At the end of Season 1 of The Boys spinoff Gen V, Godolkin University dean Indira Shetty met an unfortunate end — as so many characters in the world of The Boys sadly do. In Season 2, Gen V's cast gets to meet the university's new dean, Cipher, played by Hamish Linklater. Described as "a man who turns Supes into soldiers," Cipher is a mysterious figure whose unknown powers, intentions, and allegiances set the characters on edge as they attempt to dig deeper into just who this strange fellow is.
This article contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Gen V Season 2.
A Strange Sociopath Who Almost Nobody Trusts
The Best War Games spoke to the cast of Gen V Season 2 to get their characters' thoughts on Dean Cipher and the central mystery of the show's second season. Linklater himself revealed that he loved playing such a mysterious and sinister character, and was especially fond of how calm and collected Cipher remained even during the most intense of scenes. I think that's hopefully going to be a great mystery for the audience," he said. "Wondering 'What kind of sociopath stays so chill when he's being so naughty?'"
"And they're gonna find out," Linklater added with a laugh. "Eventually." The actor, whose previous roles include Father Paul in Midnight Mass and Batman in Batman: Caped Crusader, was thrilled to see that audiences have been speculating about Cipher's goals and identity, but warned them they might not always be on the right track:
"It's great to get speculation. It means people give a sh*t. But If you think he's a bad guy, the worst guy, worse than the worst guy — you might be wrong."
The Sinister Cipher Drives The Season's Conflict
Other characters — in particular, the students of Godolkin University — immediately pegged Cipher as someone suspicious and not to be trusted. Jaz Sinclair, who plays Marie Moreau, discussed Cipher's strange fascination with Marie and his ironclad belief that the blood manipulator can become the world's most powerful Supe, surpassing even The Boys' Homelander. Marie, Sinclair explained, finds Cipher's statements about her near-impossible to believe. "[Marie] is like, he's crazy," she said of Cipher. "This guy's weird."
Jordan Li (Derek Luh and London Thor) and Emma Meyer (Lizzie Broadway) both immediately distrust Cipher, because they no longer see Godolkin University as a safe place after they were blamed for the events of Season 1 and kept in captivity for many months. Luh described the moment at which Jordan and Emma return to Godolkin as "terrifying," while Thor felt that Jordan was "at their lowest" when forced to be a student at the now Cipher-controlled university.
Even Cate Dunlap (Maddie Phillips) and Sam Riordan (Asa Germann), who ended Season 1 firmly on the side of the Godolkin 'establishment' by embracing Homelander's 'supes are superior' rhetoric, feel threatened and unsafe with Cipher around. Early in Episode 1 of Season 2, the audience gets one of their first introductions to the bizarre Dean as he threatens to put Cate's hand inside an actively spinning blender simply for interrupting him while he was making a smoothie.
Speaking about this scene, Linklater explained that Cipher's motives for threatening Cate were surprisingly straightforward. "You just have to focus on your objective," he said. "And his objective was to get a high-protein smoothie." That statement, more than anything, encapsulates Dean Cipher's character. He is a man who is ruthlessly focused on his objectives, and will chillingly and calmly pursue them, regardless of what obstacles might be in his way. But what are those objectives — beyond enjoying a smoothie of raw chicken and peanut butter? This is something The Boys fans must discover by watching Season 2 of Gen V as it releases on Amazon Prime Video.
- Release Date
- September 28, 2023
- Network
- Prime Video
- Showrunner
- Michele Fazekas
Cast
-
Jaz SinclairMarie Moreau -
Lizze BroadwayEmma Meyer / Little Cricket -
Maddie PhillipsCate Dunlap
-
London ThorJordan Li (female)
- Directors
- Nelson Cragg, Clare Kilner, Philip Sgriccia, Sanaa Hamri, Shana Stein, Steve Boyum
- Writers
- Craig Rosenberg
- Franchise(s)
- The Boys
- Creator(s)
- Craig Rosenberg, Evan Goldberg, Eric Kripke
