Tensions grow between Zod and the Wegthor rebels, Seg-El and Adam Strange take the fight to Brainiac on his home playing field, Dev-Em reappears as a soldier gone rogue, the long lost lover of Nyssa-Vex returns to the fold, and thankfully Doomsday is nowhere to be found. Lobo also shoots himself in the face.
Krypton’s plot kicks into high-gear this episode as moves are made by everyone on the board. While Adam and Seg attempt to be rid of Brainiac once and for all, Dru-Zod makes a bold decision that could end the rebellion. However the rebels may have information that could very much turn the tide of the war into their favour, while Nyssa continues on her own mission as Zod’s reluctant spy. As it was said in the beginning, tensions are rising, and hope for our heroes is fluctuating.
Fear of loss is a major theme throughout all the plot lines in this episode. Nyssa finds herself with no other choice but to deceive the rebels out of fear for losing her and Seg’s son, Cor-Vex. Dru-Zod, as unlikely as it would seem, fears losing his mother, Lyta-Zod once again, just as he did in the future. And finally, Brainiac fears death and the loss of his knowledge, which he sees as the loss of his power. For once in his eternal life, the Collector of Worlds feels fear.
The conflict between Seg and Brainiac takes centre stage here, and the stage is in Seg’s subconscious mind. Cameron Cuffe and Blake Ritson’s hero/villain chemistry is absolutely incredible, and that is very well showcased throughout this episode. And remember that this is a Brainiac that hasn’t yet faced Superman in battle, so Seg-El is definitely proving himself to be the grandfather of Superman. I believe that Ritson deserves a special shoutout in particular for his performance as Brainiac, which takes the cold and calculating despot to another level of chillingly evil. And another shoutout to the makeup and VFX teams for ripping Brainiac’s design perfectly out of the comics.
As aforementioned, we are shown the emotional side of Dru-Zod as he reveals his greatest fears to his mother. Colin Salmon’s delivery is so impactful that you can’t help but feel a semblance of sorrow for his character, even if you remember that he’s the villain. Though some might say that Zod doesn’t have a heart, it is actually shown that he has an incredible amount of it for his family and his planet, which is what makes him such a compelling villain in this version of the character. It’s also what makes him that much more dangerous and intimidating.
The Wegthor rebellion has a bigger role here than they did in the previous episode. Jax-Ur enforces a new strategy to use against Zod, while Nyssa, under Zod’s force of hand, continues his plan to destroy the rebels by leading them to their own doom from within. Wallis Day gives a very emotional driven performance as Nyssa, a former political asset turned rebel and desperate mother. She also has a fantastic scene with Val-El (Ian McElhinney) who proves himself to be a powerhouse of charm and a very cool older fellow.
Will To Power is a great addition to the Superman mythos as suspense builds through Krypton’s incredibly written characters and one of the best casts in the subgenre.
Krypton returns with a fourth episode next Wednesday on Syfy.
