Season one of Krypton told a coherent story based on decisions of morality, loyalty, and honor; however, season two offers a complicated, disjointed story that separates its characters, ignores logical decision making, and tries far too hard to be funny. Storylines and actions often feel forced and plot driven, while characters seem integrated into plots merely to keep them in the story. Though the show almost gets back on the right footing in its final few episodes, it’s ultimately too little too late.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of this Blu-ray/DVD that we reviewed in this blog post. The opinions we share are our own.
Shortly after the season finale of Krypton last year, viewers learned that the tenth episode of the second season would ultimately be the show’s series finale after news of the show’s cancellation. If you haven’t seen the show and your biggest concern is closure . . . well . . . while there is some closure for the season, there isn’t enough. The season’s primary plotline, the struggle against General Zod for control of Krypton, is put to rest, but several other storylines are either teased or continued by the finale – not resolved. It’s rather unfortunate.
However, for the purpose of this review, we’re going to look at the season as merely another chapter in the story. It’s rather evident that the season wasn’t meant to be the show’s finale, so we’ll ignore many of the loose threads for now.
The plot of season one sounded a bit far-fetched. Brainiac had traveled back in time two hundred years before the explosion of Krypton in an attempt to take over the city of Kandor and prevent the birth of Superman. Adam Strange, a man with no apparent superpowers from present day Detroit, traveled to the same point in Kandor’s history using a Zeta Beam to warn Seg-El, the man who would become Superman’s grandfather.
Despite sounding complicated and often confusing, the first season of the show worked well. While the show featured some action scenes, the plot primarily relied on character development, questions of loyalty, and the choices of morality to advance. Each episode was slow in terms of most superhero-driven TV shows, but they always managed to end with a cliffhanger or twist that left viewers wanting more. The special effects looked good, especially for a TV show. Season one also managed to feature Brainiac as the primary antagonist, set up a storyline for General Zod, and tease Doomsday without ever feeling overly saturated with villains. I found myself questioning why the show had gotten cancelled so soon after the first season.
And then season two happened.
Season one told a coherent story based on decisions of morality, loyalty, and honor, with the occasional humorous one-liner; however, season two offers a complicated, disjointed story that separates its characters, ignores logical decision making, and tries far too hard to be funny. It almost feels like the second season was written for a different audience. The first half of the season is loaded with stereotypical “boy” humor, and storylines and actions often feel forced and plot driven. Characters seem integrated into plots merely to keep them in the story, not to showcase any kind of character development or growth. Though the show almost gets back on the right footing in its final few episodes, it’s ultimately too little too late.
Here’s the official description of the season from Warner Bros. – “Season two brings us back to a changed Kandor, locked in a battle over its freedom and its future. With Zod now in control, he’s on a ruthless mission to rebuild Krypton according to his ideals and to secure its future by conquering the universe. Faced with a bleak outlook, Superman’s ancestor, Seg-El, attempts to unite a dispersed group of resisters in an effort to defeat Zod and restore hope to their beloved planet.”
Often unusual for superhero shows, season two of Krypton sees almost the exact same cast returning from season one. The story is again brought to life by Cameron Cuffe, Georgina Campbell, Shaun Sipos, Colin Salmon, Ann Ogbomo, Aaron Pierre, Rasmus Hardiker, Wallis Day, Hannah Waddingham, Blake Ritson, Elliot Cowan, and Ian McElhinney. This season also features Emmitt J. Scanlan in the recurring role of bounty hunter Lobo.
When viewers last saw the characters of Krypton at the end of season one, Seg had recently defeated Brainiac by trapping him in the Phantom Zone. Brainiac, however, managed to pull Seg in with him at the last second – leaving them both stuck together in a prison that defies time, space, and reality. After watching Ona die in an explosion, Kem left Kandor to recover. Adam Strange appeared to have died in the same explosion, but viewers realized that he had returned to Detroit. Daron-Vex had been overthrown from his office of power, and his daughter Nyssa had stolen the baby she and Seg had developed from the Genesis Chamber. Val-El, recently revealed to have been alive and trapped in the Phantom Zone himself, set about finding a way to rescue his grandson. After learning that Dru-Zod was her adult son who had returned from the future to save Kandor, Lyta ignored her mother’s warnings and put her faith in General Zod, leaving Jayna as a fugitive from the law. The season closed with a recently discovered Doomsday escaping his containment chamber and General Zod commanding the people of Kandor to “Kneel before Zod!”
Season two picks up around six months later. Realizing that General Zod and Braniac have both changed Earth in the present, Adam Strange returns to Krypton again to help. Upon arriving in Kandor, he sees that Zod rules the city in a military state. Zod now controls the Kryptonian Military Guild, and a merciless Lyta is the new Primus. After her daughter’s betrayal, Jayna soon learns that both she and Dev are both being hunted as outlaws by the Guild.
Adam is found by Jax-Ur and taken to a resistance base. There, he reunites with Val and Nyssa and is introduced to Cor-Vex, the son of Seg and Nyssa. Adam tells the group of the changes to Earth. Val reasons that if Brainiac could have escaped the Phantom Zone, there may also be hope for Seg.
The season primarily revolves around the battle between General Zod and the resistance for control of Krypton. While Val and Jax-Ur fortify their base, one of Krypton’s moons, against the Kryptonian Military Guild, Zod and Lyta seek a weapon that will bring devastation to their enemies. Meanwhile, Seg is transported to Brainiac’s home planet of Colu. The struggle between Seg and Brainiac is one of the season’s strongest plotlines.
Waiting for Brainiac on Colu is Lobo, a bounty hunter. Season two of Krypton is far more vulgar than its predecessor and often incorporates crass sexual and bathroom-related dialogue for laughs – much of which is provided by Lobo. Seriously, there are three jokes about Adam Strange’s crotch in the premiere episode alone, and those don’t even involve Lobo. While that type of humor is often welcomed by audiences, it feels like a 180 degree turn for this particular show with no indication of why.
The season also seems confused about what to do with its characters. Kem, for example, is missing for several of the first few episodes and then given the role of a soldier in the resistance. Characters that are frequently featured seem to have motives that change either from last season or between episodes of this season. Nyssa, who was a tough soldier and skilled manipulator last season, cares only about being a mother now. Sure, people change. But Nyssa is changed so much that she feels like a new character. Seg, on the hand, spends half of his episodes determined to be the best father he can be and to protect young Cor-Vex. The other half of the time he seems to forget he has a child at all. It all seems to depend on what the plot needs that episode.
And let’s just talk about that baby for a second. The creation of Cor-Vex in the Genesis Chamber last season was so unemotional. Seg and Nyssa appeared to give blood samples, hear what their future child would be like, shrug, and leave. I was sure there had to be more to it before the child was actually born. But, no. At the end of the last season, Nyssa steals the already-born(?) baby, and in the second season, she and Seg have deeply emotional bonds to this child. What? But why?
The season is at its best when developing its villains. A highlight of the season is the episode dedicated to Doomsday’s tragic backstory and development. It’s a strong, emotional, flashback-driven episode that is unfortunately tarnished by its present-day scenes.
Season two wraps up its primary storylines in the final few action-packed episodes. Unfortunately, the ending feels rushed after a slow season spent building towards a grand season finale. Aside from the very violent and emotional death as one lead character sacrifices him or herself to save everyone else, the finale is rather forgettable. The introduction of new storylines in the finale leads to unanswered questions and also keeps the show from reaching any sense of closure.
Episodes
- “Light Years From Home”
- “Ghost in the Fire”
- “Will to Power”
- “Danger Close”
- “A Better Yesterday”
- “In Zod We Trust”
- “Zods and Monsters”
- “Mercy”
- “Blood Moon”
- “The Alphas and the Omega”
Special Features
The season two Blu-ray and Digital combo comes with the following special features found only on Disc 2 of the Blu-ray version:
- The Fate of Superman (2:58) – Executive Producer David Goyer talks about the villains often seeing themselves as the heroes and how this affects Kandor, Krypton, and ultimately Superman.
- Villains: Modes of Persuasion (38:05) – In this mini-documentary, learn how some of the most iconic DC villains use the concepts of logos, ethos, and pathos to justify their actions and endear themselves to their audiences. Viewers will hear from a variety of people involved in the DC Universe, as well as a real-life psychologist.
Reviewer’s Notes – I really like the mini-documentary “Villains: Modes of Persuasions,” but this is the third DC show season release to feature it that I have reviewed. I was astounded at the quality and depth of insight when I viewed it for The Flash and then surprised to see it again on the most recent Supergirl season release. But this is the third time. And while Krypton is absolutely part of the DC world, it is barely featured in the documentary. General Zod and the Voice of Rao are thrown in almost as cameos, and Brainiac, though identified in the section that discusses villains individually, is lumped in with other iconic Superman villains. To be honest, I question why this documentary is included in this release, especially given the fact that other DC shows included it in their releases before or during the airing of Krypton’s second season. Likewise, “The Fate of Superman” does not feature any material from the second season. While both features are well done, they don’t feel like they belong with the second, and ultimately final, season of Krypton.
Takeaway
Krypton’s second season picks up six months after the events of the first season’s finale. Though the story features the same characters, the second season feels very different from the first. There is a new focus on crass humor, characters who don’t seem to have storylines or purposes, and decisions that are plot-based rather than logical. The show finally brings several confusing storylines together towards the end of the season, but the finale is rushed and rather forgettable. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled shortly after the end of the second season aired, meaning that storylines introduced in the finale are left without any sense of closure.
