As though we didn't already know how dangerous Doomsday was the episode begins with him brutally killing two unwitting Sagitari
Val and Jax return to Wegthor and Val gives the best line ever with 'That bastard down there has stolen our better tomorrow. We're stealing it back!' and it's clear just how much respect the rebels have for him
Seg wakes up and his first concern is making sure Adam's alright
And then they both have to deal with Lobo being Lobo like I really had forgotten how nuts the guy was and he's pissed that neither of them have heard of him except it turns out Adam has - and unlike Doomsday it's not because he's seen him in action it's just his reputation
Luckily they manage to somewhat convince him that Brainiac is dead but the whole interaction is just wild (love Seg's protectiveness of Adam though like he is not gonna let anything happen to him if he can help it)
Lyta continues to be unimpressed with Zod and his reluctance to send her to Wegthor and of course now we know exactly why - because he knows that they'd work out the truth and might even break her brainwashing in the process. Bastard
I feel so, so bad for Nyssa, though, she's in an impossible position here
Lobo's been ranting for about the last half an hour and Seg is 100000000000% done already and it's so fucking funny, he's so tired
Vidar and Jayna except apparently not and why for the love of god did they do this???? It's not often this show missteps but this is one of it's biggest ones, deciding to waste the Vidar storyline for no reason
Lyta's brainwashing is starting to crack and she keeps seeing Seg in the training room
Seg didn't even know he had powers but his first instinct is still to protect Adam and then he's so excited to have powers - 'Holy shit, I have telepathy too??' - and I so wish we'd gotten a third season because he'd have been delighted to get the whole set of them under a yellow sun...
Of course this does distract him enough that he gets knocked down by Lobo and Adam immediately tries to jump into the fight only to get flattened...which once again pisses Seg off and he fucking goes for the guy because he won't lose him again-
But love that in the end it's Adam who saves him
Look, listen, it's not that 'Jayna hallucinates her brother because of her own guilt and finally comes to terms with the cycle of abuse the House of Zod runs on' is even a bad plotline, alright, and in fact even makes sense for her character...but the fact it's a retcon is like season one very clearly set up the fact he was alive and I'd have liked to have seen him and Jayna working together to dismantle th Zod legacy, make a better one. Wouldn't that have been great??? Wouldn't that have been such a powerful statement to make??????
(Also it would mean yet another family member who detests Dru-Zod which I am all here for >:D)
That poor cadet though just having the misfortune to resemble Seg and getting the shit beaten out of him as a result. Yikes
Adam is definitely impressed by Seg's powers and also very worried but quickly works out that it's very different to Rhom and the Voice, meanwhile Seg is going through it and snaps at Adam but quickly regrets it (because he remembers what happened when one of their conversations ended in anger and he doesn't want to do that again, he will not let that happen)
'That person can't be replaced, can't be built over.' Oh, part of Lyta knows, doesn't she, and it makes Zod's dry comment about how the cadet will be fine since she's not visiting him even worse like this is directly your fault, you piece of shit
'He looks just like his father' Lyta, all babies look the same
Jayna taking down the Sagitari is one of the best things ever and then Dev comes in to save the day cos it turns out it was him they were looking for
Seg looks at Adam so softly and so fondly and he probably still wants to make sure he really is here but it hit me that he's also committing his face to memory, because he knows what he has to ask of him, what the likely outcome of all this is, and he wants to remember him, remember one of his best friends who he never thought he'd see again - he wants to remember every detail about him. He places his hands on his shoulders, knows what he has to ask is a terrible thing to ask of him but there is no choice and Adam doesn't want to but the risk is too great...
And then his eyes go black.
Is Seg bolting just to gain more distance because he's becoming more Brainiac by the minute and hyper-focused on the logical thing to do...or is he trying to keep Adam safe because he doesn't want to hurt him, putting distance between the two of them?
And Adam's sympathetic to what he's going on but he's also not afraid of him in the slightest and won't abandon him...and honestly it's interesting that even with Seg getting further into Brainiac mode the most he does is just say 'Adam' in that annoyed tone like there's not even anger or intimidation just annoyance, the bond is that strong
Then the inevitable battle in the center of the mind is set up as he faces off against Brainiac and manages to get through that, regains control of himself and works out a plan
(Also takes hold of Adam to steady himself which I really love they're just so soft, these two)
See now I'm curious as to how many teaching moments Jax had from him because she can predict them down to the second XD
Aaaaaaaaaaaaand to no one's surprise it turns out Zod was lying in 1x06 cos apparently Kandor being ripped from the ground did not make it inevitable that it would explode - it could have been prevented, huh?
Jayna wants answers but Dev is in too much of a state to really give her any like he has really been broken by recent events
More bickering between Seg and Adam and it's hilarious, firstly about the berries ('I said not to eat them.' 'You said to eat them') then about the term Seg used ('what do you mean birthed?' 'What do you mean what do I mean birthed?!) then about the plan in general and it just makes me laugh every time they're such idiots and I love them
However I demand JUSTICE because!!! There is a deleted forehead kiss and I'm still mad about it - Seg gives one to Adam and in Shaun Sipo's words it 'was a beautiful moment that summed up the deep respect, love, camaraderie and levity of their friendship.' and they cut it!!!!! They cut it!!!!!!!! Booooooooooo!!!!!
Almost every character here deserves a hug but especially Nyssa - forced to turn traitor just for the chance of seeing her son again when we know Dru-Zod has known such intention of ever returning him...I do love her conversation with Val, though (who really does just collected grandchildren throughout season two, it so funny)
I see Adam's point about the creepy dark cave because it's a creepy dark cave but unfortunately that's where it is...and Seg once again snaps at Adam but this time goes to apologise only then the Battle in the Centre of the Mind begins in earnest because Brainiac wants to break him
Zod choosing to sacrifice the Lyta clone is still so chilling, to be honest, like the first time around you think 'oh well, he's ultra confident about the plan and finally moving forward from the memories of the original timeline version of his mother'...except now it's clear that this version of Lyta was always going to be expendable just in case things went south. He is letting her go but only to die - he knows it's only a matter of time before the brainwashing breaks completely so he's making so it'll never truly happen
Meanwhile Adam is desperate trying to save Seg while also dealing with Lobo and even he isn't expecting the guy to kill himself and then regrow himself from one arm and it really is gross the whole way through
Nyssa's ex is intriguing and the connection is genuine, but sadly it's not gonna lead anywhere because Nyssa is just trying to gain information about the Codex
Listen, I know Adam running his mouth off is a running theme but he really should know better than to get cocky with Lobo like that was never gonna work out for you
And Seg isn't fooled by the illusion of Lyta whatsoever - I know it turns out this didn't actually get Brainiac out of him but it's still an awesome moments especially when he wakes up just in time to save Adam's life again-
And then they both flip Lobo off before teleporting out of there!!! Brilliant!!!!
Jayna, meanwhile, saves Dev, and Dev finally lets himself break down after months of repressing himself
Glad to see actual Kem here too even if the circumstances are shitty
Honestly it's not surprising Seg's body just gives out after what he's been through - the Phantom Zone, holding off Brainiac's possession, getting Brainiac out and then teleporting light-years across the universe, it's just all too much for him but this time Adam is the one to save his life-
Then tries to pretend it didn't happen as though that's ever gonna fool Seg like he knows you too well, my guy
Seg still had to hold onto him, of course, but they've got a mission now and I just love them so much
Next time, Seg returns to Kandor and to Lyta, only to find out a terrible truth, and then the rebellion suffers a blow which leads to one of the most shocking moments in the series...
