Krypton
“A Better Yesterday” (Episode 205)
July 10, 2019

Last week on Krypton, the Resistance fell into a Zod long con, leaving most of the foot soldiers dead.  In a last ditch move of desperation, Jax tried to use her weaponized Codex as a genocide weapon against the Sagitari but Val thwarted her efforts. In Kandor, Seg had an awkward reunion with Lyta and Dru-Zod, the former who betrayed him and the latter who tried to recondition him. Family, it’s hard! And Brainiac is still around! Get caught up on last week’s action with our deep dive recap and review here.

Read on for all of the explosive action from tonight’s mid-season episode of Krypton, “A Better Yesterday,” … BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!!

Wegthor.  Tonight’s episode begins with Jax, from a distance through binoculars, surveying the field of dead Rebels, a look of rage and impending vomit upon her face. Sagitari are checking through the bodies. The commentary is picked up by Lyta giving an update to Zod on the success of the mission. Over half of the Rebels’ ground forces were “wiped out.” Lyta mentions that a solar flare will interrupt communication for a time. Lyta and Zod intend for the Resistance to be completely dead/surrendered by the time communications are restored. 

Kandor.  After disconnecting with Lyta, Zod stands at his window of triumph. Ever have that feeling you’re being watched? Zod does and he turns around. Seg is there.

“Hello, son.”

Seg is holding a gun at his side. Zod approaches his dad and Seg, without hesitation, pistol whips Zod down to the ground. As Zod kneels on all fours, Seg warns him that if he calls for help, he’ll die.

Opening Credits.

Seg mocks Zod as he stands above him, telling Zod his guards just let him walk right in. Perhaps because they thought a different, more “conditioned” Seg would show up and it looks like the rewiring of Seg’s brain did work so well. Seg needles Zod that given his grand vision, he should have seen this coming. Zod has a confused because no one has ever been able to “withstand a Somatic Reconditioning.”

Zod asks Seg how he continues defy all the odds over and over. Brainiac steps alongside Seg, invisible to Zod. he tells Seg to not answer that question truthfully but acknowledges he probably needs to say … something.

[Ed. Note: I dig this quippy Brainiac. He’s a mensch.]

Seg whispers to invisible Brainiac to “shut up,” which, to Zod, seems like an odd non sequitur. Seg demands Zod undo what was done to Lyta in her Somatic Reconditioning. Brainiac approves of this. 

Wegthor.  Lyta informs the small band of captured Rebels (including Kem and Adam) that their ground troops are dead and she cautions them to listen to her to avoid the same fate. She reminds them of her statement last week, “the war is over.” Adam pipes up, asking Lyta if she remembers him; you know, Seg’s buddy. Kem, freaking out, cautions Adam to just shut up.

Lyta’s hardened stare is only made colder by her response to recognizing Adam as the one who wanted Zod dead and to allow Brainiac take Kandor. He’s a little deflated, replying she’s taking things out of context. Lyta asks Adam if he wants to live as Kem pleads again for Adam to shut up.

A Sagitari searches Adam and finds the Zeta-Beam Device. Lyta tells the Rebels they are free to return to their base, but she has a request for a face-to-face meeting with Val-El and Jax-Ur to discuss stopping the bloodshed. The Rebels depart, but Lyta hangs on to Kem and Adam. Kem protests that he wanted to be part of her good faith display. She’s hanging on to them, though, as a bargaining chip.

“I’m putting my faith in Val. He’d never let you two die, would he?”

Wegthor. The Rebel Base. Jax is angry that Val took the Codex away from her secure location and worse, maybe let it fall into dangerous hands. Val chastises Jax that it turns out her hands were the dangerous ones! Jax, defending her position, says they needed another option to ensure success in case the ground assault “went south.” Val feels betrayed that Jax went behind his back but Jax explains she did it to protect him because he is an El – a source of hope and inspiration to ALL the Rebels.

Val fires back the Rebels cannot become like Zod and they have to find another way. Jax is infuriated, she recounts their recent failure with the oxygenators and her anger at being duped the whole time by Zod. Val questions how it can be that Zod knew their plan? Here it is, the root cause of Jax’s anger: Nyssa.

Speaking of the double (triple?) agent, Nyssa walks into the middle of the Sagitari base, the Codex concealed in her jacket. After some confusion over which side she’s serving, Nyssa is allowed to enter their base. There is some banter from the Sagitari about their conscripts defecting to the Rebels and Nyssa is non-committal on that situation. 

“It’s hard to know who’s on what side anymore.”

As the lead Sagitari escorts Nyssa into the camp, she notices that the Sagitari are all looking at her and she inquires why? Her escort mentions that they want to thank her for her work on getting the tainted oxygenators to the Rebels, killing them before fighting even started. This is the first Nyssa is hearing about the tainted oxygenators and she looks like she might throw up when she realizes the role she’s played here today. Her double crossing has had disastrous consequences.

“Congratulations, Nyssa. For finally choosing the right side.”

Yep, Lyta appears to take control of Nyssa. 

Commercials.

Wegthor. Araame is back at the Rebels base and discussing Lyta’s request for a face to face meeting. As Val looks into the distance, Araame mentions that Adam and Kem are still in Lyta’s custody. Araame asks if its true that there was a total eradication of the ground forces? Jax nods sadly and tells Araame she’s “so sorry,” but returns to herself quickly by adding, a curt “stand by for orders.”

The Outlands. Dev and Jayna are in the outpost bar. Dressed as Sagitari, they scare the hell out of the patrons until they each remove their helmets. When the patrons see it’s not ‘real’ Sagitari, they relax. Dev and Jayna are looking for volunteers to come to Kandor with them. Dev explains the plan.

“To assassinate General Zod and to restore peace to Krypton.”

They’re met with laughter and the impossibility of the two of them, alone, against Zod’s forces. Dev tells the naysayers that he was until recently a commander in the Sagitari and Jayna explains she was the Primus. One of the would-be recruits has a smart remark for them, noting that “blaster fire don’t give a shit what any of us were.”

Dev, trying to bolster their position, tells the bar patrons that he and Jayna know the Sagitari patrol routes, comm frequencies, and security codes. They’re met with further resistance in the form of apathy, being told that even if they defeat Zod, some other tyrant will step in. Nothing will change. Jayna proposes that Zod is worse than a tyrant, he’s a conqueror and he will not stop until everyone has knelt before him. Everyone and everywhere. No one will be safe from Zod.

Kandor. Seg is still holding Zod at blaster point. Zod tells Seg he’s making a big mistake by telling Lyta the truth of what happened to her. Seg doesn’t disagree that Lyta will be “pissed” at Seg for telling her about the reconditioning. Zod tries another tactic, saying that Lyta is on an important mission, trying to bring an end to the war.

Seg says Zod is afraid that when Lyta finds out that he’s been manipulating her, she will have a different mindset; one not so keen on serving Zod lockstep. Seg is optimistic that when Lyta is able to make her own decisions again she’ll turn on Zod and order the Sagitari against Zod. Zod pleads for Lyta to finish her mission, then they can talk about everything else as a family. Seg cuts him off, denying they were ever family and dismissing the notion that Dru gets to make Seg and Lyta the “people you wanted us to be.”

Zod says it was never his intention to manipulate his parents but Seg, still controlling the situation, tells Zod he doesn’t care about Zod’s intentions, only Lyta. Seg demands Zod get on the comm to Lyta now but Zod explains that the solar flare makes that impossible. Seg plans to use this time with Zod wisely and has some questions for him.

Wegthor. Val and Jax are arguing about the meeting with Lyta. Val is insistent that they need to go and talk to Lyta and she’ll be reasonable. Jax is not keen to walk in there, reminding Val their last meeting with Lyta where they were shut down, by Lyta. Val thinks this time will be different because of Seg’s return. Val poses the notion that if Lyta knew Seg was alive she would come over to the Resistance. Jax is doubtful that Lyta would choose Seg over Zod, but Val is insistent.

Val continues, thinking that Seg could persuade Lyta to expose Zod’s dirty laundry: the use of Somatic Reconditioning and the locking up of dissidents. If they can expose him for what he is, an oppressor, this could sway the people of Krypton. Val believes there is good in Lyta and Seg can bring it out. Jax is quiet this whole time, but looks like she’s hearing Val.

Wegthor. Kem and Adam are arguing about who’s going to get “whacked” for treason. Kem thinks Adam will be “whacked” as an accessory to treason. Adam, insulted, insists he’s no one’s accessory and if he’s executed, it’ll be for something he did himself.

Way to take an important stand, Adam!

Mercifully this morbid discussion is interrupted when Adam spots Nyssa walking along with Lyta, wondering aloud that she used to be with the Rebels? Kem is all, “who knows anymore.”

The scene shifts to Lyta and Nyssa outside. Nyssa is angry that Lyta used her into having the Rebels use tainted oxygenators. Lyta scoffs at Nyssa’s naivete.

“Did you really think we were gonna send you back to the Rebels without making sure you were on our side?”

Lyta justifies their actions as doing “what was necessary” to end the war peacefully (Peacefully? Tell that to the dead Rebels). And, upside, Lyta continues, this is also an opportunity for Nyssa to get her son back. A Sagitari informs Lyta that Val and Jax have sent a message; they’re willing to negotiate.

“See, Nyssa? Looks like you made the right choice after all.”

Commercials.

The Outlands.  Jayna and Dev are traveling and shes asks him if he ever considered joining the Rebels after leaving the Sagitari? Dev says he couldn’t stomach the thought because of Jax-Ur and her role in the death of his family. She was in charge of the Black Zero members who killed his family and now she’s leading the Resistance. Dev tells Jayna that the war taught him that right and wrong are hard to differentiate and the only person he believes in is Jayna.

Kandor. Seg wants to know how many people Zod has reconditioned? Zod is resolute, telling Seg as many people as necessary to achieve his vision. Seg points out that it’s a shitty vision that requires changing brains to get people in line. Zod fires back that Seg thinks Zod changed Lyta wholesale. In fact, Zod had to change very little in order to get her in line. In fact, he only took away Lyta’s guilt over having to shoot her mother. And Zod also changed the pain Lyta felt following Seg’s absence.

Zod tells Seg he did Lyta’s reconditioning out of mercy, not to sway her into following him. Seg sees through this and tells Zod that he changed the best part about Lyta, her empathy. Seg fires back that Lyta felt guilty because no one should have to shoot their mother and Zod put Lyta in that impossible position.

Seg believes that once Lyta learns the truth, she will turn to the side of the Rebels and fight against Zod. Zod laughs at this notion, telling Seg that no truth will change Lyta’s allegiance.

“This is who she is now.”

Zod is confident that when it comes down to a choice, Lyta will choose Zod over Seg.

Dammit, Brainiac, this would be a good time to give Seg some pithy line to combat Zod’s attempts at manipulation.

Wegthor. The Face to Face Meeting! Lyta thanks Jax and Val for coming. Lyta asks Jax how her eye is? Jax responds, “never better.”

** Lyta is responsible for the loss of Jax’s eye from Season 1**

That’s the end of the pleasantries, as Lyta’s tone turns frosty. She tells the Rebels that snipers are in position and have been ordered to end the conversation should Jax’s temper get the better of her.

Val inquires about Adam and Kem and Lyta says that they are safe and will remain that way as long as the Rebels agree to Lyta’s (Zod’s) terms.

Which are? Glad you asked, Jax. Lyta says the terms are complete surrender. That’s it, those are the terms, no concessions to the Rebels. BRRR, girl!

Jax laughs at this offer. Lyta makes the point that it’s a fate better than death, which will be the next step if this discussion falls apart. Val asks what will happen to their remaining forces? Lyta says they’ll be assigned to Guilds suitable for their skills, adding that Jax and Val have been selected for the Science Guild. Lyta tells them that Dru isn’t the villain they’ve portrayed him to be; he wants a united Krypton.

Jax is about to tell Lyta to go to hell with her offer but Val interrupts and announces that Seg is alive. He’s back to end the war and show the people who the “real enemy” is. Lyta, her tone softening, says he’s already been to see her, and he’s with their son awaiting her return.

The hard tone returns in Lyta, cautioning Val and Jax to not choose the wrong side. Agree to Lyta’s terms. Val turns to Jax discuss their next steps. Jax tells Val that Zod knows Val’s weakness, that he won’t let anyone he cares about be killed.

“If that’s a weakness, we all have it.”

This is EXACTLY what Jax is counting on.

Jax, passed her breaking point, yells “no deal” as the laser in her bionic eye opens fire. She takes out all of Lyta’s Sagitari guards. Now alone, Jax steps up and punches Lyta down to the ground. The Primus is now  prisoner.

Kandor. The solar flare has passed and Seg demands that Zod contact Lyta. Now. But, before Zod can initiate the comm channel, the feed is interrupted. Jax-Ur appears in the hologram window, addressing General Zod directly although it seems to be broadcasting to all of Kandor. Jax tells Zod that before she gives the Rebels’ response to his offer, she’s got something to show him. Jax pulls Prisoner Lyta into the screen. Lyta is bloodied from Jax’s assault. Zod uses this dramatic moment to overtake Seg and points Seg’s own weapon back at him.

Commercials.

Back from break, we’re still in Kandor. Jax’s intensity ratchets up to 11 as she tells General Zod  that he needs to begin withdrawing his forces from Wegthor within the hour. Jax speaks for the people as she says they have had enough of Zod’s overbearing actions on Kryptonians, including reconditioning them, conscripting them, and sacrificing them. This is Zod’s reckoning.

“If you refuse this demand, Lyta dies without hesitation.”

Jax ends the transmission, banking on Zod choosing Mother over War. Zod is finally fazed by the turning of the tables. He still has the gun to Seg’s head as Seg asks what Zod plans to do about this? It better include keeping Lyta alive, Seg adds. Zod assures Seg that neither Zod nor Val would let anything happen to Lyta, but Seg reminds him that Val wasn’t on that broadcast just now. 

Wegthor. Prisoner Lyta asks Jax how she did that thing with her eye back on the surface? Jax has a complicated answer about kinetic energy buildup from an electromagnetic generator attached to what’s left of her retina.

Science!

“You see, whatever is taken away from me, I rebuild stronger than ever.”

Jax invites the Primus to get comfortable, as she’s not going anywhere any time soon. The prisoner secured, Jax walks with Araame, discussing how she may need to provide an extra show is Zod remains quiet. Show how resolved she is. A hella-pissed Val appears and tells Jax that she won’t be making any more God awful rash decisions. Threatening Lyta’s life?!?! Is she crazy?!?

Jax knows that Lyta is the only person Zod cares about and this leaves him in a no-win situation. If he lets her die, the people of Krypton will see him as a “tyrant desperate to stay in power.” And, if he gives into the Rebel’s demands, it goes against the Sagitari notion of loyalty to Krypton above all else. Val hears her but replies that Jax’s plan still turns on being willing to kill Lyta. When Jax doesn’t disabuse him of this notion, Val’s face falls in despair and disgust. 

“You’re becoming more like him every day, Sela-Sonn.”

Addressing Jax by her given name, Val tries to break through the apparent break in her persona he’s witnessing. But, she’s defiant that this the only way to win the war. Val tells Jax that she’s on her own for this course of action. Jax has Val taken into custody and he can’t believe it, yelling back at her, asking her what she’s doing?!?

“Whatever it takes.”

Kandor. Jayna and Dev arrive at Sagitari headquarters on Kandor and are taken aback at how much it has changed in the 6 months that Zod has been in power. As some soldiers jog passed them, a commander stops them and asks why they’re not falling in line with the “new orders”? Jayna and Dev, fast on their feet and covered by their helmets, responds that they have been on a special assignment in the Outlands for awhile, so long that they were able to discover the locations of the traitors Dev-Em and Jayna-Zod. Their data has to be shown to General Zod immediately. The commander lets them go, but adds that they are to report back to their squad leaders as all Sagitari are to be on standby for immediate deployment to Wegthor. Jayna and Dev get no further details on what the situation is.

Back in Zod’s lair, the General demands that Seg remain quiet as Lyta’s life depends on it. Zod opens the comm channel to Wegthor. He tells Jax that he will begin withdrawing from Wegthor immediately and he’ll be in contact again once all his forces are evacuated. Jax cautions that she needs to see swift progress.

 “For your mother’s sake.”

Commercials.

Back from break, Zod orders the units be evacuated and tells his officers to make sure it can be viewed on the Rebels’ heat maps. Zod turns to Seg asking if Seg still doubts that Zod would never let anything happen to Lyta. 

“I’ve never known a Zod to ask for mercy or give it, so until she’s safely back here I will reserve my judgment.”

Zod unmoved, simply responds that Seg’s position is unfortunate. Zod continues that he never resented growing up without a father, but he did resent a world so cruel that could break his mother, as strong as she is. Zod said he wanted to make Seg proud. Seg doesn’t believe that, but is open to talking about the possibilities of Zod’s vision if Zod can bring Lyta home safely. Zod stops Seg, telling him he’d wanted to make Seg proud. Past tense. Zod no longer wants that nor needs anything from Seg. He knocks Seg out. 

Wegthor. The Sagitari appear to be on the move outside the base. But, something funky is up. The Sagitari are all on the march, but only some of them have weapons and one Sagitari calls out for them to keep moving and says they’re going to answer to Zod.

Inside, Adam and Kem are still handcuffed on the bench where they’ve been all episode. One of their guards is playing with the Zeta-Beam Device and Adam asks him to stop because it’s not a toy. The guard tells Adam he plans on keeping the Device if he gets to kill them. Kem focuses on the “if” in the statement. Details, please?

The Sagitari guard tells them that Zod gave orders to kill the two of them in the event the Rebels kill their “hostage.” What hostage? But, no time for answers because Nyssa puts a blaster whole through the guard’s chest. Adam asks where she came from?!? Nyssa tells them they need to get back to the Rebels and the retreat is offering them safe passage. Adam gets the Zeta-Beam Device back as Kem asks Nyssa if she’s coming with them. Nopers, Nyssa responds.

“I’m a traitor on both sides now.”

Nyssa explains that her only mission is to get her son back.

Jax is talking to Zod via comm link. They are discussing the apparent retreat of the Sagitari from Wegthor via the Space Elevator. Jax tells Zod that once confirmation is received that all the Sagitari have evacuated from the moon, she will make arrangements to return Lyta to Kandor. Zod mistrusts Jax’s word and saying Val’s word is golden doesn’t do much as Zod has yet to see or hear from Val this whole time. Zod wants to speak to his mother, he promises it’ll be brief. Jax is suspicious.

“If I hear anything that sounds like coded language, she dies. Do you understand?”

Kandor. Dev and Jayna arrive at Zod’s Lair, dispatching the guards quickly. Vicious yet effective kills, you two! 

Wegthor. Kem and Adam are in the tunnels, trying to get back to the Rebel base. Kem turns on his handy scanner, which starts pinging. It’s picking up life forms. Lots of them. Kem is unsettled, but Adam doesn’t get the significance and wants to keep moving. Kem tells him that when he was with the Sagitari, they blew up this exact tunnel and killed lots of civilians (this relates back to Dev’s flashback last episode). But now, there are lots of warm bodies where there should be none. Kem’s face turns as serious as he’s ever been and  tells Adam they have to get back to Val. Now.

Kandor. Zod is talking to Lyta via comm link. He asks if she’s alright. Seg starts to come to behind Zod. Zod tells her they are in the process of securing her release. She tells Zod she knew the risks in coming to Wegthor, it was her choice and he shouldn’t compromise anything for her. She’s willing to die for his cause. Zod tells her he’s not willing to let her die. Zod and Lyta freeze mid-conversation and Seg looks confused. Invisible Brainiac appears, asking if Seg really believes Zod?

Commercials.

“Zod is quite a formidable liar.”

We come back and Invisible Brainiac is still there.  The scene is still frozen except for Invisible Brainiac and Seg who is back on his feet. Invisible Brainiac is talking about Zod and how he can convince himself of almost anything if the situation necessitates it. Seg is more concerned about why he keeps seeing Invisible Brainiac and asks if he’s back inside Seg’s mind. Invisible Brainiac tells Seg he never left, but the job Seg did on Brainiac on Colu severely weakened him within Seg. However, there is enough to save Seg from his own self-destruction. It was Brainiac who neutralized the effects of the Somatic Reconditioning but he confesses that in his diminished state, he needs to rely on Seg more than he would like. 

“You must stop allowing emotional impulses to trample upon the dictates of rational thought.”

Seg asks what he means by this? Brainiac asks how Zod was able to disarm Seg before? Seg replies he was distracted, the whole “woman he loves being held hostage” and all. Brainiac highlights this as the difference between Seg and Zod: while Seg was thinking about Lyta in that moment, Zod was focused on his own survival and not in any way distracted, even though he too loves Lyta.

Seg responds that Zod is just a “cosmic-sized asshole.” 

Brainiac tells Seg that Zod is determined to win, even if that means sacrificing Lyta. So if Seg does nothing, Zod will succeed. Seg asks Brainiac what he should do to change that course? Brainiac tells Seg that Lyta needs to be told Zod reconditioned her mind and then Seg has to kill Zod before Zod kills Seg (and the part of Brainiac living in Seg). Simple, right?!?

The transmission between Zod and Lyta resumes. Seg shouts that Lyta shouldn’t listen to Zod. Zod ends the transmission before Seg gets out the part about the Somatic Reconditioning. Lyta appears confused on the other end.

Wegthor. Jax shoves Lyta aside demanding to know what that last part was but Lyta doesn’t know herself.

Kandor. Back in Zod’s lair, the Seggggggggggg-Ellllllllllllllll  versus Druuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-Zoddddddddddddddd rumble is about to go down! Zod shouts at Seg, asking if he’s trying to get Lyta killed with that stunt just now. Seg gets in a couple of punches but it’s mostly Zod kicking Seg’s ass. Zod gets on top of Seg and begins choking him. Zod tells his father that he won’t allow Seg to threaten his vision. 

Seg’s mind goes back to the Phantom Zone and he relives seeing Zod choke out Lyta. Seg comes back to the present and appears to be just about done.

“Let him go.”

Zod is startled by the arrival of Jayna and Dev. Zod, who had let go of the choke-hold, drags Seg to his feet, holding him in front of him like a human shield. A dagger to Seg’s throat. Dev whispers to Jayna that he has no shot. Zod warns Jayna that by attempting to kill him, Jayna will also kill the love of her daughter’s life. Seg calls out to Jayna to do it, to end the war and to save Lyta. Zod realizes Jayna can’t do it. Dev can and he aims to take his shot at Zod. Zod, realizing what’s about to happen, throws his dagger straight at Jayna’s face. Dev doesn’t fire at Zod but rather catches the dagger like he went to Mr. Miyagi’s dojo! Some impressive Ninja moves.  Zod escapes, sounding the alarm about the intruders. 

Wegthor. Jax is trying to connect to the comms on Kandor. Araame tells Jax that there are reports coming in that all the Sagitari have boarded the Space Elevator. Jax is frustrated that the communication links are down and orders Lyta back to her cell until this is figured out.

Kandor.  Jayna, Dev and Seg are moving through Zod HQ trying to make their escape under gunfire. Invisible Brainiac begins to give Seg step by step instructions on where to go and when and where to fire. Seg just gives in to it. It’s very The Matrix-like – after Neo understands how the Matrix works. It has the effect of making him a badass killer and also, really REALLY surprises Jayna and Dev.  Jayna’s face says it all:

Wegthor. Adam and Kem return to the Rebel base where they find Jax and the other surviving Rebels. She asks how they escaped and Kem responds that Nyssa freed them. But, don’t worry about Nyssa, worry about the scan that Kem did of the tunnel. Kem hands the scanner to Adam who hands it to Jax; these two boys are wonderfully awkward. 

Kandor. Seg, Jayna and Dev are on the move to the old Rankless district. Lots of people milling about. Seg’s plan is to find a Rebel and contact Jax “before its too late.” As Seg says this, Jax’s voice comes over the airways, as if on one big speakerphone to all of Kandor. She’s irate, calling Zod a liar for positioning new Sagitari on Wegthor posing as civilians awaiting to ambush the Rebels. This is the man that’s leading them. 

“A man willing to condemn his own mother to death for the sake of his own pride.”

Jax is incensed that he sent rebel prisoners in as Sagitari as decoys, confirming Zod’s betrayal. This was the intel that Kem and Adam relayed to her via the scanner (and was hinted at above in the Sagitari retreat).

Jax roughly brings Lyta into frame, a dagger to her throat. Jax tells Krypton, but really speaking just to Zod, that he’s betrayed Krypton and his own mother. 

“And for that. You must be punished.”

Val yells from behind Jax not to become like Zod, but it’s too late. Jax slices Lyta’s throat wide open. Her lifeless body thuds on the floor.

End scene. 

*** 

Thoughts.

WHOAAAAAA! We were warned ahead of this episode it was going to be a bombshell by Krypton’s own Seg-El, Cameron Cuffe, via Twitter. This is a mid-season climax, an explosive moment of dramatic tension built up over the last several episodes. I can only imagine what the remainder of the season has in store.

How does this work? I’ve been playing with this for a while. Now that Lyta is dead before she technically gave birth to Dru-Zod, will he continue to exist? Or is his being solidly intact because he’s from an alternate timeline? Speaking of Zod, he’s essentially an orphan. His mother is dead. His father is pretty angry with him, and it’s not looking so promising on the Daddy relationship front.

 Speaking of Daddy relationships: I’m trying to figure Zod out. He keeps mentioning family. Discuss things as a family. Being with his mother. Yet, he addresses his parents as Lyta and Seg, rather than Mother and Father … except when it suits him. And mostly in sarcastic moments when it comes to Seg. He didn’t have his father growing up and his mother basically died of a broken heart long before her actual death and was a shell of her former self. Does he want the life of a family? Or just the idea of it, without all the messy bits? Not sure where the jury falls on that, needless to say I want no part of Team Zod.

The conversation Seg has with Zod about Lyta being tortured and being returned to herself is poignant. If you think about it, dictators only have power as long as the enforcement mechanism supports them. Think of Stalin or Hitler. They themselves did not carry out their horrific visions, rather it was the Army, the KGB in Russia and the Gestapo under Hitler, that did all those unspeakable acts. The leader of the enforcement agency has the real power and as long as the balance of power is tipped in favor of the dictator, really bad things will continue to happen. Kudos to Zod for recognizing that and trying to protect his regime at all costs. Too bad it is at the expense of his own mother.  

To that end, Jax herself is having a moment these last two episodes. She’s taken some bold steps to win the war, it seems at any cost. She weaponized the Codex, and although it failed to detonate, she tried to use it. And now, the brutal execution of The Primus LIVE for everyone on Kandor to see.  It reminds me of the quote from The Dark Knight: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”  

Lyta, during the negotiations, tried to humanize Zod to Val and Jax by calling him Dru. Just as Jax tried to dehumanize Lyta following the broadcast to Zod by calling her by her title, Primus. Clever tactics on both sides.

Nyssa having the Codex on her way back to Kandor for her son is giving me the heebee-jeebees. On a side note, she and Seg have Cor and there’s some kind of strange relationship there. How is she okay with this whole sideshow of Lyta and Seg? We shall see how that whole thing plays out, I’m sure.

Krypton airs on SYFY on Wednesday nights at 10pm (ET/PT).

***

Thank you for reading along! Leave a comment below for discussion. Follow us on social media for up to the minute updates on Krypton recaps and lots of other pop culture news things you need to know. On Twitter @popcultureview and Instagram @pop_culture_review. You can follow me on Twitter @SheilsMcGangsta. See you next week for the next installment with the doings on Krypton!