Prime Video’s hit spinoff Gen V is back with its highly anticipated second season, and the students of Godolkin University are facing more danger than ever. This year introduces a new Dean, Cipher, played by Hamish Linklater, while Sean Patrick Thomas returns as Polarity, continuing his journey as both a hero and a mentor.

Linklater, stepping into the Gen V universe for the first time, says joining the series was an easy decision after its breakout success. “I was a huge fan of the show and so thrilled when I got the invitation,” he shared. As for whether Cipher can be trusted or feared, the actor teases that the answer isn’t simple: “Those feelings you’re having are exactly the feelings I want to elicit. His name’s Dean Cipher—he’s a cipher.”

Thomas, meanwhile, reflected on how his character evolves this season. “In season one, Polarity was very self-serving—his legacy, his wealth, his popularity. In season two, his energy is much more directed outward. He becomes a reluctant mentor,” he explained, adding that the protective instinct of fatherhood drives much of Polarity’s arc.

The actor also addressed the absence of co-star Chance Perdomo, who tragically passed away last year. “Everything I had done on the show up until that point had been with him. Coming back without him was very disorienting. But I’m grateful to the writers for keeping Chance’s legacy alive throughout the season. He is integral to what Gen V is and always will be.”

Both stars praised working alongside the younger cast, with Thomas describing the experience as “infectious” and Linklater calling the ensemble “elite and incredibly serious about their craft.” And while Cipher and Polarity don’t share many scenes, Linklater teased that the story is “set up for a clash… a reckoning between these two.”

The first three episodes of Gen V Season 2 are streaming now on Prime Video, with new episodes premiering weekly through October 22.