You know back when this was airing on E4 the trailer for S2 had the ‘Prepare for the conquest of Earth!!’ and the ships entering Earth’s atmosphere which was dramatic as hell and very alarming cos it’s like ‘well, that’s ONE way to introduce Seg to Earth, isn’t it???’ And it’s a very convincing scene for those who don’t know what is really happening here
Twelve hours earlier and despite Wegthor being blown up and people panicking all Zod cares about is his precious fleet, so it’s even better when Val calls him out on his bullshit and then calls him an arsehole like go off, my guy
Adam is doped up on painkillers but still depressed about his paralysis while Nyssa tries to reassure him. I do question his whole ‘oh I could use the Zeta-Beam to undo it’ because like…how?? Would that not cause a a paradox? But he’s well aware of the problems so isn’t even going to try, much as he wants to…
And honestly the whole scene is heartbreaking because he opens up to Nyssa in a way he hasn’t to anyone else yet - tells her about the Zeta-Beam and Sardath and reveals that he modified it for time travel (which is why he left Rann) and even though he doesn’t dwell on the subject of Alanna for long the fact he mentions her at all is significant because he hasn’t even done so to Seg, Val or Kem. He does so because he trusts Nyssa but she was just trying to get information from him
I didn’t like the Dev/Jayna pairing but watching this a second time around I’m…not actually sure it even is a pairing, like yeah, they kiss, but the context is that they thinking the rest of the resistance is dead and they’re probably gonna die taking out Zod so they might as well, but I’m honestly not sure it would’ve continued if it had gotten to a third season
Meanwhile Seg fears everyone else is dead but still tries to reach them and succeeds, and even in the midst of his own grief for Kem still asks after Nyssa and Adam
And they grieve for Kem - Val declaring he will forever be remembered as a member of House El still hits me right in the feels because he was Seg's brother and that's how he'll go down in history, and he will always be missed
Adam wakes up to see Nyssa with the Zeta-Beam and again, the power of the acting here is just brilliant because he immediately knows why she's holding it but still holds out hope that he can get through to her, speaks to her gently, just put it down and we can talk, gets Val in because maybe he can get through to her-
But she needs to find her son. Everyone has already agreed to help her but it's not enough and now the only fuel used for interstellar ships is gone and she has no choice except it's not true because there is always a choice but she is a mother pushed to the very brink and she must do this and so she goes to Rann
(Also the way Adam says 'you played me' like he's shocked but also not surprised and that makes it worse)
Lyta is devastated over Wegthor and the fact the rebellion is dead but she has her Sagitari plan in motion...only she doesn't, because Zod has captured and tortured one of the instignators of the rebellion and then brutally kills him despite promising to spare his life (except all that is going to do is drive people further away, which is exactly what it does later on)
The rebels return, though, and the toast to Kem is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking because he will be remembered (and Seg placing one hand on Adam's shoulder and drawing Lyta into a side-hug...he just cares so much about everyone and I love it)
And Zod is lost - they all know it, now (and maybe always did)
Rann is a beautiful place but Nyssa has just landed in a war zone which is why you don't just go travelling to places whenever
Adam is just so fucking terrified of being useless and I just want to hug him, like despite the fact he really has done so much, given so much to Krypton and the rebellion, he's still worried about being discarded and now we find out why - mother dead in childbirth, a father that blamed him for that, a life where hardly anyone stuck around for him so he learned not to expect they would, never though he'd make anything of himself, like the first time seeing this really threw all of his past actions in a new light and again, it just breaks my heart
But Seg and Val are all but family, and Krypton all but home, especially now he's stranded here, and Val will not give up on him!! He will find him something to do in the fight to come and he will help him to walk again
The dark moment when Lyta's plan is revealed to be compromised but they're not down and out - Lyta knows what Zod will do, and the drunk asshole from some episodes before stands up and agrees to help because he took Jayna's earlier words on board, Zod won't ever stop hunting them down so it's time to fight back!!!!!
Seg draws Zod out seemingly to challenge himself but then the masterstroke because it turns out the real plan is Lyta rallying the people, living proof of Zod's deeds, and the people listen, like there's not any real shock here, for all Zod's claims of somatic reconditioning...clearly, some part of these people knew something was not right...
The people turn against him, the Sagitari will no longer follow him, and the battles begin in earnest - the one in the Outlands and theo one in Kandor. Jayna and Dev take out several soldiers, the civilians take up arms and keep going even in the face of impossible odds, Adam gets to take down a Sagitari (and then Val steps in to save him-)
But oh, Seg and Lyta vs Zod? Still so fucking epic because they have completely disowned him and it is just a no holds barred beatdown on both sides but ultimately Seg and Lyta come out on top because they have no choice if Krypton and the universe is to be saved-
And Seg comes so close to killing him which would solve some problems but...it's not who he is, in the end, and there's something very satisfying to see Zod get a taste of his own medicine as they stick him under Black Mercy, trapping him in his own mind as he did to Lyta
(How the hell did Doomsday get backing in his casing though????)
I will admit I don't really know much about Apokolips but despite that it's still very clear out dire the situation on Rann is - that shot of the Thanagarians flying overhead is chilling
The part scene is hilarious because drunk characters are so fun but how did Val make up Adam's leg braces so quickly and why give him a jetpack??? Like this was before the drinking so what on Earth was his thought process that he decided giving Adam a jetpack was a good idea??
That being said I love how delighted Seg is to see him upright but he quickly gets a reminder of Adam being Adam as the man proceeds to splat into the ceiling (to everyone's amusement) but he'll be fine, mostly
Lobo shows up out of nowhere and honestly Seg is just so done with him already like he's so unfazed, and while Lobo complains about his penchant for deals he still makes one with him anyway (though how he knows it was his infant son who was taken I've no idea but maybe that was kind of obvious)
And it's just as well because Brainiac plans to take him to Earth and install him as an all-powerful God over the human race...
And we'll never know how that would've played out because the bastards at Syfy cancelled it despite this being one of the best shows of all time and it still makes me so mad because it deserved so much better, so much better!!!!!!!!! The characters, the actors, the plot, it is such a brilliant and well written show and everyone deserved that third season!!!!
But it wasn't to be, so to fanfiction we'll have to go - and a shout-out to @ormymarius because it was finding out you were also a fan that finally pushed me to do the rewatch I'd been meaning to for ages, so thank you very much!!!
As for everyone else, thank you for reading!!!
