The ambitious new Syfy original series, Krypton, is the show fans of Superman and DC Comics have been anxiously awaiting.
Personally, I was hoping for a Man of Steel prequel that took place on planet Krypton exploring the past of Russel Crowe’s Jor-El and Michael Shannon’s General Zod – since the Krypton sequence was one of the best parts of the film. However, the writer of Man of Steel, David S. Goyer, decided to develop, write, and produce a different prequel story that takes place on Krypton.
The premise of the pilot episode resides with the grandfather of Superman, Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe). As a young man, Seg is encountered by someone from Earth, Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos), telling him he must stop the incoming threat to Krypton named Brainiac to prevent his famous grandson from being erased from existence. That idea becomes more complicated since his family had their family name, House of El, stripped from the registry of citizens after Seg’s grandfather, Val-El (Ian McElhinney), gets charged for treason and sentenced to death. In this episode, Brainiac is not the villain – the villain is Krypton.
As a huge fan of Superman and his mythology, I became intrigued, hopeful, excited, yet nervous for this new series. Despite my love for the lore, the best way to summarize my feelings about the pilot episode is, for the lack of a better word, conflicted. There are aspects that I love, yet others that I cringe at.
One of the best parts of the episode is the alienistic, fantasy world aesthetic of Krypton. Conceptually, Krypton is of world-class quality – in large part to Goyer – and my only wish moving forward is less hallways and more of the immersive world. Their technology is futuristic and the styles showcased provide a simple, yet modern update to Kryptonians. In addition, the capital city and main setting, Kandor, has different societal classes – lower, middle, and upper – and relationships among them (or lack thereof) that reflect our society on Earth.
As you probably guessed, the middle and upper classes live and operate in the tall, elegant building structures while the lower class live down in the dark, dirty underbelly of society. Seg finds himself caught between both worlds similar to how Superman was adapting to being a son of both Krypton and Earth.
Cuffe does a wonderful job portraying the character of Seg-El. He delivers a strong performance that is worthy of carrying a show and is oddly reminiscent of Henry Cavill’s Kal-El. His role is also written very well. There is a particular scene featuring Cuffe acting alongside Wallis Day (Nyssa) that might be my favorite in the pilot. Georgina Campbell and Ann Ogbomo, who portray Lyta Zod and her mother, Alura Zod, also provide solid, likable performances.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the rest of the cast. Most of the other performances were one-dimensional, flat, or unmemorable. To go along with the questionable performances was the rushed and uneven editing and pacing. The opening started off decent, but as the episode went on, so much new information was introduced and glossed over so quickly that it became hard to comprehend everything that was happening. A few major moments did not work well due to this.
Perhaps the most conflicting part of the episode revolves around which universe the show takes place in. Does it take place before Man of Steel and, in fact, in the DCEU? Is it in the DC universe set up in Superman: The Movie? Is Krypton part of the “Arrowverse” that exists on The CW? Could Krypton exist in its own separate universe? The show does a fantastic job at not answering any of the prior questions, which is most definitely a flaw.
There are specific terminology and physical references to the Krypton sequence in Man of Steel, yet references, callbacks, and musical cues that align with Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie – not to mention a scene that mirrors a famous moment in another famous DC Comics character’s childhood. Apparently there is also no Phantom Zone in Krypton; they have to walk the “Kryptonian plank.” The most likely option is that Krypton is part of its own universe, but with all of the references to previous iterations and the lack of a major one, it can become dizzying to the viewer. I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy those moments, but they need to make sense narratively – unlike the convenient plot device of Superman’s cape.
Krypton has an abundance of potential and it is unfair to judge a series by its first episode. The conceptual design and world building is excellent and the show has a few great lead characters as well, but the overall execution of the pilot episode is not quite on the same level. If this series is going to survive, it will need to be more focused on the fascinating world, characters, and story that have been introduced. Bring on Brainiac!
-Daryn Kirscht
Rating: 7/10
