REVIEW – Krypton S1-E2: House of El
Krypton E2 aired last night in the US – House of El. Now usually when I’m watching a TV series, it takes me a good three or four episodes to get into it and get hooked, but this show is different. Because of my interest in the history of Krypton and my addiction to Superman, I was instantly hooked from the pilot episode. Again, I am completely against any spoilers, so this is a spoiler-free review, although I will talk about the feel and emotions of the episode.
Episode two basically covers the convincing of Seg-El that what Adam Strange has come to report back to him is a real threat against Krypton and the entire universe. Seg is forced to wear the crest of the House of Vex, when you see the scenes with him in their clothing it almost looks traitorous. This encourages him to go on a journey of finding himself and restoring faith in his own house. Lyta Zod faces her own battles as her morality gets in the way of her mother and the Captains’ plans to eliminate the threat of ‘Black Zero’.
The clear threat of Krypton is the ‘World Collector’, otherwise known as Brainiac, and although there is mention of him and proof that his threat is real… I JUST WANT TO SEE MORE OF HIM! That scene at the end of the pilot episode was him, and he looked fantastic, I have waited far too long to see Brainiac in a TV series or film and now that it’s finally here, I just want him on my screens for as long as possible. It’s almost like they know this, and they tease him to you, without giving you enough.
The tragedy of Seg’s parents to me was a little too soon, as they are also a part of Superman’s legacy and history, it would have been nice to see more of them. It has also left a slight Batman/Bruce Wayne personality on Seg-El, which I’m not sure I like. He seems to snap out of it a little bit, but definitely at the beginning of the episode, you are there thinking “STOP! JUST LISTEN TO THE MAN!”.
I feel that this episode is really emotional and triumphant, you see traits to characters that you don’t expect to see. Seg’s reflection on his parents and their death, and Lyta proving to her mother and her peers that she was born to be a Zod. You almost see a weakness within some of the strongest and harshest characters, which adds a human touch to their personality, it makes them that little bit more likable. And those that are doubted in the first episode really come through triumphant and powerful.
This episode really teaches you about some of the mythology and history of the planet Krypton, which I love! We learn about the names of the gods and The Voice of Rao and their involvement in sculpting the universe and Krypton. It’s crazy to think such god-like people still look up to one being, as some of us do on Earth. We also learn about Jo-Mon who first introduced a duel to the death, in order to make Krypton a better place. A Kryptonian is allowed to challenge another in exchange for their control and rank to restore peace to the planet, and although it has a very barbaric feel to it, it really does lead Krypton towards the right direction.
Unfortunately, like the pilot episode, we don’t have a narration to kick off the episode, which I would have liked to see throughout the series. Although this is missing, the music really narrates the episode for itself. It’s bold and courageous and I love it. It really adds to the series and especially this episode – It reminds me a lot of the music in Man of Steel. There are also references to pop-culture within the episode, and it almost makes it that little bit more realistic. I know it sounds silly, but it brings an alien planet closer to our own, and this is done through Adam Strange and his infamous cap.
The scenery and set design is fantastic, again. I have to say it’s one of the best I’ve seen in a TV show. My favourite of course, is the Fortress of Solitude, although we have seen it in comics, TV and films before, in Krypton you really get close to the intricate details and it is showered with the crest of the House of El. The character development is significant in this episode, especially for Lyta Zod, Nyssa Vex and also Adam Strange – I’ll be honest, I thought he was going to be a very small cameo in the series, but is seems he is here for the long run. The costumes, WOW – especially the costume of The Voice of Rao – the gold Kryptonian scripting it incredible!
Krypton E2 is another great epsiode, and although it is unusual, I think Krypton E2 is much better than the pilot episode. It seems it’s onwards and upwards for Krypton.
