Gen V’s Cipher Revelation Raises More Questions Than It Answers

Gen V Season 2 has been unraveling like a mixtape, with each character singing and dancing to their own beat. 

While Marie and her friends battle for their survival and sanity, there are a few things they can’t wrap their heads around. (We couldn’t either, at first!)

One of the many lingering mysteries of this season revolves around Dean Cipher (Hamish Linklater), his powers, and his origin. The show has done a great job of turning Dr. Gold into an enigma while leaving just enough crumbs to keep us scrounging for answers. 

On Gen V Season 2 Episode 4, Jaz Sinclair’s Marie Moreau tries to detect Compound V in Cipher’s bloodstream, but she finds none. Later in the same episode, Cipher uses his powers to control Jordan like a puppet and attack Marie!

What in the world is going on with Cipher?

Let’s try to decrypt Cipher from the clues we’ve seen so far. The word Cipher itself means “a secret or disguised way of writing, a code.” Maybe that itself is a hint that the real Cipher isn’t the Dean we see, but someone else?

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We frequently see Cipher meticulously caring for an older, badly burnt man, whom he addresses as his dad. What if that’s not his dad at all?

Cipher has rarely used his powers in the series, adding to their secrecy. From what we’ve seen, he can control someone with his thoughts at a glance, like a “meat puppet”. 

However, Compound V is not present in his blood. How does he have superpowers?

The answer might lie in the shrivelled older man whom Cipher has been hiding in his quarters. What if that burnt relic with a pulse is the real Cipher, and not Dr. Gold? The clues are hard to ignore!

The very first one is, of course, Marie finding no Compound V in his blood.

Second, on Gen V Season 2 Episode 5, Sister Sage visits Cipher, slaps the hell out of him, and then has sex with him.

And her eyes are locked onto his “dad”, not Cipher, when they get busy.

The third and not-so-obvious clue is Cipher’s pain tolerance. He gets slapped by a Supe multiple times, is thrown around like a rag doll, and even stabs himself, without any reaction. Is it really pain tolerance?

Remember what Cipher said about those he controls during the fight between Marie and Jordan? He called them meat puppets. And puppets can’t express pain.

What’s even crazier? The barbequed “dad” might not just be Cipher himself, but also a crucial figure from Vought/God U’s history!

Is Thomas Godolkin the Real Cipher on Gen V?

Gen V Season 2 premiere kicked off with a flashback to 1967, where a frantic Thomas Godolkin desperately tried to stop an early trial of Project Odessa with an imperfect serum.

As expected, the experiment went horribly wrong, causing an explosion that left everyone at the scene presumably dead.

However, Stan Edgar confirmed on Gen V Season 2 Episode 6 that Godolkin’s body was never found.

As much as Marie and her friends are, viewers are stunned, wondering whether Cipher’s dad is Thomas Godolkin. 

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If he is, how is he alive after almost 100 years? There are also those severe burns, which have got to be a killer.

In the flashback, the scientists took a dose of Compound V themselves. What if Godolkin also took a version of the serum that allowed him to survive the blast? That would also explain his powers.

When Jordan confronted Cipher at Elmira, we learned that he is always in pain. The burns that cover Cipher’s dad’s body might explain that, too.

This would also explain how Cipher has such extensive knowledge of Project Odessa and his interest in Marie. 

Her powers can bring someone back to life. What if she can reverse the damage and heal Mr. Gold? 

What do you think about this theory? Gold does sound a lot like Godolkin, right? Let’s delve into it in the comments.

And, if you’re looking for another show with the same tone, Peacemaker should be your next binge.

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