Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Krypton Season 2

 

The ten-episode second season of Krypton aired during the summer of 2019. It tied up the Dru-Zod storyline while furthering the Brainiac storyline, which ended on another massive cliffhanger. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after the second season aired, so the cliffhanger will never be resolved, which ultimately makes the season unsatisfying. The season picks up six months after the end of season 1, with Seg portrayed as dead and General Zod ruling over Krypton. Seg manages to find his way out of the Phantom Zone and back to Krypton, with a pit-stop to Brainiac's homeworld along the way. Then, the bulk of the season involves wresting back control of Krypton from General Zod, with Brainiac continuing to wreak havoc along the way.

This season introduces Lobo (played by Emmett Scanlan) as a new character and incorporates more of Doomsday (who was teased at the end of Season 1). The Doomsday storyline includes a back-story for him, showing why the blood of a Zod and an El was needed to release him from the containment. There are also expanded roles for characters like Kem and Nyssa from their more supporting season one roles. The season finale was definitely setting up a third season that would have included more of Lobo and revolved heavily around Nyssa and Seg.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The A/V quality is excellent, and the show looks and sounds great in the HD format. The extras are lighter than what was included for the season one release. There is a 38-minute feature on the DC villains, which was also included as an extra on the other DC show DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and then a very short feature specific to the series called Saving Superman. It would have been nice if they had included something in which the showrunners laid out what the plan for season three would have been if they had a chance to make it, but unfortunately, nothing like that is included.

Overall, the season was very good but incomplete because Sy-Fy pulled the rug out from under the show and canceled it after the season was completed. It was an original show that was not tied into the "Arrowverse" shows (although Cameron Cauffe was apparently approached to have a cameo in the Crisis on Infinite Earths mega cross-over, but could not appear due to scheduling), and told a great story. With the proviso that it leaves the fate of a major character up in the air and is likely to never be resolved, it is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Krypton Season 1

 

Krypton was a series set on Superman's home planet, set around his grandfather Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), who has to choose between two paths. One that will result in the destruction of the planet and thus restore Superman's legacy or prevent the chain of events that will lead to the destruction of Krypton and change the future. The ten-episode first season aired on the Syfy network in the spring of 2018. The series starred the aforementioned Cuffe, Georgina Campbell, Shaun Sipos, Elliot Cowan, Ann Ogbomo, Aaron Pierre, Wallis Day, Blake Ritson, Ian McElhinney, Colin Salmon, and Hannah Waddingham. It was one of the few DC Superhero series at the time that was not airing on The CW and not tied into the "Arrowverse." However, there were whispers of Cameron Cuffe appearing in the Crisis on Infinite Earth mega-event, but it did not happen because of a scheduling conflict.

One of the big themes of the first season was Krypton’s class system. The planet was being led basically by a combination of the Church (by the Voice of Rao) and the Military (Led by members of the Houses of Zod and Vex). The arrival of Brainiac (played by Blake Ritson) throws the leadership in disarray. The House of El is ostracized, and Seg is trying to redeem his family’s honor, protect the ones he loves, and save the planet. The series also introduces the time-traveler from Earth, Adam Strange (played by Shaun Sipos), who warns Seg of the threat to his grandson.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. It does have extras, including deleted scenes, making-of features, and a part of the comic-con panel with Cameron Cuffe and the showrunners. There is a decent amount of material if you like the extras. And the show looks and sounds great in HD.

Overall, the show is very good. Because it is on basic cable, it can get away with more violence and swearing than other DC shows. There are some sexual situations, but no outright nudity. So, it is definitely a more adult show. The supporting cast is solid and includes unknown actors and actresses like Wallis Day and Georgina Campbell, as well as recognizable character actors like Colin Salon and Elliot Cowan. The writing and acting are both very strong, and the season ends on a big cliffhanger going into season two. If you are a fan of the other DC shows, it is definitely worth checking out.