‘Gen V’ Just Fixed the Show’s Worst Mistake by Reuniting Its Best Couple

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Gen V Season 2 Episode 4.

The Boys universe is characterized by almost slapstick violence and political satire. Typically, when it has focused on relationships, they have either been fraught with conflict, such as Annie (Erin Moriarty) and Hughie (Jack Quaid), or played for shock, such as Butcher (Karl Urban) and Maeve (Dominique McElligott). However, Gen V‘s Season 2 premiere has already emphasized the sincerity of the relationship between Marie (Jaz Sinclair) and Jordan (London Thor/Derek Luh). In doing so, the spin-off has effectively and swiftly rectified its greatest flaw from Season 1.

Last season, Marie and Jordan’s relationship was an inconsistent subplot that focused more on the will-they-won’t-they aspect of young love rather than their connection itself, and the two drifted apart as the events of Season 1 became more and more intense, with a mere “we’re good together” being the final focus on their relationship from Marie in the finale, “Guardians of Godolkin.” However, Season 2 has immediately fixed this issue by taking its time to establish Marie and Jordan’s love for each other more definitively. In doing so, the characters have been able to assist each other with their respective arcs, and it has heightened the stakes of the show now that Marie and Jordan have a soulmate to lose.

‘Gen V’ Season 2 Firmly Confirms Marie and Jordan’s Romance

Image via Prime Video

It was frustrating watching Gen V Season 1, in which Marie and Jordan constantly had tender moments aside from the main story, only to have them brushed off and more conflict between the two being raised down the line. Even though Marie claimed that she had a crush on Jordan, it was only dragged out of her by Emma (Lizzie Broadway), but the scene between Marie and Jordan in Episode 2, “Justice Never Forgets,” actively confirms their feelings. The awkwardness of Marie changing her top in front of Jordan before the two hook up is a clear shift from sexual tension to a satisfying affirmation.

For some viewers, actions aren’t enough without the words to definitively state how a character is feeling, even if that is slightly backwards in terms of storytelling. When Marie tells Jordan she loves them, the emphasis on how this changes their relationship from just hooking up to something deeper is clear, given how it takes Jordan aback. At first, it could have been yet another roadblock in their relationship, but when Jordan says it back to Marie at the end of Episode 3, “H is For Human,” there can be no doubt that these characters have a deeper connection, and both of them know it.

Marie and Jordan’s Romance Makes Their Character Arcs Stronger in ‘Gen V’ Season 2

While some may prefer the tension of a will-they-won’t-they relationship and the resulting conflict, as proven by the most famous example of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) in Friends, the strength of Jordan and Marie’s partnership comes from how they push each other to heal their inner conflict and become even better heroes in the process. When Marie tells Jordan that she accepts them every way they are, boy or girl, this is a huge step for a character who has been forced by their parents and the world around them to be exactly who they don’t want to be, and it frames Marie as a safe place for them.

Marie’s pressure to do something helps to change Jordan’s reluctance to pursue justice. It is only when they realize they could lose Marie that they reciprocate her love, and, in realizing the importance of such bravery, also admit the truth about Andre’s (Chance Perdomo) death and the fact that they were responsible for attacking Cate (Maddie Phillips). While Marie and Jordan’s relationship has pushed the latter into more development, that doesn’t mean Marie has missed out on taking major strides. Jordan reciprocating her feelings is a big step for Marie after she has been treated like a monster by so many people, and it should kickstart a greater inner healing for her after the emotional trauma she has been through.

Marie and Jordan’s Relationship Heightens the Stakes of ‘Gen V’ Season 2

Image via Prime Video

Because Gen V has made Marie and Jordan’s partnership so strong, there is now so much more to lose for both characters, as Jordan themselves pointed out in Episode 3. As Derek Luh also stated in an interview with Collider, “They’re endgame. Marie and Jordan are endgame,” which shows how this relationship is the be-all-end-all of their character arcs. Considering that the trailers for Season 2 showed the two in an octagon, seemingly about to fight each other as a part of Cipher’s (Hamish Linklater) hero optimization training, having these two be framed in a romantic light rather than a Platonic one makes the idea of their future battle far more tragic.

Hopefully, the pair will find a way to avert any true damage in their fight, but that is before considering whether Vought or Cipher will learn of their romance and how they could manipulate that to their own advantage. In the end, these are the fears that a stronger relationship between Marie and Jordan brings, but the benefits of the show doubling down on their romance make that kind of tension worth it. While Gen V may be exploring a dystopian, almost hopeless, world in the realm of The Boys universe, Marie and Jordan’s love offers hope for the future.

Release Date

September 28, 2023

Network

Prime Video

Directors

Nelson Cragg, Clare Kilner, Philip Sgriccia, Sanaa Hamri, Shana Stein, Steve Boyum

Writers

Craig Rosenberg

Franchise(s)

The Boys

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  Jaz Sinclair

  Marie Moreau

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  Lizze Broadway

  Emma Meyer / Little Cricket