Gen V episode four spoilers follow.
You might think that if you've seen one exploding penis, you've seen them all – but Gen V ups the ante on that horrific sneeze that ended one man's dong (and life) in season three of The Boys.
Cast your minds back (or don't) to the third season's debut episode. The Supe known as Termite (Brett Geddes) shrank to the size of a pin, hopped into his lover's penis and began to tickle the shaft as he made his way to the prostate.
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Their heated tryst ended in the most ghastly disaster, however, when he blew the man's brains out (and not in a fun way) with an unavoidable sneeze.
It was guts, entrails and carnage, and The Boys spared nothing when it came to showing us every gory detail.
Not many moments could beat Termite's tickling fail when it comes to shock effect, and arguably none have, yet Gen V gave this scene a run for its money with its own penis that went bang.
In the latest episode, Goldokin's teenage predator Rufus (Alexander Calvert) psychologically roofied Marie (Jaz Sinclair) with his Supe abilities after she came to him for help to locate a missing Emma (Lizze Broadway).
When back at his dorm room, a previously out-of-it Marie was roused back to consciousness by Jordan (played by London Thor at the time) banging at the door. Now lucid, Marie came face-to-face with a full-frontal Rufus, penis out, claiming: "It's not what you think."
It most certainly, 100 percent was – we know it, and so did a panicked Marie.
Without thinking, she extended her hand and used her powers to engorge his penis until it filled with blood and popped like an overwhelmed water balloon, splattering all over the place.
It was truly a disgusting sight, and no amount of Spandau Ballet's 'True' playing in the background could ease viewers' queasy discomfort.
While we can still hear the gurgling bubble of his bulging penis right before the popper-like bang, and our eyes will never be able to unsee the ground-beef end of Rufus's decimated appendage, it was not quite as alarming as Termite's disastrous love-making.
Termite's fatal sneeze tore through his lover, blowing off his lower limbs, and as if that weren't enough fans were forced to observe the aftermath of his innards as they oozed to the floor. The camera held us captive as it took its lingering time.
In contrast, Rufus' moment was extremely fast-paced. The penis goes bang and the show quickly snaps between Marie's blood-covered face and a groaning Rufus' clutching his prized manhood before Jordan escorts Marie away, quipping: "Piece of dick-less shit." We heart Jordan.
There's barely any time to take it all in.
However while The Boys may have Gen V beat in terms of shock and gore, this moment is far more significant because of what it does with the exploding dick.
It doesn't serve to set the tone of the show like Termite's scene does by alluding to how reckless Supes can be, as they continuously walk the precariously thin line of excitement and real damage.
Rufus' almost-assault on Marie is much more layered. It explores the ugly side of human nature when given advantages like Supe powers, and what happens when egos go unchecked.
It uses the medium of The Boys universe to explore the intricacies of sexual assault, and while it could have gone deeper in its examination of such a heavy topic, we didn't hate seeing Marie unintentionally mete out justice.
Ultimately, this moment gets us thinking on many levels about the world that these kids inhabit at Godolkin, and encourages us to puzzle out just how dangerous the birthplace of the greats is beyond the surface sketchiness we've observed.
New episodes of Gen V will be released on Fridays on Prime Video. The Boys seasons 1-3 are also streaming on Prime Video. Season 4 is in production.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
