usual. I stopped in California on the way because I can’t fly OVER my daughter’s house without actually visiting her, so I didn’t get there until Friday. Hibachi style dinner at Aoki Teppanyaki Waikiki with friends and then fireworks on the beach at the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel – perfection!

The hotel itself was gorgeous, with swimming pools and wildlife hanging around the mini habitats, ponds filled with colorful fish and palm trees overhead. It’s the kind of place that makes you never want to leave, which is a feeling I’ve experienced every time I’ve been in Hawaii, no matter how young (or not young) I was at the time.

Some things never change.

And then it was Saturday, which looked like this from my lanai, and like this from the beach.

I couldn’t miss Misha’s panel, so that kicked off panels for me. He wore a beautiful lei and a shirt that he got at a thrift shoppe because it had feathers on it and reminded him of Castiel.

This was the first convention where the cast could talk about their characters and shows again since the strike is over, which made Misha happy.

Misha: OMG we can talk about our shows!!

Misha auctioned off some custom made shoes from the Gotham Knights costume designer to raise funds for Maui.

When that didn’t quite do it, he offered up the shirt on his back to the highest bidder – he then teasingly took it off, only to reveal he had another shirt on under it lol.

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Three Days to Pre-Order ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ and Get Free Original ‘The Boys’ Art!

Three Days to Pre-Order ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ and Get Free Original ‘The Boys’ Art!

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The long wait is finally over – the new book, ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes: Inside the Complex Characters and Twisted Psychology of The Boys’, is about to be released on Tuesday December 5 – which means you have three more days to preorder it and get some gorgeous free Soldier Boy and Kimiko artwork for preordering! We delayed the release in solidarity with the writers’ and actors’ strikes, but now the book is ready for reading just in time for the teaser trailer for The Boys Season 4 to drop. Who’s excited?????? (That would be us, and we’re already anticipating all the awesomeness that is sure to come in Season 5 too).

Supes Ain’t Always Heroes is the perfect way to catch up on everything that’s happened so far in the provocative universe of The Boys – there are chapters that are deep dives into all the complicated characters, ones that examine the show’s biting social commentary and how it fits into real world corporate America and Hollywood, a look at the issues the show tackles from racism to sexism, toxic masculinity to social media. And there are exclusive interviews with the show’s cast (including Jensen Ackles, Aya Cash, Nate Mitchell and Jim Beaver, plus co-creator Darick Robertson) that shed light on their experience bringing these complex characters to life and their own love of the show. Psychologists, sociologists, media experts, actors and journalists all contribute their perspectives – and give you plenty to think about as we await Season 4!

If you pre-order before the release on December 5, you’ll get some beautiful artwork for free – of Soldier Boy and Kimiko. I’ve seen them and they’re gorgeous! So if you’re a fan of The Boys universe, preorder now and enjoy the artwork. (Make sure to enter your preorder proof on the preorder site at smartpopbooks.com/theboys/ for the freebies – the page will only be up until Monday Dec 4)

We believe in changing the world just like ‘The Boys’ ultimately does, so every copy purchased benefits the Venice Family Clinic and their life saving work.

If you love ‘The Boys’, don’t be afraid to go deeper (Deeper?). Just be careful not to sneeze!

– Lynn and Matt, co-editors

Preorder here:

Preorder Supes Ain’t Always Heroes

 

 

Gen V Finale Ends With a Shocker – And A Link to The Boys Season 4!

Gen V Finale Ends With a Shocker – And A Link to The Boys Season 4!

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‘The Guardians of Godolkin’ doesn’t refer to who you think it does. And that’s not the only twist and turn in the season finale of Gen V. Alliances break and are formed, the ever-present question of who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy and is there anything that is NOT a shade of gray at this point still not solved. Am I complaining? Hell no.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SEASON 1 OF GEN V!

The Question of Right and Wrong

We pick up where we left off. Everyone is shocked that Cate killed Shetty, but she insists she did it for all of them, that she’s being a hero. Surprisingly, Sam agrees, saying Shetty sucked, that he’s not an experiment – that he wants to be a hero too. He tells himself that he’s doing it for Emma, echoing Hughie in The Boys – after Emma saved him, he thinks maybe it’s time for him to save her. He tells himself it’s for the right reasons, partly to keep Emma and the others from being tortured the way he was if they’re found out.

It’s the question that the entire The Boys universe poses again and again. Is doing something terrible okay if you’re doing it for the “right” reasons? If that isn’t a relevant question right now in the real world, I don’t know what is!

I think Sam does want to do the right thing. But Sam is angry too – and free for the first time to make his own decisions. This show is all about the choices we make, especially when we’re young and able to direct our own lives for the first time. Most of us don’t get through all that without some regrets.

Jordan, on the other hand, isn’t so sure that freeing the kids trapped in the Woods is a good idea, wanting to call campus Security instead (which unfortunately is not a good idea either). There’s always that temptation, when everything is falling down around you, to fall back on what has always been the status quo, trust whoever you thought you were able to. Marie knows that’s a mistake, though.

The Price of Power

Meanwhile, Andre watches over his father, ignoring Marie’s phone calls.  He gets the bad news from the doc that every time his dad uses his powers, a micro tear occurs in the neural pathways, damaging his brain. (Asking if Andre himself has had any symptoms lets us know it’s not only his dad who’s being destroyed by using his powers). What can they do? Unfortunately he just recommends physical therapy, which sounds like what everyone with a chronic condition hears over and over again. How does this show always get it so right?

Doc: And no more using powers.

They always come with a price on this show, in this universe.

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Ready for The Gen V Season Finale Tonight? Here’s Where we Are After Episode 7!

Ready for The Gen V Season Finale Tonight? Here’s Where we Are After Episode 7!

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We reached the penultimate episode of Gen V last week, and things are ramping up as of course we knew they would. And there are twists and turns, which of course we knew there would be. But everything in the universe of The Boys does those expected things in an unexpected way – this show is no exception.

So, as we get ready for the season finale to air tonight at midnight, let’s see where we are at the end of last week’s wild ride.

SPOILERS FOR GEN V EPISODES ONE THROUGH SEVEN AHEAD!

Into The Woods

In a scene that’s way too terrifying in a lingering pandemic, Episode 7 (aptly named “Sick”) begins as a guy gets thrown into a cell where one of the other students in there warns him not to breathe – because his friend Andy is being consumed by the horrible engineered virus and coughing up his lungs, threatening to infect the rest of them who are trapped in there.

Dr. Cardoza says it will take a while since it’s spread through contact, and of course the diabolical Dean Shetty asks the most chilling question possible right now.

Dean Shetty: Can’t we make it airborne, so it’s more contagious?

Seriously, this hits a little close to home, GenV!

Cardoza warns that if an airborne virus gets into the super-abled population, it could spread like wildfire. He wants out, but it’s his word against hers and she’s ready to tell Vought that he’s the one who invented a virus that can kill Supes if he doesn’t go along with her.

Cardoza: FUCK.

Everyone: Accurate.

Cate, however, has decided she’s had enough of being manipulated by Dean Shetty, who keeps reminding her to take her pills. Cate has had enough of that too, realizing they’ve been keeping a cap on her powers. She tells the others she’ll make the Dean admit to everything she’s done, hoping to make it up to them, but she can hear all their thoughts of how much they don’t trust her (which they do not appreciate at all, understandably).

Ships and More Ships

The Marie/Jordan shippers got a treat as the two share a tender kiss, though Marie does call them out about buying into gender stereotypes.

Marie: And you’ve gotta stop turning into a dude every time you wanna make a point to us!

Jordan wants to find proof of what’s happening in the woods but Marie is a realist.

Marie: You think they’re gonna believe a black girl and a bi-gender Asian supe over Vought? No, they’ll just twist it like they twist everything else. Unless we get it to someone they will listen to…

A Singer and Neuman poster, graffitied over, is on the wall right behind them.

Uh oh.

Things go better for the Marie/Jordan shippers than the Sam/Emma shippers in this episode, though we do get some nice moments. She helps clean up after Sam’s murderous rampage, Sam reminding her that he ripped an entire guy in half – though he was a puppet at the time.

I love Emma. She’s undeterred by Sam’s occasional murderous outbursts.

Emma: I’d be so messed up if I were you, but you’re so sweet. When you’re not slaughtering a bunch of dudes.

I mean, she’s right.

Sam explores her sex toy collection, impressed.

Emma: That is a normal amount of sex toys. I like options.

She goes to get rid of the evidence and get Sam a Vought A Burger, which he hasn’t had since he went with his brother Luke (ouch), which is clearly a big mistake. Sam hides in the closet, looking like a wide eyed scared kid, then acts out little plays with his fingers, one hand wearing Emma’s tiny panties. A noise in the hall makes him open the door, afraid Emma is in trouble, but it’s a bunch of Supe kids laughing as they make some snow in the hall and sled through it, saying ‘we’re supes, we can do whatever we want.’

Mini Homelanders in the making? Which may be one of the scariest things I’ve ever written…

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Supernatural Gets Creepy (and Poignant) with Season 3’s Bedtime Stories

Supernatural Gets Creepy (and Poignant) with Season 3’s Bedtime Stories

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Season 3 was a memorable season of Supernatural for many reasons. I was well and truly down the rabbit hole of being head over heels in love with the show, and the fandom was busy trying to get enough people to watch it that we could keep it on the air. It was constantly touch and go, and yet I was continually struck by how amazing the show was – why didn’t everyone else see it??

It was extra scary by the middle of the season because there was a writers’ strike, and while the fandom overwhelmingly supported the strike and our beloved writers, that made it even less certain the Show would survive. Looking back, the strike changed the trajectory of the season, but of course we didn’t know that at the time.

‘Bedtime Stories’ was in the Show’s early seasons tradition, creepy and scary but at the same time able to rip your heart out with unexpected emotionality. The episode was written by Cathryn Humphris, who I was so sad to lose early on, and directed by Mike Rohl, who directed quite a few episodes and includes some gorgeous shots in this one.

The ‘THEN’ reminds us of the history of the Colt, Dean’s deal to save Sam and his insistence that he’s not scared, and just how worried Dean is about whether what he brought back is “100% pure Sam” – the story line that was so intriguing and didn’t really go anywhere…

And NOW…

Three guys bicker like brothers (which it turns out they are) next to a billboard advertising new home construction with the tempting “ONCE UPON A TIME… All homes were built this well.”

One announces that he’s the “brick guy” and the other is the “wood guy” while the third warns that if a good gust of wind comes up the whole place is gonna blow over. (Sound familiar?)

As they argue, we see that something is watching them, the feeling of the scene ominous.

There’s a growl and one brother asks the others, did you hear that?

For some unknown reason he goes off to investigate on his own, dramatic music playing, but finds nothing. (Of course, because this is a horror show, the first time someone checks it’s gonna be nothing, so that we’re falsely reassured…).  One of the brothers goes to warm up their truck and suddenly something attacks brother no. 1 and drags him away as he screams. Brother no. 2 runs and hides while something attacks brother no. 3, blood spraying all over the truck and splattering on the dirt. Brother no. 2 hunkers down, terrified, breathing hard.

He finally dares to look around the cinder blocks and sees his dead brother lying on the ground. He hears another growl and then footsteps, and then he’s screaming too.

‘SUPERNATURAL’

A giant toad sitting in the middle of the road almost gets run over by the Impala as it roars by, spraying water from a puddle in the road.

Sam and Dean are not exactly getting along at this point in the series. In fact, they are having a quintessential brothers spat. Dean is determined that his going to hell to save Sam will stick, because otherwise Sam won’t survive. Sam is determined to save his brother. Both are hard headed and just as invested in their codependent relationship at this point. I am not complaining about this – it’s one of the things I love so much about this show.

Sam: I don’t understand, Dean – why not??

Dean: Because I said so!!

Sam: But we’ve got the Colt now.

Dean is resolute, warning his brother with a terse “Sam…”

Sam wants to summon the crossroads demon to try to get Dean out of his deal by holding her at gunpoint and forcing her.  Dean insists that they’re not summoning anything, that they don’t even know if it will work. Sam retorts that they can just shoot her anyway and the deal will go away, but Dean insists they don’t know if that’s even true.

Dean: You’re pitching me a bunch of ifs and maybes and that’s not good enough because if we screw with this deal, you die!

Sam: And if we don’t screw with it, you die!!

Talk about quintessential Supernatural. Dean will save Sam no matter what, and Sam will save Dean no matter what. And good luck trying to talk either of them out of it!

Sam finally demands, why, because you said so?

Dean: YES, because I said so!

Sam: Yeah well you’re not Dad.

Dean: (yelling) No but I am the oldest, and I’m doing what’s best. And you’re gonna let this go, you understand me?

If that isn’t the face of determination, I don’t know what is.

Sam finally subsides. He sits silent and sullen, staring out the window.

Dean tries to draw him back in, bring the conversation back to something normal (for them).

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Soldier Boy Returns (Sort of) in Gen V – And Inspires A Million Priceless Gifs!

Soldier Boy Returns (Sort of) in Gen V – And Inspires A Million Priceless Gifs!

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With two more episodes to go in its first season, Episode 6 of Gen V is a standout for more reasons than one.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EPISODES ONE THROUGH SIX OF GEN V!

We pick up in the sixth episode (“Jumanji”) with a repentant Cate restoring all her friends’ memories. They’re shocked, pissed, betrayed, everything you’d expect. Emma immediately heads out to find Sam, but not without a parting shot.

Emma: Also? You’re a cunt.

Cate insists she thought she was doing the right thing. Andre is especially furious, wondering if Cate’s manipulations were what made Luke kill himself and afraid to even consider that what she did was okay because then he’d just forgive her. His feelings for her make her betrayal a personal one.

They all feel (understandably) mind raped. Marie is the voice of reason though, saying it’s God U who is fucking them over, not Cate – that Cate was fucked over just like the rest of them.

The strain on Cate from restoring their memories and the trauma of realizing how she’s betrayed them makes her collapse, her heart rate slowing dangerously. Marie manages to save her (since apparently none of the others learned CPR at superhero school).  Marie slowly learning to use her formerly horrifically destructive powers for good is a nice little story arc running beneath the surface, though it will certainly not go smoothly. This is The Boys universe, after all.

At times this show reminds me of Buffy (which I loved) as it uses metaphor to tell stories about real life issues, in this case one of the challenges of growing up. We all have to learn how to harness our destructive impulses, how to recognize our own power but not mis-use it. We all have missteps we feel guilty about along the way, that can keep us afraid of speaking up or calling out injustice when we see it. That’s been part of Marie’s journey all along.

She does manage to save Cate, who wakes up and then abruptly bursts through the wall of the house they’re hiding at.

They follow, but when they all go through the break in the wall, what’s outside is…the woods. Well, not THE woods, but actual woods. Suddenly everything has gone surreal, and I love it, not knowing what’s actually happening and what isn’t.

They see a hysterical woman, sobbing and calling for Caleb and realize that’s Cate’s little brother who disappeared – we see young Cate distraught, telling her mother she didn’t mean it, not understanding what’s happening. Her mother looks at Cate not with love or concern but with terror, telling the cop she doesn’t feel safe with her daughter.  Bits and pieces of the landscape start to come apart in some truly eerie special effects…

They’re in Cate’s head, they realize.

The Boys universe excels at finding ways to get into its characters’ heads (often literally) so we can truly understand their back stories in a way that makes them very real and very compelling. We often don’t just hear about it, we see it. It makes all the characters a lot more sympathetic, as the scenes of Cate’s past do in this episode.

*             *             *

And then I admit to gasping out loud, because even though I knew it was coming, seeing Soldier Boy striding out of the woods took my breath away.

I know it’s wrong, but I’ve missed him! Welcome back to my screen, Jensen Ackles!!

And then begins a scene that will go down in history for both The Boys and Gen V fans – and Jensen Ackles and Supernatural fans too. Holy shit, what a scene!

Soldier Boy: What are you greasy sack of fucknuts doing in here?

Yep, that’s our disgusting uncensored murder grampa kitten, being just as gross as ever. Ahhhhh, I’ve missed him!

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A Special Supernatural DC Con – #KristaCon 2023

A Special Supernatural DC Con – #KristaCon 2023

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DC Con is one of the two conventions that are local for me – that I can drive to. I set out early Friday morning down I95 to DC, or rather to Crystal City, where this con is usually held. On the way, I thought a lot about my good friend and co-author of ‘Fangasm’ and several of my other books on fandom and Supernatural, Kathy Larsen. We fell in love with the show together way back when it began, and fell into fan studies as a result, both of us changing the trajectory of our professional careers to focus on what fandom is all about and why it’s so often wonderful. I needed tissues as I drove, the route familiar because of all the days I drove down to Kathy’s house just outside of DC – to work on research, to go to a convention, to just hang out and watch episodes of Supernatural and squee together. I miss those days. I miss my friend.

So I was already emotional before I even got there. Another fandom friend had experienced a great loss shortly before the con, a tragic accident that took her husband’s life. I was looking forward to hugging her and hoping that she’d find solace at the con and being with her fandom family. I remember when my dad passed away seven years ago – I got the news just as I arrived at a Supernatural convention in San Francisco, and while I was in shock for some of it, there was no better or more supportive place to be. I felt cared for, and loved, and consoled, by both my fellow fans and by the actors, who went out of their way to comfort me. I didn’t even tell them, but somehow they knew. It’s the best part of fandom – especially the SPNFamily – the outpouring of love and support when you need it. I’ve felt it myself, and I hope I’ve helped give it to others who’ve needed it.

This con was about that, about an outpouring of love and support — for my friend and fellow Supernatural fan Krista, who has terminal brain cancer. The con and the SNS were dedicated to her, the actors and the fans expressing their love and gratitude, and saying an emotional goodbye. I still find it hard to believe that she won’t still be sitting there in front of me at the cons, video camera rolling. I’m so grateful we all had a chance to show her how much she’s meant to so many of us.

I first met Krista in 2009 when she started going to Supernatural cons. Over the years, I often sat right behind her, my voice sometimes (unfortunately) in her con videos as I laughed too hard or sang too loud. She contributed some of  her beautiful photos to Family Don’t End With Blood. We shared some fun times over the many years – trips to the original Starbucks and the fish market in Seattle, where Krista showed she knew how to order a fish.

Fun times in Rome at the only JIB I’ve been able to go to.

Dinners out on con evenings.

 

Krista was kind enough to emcee the book release party for Family Don’t End With Blood in LA, helping make that night incredibly special.

We’ve shared a lot of fun times. And lots and lots of laughs.

So this con, for me, was about celebrating the people I’ve been on this journey with, both from the start and along the way, and feeling incredibly grateful to have them in my life. It was a reminder of how truly special fandom – and especially this fandom – can be. Forget the stupid polls of which ship is better or the purposely inflammatory posts about how the show should have ended. This is what it’s all about.

I was on my own in the vendor room for most of Friday so I didn’t make it into the theater, which was sad because a lot of awesome people were there – Gil McKinney, David Haydn-Jones, Kim Rhodes, Briana Buckmaster, DJ Qualls, Julian Richings to name a few.  Friday night I went to karaoke, which has been reinvigorated by DJ Qualls and his themed nights. This one was ‘The British Are Coming’, and DJ was dressed perfectly on a stage complete with Big Ben, the Yellow Submarine, and even the lanterns for one if by land two if by sea! Some of the fans’ cosplay was perfection too – and some of the performances!

Saturday and Sunday some lovely friends were able to sit at the vendor table for me sometimes, so I was able to catch some panels – including Misha Collins on Saturday. Like most of the actors, Misha wore his green #KristaCon shirt in honor of Krista. Rob gave him a supportive pat when he came onstage, all of them feeling emotional.

Misha to Krista: Thank you for being such a force of joy and optimism over the years.

That is so very very true.

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Catch up on Gen V – Here’s What Happened in Episode 5!

Catch up on Gen V – Here’s What Happened in Episode 5!

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A new episode of ‘The Boys’ spinoff ‘Gen V’ streams Friday – well, usually Thursday at midnight. If you’re like me, you can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Here’s our recap of last week’s Episode 5 to get everyone ready for this week’s Episode 6…

SPOILERS FOR EPISODES ONE THROUGH FIVE OF ‘GEN V’ AHEAD!

Everyone ended the fourth episode of Gen V wondering if their streaming service had glitched, so it’s merciful that in Episode 5 the show doesn’t make us wait to find out that no, that’s not what happened. Instead it’s Andre, Cate, Emma, Jordan and Marie whose memories glitched, as in none of them can remember the past few days. They wake up at a Supe named Dusty’s house (clearly his house because his pet llama is wandering around the premises), Andre and Cate in bed and Jordan and Marie in bed – and Emma (still gigantic) naked and floating in the swimming pool. Luckily it had a tarp on it which is covering her.

As a result of her saving the day, Emma finally starts trending on social media, and realizes that her mother’s stern warning about not “getting big” was bullshit – more of her evolution into finding her voice and being willing to take up space. Lots of it.

Know who realizes that? Sam. He shows up concerned about Emma, who doesn’t remember him at all.

Sam promises he’ll fix it, make her remember.

Emma: Remember what?

Sam: That you’re a hero. A real one.

Me, a passionate Emma fan: Damn right!

Vought is still after Sam, sending a whole team of armed operatives to capture him. In a truly disturbing sequence, Sam’s psychosis manifests so that he sees them all as puppets – and proceeds to rip them apart, puppet entrails flying everywhere and heads rolling, rock music playing to make the whole scene surreal.

Sam comes back to reality standing in a sea of bloody body parts.

Dr. Cardoza is freaked out after Sam’s little visit, but the Dean reminds him he can’t really walk out as he doesn’t have anywhere else to go, putting it in her own special way.

Dean Shetty: Cutting up Supes and seeing how they tick is a skill that won’t quite shine on your LinkedIn profile…

Back to trying to perfect a virus to control the “psychopaths” then, Dr. Cardoza.

Marie finds a tracker implanted in her chest and realizes the Dean is probably part of that. She manages to pull it out of herself (ewww). This episode begins to paint a chilling portrait of just how sinister the people running God U actually are – and sets us up for some big reveals about who they’ve drawn into their web of manipulation.

Marie runs to Cate to tell her about the trackers and…that was a mistake.  The episode veers back and forth with Marie and company discovering some of what’s going on and then being made to forget, which is depicted in a way that makes the viewer feel almost as unsettled and ‘off’ as Marie and friends.

For a while they’re sure it’s Rufus who’s messing with their heads, and poor Alexander Calvert almost gets taken out for good because of it, even as he protests his innocence.

But Sam knows the truth – and by the end of the episode, they all know who is really responsible for repeatedly wiping their memories. It’s Cate. Surprisingly empathic, relatable Cate. (Of course, that’s never the answer of who the real villain is in this universe…)

Cate says she’s sorry, that she only ever wanted to help and make things better. Do we believe her??

In other news, Jordan and Marie spend much of the episode dancing around each other and trying not to admit to the other that being together maybe wasn’t a mistake after all.  Jordan’s invisible Supe friend reminds them that maybe Marie is “cool with hiding the sausage and bumping donuts” and so maybe they can be either in female or male form and still be with her. I’m rooting for them!

I’m rooting for Sam and Emma too. She doesn’t remember who he is, but she goes to him anyway.

But how long can he keep hiding from Vought??

A new episode streams this Friday (Thursday at midnight) on Prime Video and let’s just say the level of excitement around Soldier Boy perhaps making an appearance is off the charts. I won’t say for sure that it’s in this week’s episode, but let me tell you, when you do see him again, the entire scene is PRICELESS! The gifs that fandom will make alone…. OMG.

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Catch up on Gen V now so you’re ready for all the chaos. And to catch up on the whole fascinating world of The Boys, you can preorder the new book ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes: Inside the Complex Characters and Twisted Psychology of The Boys’ NOW at https://smartpopbooks.com/theboys/

There is, of course, a chapter all about Soldier Boy and what makes him tick, and an exclusive interview with Jensen Ackles too – plus a lot more about all your favorite characters.

Don’t miss this week’s episode of Gen V!!

And don’t miss the chance to preorder ‘Supes Ain’t Always Heroes’ – you get free original art of Soldier Boy and Kimiko with preorders!

Lynn

 

 

‘Gen V’ Brought The Ewww with Episode 4, ‘The Whole Truth’

‘Gen V’ Brought The Ewww with Episode 4, ‘The Whole Truth’

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Episode 5 of The Boys’ spinoff Gen V aired yesterday – if you haven’t caught up yet, here’s my recap of the fourth episode – which definitely lived up to its legacy of being part of ‘The Boys’ universe, in more ways than one.

The episode was written by Jessica Chou and directed by Supernatural directing alum Steve Boyum, so you’ve got the writer of The Boys Herogasm episode and the director of the one where Lucy the whale was killed in a way I haven’t gotten over yet. Clearly this was going to be an episode that leaves an impression – and it did!

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR GEN V THROUGH EPISODE 4

I’ve Got a Weak Spot for Brothers Named Sam

The saga of little brother Sammy… sorry, Sam….continues in this episode. I’m here for the bonding that goes on between Sam (Asa Germann) and Emma (Lizze Broadway), both of them feeling like outcasts and on their own, especially after she tells Sam the truth that his big brother Luke is dead by his own hand. You can’t really fault him for reacting emotionally to that news, and neither does Emma, who is remarkably calm in the face of Sam wrecking their hiding place and then confessing that he’s hearing voices. Emma seems able to do the “take me as I am” thing with Sam, and you get the feeling she may be the only one other than Luke who’s ever done that.

Sam’s terrified he’ll fuck it up though.

Sam: Everybody always leaves me.

Emma: I promise, I’m like you.

How terrifying and isolating must it be to have all this unwanted, sometimes uncontrollable power, and also know that your mind is constantly playing tricks on you? I empathize with Sam and I also find him scary as hell, and Asa Germann pulls off that combination flawlessly.

Amusingly, the voice he hears (and the hallucinations he sees) are of “Television’s Jason Ritter” and a The Deep puppet with talking gills on the “Avenue V” show, a Sesame Street/Mr. Rogers crossover that was so out of left field it made me laugh out loud.

Gen V has a lot of mental health parallels, which means my psychologist self is always fascinated, including Sam’s psychosis. He hears what are called command hallucinations as Jason Ritter calmly insists that Sam just kill Dr. Cardoza from the lab.

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