Gen V ending explained: How does it set up The Boys season 4?

We've already been told that this first season will lead directly into The Boys season 4, with that season then expected to lead into the already-announced Gen V season 2.

But just how did the season 1 finale play out, where does it leave things going forward, and what happened to Marie, Andre, Jordan, Emma, Cate and Sam?

Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of Gen V season 1.

How does Gen V season 1 come to an end?

The Gen V finale picked up immediately after Cate made Shetty kill herself at the end of episode 7, with the supe going on to recruit Sam to free all those kept captive in the Woods.

The escaped supes went on to attack the campus, killing anyone who wasn't a supe. This just so happened to coincide with a meeting Ashley Barrett was holding to decide on the next member of the Seven out of Godolkin's top students, with Ashley then offering Marie the place, and a meeting with her sister, if she stopped them.

Sam and Emma had a fight about his destructive plans, after which she found out that she can seemingly also shrink by crying, as well as vomiting. Sam saw visions of Luke trying to convince him to do the right thing and not go along with Cate's plans, but he allowed Cate to manipulate his mind to take his concerns away.

Meanwhile, Andre found out that his father's powers are damaging his brain, and will ultimately kill him if he continues to use them, with the doctor suggesting this will be the case for Andre too.

However, he ignored this and got involved with the fight, as Marie, Andre, Jordan and Emma took on Sam, Kate and the supes from the Woods. They seemed on the verge of winning out, with Marie using her power to blow off half of Kate's arm and stop her taking control of Jordan.

However, just at their apparent moment of victory, who should show up but... Homelander!

The leader of the Seven flew in and looked at the carnage around him, before asking Marie: "What kind of animal are you? Do you like attacking your own kind?"

Then, zap! He blasted Marie in the chest with his laser eyes and everything went black.

What happens to Marie, Andre, Jordan and Emma?

After Homelander stopped the fight, we saw news footage showing how the incident at Godolkin was spun to make Marie, Andre, Jordan and Emma the villains, who are said to have gone on a "brutal murder spree".

Marie then woke up in a sealed hospital room without any doors, surrounded by her three friends, all also in hospital gowns. Andre told her that "anyone else would be in the ground" after Homelander's blast, but her powers had meant she had survived.

Marie noticed the lack of doors and asked the others where they were. The others looked at each other sheepishly - it seems that wherever they are being held, it's not good...

What happens to Cate and Sam?

We don't know exactly what became of Cate and Sam after their rampage on the campus, but we do know that they were heralded in the media as the "new Guardians of Godolkin".

Homelander was seen smiling as he watched footage praising the two of them. Could one, or both of them, be about to join the Seven?

How does the end of Gen V tie into The Boys season 4?

As well as Homelander's cameo, the Gen V finale also featured another major tie in to The Boys season 4. A shadowy figure was seen walking down into the woods, searching around with a torch.

The figure stepped into a room and we finally saw their face - it was none other than Billy Butcher.

Butcher, stopped, smirked and simply said: "What a bunch of "c***s".

So it seems that The Boys season 4 will see Butcher visiting Godolkin and investigating the Woods. Could he happen upon the virus Shetty and Dr Cardosa were developing?

It seems we'll just have to wait and see...

Gen V is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. The Boys seasons 1-3 are available to watch now – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime.

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