Oh, yes. I started with a Shakespeare quote. It’s a theme, you see. Since they’re not being subtle, why should I be? I’m just going to lean into it and ride the wave, so to speak.
Last episode, I had a little trouble with connecting with these characters, especially Seg-El. This episode improves on that a tiny bit (A TINY BIT, I STILL NEED SO MUCH MORE WHY AREN’T YOU GIVING ME MORE, SHOW) though it still leaves me feeling like if I had to pick a side, I’d pick Lyta’s over everyone else (BECAUSE I DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYONE ELSE AND I BARELY CARE ABOUT HER, BUT BARELY IS MORE THAN ZERO), which I guess is better than me not caring for anyone, but is still probably not the point.
However, and this is important, she makes me care a little bit about Seg, and she’s about the only one that does. Adam and Seg’s friend whose name I don’t care to remember don’t interest me, at least not yet. Creepy Dad and Even creepier daughter interest me a bit more, but they also don’t hold my attention.
Lyta and her mom do. And, when he’s sharing a scene with her, Seg, does. So yay! Progress, I guess.
So, let’s go into what “House of El” is trying to tell us, as we examine why, right now, we actually care more about the House of Zod (sacrilege, I know), and what the future holds in story for our leading man.
KRYPTON HAS A BIG HEAD
I’m not sure what the point of the examination of Krypton is, but I do know that it’s hard to feel bad about what’s coming when Krypton is presented as being so …well, Krypton. If it’s supposed to be social commentary on our government, that’s still not helping, because I often want to see the government burn to the ground, and I definitely want the same thing to happen to Krypton.
Except I KNOW that it will happen to Krypton, so at least I can rest easy in that regard.
The journey towards what happens though, the journey is supposed to feel exciting. The journey is supposed to make me root for these characters to change the future, even if I know that’s impossible. Two episodes in, however, the only thing I feel about this journey is a sense that it should just end right now and put me out of my misery.
And that’s the one thing you don’t want your viewers to feel.
STAR-CROSSED LOVERS
I said it before, and I’ll say it again, if they’re leaning so heavily into the Shakespeare themes, who am I to resist?
The fun thing about Seg and Lyta is not that they’re sort of star-crossed lovers, though they are – more because we know the future than because of what’s happening in Krypton at the time this show takes place, but that the relationship drama that this show is giving us is, at all points, external.
No one’s keeping secrets, no one’s lying, they’re just two people who were born into circumstances that ensured that they could not be together, and though they tried to defy fate for a while, they both understood that what they shared had an expiration date.
However, that doesn’t mean feelings do. Lyta and Seg might not be together anymore, and he might need some time before he can look at her and not see what her mother did, but what they feel for each other is still there. They’re still each other’s inspiration, in a way. They still push each other to do things, and they still make each other better.
And it’s, without a doubt, the best part of the show so far.
Other things to note:
- I feel asleep at that scene between Adam and whatever the name is of Seg’s friend. Literally closed my eyes and took a catnap.
- Nyssa is infinitely more interesting than Daddy Dearest.
- Jayna is about as interesting as Lyta, though. There’s a lot there.
- WHY IS DEV NOT A BAD GUY I KEEP EXPECTING HIM TO BE A BAD GUY THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE.
- I wanted this show to blow me away. It definitely hasn’t.
Krypton airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on SyFy.
