Krypton – Pilot Review

Krypton is a prequel series to Superman which was made for the Syfy network in the United States and broadcasted on E4 in the UK.

Set 200 years before Kal-El is sent to Earth his family loses their titles and rank after Val-El (Ian McElhinney) is executed for treason. His grandson, Sel-El (Cameron Cuffe) is forced to grow up in Kandor’s slums, but his life is changed when he saves the man who sentenced his grandfather and a man from Earth’s future tells Sel that he needs to find his grandfather’s Fortress of Solitude.

Krypton‘s first episode does everything a pilot is expected to do – introduce most of the characters, the world, and the main storylines. The pilot covers a lot in its 45-minute runtime as it establishes Sel’s mission, the various factions on Krypton and sets up the big threats to the hero.

The first episode was filmed by two directors, Colm McCarthy, and Ciaran Donnelly and it was filmed in Serbia despite the rest of the season being filmed in Belfast. This could explain why the pilot seemed so claustrophobic and cheap which is a real shame because McCarthy and Donnelly have done excellent work on other shows. The CGI cityscapes and footage in space is well done but most of the episode takes place in confined locations and it clearly looked like it was filmed on a set.

Krypton clearly wants to be the next Gotham – a prequel series based on supporting characters and being a darker, more violent than other interpretations of the Superman mythos. Blood is shed through knives and laser blasts and there is plenty of drama in the episode as well as setting up various subplots.

David S. Goyer was the creator of the series and he already has a history with Superman – he wrote Man of Steel.  And Man of Steel‘s version of Krypton is a big influence on the show – the sets look like lower-budget versions of the movie version and there are ideas that were touched on – like selective breeding and people being selected into guilds like military, justice, and religion.

The planet of Krypton has a rich history in the comics and the films have only been able to briefly touch upon. The TV show has an opportunity to explore the planet’s history and society and the first episode does look at the political tensions, personal rivalries and the suppression of rankless Kryptonians. There is a solid foundation for the series to build upon.

Krypton‘s pilot does what it sets out to do – set up its world and hook fans in. It over comes most of its uninspired visual and it will be interesting to see where the season goes.