After watching a new TV adaptation of an acclaimedStephen Kingnovel, it is hard not to believe that it is gradually becoming the perfect rival to a 97% RT series. Although the two shows dabble with significantly different themes and are not very similar in tone, both are driven by the same narrative core.
Stephen King is best known for his long line of storytelling in the horror genre. However, the King of Horror has also experimented with a few other genres, with sci-fi seemingly being a recurring favorite. About six years ago, Stephen King published his new addition to the sci-fi genre, which was received well by many readers.
Unsurprisingly, the book was later chosen for a TV adaptation, which is now performing fairly well compared to most recent television takes on the author’s works. Interestingly, the more theStephen King TV showprogresses, the more it comes off as a worthy competitor to a brilliantPrime Video sci-fi series.
The Institute Has The Potential To Become Gen V’s Perfect Competitor
The InstituteandGen Vdo not exactly tell the same story. WhileThe Instituteis relatively smaller in scale and unfolds like a suspenseful thriller instead of being about superheroes,Gen Vties into the overarchingThe Boysuniverseand serves as a satire on the superhero genre. Despite this, both share many intriguing narrative overlaps.
For instance, in bothThe InstituteandGen Vseason 1, superpowered teenagers are held captive by a secret organization where human adults ruthlessly experiment on them. The young characters in both stories eventually reach the end of their wits and set out to fight against the system that exploits them.
Even the antagonists in both shows do some incredibly evil things, but there is twisted logic to their actions. While the humans who run"The Woods" inGen Vhope to live in a world where non-superpowered folks do not have to constantly live in fear of being harmed by supes, the central facility’s staff inThe Institutebelieve they are serving a greater good.
In both, superpowers are not merely portrayed as cool abilities. Instead, both shows depict them as effective metaphors. In The Institute, the children’s powers are allegories for their childhood potential and sense of wonder. However, the titular facility strips their innocence away by exploiting their unique abilities.
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Similarly, inGen V, the Compound V powers are treated as metaphors for everything from privilege to the inherent corruption in a supe-obsessed world. With so many parallels between the two shows, it would be fair to say thatThe Institutecould become a worthy rival forGen V.
The Institute Does One Thing Far Better Than Gen V
In terms of scale and budget,Gen Vis leagues aboveStephen King’sThe Institute. However, what makesThe Institutebetter than The Boys' spin-off is that, instead of riffing on the familiar humans vs. mutants trope, it tells a more relatable story about the crushing weight of institutional control and the gradual loss of a child’s agency and innocence under an oppressive system.
Gen V
Cast
Gen V is set at America’s only college for superheroes, where students challenge their moral limits while competing to join Vought International’s elite team, The Seven. As dark secrets of the institution are revealed, they must determine the kind of heroes they aspire to be.
The Institute
A kidnapped prodigy with special abilities, Luke, ends up at The Institute, while Tim, a former cop, seeks a new life in a nearby town. Their fates are inevitably linked.
