Gen V season 2 ending explained: What happens to Cipher, who dies, and how does it set up The Boys season 5?

Gen V season 2 has finally come to a close...and it's been quite the doozy. The second season of The Boys spin-off was jam-packed with blood, guts, tears, twists, turns, and some rather unconventional (and impossibly gross) superpowers.

Now that the season is over, all we can do is wait for The Boys season 5, which, judging by the events of the Gen V season 2 finale, is going to be rather explosive. Marie Moreau is more powerful than anyone could've ever realized, and The Boys kind of need her in order to take down Homelander...but can they do it?

We don't know just yet, but we do know the answer to all the burning questions you might have after this dramatic and in-depth season 2 finale. Just scroll ahead for handy dandy guide. Warning, this article contains major spoilers for Gen 2, so make sure you are all caught up before reading on. But first, be sure to read our Gen V season 2 review.

Gen V season 2 ending explained

Gen V season 2 episode 8 begins with a flashback to 1967, an extension of the scene we saw in season 2 episode 1. As the lab burns down around him, Thomas Godolkin injects himself with Compound V before his body lights on fire and he seemingly burns to death...Although we now know that the Compound V is what enabled him to survive
(albeit in a hyperbaric chamber) for 60 years.

After Polarity helps Doug (the man Godolkin was puppeting as Cipher) into bed, he explains that Godolkin survived by taking the same V that Soldier Boy and Stormfront...which prevents him from aging. Doug reveals that he's the second person that Godolkin puppeted, the first having died circa 1996. He also reveals that Godolkin tried puppeting Marie himself back when they were all being held in Elmira (before season 2 began), but that she was simply too powerful.

Elsewhere, Godolkin enjoys wine, sushi, and some Sister Sage while being back in his own body. The two plan their new future together, while also mentioning that they need to figure out a way to introduce him to Homelander. Instead of laying low, Godolkin plans to continue "culling the herd," i.e. killing off every supe he deems useless or less-than by holding a "training" class that's open to all students.

On the way to the hospital, Doug/Cipher tells Polarity that he would've been "so proud" of Andre, and the two share a tender moment...but the moment is almost immediately ruined by Black Noir, who lands on top of the car and sticks a blade through Doug's chest. After disarming Polarity, he takes a selfie with his unconscious body and takes him to, where else, but Elmira.

Back at school, Marie forgives Cate for allowing Vought to control her for basically all of The Boys season 4...and restores her powers (that got thrown out of whack after Jordan and Marie sorta-kinda attacked her in season 2 episode 1). Shortly after, Godolkin sends out a message to every single student advertising his "training class." Marie, Jordan, Emma, Cate, Sam, and co. know that he plans to trap every student in the gym and use his puppetry powers to make the students kill each other...but they're unable to keep the students from entering through the doors and taking his "advanced seminar."

Godolkin tells Sage that, after he builds up his strength by controlling each student, he'll finally be able to control Marie. When Sage asks him why, he simply says, "If I can control one Odessa baby, I can control the other one." The other one being Homelander, of course. Godolkin goes on to say that Homelander is weak, as are the other members of the Seven, and that he plans to take over Vought and rescue it from "mediocrity." Sage quickly realizes that Godolkin has no interest in carrying out their original plan, and thankfully, goes rogue by letting Polarity simply walk out of his cell at Elmira without any resistance.

After the gang realizes that it's all a trap – Godolkin is going to keep killing students until Marie breaks into the gym and saves the day – they come up with a (pretty gross) plan. Marie goes to the gym to fight Godolkin, who takes control of every single student in the room and makes them attack Marie. She uses her powers to make a lasso out of blood that's been spilled, and wraps it around the supe who has those absolutely gruesome butt powers. Suddenly, Sam, Jordan, Emma, Harper, and Allie come out from you-know-where and join in the fight. Allie uses her rather unconventional Medusa powers to hold Godolkin in place, while Harper mimics his powers and is suddenly able to control him. Because Harper can only mimic someone's powers for less than a minute, this quickly wears off...and Godolkin is finally able to puppet Marie. He uses her powers to make a swirling blood tornado, which takes hold of Emma, Jordan, Annabeth, Cate, and Sam...causing their veins to bubble.

As Godolkin is about to make them burst (much like Marie did with that goat earlier in the season), a now-healed Polarity bursts through the doors and knocks Godolkin back. While he's incapacitated, Marie walks over and pulls a full Victoria Neuman, making his head explode with ease.

Now that Godolkin is finally dead, the gang has to get the heck out of dodge. Polarity explains that he'll stay at Godolkin and try to keep Vought from going absolutely haywire while Marie and co. drive as far away from campus as humanly possible. When they pull over on the side of the road, two amazing things happen: 1) Annabeth tells Marie that she's a hero, which is all Marie has ever wanted since the literal inception of this show, and 2) Starlight and A-Train appear to ask the gang if they want to join the resistance. They say yes, of course, and there's a pretty cool Nine Inch Nails needle-drop just before the credits roll.

What happens to Cipher?

After learning that Cipher is just some nice dude named Doug, Doug and Polarity drive off to the hospital. On the way, Doug tells Polarity that Andre was both one of the most stubborn and most fearless supes he'd ever encountered, adding that he was the greatest supe he'd ever seen, and praising his commitment to his friends. The two share a heartwarming moment (that made me cry), before Black Noir quite literally swoops in and kills him. After 30 years of being used as a puppet by Godolkin, not to mention the fact that he was more or less left to die after Godolkin left his body...it was a pretty merciful way to go out. RIP Doug, we spent a lovely 12 minutes with you.

Is Thomas Godolkin dead?

Yes, and it was one of the most (dare we say deservedly) brutal deaths in The Boys history. Though a strengthened Godolkin is finally able to control Marie, it only happens for a few moments. As he's about to use Marie's body to kill all of her friends at once, Polarity (no longer suffering from neuro-tears after Marie heals him in season 2 episode 7) shows up in the nick of time and knocks him backwards. While incapacitated and distracted, Marie makes his head explode, reducing him to a bloody stump with nothing left but a ribcage.

Now that Thomas Godolkin's reign of terror is over, the biggest threat in The Boys universe is still Homelander. Although now that Starlight and A-Train are aware that Marie is the only other supe in the world who can stop him...it's game on for The Boys season 5.

What happens to Annabeth?

After deciding to run toward her visions, rather than keep running away, Annabeth decides to join Marie and her friends as they head far away from the university...and into the resistance. Though she's skeptical at first, and makes sure to remind Marie that she killed their parents, she relents and realizes that Marie has been doing her best this entire time – and that everything she's ever done has been for Annabeth's love and approval. In a total surprise moment, Annabeth decides to join the resistance...and will be one of The Boys in season 5.

Is Godolkin University shut down?

It looks like the school will stay up and running, but that Marie and co. will be skipping out on their junior year.

Does the Gen V finale set up The Boys season 5?

In short...yes. Now that Homelander controls not only Vought, but basically every supe around the world...things have become even harder for supes in the resistance. After the events of The Boys season 4, Starlight goes on the run, and, as we learn through various right-wing media news broadcasts from Firecracker, anyone who is perceived as one of her supporters is being outwardly shamed and killed.

After Sister Sage leaks intel about Marie being part of the Odessa Project, Starlight is prompted to find Marie and ask her to return to Godolkin in order to figure out her true identity...which is the "other Odessa baby." In the Gen V season 2 finale, Starlight realizes she was duped by Sage, but doesn't seem to regret it, as everything that transpired allowed Starlight to link up with Marie and her friends...and ask them all to join The Boys. Oh, and A-Train shows up to welcome them to the resistance.

It's important to note that, because Marie can bring people back from the dead, she's the only other supe in the world who is just as powerful, if not more powerful than Homelander. It's highly likely that we'll see a Marie vs. Homelander showdown in the fifth and final season of The Boys...though we're not sure if there will be a Gen V season 3 to follow...especially now that both shows have all but merged into one. We'll just have to wait and see.

Oh and, don't forget about that supe-killing virus – which we all but forgot about as it wasn't mentioned at all in Gen V season 2, despite being a key feature of Gen V season 1. With Homelander at large and a supe-killing virus ready to be unleashed, what could possibly go wrong in The Boys season 5?

Is there a Gen V season 2 post-credits scene?

Surprisingly: no. We full expected a post-credits scene in Gen V season 2 as there was absolutely a post-credits scene in Gen V season 1. The scene in question saw Billy Butcher poking around The Woods and finding evidence of the supe-killing virus. We know that the virus still exists, and that Butcher still has it in his possession, but this is isn't mentioned at all in Gen V season 2.

Gen V season 2 is available to stream on Netflix now. For more, check out our picks of the best Prime Video shows, and upcoming shows heading your way.