Set two generations before the destruction of Superman’s home planet, “Krypton” follows a young Seg-El, the legendary Man of Steel’s grandfather, who is faced with a life and death conflict – save his home planet or let it be destroyed in order to restore the fate of his future grandson. With Krypton’s leadership in disarray and the House of El ostracized, Seg fights alongside Earthly time-traveler Adam Strange to redeem his family’s honor and protect the ones he loves while saving the future of his legacy from DC Super-Villain, Brainiac.
I knew very little about “Krypton” before sitting down to review it and I think that worked to my advantage because I thoroughly enjoyed the first season. Set two generations before the birth of Kal-El, or Superman as he’s better known, “Krypton” introduces us to Seg-El, a young man who will go on to become Kal-El’s grandfather. We all know that Krypton’s increasingly unstable core eventually causes it to explode, just as an infant Kal-El escapes, thanks to his parents Jor-El and Lora but “Krypton” is set about 200 years before this catastrophic event and learning about the planet and its capital city of Kandor made for very entertaining TV.
Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe) is only a young boy when his grandfather, Val-El (Ian McElhinney), is sentenced to death for treason. Refusing to believe that there is no life outside of their own planet Krypton, Val-El continued his research of space exploration until his untimely death at the hands of Daron-Vex (Elliot Cowan), a corrupt leader charged with defending Krypton’s oligarchy. As a result of Val-El’s death, Seg and his parents are stripped of their privileges and banished to the lower class slums where over the years, Seg learns to be street smart and befriends Kem (Rasmus Hardiker), a bar owner who becomes his best friend. Seg is also in a secret relationship with Lyta-Zod (Georgina Campbell), a commander in the Kryptonian military guild. While at the guild one day to see Lyta, a suicide bomber breaches security but before he has time to detonate, Seg manages to overpower him and prevent the explosion. Indebted to his act of bravery, Daron-Vex offers to reinstate his privileges, allowing him to move out of the slums but leaving his parents behind is something he is not willing to do, even at their behest.
While leaving Kem’s bar one afternoon, Seg is approached by a strangely-dressed man who calls himself Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos) and states that he comes from a far-off planet called Earth. He informs Seg that his grandson, Kal-El, will become the most powerful man on earth years away but that right now, an extraterrestrial superbeing called Brainiac, is heading towards Krypton and if they don’t stop him, the planet will be destroyed. Brainiac is an unstoppable being that devours and absorbs any planet or civilization that gets in his way. Adam gives Seg a Sunstone with the El symbol engraved upon it and tells him to find the “fortress.” Seg goes home, confused, and tells his parents what happened and later that evening, his mother, Charys-El (Paula Malcomson), steals a spacecraft and takes Seg to the Fortress of Solitude, which contains all of his grandfather’s research. His mother informs him that his grandfather discovered an alien threat to Krypton but the powers-that-be refused to believe him and that is why he was killed. When they return home, Seg’s parents are arrested and Daron-Vex demands to know where the fortress is but they refuse to tell him and they are both killed, right in front of Seg.
With Brainiac getting closer and closer to Krypton, and Seg’s life turned upside down, he turns to Kem and Lyta and tells them about Adam and the threat that is looming and between them all, they decide to take on the Krypton oligarchy and along the way, make new friends but also new enemies, some who were once loyal and trusted, including Superman’s future nemesis, General Zod.
When I read that “Krypton” was produced for the Syfy Channel I had visions of another abominable, substandard show along the lines of “Farscape” or “Caprica” but surprisingly, it was nothing like them, infusing authenticity with captivating and engaging storylines and characters, something I honestly wasn’t expecting but thoroughly enjoyed, and welcomed. There are many Superman easter eggs throughout the show for even the most eagle-eyed fans but it’s also a great way to learn more about Superman’s home planet and how it operated before its eventual demise. Seg is loyal to his family and friends, traits that his future grandson will proudly exhibit for the whole world to see but he is also tenacious and courageous, willing to give his life for what he believes in. I know prequels are typically frowned upon by most fans of any genre but here, it actually serves a good purpose and introduces us to a brand new character whose bloodline will eventually spawn the Man of Steel.
Available on Blu-ray™, DVD & Digital March 5th
