Well, it looks like our theories about the Burned Man might be true. But Cipher is an even worse monster than we ever realized. This episode showed why he is the only way the boys can beat Homelander.
Welcome back, Screen Crush. I'm Ryan Ary, and this is all of the Easter eggs, references, and little things you might have missed in season 2, episode 6 of GenV, Cooking Lessons. Now, that title has a couple of meanings. It literally refers to Stan Edgar teaching the kids how to cook, but it's also about how the students are slowly learning more and more about their powers. Marie levels up in a really big way and Emma continues to struggle with her self-confidence.
Even Anderson learns that he is capable of stopping Cipher's control. The theme of the season was previously thought to be real versus fake, but now it seems to be control. VA wants to control the students; Marie learns she can control people's bodies. The villain's powers are based on mind control. This episode shows that the real journey for the students is to learn self-control so they can master their powers. For instance, Kate and Emma cannot control their abilities while Sam can't control the voices in his head.
It's fitting that they meet up with Stan Edgar, a man who always seems to be in control. This episode also reintroduced Zoe, daughter of Victoria Newman. Newman died in The Boys season 4, but prior events placed VA under Homelander's control. Last episode, we theorized that Cipher killed Annabth and orchestrated Marie's escape, but that doesn't explain why the escape was so easy. Could Sister Sage be behind this? Let me know your theories.
The guards use high-frequency whistles against the kids, reminiscent of tools used against powerful characters in other media. There's a reflection on drinking culture as Halloween season approaches, drawing on personal anecdotes about alcohol consumption.
The episode opens with Annabth's powers emerging, creating a narrative parallel to Marie's history. Annabth is a precog, seeing the world in terms of inevitable futures. The show hints at VA engineering children as natural-born soups, paralleling Homelander's origin. The episode explores deeper themes of trust, as characters choose who to trust. Stan Edgar leverages cooking to build trust, akin to his approach in Breaking Bad.
The season focuses on control, especially Marie's potential to control a network of people with her mind. Cipher desires this power, potentially to control soups or even Homelander.
The episode includes a political satire about censorship, referencing historical and fictional book burnings. The cast finds themselves in a library, symbolizing rejected knowledge.
The narrative draws parallels with The Breakfast Club, assigning roles reminiscent of the film's characters. The song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" underscores themes of friendship and individual growth.
Stan Edgar is shown maneuvering against VA's fluctuations in power. The narrative ends with a cliffhanger about characters making choices based on core themes of independence and identity.