Is anyone else starting to feel like Krypton is really trying to play with our emotions this season? This series really knows how to mess with my anxiety. After the last couple of episodes, I’ve lost a lot of faith in some characters I once considered automatic heroes. In all honesty, though, I like that this show is hell bent on keeping their characters more gray than black or white. It keeps things interesting. This week’s episode dealt with the aftermath of Lyta’s execution so it was an emotional roller coaster for a lot of our favorites.
Let’s take the plunge and dive right in!
That opening was epic, wasn’t it?
We knew Lyta’s death would affect a lot of characters. We also knew the characters who would be most affected were the people who loved her most. There’s so much to unpack here though. The opening scene in this episode is one of my favorite scenes in the series to date. I’m a sucker for good sound editing and I loved how haunting it was that they muted the action on screen to heighten the score playing in the background. It was extremely emotional to watch.
Everyone is dealing with the loss differently. Seg is obviously distraught. Jayna seems to be having difficulty processing her daughter’s death. And Dev is blaming himself. It’s not fair that Dev is taking on all the blame though. Everyone gave up on Lyta when she started fighting for Zod’s cause. To be honest, the only person with an excuse here is Seg who was stuck in the Phantom Zone for the last six months.
I knew this ballsy move to kill off a main character so early on would be awesome for the show. It proves that all bets are off and no one is truly safe in this Superman prequel.
Jax is ostracized
Truthfully, this could have gone two ways. It could have played out exactly like we saw or some of the rebellion could have sided with Jax despite what she did. I’m actually glad that no one really sided with her after that. No matter what, she executive a prisoner of war in cold blood to prove a point and that’s not okay.
I really loved that Val made it a point to state that they were freedom fighters, not terrorists. However, that entire exchange is revisited later in the episode and the outcome is shocking. But more on that later. Jax is no longer a leader of the rebellion and I’m glad. I love the character but I’m not ready to forgive the fact that she killed Lyta.
Nyssa and Seg’s trust test
Some viewers will likely have issues with the way they handled these two in this episode. Especially since Lyta literally just died. I’m not one of these viewers and I say that as a hardcore Seg and Lyta shipper. I actually appreciate Seg and Nyssa’s friendship. It’s one of the most genuine relationships Seg still has left. I love the trust they have in each other but especially the blind faith Nyssa has in Seg.
One of my favorite moments from the entire episode was when she jumped out the window into Seg’s waiting skimmer. If you ask me, this was probably the moment that cements them as endgame on the show. It’s such a classic trope to have a pairing trust each other wholeheartedly. I hope they build on that. Right now, their friendship is beautiful and and I don’t really need more, but they could totally build on that if they plan on going more romantic with them.
The Codex Weaponized
Zod has weaponized the codex and has decided to test it in the field. It turns out that Zod’s mother really was his weakness because suddenly he has a death wish. He just went looking for Doomsday with a weapon that he’s not even sure actually works. Not the smartest or most tactical move made by Krypton’s greatest general, right?
Jayna’s breakdown broke me
In another incredible scene, Jayna finally accepted her daughter’s death before breaking down in Dev’s arms. No matter what, Jayna was not ready to give up on her daughter. The only reason she even went back to Kandor was to find Lyta and save her. She just didn’t get there on time.
Now that she knows Lyta had been reconditioned and died not as herself, that’s an even more bitter pill to swallow. Jayna is going to blame herself for a long time. I’m sure she wishes she’d returned sooner.
What have you done?
Remember when I said that not everything is black and white? This is one of those moments. At some point, Jax was able to escape custody and she stole grenade bombs that she planted all around the elevator bay. When Val, Adam and Kem finally caught up to her and she told Val her plan, she somehow convinced the older leader to follow through with it.
If it was just a bunch containers and an elevator that they were blowing up, I wouldn’t even have flinched. But Kem actually tries to stop Val because there were people there who may have been working for Zod but didn’t truly believe in his cause. They were basically slaves like Kem was when he was fighting for alongside the Sagitari.
That doesn’t stop Val though and he still blows the whole damn thing. I’m not sure how I feel about that action. How am I supposed to root for Val now that I know he just acted like a terrorist? So much for that freedom fighter speech he gave at the start of the episode, huh?
Highlights
- The entire opening where they replayed Lyta’s death and we watched Seg’s silent breakdown as he screamed into the literal void. Dude, Cameron Cuffe is killing it this season!
- Sometimes I think Zod might be redeemable. And then I remember they just killed the last redeeming quality he had. After everything, it looks like he did actually love his mother.
- Jayna and Dev continue to be one of the purest relationships on this show. I just want to scoop them up and protect them from everything bad in this world.
- Adam is really starting to wonder why the hell he came back to Krypton at this point.
- WAIT! Adam! Time Travel! Hello!!! You can literally undo all of this, can’t you?
- But do I want it to be undone? As much as I shipped Seg and Lyta, I think her death will not be in vain. It’s already motivating Seg, Jayna and Dev in a different way. It even inspired Nyssa.
- Speaking of Nyssa, how fierce did she look taking out those two Sagitari like that?!
- Also, do I ship Nyssa and Seg now? I don’t know but this episode moved the needle toward that side a little.
- Okay what is Brainiac’s endgame here? He keeps helping Seg but now he wants Seg to take him to his spaceship. I’m really hoping this is what brings back Lobo to the series. I also hope that all this eventually leads to Brainiac getting an upgrade on the show. I know that it’s the Legion of Superheroes that eventually creates Brainiac 5 in the future but it’s not like they’re following comic book canon precisely.
Krypton airs Wednesdays at 10PM on Syfy! Check out the trailer for the next episode below:
