Apparently, it’s becoming tradition for “Gen V” to wrap up each season with a gory massacre on the campus of Godolkin University. This time around, viewers see the seeds of Thomas Godolkin’s pledge to cull the herd bear fruit, as Marie and the gang make one last, desperate stand against the bloodthirsty dean.

If the scope of the finale isn’t quite as huge as it could have been, the episode nonetheless serves as a fitting capper to an overall enjoyable sophomore season. It even works as a solid series finale, should it come to that.

Cipher twist provides early momentum

Assuming viewers didn’t figure out the big Cipher and Godolkin twist ahead of time, they’re probably still reeling from the reveal that Hamish Linklater’s character was nothing more than a puppet for the true villain of the season. That twist helps give the finale an early momentum it doesn’t squander.

The scope of this episode turns out to be a bit smaller than expected. Instead of continuing to lay psychic waste to students, Godolkin’s murder spree is confined to the handful attending his seminar later in the episode.

Quieter approach benefits character development

Ultimately, the quieter, more intimate approach works to the show’s benefit. The early focus on Godolkin and Sister Sage helps paint a vivid psychological portrait of a man who can’t help but become his own worst enemy. Early on in this episode, Godolkin has truly won. He got exactly what he wanted by tricking Marie into healing him.

He’s free to be with Sage and reclaim his place in the upper echelons of Vought International. He has everything, yet he can’t stop himself from being tripped up by this foolish obsession with separating the wheat from the chaff. Godolkin is arrogant enough to believe that he knows better than the smartest person in the world.

Slater succeeds in taking over role

Half the fun of Guardians of Godolkin is in seeing Ethan Slater really sink his teeth into a role that had been Linklater’s up to this point. Slater succeeds in making this feel like the same character without simply echoing Linklater’s performance. The sardonic wit and cold menace are there in full effect, but tinged by a certain degree of manic abandon.

Linklater isn’t totally relegated to the background, even if he’s effectively now playing a completely different role as Doug. Linklater gets two great scenes, one which gives viewers a taste of just how awful it is to live as Godolkin’s meat puppet, and the other that provides closure for the late Chance Perdomo’s Andre.

Sage reveals vulnerable side

Viewers get to see a very different side of Sage here, where she’s in love and clearly out of her depth because of it. There’s a great vulnerability to Sage during her bedside chat with Godolkin, followed by a wounded sense of grief when she visits Polarity and realizes that her boyfriend has squandered everything they worked for.

Final showdown delivers satisfying conclusion

The final showdown between the heroes and Godolkin doesn’t disappoint. There’s still a macabre glee in watching him lay waste to his class and then promptly force them to dance for his amusement. It’s equally satisfying to see how integral God U’s weakest students are in toppling the almighty dean. And Godolkin’s final death scene is every bit as gory as fans have come to expect.

‘Gen V’ Season 2 finale sets up ‘Boys’ crossover

Season 2 closes out by directly laying the foundation for “The Boys” season 5, as Starlight and A Train both stop by to formally invite Marie and her friends to join the resistance. It’s a great way of capping off season 2 and acknowledging that these characters are ready to join the big leagues now.

But should viewers take this to mean that there’s not going to be a “Gen V” season 3? Possibly. It’s really a question of what state this universe is going to be in by the end of “The Boys” season 5. As much as fans would love to see more “Gen V,” this isn’t a bad way to cap off the show if that’s indeed the goal.