Gen V season 2 episode 7 reveals the Prime Video show's true villain – and it's not actually Hamish Linklater's Cipher

• Gen V season 2's penultimate chapter is out now
• It confirms who is the actual villain of the show
• The reveal validates a long-standing fan theory about Cipher

Gen V season 2 episode 7 has made its Prime Video debut – and it confirms Cipher isn't the show's villain.

Well, not exactly, anyway. You see, while Hamish Linklater's character has been viewed as this season's primary antagonist, the man known as Cipher isn't technically its Big Bad.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Gen V season 2's second-to-last chapter, aka 'Hell Week'. Leave this page now if you haven't watched it yet.

Thomas Godolkin is Gen V season 2's real primary villain

As 'Hell Week' reveals, Thomas Godolkin is the true villain of Gen V season 2.

That shouldn't come as a surprise to many. After all, fans of The Boys' spin-off predicted Godolkin was the enemy of the piece many weeks ago.

Indeed, ever since we saw a heavily-scarred man in a hyperbaric chamber in season 2 episode 4, viewers have believed this person is not only Godolkin, but also the individual manipulating events from the shadows. How was he able to do this? By controlling a human host, i.e. the man known as Cipher who was played by Linklater. You can read more about this specific fan theory in my Gen V season 2 Cipher's powers explained piece.

More evidence presented itself in last week's episode, titled 'Cooking Lessons', with former Vought CEO Stan Edgar telling Marie Moreau and company that Godolkin had the ability to control Supes.

Now, it's incredibly unlikely that Edgar meant Godolkin could do so in a literal sense. After all, Edgar didn't even believe the rumor that Godolkin survived the 1967 lab accident we saw in this season's three-episode premiere.

Nevertheless, it was another clue that one of the best Prime Video shows' latest villain could physically possess humans and Supes alike. You can read more about what Edgar knew from his time in charge of Vought in my season 2 episode 6 article that reveals more about Project Odessa, Homelander and Godolkin.

But back to Gen V's latest chapter. In a bid to stop Cipher once and for all, Marie and Polarity – the latter of whom is fully healed of his life-threatening seizures by Marie earlier in 'Hell Week' – tag-team Godolkin University's (God U) seemingly nefarious headteacher. Their plan? Polarity will keep Cipher occupied while Marie locates Godolkin using her powers, heals him of his long-standing injuries, and convince him to aid their cause.

The plan seems to work, too. Following a battle where Cipher uses Marie's friends against Polarity and each other with his mind-control abilities, Polarity manages to subdue Cipher. Meanwhile, Marie finds Godolkin and cures him of his ailments.

That's good news, then, right? Nope. As we learn, Godolkin has been controlling Linklater's character, whose real name is Doug, throughout the Amazon TV Original's second season.

No longer bed-bound, the fully-healed Godolkin leaves the room he was being held in and heads off to enact his masterplan.

In last week's chapter, we found out Cipher (i.e. Godolkin) wants to cull 75% of God U's Supe student population, thereby leaving the strongest 25% alive and, alongside current Supes loyal to Vought, help him achieve world domination. We're even treated to a callous glimpse into the immediate future, too. After a brief conversation with Hemple, one of God U's "useless" (Godolkin's word, no mine) students, Godolkin uses his possession abilities to force Hemple to strangle himself to death.

With just one episode left, Gen V's got to cover a lot of ground to wrap up this season's overarching narrative.

Will it tell us how Godolkin survived the 1967 lab fire, when he became a Supe, and/or why he chose Doug to be his puppet? Is he going to triumph, or will Marie stop him before he potentially becomes so powerful that he can even control her?

If that happens, are Marie's friends and/or Polarity capable of saving the day instead? If not, will Godolkin move to the next stage of his and Sister Sage's plan and try to possess Homelander, too? Should the last of those possibilities present itself, The Boys' fifth and final season will be a completely different proposition to what any of us expected.

Hopefully, next week's finale, titled 'The Guardians of Godolkin', will answer one or more of the questions when it lands on one of the world's best streaming services.

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