Gen V season 2 pays tribute to Chance Perdomo – and addresses his death in a devastating but meaningful way

Gen V season 2 has paid tribute to late cast member Chance Perdomo, and has ensured that he's still central to the story following his death last year.

Perdomo died in a motorcycle crash at the age of 27 last March, shortly before he was set to begin filming for Gen V season 2. Rather than recasting Andre, the season was re-written.

Episode 1 of Gen V's second season begins with a tribute card, reading: "For Chance", before revealing in the first episode that Perdomo's character Andre died between seasons.

Season 1 ended with Marie (Jaz Sinclair) and her friends, including Andre, imprisoned inside the Elmira Adult Rehabilitation Center.

It's revealed in season 2 episode 1 that Marie was able to escape, but left her friends behind. Galvanised by Marie's successful escape, Andre attempted the same – but with devastating consequences.

Confronting Marie, Jordan (London Thor) tells her: "After you escaped, he said you were proof there was a way. He found some metal maintenance pipe. But he wouldn't just go by himself. He waited until we all had a chance. But when he took us, somebody had walled the pipe off with brick and he couldn't pull it open.

"There were guards and dogs and lights. And so he tried to rip open a huge steel door instead – and it wouldn't move. His powers weren't strong enough. I begged him to stop. I begged him, but he's so stubborn. He kept trying and he dropped and he died."

Perdomo's absence is felt throughout season 2, with the writers incorporating it into the story in a genuinely meaningful way, with our heroes fighting to avenge Andre throughout the season.

We also get to see more of Andre's father, Polarity (Sean Patrick Thomas), who keeps Andre's memory alive and shows the devastating aftermath of dealing with the loss of a child.

The cast recently spoke out about returning to Gen V after Perdomo's death, with Thomas saying: "Coming back to film Gen V season 2 was a crazy mix of sadness and the feeling of excitement that comes with diving into the unknown.

"Up to that point, 99 per cent of my scenes were with Chance Perdomo, so the thought of coming to set and not seeing him was unthinkable to me. I really couldn’t wrap my brain around it, and initially the shock and sadness was impossible to shake.

"As time went on, it was an honour and a privilege to be a part of telling the story of what happened to Andre, and to see what the writers would come up with to tell that story. Making sure Chance was vividly still a part of this cast was important to me."

Gen V season 2 is available to stream on Prime Video.

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