Gen V season 2 episode 8 ending explained: Did Marie kill Thomas Godolkin?

Gen V season 2 episode 8, ‘’Trojan,’’ sees the best crossover to date and has set the stage for the upcoming finale season of The Boys. The episode picks up its plot right after Marie heals Thomas Godolkin, and they get to learn about who Cipher actually is. Godolkin is on a mission to cut off 75% of its population from the God U, making powerful supes more powerful by cutting off the weak ones. 

He calls the Godolkin University, run by Homelander, a ‘’monument of mediocrity,’’ and wants the university to work in his way. At the start of the episode, it takes viewers back to 1967 when the lab fire accident happened, and we see how he survived the explosion. He inserted the compound V1, the reason behind his survival for so many years. Doug revealed that Godolkin took the same V that Soldier Boy and Stormfront used, which made him stop aging and almost impossible to kill. 

Then Polarity, Marie, and her friends learn how Doug was kept as a puppet by Godolkin. He mentioned that he was the second puppet, and the first one, whom Godolkin controlled, died. He said that when he was in Thomas’ control ‘’it felt like I am in a box, inside my own mind.’’

Doug’s condition was getting worse, and Polarity asked Marie to heal him; however, her powers were not strong enough, as she just used most of them to heal the burnt man, Thomas Godolkin. He then takes Doug with him to see one of his friends who could help him heal, but on their way, Black Noir attacks his car and kills Doug (Dean Cipher), and keeps Polarity locked up.

With that, we see Godolkin and Sister Sage are romantically involved and have their plans to work out together. Sage was finding the right way to introduce him to Homelander, but Godokin had made a better plan for himself. 

Godolkin calls for a seminar for the students to attend in Gen V season 2 episode 8

Killing supes was never Sage’s plan, but it was what Godolkin wanted to do. He sent the students a video where he says, 

‘’Good morning. I am Thomas Godolkin. You may recognize me from my memorial bust on the quad or my name on literally everything, or the false report of my death. There have been many lies told about me over the years. So, let me clear the air.’’

He said that the University has failed them, and he wanted to make things right. He set each student's ranking to zero and announced the opening of a seminar where ‘’each of them, regardless of their powerset or major, will have the chance to join the top 10 and one step closer to joining the Seven.’’ 

Marie tried her best to stop the students from going to the seminar by warning them on her live video, telling them it’s all just a trap. The first batch of supes who went into the seminar eventually gets controlled by his psychic powers, and he makes them fight against each other. He tells them that they are undeserving of the gifts that they have been given and are unworthy of the institution. 

They had to fight against each other, make their spot in the list of the strongest supes, or die. There was no way out for them, but Marie and her friends got a plan to stop Godolkin. 

Marie even heals Kate and helps her bring back her powers. Sister Sage was wondering why he was going off the plan, and Thomas revealed that his plan is better than theirs, which ultimately triggers her. Initially, Thomas could control just two minds at once, and now he can control a whole batch of supes at once. 

He says, 

‘’Once I am empowered full enough, I will be able to control her (Marie). If I am strong enough to control one Odessa baby, that means I am strong enough to control the other one (Homelander).’’

He blames Homelander for how the school functions right now. For him, the supes with not-so-powerful powers are just pathetic examples of supposedly superior beings.

Sister Sage sets Polarity free, and Marie kills Thomas Godolkin in Gen V season 2 episode 8

Godlkin, who ditched Sage’s plan, makes her angry and contacts Polarity, leaving his cell unlocked. She wants him to help Marie and the other supes who are all left dying in Godolkin’s contorl. She believes that Marie could help them boost their powers and make the other supes stronger, too. 

After the bloodshed, chaos, and fights had happened in the seminar room between the first batch of supes, the second class began. This time, Cate uses her powers over the guy who was letting the kids in, and she lets Marie enter the training room. 

Godolkin turned every supe against Marie, but Marie got the upper hand with the help of her friends. When things were slipping out of hand, Polarity came to the rescue. At the end, Marie bursts Godolkin, causing his head to explode into pieces, and his defeat ultimately saves the institution. 

All of them joined in and became incredibly powerful, strong enough to take down Godolkin. Despite his growing abilities and control over others, their teamwork and combined powers overpowered him in the end of Gen V season 2 episode 8.

When they leave the university and take a stop in the middle of the road, Starlight enters. She wants them to merge for the resistance, and now it hints that these young supes could make their appearance in The Boys season 5.