'Krypton' season 2 episode 3 review: The Man of Steel proves he can withstand the strongest forces, both physical and emotional
Contains spoilers for Episode 3 'Will to Power'
"It's not the past that defines you, it's how you choose to live moving forward," says Val-El (Ian McElhinney) and that is somehow eerily similar to the morals that Superman lives by when he's on earth. The third episode of 'Krypton' titled 'Will to Power' gives us a glimpse of Seg-El's (Cameron Cuffe) will and determination, as well as his really high level of patience. That, coupled with his ability to see the way forward despite the hard choices he's made in the past, is what makes him a formidable hero.
Blake Ritson's Brainiac is simply the most evil supervillain out there and this episode establishes that fact. After possessing Seg so he could have a host body to ensure his survival, Brainiac plays with Seg's emotions so as to weaken the character and completely dominate Seg's actions. Lobo (Emmett Scanlan) is still on the lookout for Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos) and Seg managed to give the bounty-hunter the slip after blasting a hole in his chest and using the time he takes to regenerate to escape.
Seg, meanwhile, fluctuates between being himself and Brainiac, while Strange guides him through until they come across a cave that has the tech to separate Brainiac from his host. But again, as formidable as he is, the manipulative supervillain toys with Seg's mind until the latter finally fights back and ensures that Brainiac is out of his body and mind. But trouble in the form of Lobo follows soon after as he intercepts Strange and Seg, and finally spears Brainiac to death just after the two heroes zeta beam back to Kandor.
The episode ends with a few questions left unanswered. Is Brainiac really gone for good? And is this the last we have seen of Lobo as well given that Colu is not really a place for any of the people to be at the moment.
What makes this episode a treat to watch is the mind games that Brainiac plays, while Seg, despite fighting emotions and tears, manages to keep his wits around him. Brainiac brings back all the memories of Seg's past and attempts to make him more vulnerable so as to take over his body, but perhaps Val-El was right, Seg chose a way to live and he stuck by it no matter the cost.
Of all the episodes so far, 'Will to Power' is relatively more talk and less action. But sitting through and watching an episode that has 45 minutes of conversation is worth it as it sets up the real battle that Seg will have to prepare for. Sipos' Strange is brilliant throughout as he manages to add in some comic elements despite the seriousness of the situation and it's not hard to see why he's a fan-favorite.
It took three episodes to get Seg out of the Phantom Zone, and now the focus will move towards regaining Krypton from the hands of a tyrant, General Dru-Zod. But there's one factor missing and it's about time we saw more of Doomsday. The iconic supervillain made a blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the second episode, but that's pretty much about it. Perhaps, there's an episode devoted wholly to Doomsday for him to unleash his tyranny and wreak havoc. But that's for another day.
If you are two episodes in, and they have managed to make you tune in for the third, this episode is definitely worth the wait and the watch, albeit the slow pace it moves at. Meanwhile, if you are starting out to watch 'Krypton', you can read the reviews of Episode 1 and Episode 2 here.
'Krypton' season 2 airs Wednesday nights on Syfy at 10 pm ET.