Let's Talk About Cate's Big Reveal In Gen V Episode 5
This post contains spoilers for episode 5 of "Gen V," "Welcome to the Monster Club."
Things are getting progressively messier at Godolkin University, where our central gang is currently the target of an ominous memory wipe in the latest episode of "Gen V." Towards the end of episode 3 of the show, the gang — Marie (Jaz Sinclair), Emma (Lizze Broadway), Andre (Chance Perdomo), Cate (Maddie Phillips), and Jordan (Derek Luh/London Thor) — bands together to prevent Sam (Asa Germann) from murdering a doctor involved in the grisly experiments in The Woods.
However, halfway through this tense confrontation, the scene cuts away to what seems like a house party, where Marie and Jordan are seen waking up together after an unknown amount of time has passed. While this fresh development births a sweet romantic dynamic, the confusing, convoluted nature of this memory gap leaves the entire group unraveling, as the rest of them also wake up at the party with no memory of the last 48 hours. However, this realization is not immediate, as the memory wipe is meant to make them feel as if they had simply passed out under the influence — it is only when Sam approaches Emma that the true nature of the conspiracy exposes itself.
While Marie and Emma suspect pervert-psychic Supe Rufus to be the culprit, it is revealed that it is actually Cate who wiped everyone's minds, and this is not the only instance in which she used her powers to manipulate people's memories. However, Cate's betrayal is complex to parse, as she is an unwitting pawn for the conniving Dean Shetty (Shelley Conn), and she genuinely believes that her actions are necessary to protect her loved ones. But what does this reveal mean for Cate and her friends, who understandably no longer trust her?
A victim of manipulation
It is tempting to argue that Cate should have known better than to lie and betray her friends on account of Dean Shetty and God U in general, but her reasons for doing so appear to be far more complicated than they appear. When Marie senses the tracking chip inside her blood and rips it out, she rushes to Cate, revealing her suspicions that a nefarious conspiracy is in motion. As Cate quietly takes off her glove and places her hand on Marie's shoulder, the latter realizes the bitter truth, but before she can react, her memory is wiped again. While Cate does this to prevent the situation from spiraling, this introduces more reasons for suspicion, as Marie no longer remembers sleeping with Jordan when they attempt to talk it out with Marie soon after.
Once Emma decides to trust her gut and meet Sam despite having no memory of him, Cate's secret is revealed, leaving everyone crushed, especially Andre. "You're a f***ing monster," he says bitterly, once she touches his forehead and helps him remember everything that was erased. This only proves that we are still unaware of the full extent of Cate's abilities, as she is not only able to "push" people towards certain moods and actions but also completely wipe and restore core memories. Cate owns up to her actions, and a couple of flashbacks help us understand that she is no scheming mastermind, but just a scared teenager who had placed her trust in the wrong people, who by the way, are extremely skilled at performative empathy and emotional manipulation.
Cate's guilt is amply clear here, especially in relation to her now-deceased boyfriend Luke (Patrick Schwarzenegger), whom she had manipulated into believing that his brother, Sam, was dead for years.
Trust must be earned
In "The Boys," we witnessed how Vought deftly manipulated entire demographics with the help of packaged lies and calculated propaganda, managing to earn public support even after the shocking Compound V exposé. The fact that the impressionable teen Supes at God U are molded and manipulated at every turn by adults in power introduces grosser layers of power play into the Vought problem, especially when the cost of a flourishing superhero career is, almost always, personal integrity. While we don't know much about Cate's past, it is not far-fetched to assume that Shetty used her childhood trauma and sense of alienation against her by putting on a kind, empathetic front, just like she did with Marie.
Dean Shetty is especially dangerous as a Vought asset, as she seems to be harboring undisclosed personal motivations and is an expert at creating illusory "safe spaces" for vulnerable students looking for guidance and comfort. Cate seems to be a victim of the same, where she is forced to carry out unforgivable deeds despite having active misgivings about them. This doesn't excuse her actions in any way, however — after all, she did make Luke forget about Sam over and over, which might have contributed to his rage-filled outburst that ultimately cost him his life, while also actively lying to those who trusted her blindly.
As Cate seems willing to come clean and restore everyone's memories, there's still hope that her friends might give her a chance to explain her stance. However, actions evidently have consequences, and trust must be earned, especially in a brutal and unforgiving world where teenagers have to navigate horrible traumas and engage in morally-conflicting behavior just to make it to the next day.
Episodes of "Gen V" are currently streaming on Prime Video.