Warning: This article contains full spoilers for Gen V Season 2, Episode 7!
Since its inception, Gen V Season 2 has wrapped its biggest mysteries around Hamish Linklater’s character, Dean Cipher. We’ve all been wondering: who is he, really? Is he a supe, and if so, how do his powers actually function? And what’s his connection to the enigmatic burned man hidden in his opulent home? Finally, the penultimate episode delivers all the answers we’ve craved, and trust us, it’s a jaw-dropping reveal.
Let’s dive deep into everything we uncovered about Cipher in “Hell Week” and why the season’s true antagonist was subtly orchestrating events all along.
Cipher’s True Powers Unmasked
In Episode 7, Jaz Sinclair’s Marie Moreau and her friends decide to leave Stan Edgar’s secluded bunker and return to the God U campus. Marie is determined to confront Cipher head-on and put an end to their conflict for good. Her intention is to tackle this alone, keeping her friends out of harm’s way. However, with Annabeth (Keeya King) experiencing unsettling visions of Marie drenched in blood, her friends aren’t about to simply stand by.
Meanwhile, Cipher’s journey in Episode 7 sees him wavering between giving up on his schemes entirely and achieving ultimate victory. After escaping Polarity’s residence and returning to campus with the burned man in tow, there’s a moment where Cipher considers ending his charge’s life and abandoning everything. But fate, or perhaps a master manipulator, intervenes. Marie tracks down the burned man – who we now know is indeed Thomas Godolkin – and achieves the seemingly impossible: she heals his horrific burns, restoring him to full health. This is precisely when everything unravels.
The situation takes an immediate turn as Cipher abruptly drops his persona as a ruthless, deranged college dean, instead pleading desperately for his life. He reveals his name is Doug, an ordinary man finally freed from a persistent voice in his head. It’s at this moment the chilling truth becomes undeniable: “Cipher” was never truly in control. Thomas Godolkin possesses potent mind-control abilities. His entire intricate plan was designed to manipulate Marie into healing him, allowing him to break free from his confinement and stop living vicariously through Doug, his unwitting puppet.
Godolkin’s intricate plan involved manipulating Marie into curing him, allowing him to finally walk free and escape his life as Doug’s puppet.
Reflecting on the opening flashback from the Season 1 premiere, we can now deduce that Godolkin acquired his superhuman abilities during the lab fire. While he gained mind-control powers (and possibly a degree of immortality), it didn’t spare him from suffering gruesome, Darth Vader-esque burns. For decades, Godolkin was confined to a hyperbaric chamber, forced to continue his work by remotely controlling Doug. This was his proxy in the world.
With this newfound knowledge, many past scenes involving “Cipher” suddenly make perfect sense. We understand why he cared for a helpless burn victim for so long and why he referred to Godolkin as his “father.” This also clarifies whether Cipher himself was a supe. Doug isn’t; he’s merely a vessel through which the real supe, Godolkin, channeled his power and will. Doug’s utter helplessness is tragically underscored when Godolkin forces him to stab his own hand, simply to make a point, while Doug can only manage a blank smile.
Even the infamous Cipher/Sister Sage sex scene takes on new meaning; Sage was clearly performing for Godolkin’s observation and benefit. And now, we realize Godolkin was genuinely considering suicide in this very episode, until Marie’s return offered him the liberation he so desperately craved. Perhaps God U’s student body, and indeed the world, would have been far better off if Marie had simply remained out of sight.
What Lies Ahead in the Gen V Season 2 Finale?
While Cipher turned out to be a masterful red herring, Godolkin’s chilling agenda remains fully active. In Episode 6, he made it clear he holds deep contempt for much of the superhuman community, fueled by his long-standing jealousy of anyone with the freedom to live life on their own terms. His goal is to “cull the herd,” systematically eliminating supes with unimpressive powers to ensure only the strong and worthy survive.
As we witnessed in the shocking final moments of Episode 7, Godolkin wasted no time initiating his deadly mission, forcing the “Bondage Baby” to choke himself. This grim act is undoubtedly just the beginning of what promises to be a campus-wide massacre, potentially eclipsing the chaos of even Season 1’s explosive finale.
It’s now unequivocally clear: Marie and her friends must locate and confront Godolkin before he can slaughter dozens, if not hundreds, of students. However, as we’ve already seen, battling Godolkin is incredibly difficult when he can instantly transform anyone in the room into his personal, mind-controlled bodyguard. Marie’s initial attempt to go it alone was a critical misstep, playing directly into Godolkin’s hands. She will need to quickly learn to trust and rely on her friends, even if it means exposing them to extreme danger.
Then there are Annabeth’s unsettling visions. This loose end has yet to be fully resolved. Are these premonitions of her sister’s inevitable death? Or do they hint at new, extraordinary developments within Marie’s rapidly evolving powers?
We also have to wonder about Hamish Linklater’s role in the finale. Now that Dean Cipher’s true nature has been exposed, is there still a place for Doug in the narrative? Given his prominent presence throughout Season 2, it’s hard to imagine Linklater completely disappearing in Episode 8. Doug surely deserves some form of retribution or resolution for the immense suffering he’s endured.
And what about Marie’s extraordinary powers? Now that she has finally reached the potential Godolkin always envisioned for her, what comes next? Is she genuinely powerful enough to stand against someone like Homelander? Will her actions significantly impact the looming conflict between Billy Butcher, his scattered team members, and Vought in The Boys Season 5? So much hinges on the outcome of the Gen V Season 2 finale. The very future of this series might depend on how much of God U remains standing after the inevitable, climactic battle with Godolkin.
Undeniably, the stakes have soared as we head into the Season 2 finale. We’re still grappling with the monumental Cipher reveal, which now casts a completely new light on past events from Season 2, imbuing them with fresh meaning and highlighting the true villain lurking beneath the surface. Be sure to check back next week for our comprehensive spoiler-filled review of Gen V Season 2, Episode 8, and our detailed breakdown of the ending.